This time last season we headed into the Champions League with the Celtic board snoozing at the wheel and hoping for the best with wing and prayer signings which frustrated Brendan Rodgers. Both performances in the European qualifiers against Kairat where poor and the hangover hung around until Brendan left and Martin O’Neill came into steady the ship.
With pressure from the Celtic support on the shoulders of the Celtic board throughout all of last season it seemed as if they had learned nothing and stumbled through another poor transfer window in the winter after the Wilfried Nancy fiasco and Martin to his credit came back and performed miracles to win a double.
Transfer movement was moving too slow in the Summer for many Celtic fans but finally after moving on 3 players the Celtic board used the money from those sales to bring in two new strikers Duran and Hogh who have both started the season in fine form. Have the Celtic board finally learned their lesson that you need quality not quantity?
With the big lump of cash expected in for the departing Engels to West Ham the Celtic board were able to bring in Hassan and Baur ahead of the Champions League all or nothing clashes with Lask of Austria. The team better than last years opponents.
With some big earners moving off the wage bill and the players that have been sold, the Celtic board have managed to sign four players and still be able to lodge cash into the already bulging account.
The tax man will be licking his lips waiting for his cut of the profits but with more time to wheel and deal now is the time for them to loosen the purse strings to strengthen the Celtic midfield. Cover is also needed for left back and our No. 1 goalkeeper needs some competition for the jersey.
Martin O’Neill will miss Engels over the two legs and does not have a replacement in the current squad to cover the ground he did. Earlier in this article I asked the question have the Celtic board finally learned their lesson. Letting Engels go without a replacement ahead of two crucial Champions League qualifiers would suggest that they still have lessons to learn!
Martin O’Neill was reminded at the pre -match press conference that it is two decades since he managed Celtic in the competition. Let’s hope he can sprinkle some magic dust. If he can it will continue the feel good factor in the stands last weekend in Tannadice. Lask should pose a much more serious threat than Kilmarnock and Dundee United when we travel over there so a home win could be crucial.
Lets hope when we leave Celtic Park at full time that we are celebrating and looking forward to the second leg in Austria but without Engels the Celtic midfield is weaker.
Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes Celtic Fanzine & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast
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