Celtic – Now and looking forward to 2024/2025 and beyond
This is a set of blog posts that is in a way my little acknowledgement and thankyou to so many who have supported my journey into scouting, and it doesn’t stop there as I have decided to take on some coaching and player analysis courses to ensure I fully understand what best practice looks like in those key areas and if/when that day comes for full time scouting I will know that I am as prepared as I can be…..
First off the volume of backing I’ve had from fellow Celtic supporters is beyond what I could ever have expected. Within days hundreds of followers on social media, thousands of views and interactions on the Huddleboard, where we regularly review players in the Player Watch Threads. Truth be told I owe part of my new found career to a few people in the online Celtic community, most of whom didn’t know anything about me bar what I was posting in forums and encouraged me to take what was a hobby and turn it into something more.
Given how much enjoyment it’s given me I owe a huge thanks to Stephen & Cheryl from the HB, MC, Richard, Doc and my good buddy Wee Kev. You may not realise how important you have been but you have encouraged me, educated me and been vital to me getting to the point where I am, and I know I still have a way to go but my sincerest thanks for everything.
The layout of these 4 posts that will come over the next 3 to 4 weeks is as follows:
- The current situation and what the player list looks like from the 1st of June 2024 including staff, first team to u16s, pathways and a little bit about the structures in place
- Tactics and who can the club move on and move up. Why each option is a consideration and who do we build the first team around for the next 3 or 4 years
- Signing options and player reports for some key roles starting with the defensive unit
- The second part of signing options and player reports for the attacking unit, ambitions for next season and my response to any feedback via the site and social media
*Please Note from the off I have tried my best to ensure the information is accurate via a whole host of sources from Wyscout to TransferMrkt, SI databases, people at the club, media sources and fellow supporters*
Where we are now:
This is something about me. I hate assumptions so I will not be making any claims to what we will have come the end of the season because as far as I’m concerned things are only won in football when the final whistle blows, name is on the trophy and it’s in the captains hand. So, this starts with me looking over the entire playing staff based upon the information I have up until today, and today was a good day.
The following images are the make-up of the players we have as things stands and here are some notes for before we kick off:
* (Currently on loan or have been out on loan recently)
+ (On loan to Celtic)
Now the most important note here and it’ll play a huge part of part 3 of this blog is the situation we will find ourselves in with Joe Hart retiring. An absolutely wonderful signing from day one. His performances as a whole have been strong, steady and he’s shown a really good level of consistency that we badly needed. Yes, he has his flaws but for me if you add up all the good he’s brought to the team and the club it massively outweighs any negatives.
The situation with his backups is something that needs to be considered especially with 4 young goalkeepers on the books. Scott Bain obviously helps with European squad requirements so the club won’t be in any hurry to see him leave. Siegrist hasn’t really had many chances and there have been suggestions he would like to leave to seek 1st team games elsewhere.
At the time of writing Josh Clarke had started 13 games for Ayr United and appears to be playing relatively well.
Tobi Oluwayemi has been out on loan with Admira in Austria but has had injuries which have led to him only starting 2 games.
Then we have Joe Morrison and Kai McLean currently vying for the number 1 spot with the B team.
This area is stacked in terms of numbers, but what your opinion of the individuals and the collective is yours but please feel free to discuss on the socials or in the comments box below and I’ll reflect on it at the end. I think it’s very clear that our current 1st choice pairing is Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales. We then have 4 other players who have become or were bought to be part of the first team with Kobayashi and Lagerbielke looking highly likely to leave based upon what nearly happened in the winter transfer window. Then we have another 4 young players in the B team. Dane Murray who had been in the first team but has had injury issues, then a few players who have moved up from the u18s and Bonetig who arrived last summer.
