The Full Scottish with Brian P. Dunleavy
After we filed our column last week—when it comes to deadlines, the gaffer at First Touch is fair, but firm—Celtic’s world seemed to spin off its axis.
First, the Hoops’ player recruitment department was tardy to the party on midfielder John McGinn. The player, an emerging talent who happens to be Celtic daft, ended up signing with Aston Villa from Hibernian. Parkhead chairman Peter Lawwell et al apparently took McGinn’s love for Celtic for granted and were late with a matching bid for him.
However, that’s not the worst of it. Indeed, this occurred even after manager Brendan Rodgers had indicated that McGinn was a player he wanted. Celtic’s failure to get him, then, showed the world, or at least the press in Scotland, that there may in fact be fissures within the Bhoys’ hierarchy.
Rodgers then didn’t do himself, or his club, any favors when he said his time in Glasgow would come to an end—“terminado” is how he put it—if and when Celtic stopped showing ambition.
Was not making a big push for McGinn demonstrating a lack thereof?
Whatever the message from the board was—or if there was even a message—it wasn’t lost on Celtic’s current squad. Fifteen minutes after McGinn signed for Villa, Celtic drew 1-1 with AEK Athens at Parkhead in Champions’ League qualification, despite the Greek side being down a man for 30-plus minutes of the match.
That they conceded late in the first half on sloppy defending caused many a Celtic supporter to grumble. After all, reinforcements at the back, not a midfielder like McGinn, have long been viewed as vital. And, in fact, that deficiency in the current squad was evident again last Saturday, when the Hoops lost 1-0 to Hearts at Tynecastle. True, as in the second half against the Greeks, they were lacking ideas in the final third, but it was a mistake at the back that undid them, allowing Kyle Lafferty, of all people, to score the winner.
Unfortunately, Celtic then brought that lack of imagination with them on Tuesday to Greece. They attacked relentlessly in Athens, particularly in the second half, but scored just once, while the Greeks netted two. Champions’ League dreams for this season are thus over, and the Hoops now face a play-off just to get into the Europa League—meaning, at best, supporters can only hope for a lot of Thursday/Sunday matches for the coming months.
Whether bringing in McGinn would have prevented all of this is up for debate. However, there is no doubt Celtic’s squad could have used the injection of a few fresh faces and a little more passion and energy this summer. The midfielder likely would have brought some of the latter, given his family’s Celtic history.
Either way, the Hoops’ board deserves some criticism for failing to spend thus far. Yes, they signed Odsonne Edouard on a permanent deal, but the player had been in Glasgow all of last season on loan. Which begs the question: Where have the proceeds from last season’s Champions’ League appearance and the sale of midfielder Stuart Armstrong gone?
Even when Celtic have invested in the squad, though, their decisions have been questionable, at least of late. Marvin Compper has been a bust. Young Jack Hendry, signed from Dundee in January after failing to catch on with the Bhoys as a youth, is at best a work in progress. Last summer’s “big” signing, Jonny Hayes, has failed to impress, although, to be fair, he was just finding his stride last term when he suffered a broken leg at Dens Park. Highly touted loan signing Charly Musonda turned out to be much ado about nothing. Young midfielders Kundai Benyu and Eboue Kouassi have yet to show they are worthy of more playing time. So, exactly what is the club’s scouting department, led by Welshman Lee Congerton, a Rodgers acolyte, doing to identify new talent?
Time is still on the side of Rodgers and the board. Scotland’s transfer window closes in two weeks or so, giving them plenty of time to sign players. But will they do it and, if so, will they be the right players?
The world keeps on spinning. And Celtic may be left behind.
