How do we improve this defence?. Will we improve the defence?. This for me is the worst defence I can remember, we are losing goals that a Sunday Legaue team would keep out. I think back to the likes of Caldwell, McManus and even guys like Mark Wilson at RB, they are a level above what we have atm. We have allowed compliancy to set in and if we don't sort it out in the next two weeks this squad isn't good enough to handle EL and three domestic trophies and that is when a legaue that should be easy enough to win becomes hard as we seen at the weekend against Hearts.
I think it proves the point made by another Celtic fan. A weak Rangers is bad for Celtic. Yes you may conceded some titles but if you have a genuine challenger you will natuarlly step up your game.
It’s quite simple. If we don’t improve the defence within the next few weeks we are going to struggle to win the title.
I don't agree with that. Brendans remit was to improve us in Europe regardless of what Rangers where doing ... He did that but we have took a step backwards defensively and in squad strengh and depth.
Lustig - Finished Jozo - Not good enough and injury prone Boyata - Doesn't want to be here Ajer - Work in progress, needs an experiences head to bring him on. Hendry - Not a young boy as people keep trying to make out, almost 24 and has zero positional sense. Commper - Don't even know what he looks like Gamboa - Deserves another crack but Rodgers doesn't fancy him. We need a defensive overhaul as even for EL football that defence isn't good enough. Once we get all our strikers fit and get Eddy and Dembele upfront as a two we should out score anyone in the division but the you score 2 we score 3 approach is dangerous when you come against a team not as good but better organised defensively.
Who over the past few years has BR signed that has actually been a great signing? Off the top of my head, Dembele, Sinclair, Roberts 1st loan spell and Ntcham. The amount of players he has signed that hasn’t been good enough is maybe why the board hasnt backed in him in the transfer market. He was wanting to sign McGinn, but you have Allan, Christie, Eboue, etc.. those players are just collecting a wage. If he was able to punt those players maybe the boa d would be different. Over the years he has signed some duds, more duds than good signings. Signed Eboue for a few million but cant even get close to the team. He has wasted a lot of cash tbh. I think there has been comfortability with Celtic over the years. The board have always just though they would be ok.. but that’s not the case. You still need to improve the team to assure you keep winning trophies. Eduard is a decent player.. but to me he has looked to strengthen in attack when the problem lies in the defence. And the money his spend on him could have been put elsewhere.
Whatabout Celtic's youth coming thru? Youve got Ralston (right back) from Celtic 20s- has anyone seen him?
Have no reason to doubt his Aussie teammate Maclaren: Maclaren: Arzani will shine in Scotland Have to agree- he will shine, turns 20 in January, he backs himself, he'll cause problems to opposing defenders. Celtic getting him on loan is a bl..dy bargain!
It sounds like he will be a decent addition but once again it's taking us about three weeks longer than any other club to get a deal over the line... Thistle in the cup could have been perfect to give him a run out in.
We have been in for defenders and for whatever reason the deals have fell through. One is the right back I posted about and the other was Fabian Schar. Valencia and Newcastle came in and pounced, we simply can't live with their wages and no foreigner is coming to us for 30k a week when offered 50k in a bigger league. Put us in the same league as Newcastle and Fabian Schar is a Celtic player today but we know that's not the case. That's simply the reality and I don't understand why year after year some of our fans can't understand that.
I do worry about Brendan’s eye for a defender if he rates Boyata so highly and up until a week or so ago didn’t seem interested in bringing in another centre back. We would have been poor at the back with or without Boyata at the club. Only Ajer shows the necessary ability to play regularly for us at centre back but he is still young and learning himself. Overall though I agree with Brendan’s comments about always needing to strengthen whilst on top. Far too often throughout the years we haven’t done this and have paid the price. There is a very good chance this could happen again, and quicker than many probably think.
Boyata for me showed last season after his improvement that he was worth keeping, there is also the continuality aspect as you don't want to be changing a whole defence so I had no qualms with that. . . . . .recent actions by him though should ensure he never see's inside Celtic Park again unless he's visiting as an opposition player. Compper we simply can't comment on as we haven't seen him although it's looking that due to injury we can write him off. Hendry was a project and I actually think he'll develop into a player but it's clear he's not ready right now and has been thrown in due to circumstance. Ajer I think is good enough right now. Simunovic has regressed and while a decent squad player wouldn't start the form he's in. It's obvious we need at least one solid performer and he should start with Ajer.
Champions league has now gone, so what constitutes a successful season for us now?. . . For me the title and a couple of rounds after Christmas in the Europa.
I don't want to pick on a youngish player but I'm afraid he doesn't and is not good enough. He looks okay coming out with the ball but the actual defending part he's nowhere near the level we need with his positional sense the weakest area of his game. Personally, I don't think he'll ever be but I'll be happy to be proven wrong. The title is a must and if we could get to the last 16 of the EL or better then that would be ideal. There are some big clubs in the EL though and knowing our luck with draws if we get to the groups then we'll get the hardest one possible. Someone pointed out to me earlier today that Spartak Moscow have went from a pot 1 CL team last season to a pot 4 EL team this so no doubt we'll draw them. I had a brief look at some of the seeds (well clubs in each pot) earlier today and if we do make the groups there is a chance we could get some really hard games. Pot 3 looks very strong.