Right back is an interesting slot with AJ almost owning that role this season. Ralston who has had his injuries as the backup (14 games / 5 starts in the league this season) and then 3 youth options with young Ben McPherson having been out on loan at Queens Park and getting 24 appearances (17 starts) in the Championship and Luyeye and Dede (injured) in the B team
The left back slot has been one where I think most Celtic supporters I speak to would say has been an area of weakness in terms of depth in recent years with Greg Taylor holding the position down to good effect, but with Bernabei producing performances that seem to be similar to his driving it means he went off on loan until the end of 2024 and Montgomery (who has just signed a new deal) having went out on loan in January only to return in February due to injury. There is a clear requirement here for someone to step up or to be brought in. Frame, Mackenzie and Anderson who has been out on loan at Admira (19 appearances to date) are the youth options.
This area is another where the numbers are large with us having 9 players back in the club come the start of pre-season as things stand (10 if the option on Bernardo is activated). Matt O’Riley is more than likely to get his fair share of interest so that is something we’ll look at in part 2. Then we have to add the youth players…..
Where we have another 7 players on the books. Some will remain with the B team or go out on loan next season as the natural progression happens with u16s and 18s moving up so the landscape will change, but the number of players to slots means a lot of players not getting regular minutes and managing that to ensure we are creating an environment where improvement is possible is vital. Bosun Lawal will be the most interesting one for me having made 47 appearances to date for Fleetwood Town and has been one of the few success stories for them in a season where they were relegated.
The left side of our attack is another area where decisions will need to be made with Daizen being the main man and when he’s out we’ve had Palma, Forrest, Johnston and Yang all having had time on that side this season. The lack of consistency on the wings has been a problem in terms of our creativity and potency infront of goal for large parts of the season and has only recently improved. Then we have the 3 younger options in the B team who will be aiming to start making inroads to the first team squad soon.
The right winger slot is another where when we add up the numbers overall we are very heavy. 3 players who have been in the club for less than a year in Kuhn, Yang and Tilio. Forrest who is part of the furniture and if he lasts much longer we’ll be able to take him on cash in the attic and find out that although he’s getting on a touch, he’s still worth his weight in gold and in his managers words “he is the best winger in the club”.
Then Vata who’s been in the First Team and the B team. His situation still seems unclear as things stand. I’d not be placing any money on him being here by the time start next season but we shall see, and Davidson who has been in the B team.
Strikers is an area where when the discussions are being had online or in the pub that often comes up as an area of concern right now. We still have our magic mushroom Kyogo, Idah is obviously here on loan but we know there is no option to buy. Then there is Oh who has only made 1 sub appearance since returning from the Asia Cup in February.
In the B team we have Cummings and Dawson (new deal signed). Last but not least Johnny Kenny who is at Shamrock Rovers until later in the year on loan.
The future:
The Bhoys above are the players that are looking for a pathway into senior football and from a personal stand point I’d like to see as many as possible make a significant impact at Celtic, or at the very least make it in the game at a good level. I’ve seen a few of them live and I think a few from the 18s and 16s will be pushing up to the B team very quickly and I would like to think beyond that if we can do something to clean up the pathway for them.
Some for me could and should be skipping B team and either going to the first team, or going out on loan to clubs who we are confident the player will be appreciated and fit the team to ensure they stand a good chance of playing on merit and to their key strengths. The link with Admira in Austria is one option, or there are plenty of other teams who manage development well in Austria, Netherlands, Croatia, Denmark and Belgium all of whom feature at the top end of a UEFA report into the amount of minutes given to u23 players. Then there are a few clubs in Scotland and England who try to play in a similar fashion to ourselves but it needs to be a very carefully managed situation.
I’m delighted that I’ve had the opportunity to take in few youth games live and via video this season. The 2 most recent live games standout for different reasons.
Celtic vs Rangers under 16s game at Lennoxtown where the weather wasn’t helpful for anyone but it showed me who was quick to understand and play in a manner that reduced the impacts of the high winds. I came away from it having been impressed by 3 players at Celtic and to be fair 2 talented midfielders at Rangers.
