Celtic caught everyone out at the weekend. They surprised fans and the media with a proactive move they have been working on behind the scenes recently. It could give the club a serious boost on the pitch next season.
We all waited for ages to get confirmation of Martin O’Neill’s appointment as manager. Then announcements about his coaching staff seemed to drag on even longer. Gavin Strachan left, and no obvious replacement was mentioned. That, of course, spiralled into all sorts of rumours and conspiracies about what the board was, or was not, doing.
So another media statement on Sunday evening was a surprise. Celtic quietly announced the appointment of Ross Grant to the coaching team. Grant is a highly rated coach, UEFA A-rated and with a background in Scottish football. The club sneaked in some specific mentions in their statement that add to the delight for fans with this move.
Celtic tackle serious weakness in smart move
It’s a move they have been working on for a while, despite criticism that they weren’t being proactive. At Celtic, he will have a specific focus on set pieces and coaching. Grant was highly acclaimed at Hearts last season for his work on driving their set-piece successes. He has left the runners-up to join the Champions, of whom he is a lifelong fan. That all sounds perfect.
Celtic have been pretty awful at set pieces in recent years, so any attention on them will be very useful. The attacking style of play should lead to a higher number of corners and free-kick opportunities. Fans have also noted the long throw approach from both Kieran Tierney and Alistair Johnston at the World Cup. That’s not a tactic Celtic make much use of. Maximising the return, by way of goals and chances from set pieces, should give a serious boost next season.
Defensively, it’s an area of weakness which opponents try to exploit. Hearts and Rangers both had a focus and success on that against Celtic, as did others. Tightening up in defending set pieces is essential too.
If there was a tongue-in-cheek thought about Grant and his set-piece work at Hearts, it came in that last title-deciding game at Parkhead. Take care if you send up your goalkeeper for a late free kick into the box. We all saw how that went as Callum Osmand raced up the pitch to stroke home goal number three and confirm the league title. That jokingly aside, Grant looks to be a superb signing and one that attacks a serious weakness at Celtic. That’s a great move from the club amid all the criticism.
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