“Keep the faith” has been a solid mantra for Celtic fans for many years. It paid off last season as the fans backed the interim manager and players for that tight season end. It all paid off with another trophy double.
That came despite many serious roadblocks and difficulties. The Celtic board had a big hand in creating the majority of those and only a limited role in resolving any. Fans hoped for better next season, but so far the summer is full of warning signs. It’s definitely getting harder for the Celtic support to keep the faith.
The apparent slowness of appointing Martin O'Neill back in place as manager didn't help. Nor did the delay in announcing his coaching staff. Some credit goes to the executives, though, for recruiting Ross Grant as a new addition to O’Neill’s backroom team.
No news yet to help Celtic fans keep the faith
On the player front, it is seemingly very slow. Other clubs are flying ahead on signings, as yet, Celtic haven't recorded a single one. Now we may have our doubts about the quality of some of those arriving at other clubs, but they are filling gaps quickly in preparation for the season.
We’re still looking at the gaps at Celtic as several players' contracts expired at the end of June. The excellent cover we had for both full backs has gone as the loans for Mauricio Saracchi and Julian Araujo have ended. Then other key permanent players, like Daizen Maeda, Benjamin Nygren, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels, all seem set to move out this summer.
In addition to that full back cover, that starts to leave holes elsewhere on the pitch. Another goalkeeper to challenge Viljami Sinisalo is a must. The midfield starts to look very thin, too. Maybe Paula Bernardo gets another chance to shine. That is, if he hasn't already decided he, too, is exiting.
Up front, the situation is even worse. Assuming Maeda leaves, the centre forward position is filled by either Callum Osmand, Shin Yamada or Johnny Kenny. And that's if Kenny’s return from a season-ending knee injury goes to plan. It’s not inspiring nor offers much cover, even if there are high hopes for Osmand next season.
Can Celtic’s recruitment approach improve?
Fans are frustrated, and patience isn't easy. Recent transfer experience suggests they may not be rewarded quickly by a flurry of deals for new signings. Stories of players being monitored aren't going to cut it. Neither are low-ball bids, which just prolong the agony.
And then even if a few are brought in, there’s still that worry about the quality level of those that arrive. Can the recruitment team and the board turn around their own performance levels quickly and significantly? It’s a hard one to have to keep the faith about.
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