From Celtic a young central midfielder who I was sad to hear has since left to go down south to join Derby County and our 2 fullbacks Aodhan Taylor and Sammy Sedwell, both of whom showed sound ability on the ball but had really strong and determined attitudes off the ball. Both players looking to be more than just stereotypical fullbacks, looking for the ball often and when on the ball trying to find passing lanes into the central midfield, or in behind the opposition fullbacks for the wingers to use what was a clear pace advantage vs their opponents. The passing from them was clever because they were using the wind to their advantage when they could and then playing hard and low passes into the number 6 who was continually making himself available to them throughout the game to look to gain secure control in the difficult conditions.
I’ve also watched the u18s live in a 5-3 win vs Hibs at Lennoxtown and again seen players that I feel have a lot of potential to move up levels at Celtic and beyond if they keep progressing and are coached and educated well. Aodhan Taylor moving up beyond his age group and looking quick and assured on the ball and growing into a team he will likely be a key part of next season. Captain Andrew Kyle on the opposite side at left back who was also impressive. Then seeing he likes of Rhys Dargie and Sean McArdle put on excellent displays.
Dargie who I believe has had a tough time with injuries showed himself to be a very direct winger with a good shot that got him 2 goals on the night. Hibs never got to grips with Dargie as he cut inside, using Taylor who was often looking to be his option/decoy on the outside. Then Sean McArdle who has really nice balance and technique on the ball that looks so natural and smooth, with some really nice awareness on the ball deep in his own half to establish control and start moving the team up the pitch. A real pleasure to watch these young players in this game.
On a side note, I was delighted to see Darren O’Dea in attendance for the u18s game having being appointed to a new role as Professional Player Pathway Manager. Having seen his passion and determination at a few B team games I can imagine him being a real driving force in this area and I believe he will really push to bring about improvements that are needed.
I was also delighted to hear that the club hasn’t been falling into the trap of instantly releasing players who have suffered bad injuries, instead looking to support recovery and allow these young players time to demonstrate what they have once they are ready to play again. I think all clubs must remember they have likely spent significant sums of money on players who have had setbacks at a young age with injuries. It doesn’t mean the end, in many cases it shapes a player and brings out a level of determination and resilience that they’d maybe never had to find up to that point.
Some Numbers and first team contract situation:
Based upon the official site we have 25 players showing in the first team we have another 6 who were signed for the first team out on loan with 5 due to return in the summer and Bernabei due back in January 2025.
We then have 21 B team players with another 10 players from the youth system out on loan.
In total we have 62 players between the first team and B team and that doesn’t include the u18s who stepped up into the B team this season.
Contracts that are up for first team players over the next year or so:
Joe Hart – Retiring this summer
Daniel Kelly – 2025
Greg Taylor – 2025
James McCarthy – 2025
We are sitting in a nice spot in regards to potential losses of players through freedom of contract as most of our first team players have at least 2 years left on their existing deals. I would hope that the club will secure Taylor and Kelly on long term deals as soon as possible.
Taylor has more than earned the right to be the number 1 left back and anyone who comes in will have to fight to take that from him. Kelly for me in the small bits I’ve seen looks a very good prospect and if managed well could easily go on to be the first young player since Tierney to cement a spot in the first team.
An area where we are sailing a bit close to the wind is our quota of players to meet European competition criteria with a requirement of 4 players produced within the club and 4 who were trained within Scotland. 3 players who meet this criteria are latter stages of their current contracts as noted above. We can meet the number, but many of the names we’d put in are highly unlikely to play unless we suffer a lot of injuries. The only 2 who have regularly started this season are McGregor and Taylor.
First Team Overview:
Starting with the main man, Brendan Rodgers. I totally understood, and in some areas agreed with reservations about his return because on the balance of things there were some negatives to him returning, mainly a pre-written narrative for the moment anything started to falter. The memories of a fractured relationship with the boardroom as he departed first time round still relatively fresh in the memory (Shved and a whole host of other stories around recruitment) and many of those people are still here, albeit in different roles but from a supports point of view they still seen potential for yet another power struggle and that was a great concern.
The positives of the situation were clear enough despite the reservations. If you could look beyond or set aside what had happened previously then we knew we were getting a good coach who has a proven record of winning in Scotland, and improving players. A manager who knew he had something to reconcile and prove which are good motivational elements to have in my opinion.
With that in mind I give Rodgers real credit, he’s had to take some shots this season and we’ve had a few obstacles to navigate especially with key players missing chunks of the season, but he’s stood up strong throughout it and we have things in our own hands going into the final few games.
I’m also delighted to hear he is a regular feature around Lennoxtown when the academy players are training and playing and has been taking a real interest in the people who are currently being interviewed for the vacancies in the B team and academy setups.
The coaching staff for the most part has been in place for a good few years and again I understand and at times would question if that is a positive or a negative, but in the end I would hope the make-up of the staff, much like the team comes down to who is best for the job and Brendan Rodgers giving the final word because if things go wrong the first head on the block is always the manager.
Players:
The group has some very gifted footballers that have been with us for a few years now and some like Forrest and McGregor who have been nothing short of amazing for what feels like a quite lovely lifetime filled with a huge amount of success.
Guys like Carter-Vickers who has been unfortunate with injury this season but still as vital as ever, Scales who I’m not sure about long term but I totally respect what he’s given this season as it’s been miles above expectations. I’d be delighted if like many before him he can keep this progression going now that he has a long-term deal.
2 fullbacks who put in some real tough shifts in AJ and Taylor who have held the fullback roles down and put in a power of work throughout the season.
In midfield the 2 maestros ahead of Cal, O’Riley and Hatate (another one who has been missed when out injured) who have outstanding technical ability and O’Riley in particular has produced arguably more key moments than any player in the team this season.
Up top, the Japanese duo of Duracell Daizen who never ceases to amaze me and Kyogo who has been a little hit and miss this season but still such a huge threat and one of the best signings of the past 20 years in my opinion are the key men.
Last but not least big Joe Hart who has proven so many people wrong, myself included. When he arrived I would not have bet on me being disappointed to see him retire. I am now genuinely gutted he’s retiring because I think he’s been a vital player for us over his 3 years, and an outstanding representation of what a Celtic player should aim to be when they sign that contract and step onto the pitch. I would have happily seen him have another year onboard acting as a mentor to whoever comes next, especially if the next man up is a lot younger. His replacement for me is the most difficult and important decision Rodgers will have to make this summer.
The squad as a whole as you see in the images above has some major imbalance to it with recent transfer windows having seen us do business that in my opinion was at best hopeful and at worst brutally negligent with a total misunderstanding of the club we are, and the players we were recruiting Vs what we actually needed.
We were 3 senior players down from season 22/23 with Mooy retiring and Jota and Starfelt leaving. We signed 9 players (2 were loans – Bernardo for 1 year and Phillips for 4 months) and that doesn’t include Iwata who was already here with the obligation to buy and Bonetig who was going to the B team. We then added Kuhn and Idah (5 month loan) in the winter window. Total of 11 players signed on long term deals with a view to being a part of the first team. If you picked what you think is our best 11 right now, I’d be surprised if it featured 2 players from those 2 windows.
The series of signings made under the Head of Recruitment Mark Lawwell has now seen us with a bloated squad and I would be hard pressed to say any of the new players have done enough to be classed as successful signings to date with only 1 of the 9 summer signings Luis Palma starting over 20 games. The starting 11 vs Rangers yesterday (see below) is also a big indicator of where we are with not one player signed in the past 3 transfer windows in the starting 11.
I do hope that we don’t give up on all of these players. They’ve had a year to settle and hopefully we will see a few of them hit pre-season and show big improvements on what we have seen up until now. Sadly in a few cases I think the ship has sailed and moves away probably suit both parties. It will also be needed to streamline the squad and allow room in the changing rooms for new players.
I will add none of the players signed are poor players. They all have things to like, but some of them for me were ill-fitting for our tactical shape and style of play. It’s like me buying skinny jeans to go night clubbing and hoping it’d work when I have tree trunks for legs and the dance moves of a middle-aged dad. It just doesn’t fit and certainly doesn’t look good when on display.
A prime example of this is Lagerbielke. For Elfsborg he was a very good defender and rightly seen individual awards come his way for his performances in Sweden as part of one of the best defensive units in the league, but had anyone cared to look properly they would have seen that Elfsborg played in a fairly compact unit between defence and midfield and dropped their line a lot earlier than we do which played into the strengths of their players.
We play a very different game and while he showed himself to be good in the air and solid on the ground at Elfsborg, things that no doubt appealed to those who scouted him the one thing he did not have and something we badly needed upon losing Starfelt, was a real turn of pace. He also lacked experience and instead of ensuring we brought in some experience to help him we signed Nawrocki who had a similar background but in a different setup at Legia. A good player on the ball, good on the ground but played in a back 3 with some experienced guys to help guide him and cover for areas where he wasn’t so strong. If we could mix the best bits of the 2 together then we’d be on to something as their strengths are impressive, but how we play exposes the weaker elements of their respective games and the strengths they have don’t really get a chance to shine. I can also say I wasn’t a big fan of how the Lagerbielke story broke, days after he’d had the massive confidence boost of scoring the winner vs Feyenoord. It was one way to really knock the stuffing out of the lad.
Then to compound it we got hit with a ton of injuries and signed Nat Phillips on loan who at 26 years old at the time hadn’t played 100 senior games and had only really played for Liverpool when they were down to the bare bones. I can’t say what I think about Nats time with us because it pains me to think about it.
The permanent signings across the board all had fairly similar stories to Gustaf and Maik. Good players for the clubs they were at but lacked experience and were going to need a lot of work to adapt from the roles they had played to the roles we expected them to play.
We have also lost some players and the circumstances are difficult to breakdown in the case of Abada, so many things outside of football to factor in. Then Turnbull who had also been a useful player over his time with us. The key thing is the squad lost a lot of goals and assists when they left and that needs to be found in the players who have come in, or who will join in the summer.
I don’t wish to labour this point because it’s happened, but we absolutely have to learn from what we got wrong over the last year or two. We have a manager who has a reputation for getting things from young players and yet he hasn’t been able to get the best from many of these players possibly because there were too many brought in at one time, or the skillsets did not match the ones he needs to create his team. Either way recruitment was well off the mark.
It may need a loan to the right type of clubs to get some back up and running and back into the minds of other recruitment teams elsewhere, or maybe those loans allow a rebuild of confidence that can bring about a chance for them to return much like Ryan Christie done when he was here in Rodgers first stint. Where he went out with some clear targets ringing in his ear about increasing his muscle mass and getting plenty of games to ensure when that loan ended he was going to be able to compete for a first team spot upon his return.
The alternative is sell, and try to recoup as much of the money spent as possible and look to structure deals that contain add-ons that may payout for us down the line.
Pathways:
This for me is an area of real concern and I was delighted to see Darren O’Dea come into play with his new role as the Head of Player Pathways but there is a lot to be done and it’ll take time and resources.
First off let me start by saying I understand why young players will look to take offers from the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich because the pathway it creates just by being at a club like those opens up a lot of possibilities even if it doesn’t work out, and so many things are improvements on what Celtic can offer from facilities to coaching, and financially it appears to be a big leap for these young players.
As bigger teams take our young players we also do the same to teams who are smaller than us. It’s just part and parcel of the way the game works.
The only way to compete with the bigger teams is to have clear pathways where we can point and say you have a better chance of a building a long-term career here because our pathways are clear and if you can do x, y and z then we will give you chances.
When we look through the past few years we see plenty of young players who have had a few minutes here and there but it quickly becomes apparent that not one player since Kieran Tierney has broken through has really cemented a place in the first 11. Ralston who is now 25 years old has 102 appearances but isn’t a regular starter, and then Welsh at 24 years of age with 51 appearances are probably the 2 who have had the best chances of doing so but still look a way off first team regulars at this moment in time. The other part is attacking players breaking through have been extremely rare. A few cameos but I’m really struggling to recall from memory the last young striker to make any real impression….. Mark Burchill maybe?
Then you look at the team overall and read stories of Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly who have been in and around the first team having contract talks falter. It only adds to the questions about where we are as a club with our player pathways and something that surely must be at the forefront of Darren O’Deas mind…..
And with that in mind the support has ample justification for asking questions like:
Is the pathway really there or are young players just being moved to cover for injuries and meet quotas?
Are those running and working within the academy doing a good job in preparing our young players for the step up?
Is the B Team playing in the lowland league actually any better than the systems of years gone by?
And why have we signed so many players from abroad to bolster the squad instead of trusting our own setup?
Lastly why have we not appointed a sporting director or director of football to ensure we do have best practices in all areas?
In terms of my experience of the academy systems I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to coaches outside of Celtic (I would love to sit down with people within Celtic and listen to their perspective but up until now that chance hasn’t presented itself), scouts from teams in Scotland and England, parents and players who are and have been in our system. A few things standout for me that for me could do with a review and rebuild:
Almost everyone says the club has the bones of a good structure but there is room to improve.
Many parents I’ve spoken to who have kids at elite academy teams across Scotland have told me feedback to them is very limited and at some clubs non-existent unless the player is one of the few who are highly regarded. WhatsApp groups with generic information but no real feedback seems to be the common method of communication.
When it comes to the time where contracts need to be discussed it can become very cloak and dagger for some. This can result in unhappy, stressed young players, and parents who have to manage that whilst trying to keep things like school work and allowing their kid to be a kid. I spoke to one parent at another club who has a son that has no idea if he’s staying on next season and is currently finishing out the season with his club apparently still considering things, and at the same time he is trying to complete his exams. Looking a little deeper this practice seems fairly normal, but yet to me seems grossly unfair.
I think the thing many people inside and outside of the game sometimes forget is these young people, and in the majority of cases their parents/families are making a great sacrifice in order to try and fulfill a young persons dream. When rejection happens many are lost to the game because they lose faith in the system. I’m not saying that situation should be roses and rainbows but I’d expect it to be managed so no one is caught off guard and with plenty of support to help the player look forward.
The bigger picture is no one is tracking what happens to these young boys and girls which really shocked me if I’m being honest. The SFA cannot track what happens to the players who are lost to the game because once they are out the data is gone, but for me this is easy to rectify and I would love Celtic to be one of the first to implement it as part of a player care charter for academy players that links to the SFA so the data can be recorded to help improve the game overall.
Suggestion:
All parents should have a video call / phone call with a coach every 3 months as a minimum to discuss:
Player progression – Something that should be easy to discuss based up the players performance and the program that the coaches have agreed with the player
Welfare – How is the boy or girl in general and how are the parents doing does anyone need to be put in touch with the welfare officer(s)
Education – How are they getting on at school and do they need any support
Next 3 months – Objectives and any agreed support
End of each season:
- With 3 months to go every player should have a clear indication of where they stand and what the options are for the following season. Some will argue that this leads to players wanting to leave early, or not play but it’s better that than risking a player for results that have no major consequence when there is no intention to keep them.
As part of that if a player is being released the club should be actively working with players to help them do any of the following:
- Secure new clubs by creating player dossiers and footage for them and linking with clubs that will suit the player
- A new career within the game using the SFA courses which are considered as some of the best worldwide and creating apprenticeships for those roles that gives priority players who may choose that pathway
- If the player chooses to step away from football entirely the club should look to put them in touch with careers advisors / educational facilities and agree a contact calendar covering 6 to 12 months to check that the player has found a new pathway in another career.
Young players have lots of skills that appeal, they don’t need to be great academics but many companies will look and see the levels of dedication and work ethic these young people have shown to get to the point of being at an elite academy and want to work with them so for me we should actively support in that transition away from football in this scenario.
The other part is some young players need to step away to allow things to breath and after a period of time may wish to get back into the game and clubs should help with that.
I know people at clubs will say we do some of these things but time to do everything is an issue this but when you are a club turning over millions per year you can find a way to fund this by employing additional people or making better use of your existing setup and when you drill down on numbers it tends to equate to the equivalent of 1 phone call every 3 days over a 3 month period to ensure the base standard I’ve outlined above is met.
Trent Alexander Arnold – The After Academy:
https://www.thepfa.com/news/2023/4/27/pfa-excited-to-support-trent-alexander-arnolds-after-academy
And as much as I applaud Trent, it should never have been on a player to recognise this glaring failure within the game as a whole. Clubs and FAs should have been on top of this years ago.
I would encourage Celtic to take note and be the standard bearer for this in Scotland as it benefits all involved. The players, the club and the Scottish game as a whole.
Facilities:
The expansion of the stadium is something I’ve often read about but I’ll be honest and say it’s not an area that I really give much thought. I guess like anything it’s a cost vs reward when it comes to revamping the main stand to increase capacity and outside of the bigger games in Europe or the games against Rangers is the demand really there for it?
The area that does interest me is Lennoxtown and Barrowfield, especially as the groundwork has begun at Barrowfield for a new facility there.
I’d often wondered what Lennoxtown was like when I watched the videos the media team posted Instagram and other socials. It looked like a really good facility, lovely backdrop and lovely frontage on the main building, but having been there and seen elements of it there is work to be done and I can understand why people were more than irked by the clubs change to the full-size indoor pitch that the late, great Tommy Burns pushed so hard to get put in place. Instead of a full-size indoor pitch we have small brick and sheet metal structure that has been changed from an indoor pitch that looks like it would struggle to hold a 5s games into an area that appears to hold gym equipment.
Someone might be able to answer this for me…Given the volume of land the club holds between Barrowfield and Lennoxtown did the club ever consider the sale of both or one and then using the funds to build and all-encompassing facility where the men, women and academy teams could all be together?
Final Thoughts:
We have great club, some great players, a proven manager and across all levels so much potential. A lot of it is untapped as I’ve detailed throughout and while like everyone else I have enjoyed our successes I often wonder where the ambition to push up another level is. Maybe I’m missing something really obvious, if I am please add a comment below or engage via socials and tell me what you think.
As above I feel it really is vital that the first team needs to be shaped with players leaving to make it more streamlined. An emphasis on less players and better quality along with better pathways for youngsters who are showing the right attitude and good form within the system to look up and not see 3 or 4 players that we’ve spent significant sums on but who never play ahead of them.
I have no issue with the coaches but I do wonder if the same people giving you instructions for years can result in a level of tedium kicking in and the message becoming diluted. The opinions from outside the club are very mixed with suggestions of nepotism and jobs for the bhoys so to speak, but I look at the likes of Jack Lyons as a sign that the chances are there and that at the very least Brendan Rodgers will look in many places to find people who will improve his staff.
Our recruitment has been changed from what I know. With people coming back to the club including Mark Cooper who has a good track record of identifying players whilst he was living in South America and a few others moving internally. How this plays out will be of great interest as the situation that occurred with Mark Lawwell that resulted with Rodgers declaring something was wrong with recruitment and Lawwell going on gardening leave shortly after was a damning indictment of what was going on in the eyes of many, myself included.
That situation potentially set us back significantly as a club of our size should be working 1 to 2 years ahead with our recruitment planning. Worst case scenario is upon review Rodgers found we were looking for player avatars he did not like and we have had to tear it up and start again, or we’ve been fortunate and there are enough reports on file that were being ignored and are now back in the conversation to ensure we aren’t miles behind the rest going into the summer. However we need to cut a lot of players to have room for new ones or we’ll need to do a Chelsea and build an extension on the first team changing rooms.
Based upon the last few windows I also hope that the levels of due diligence improve when looking at players on and off the pitch and I’m confident that Mark Cooper will look to improve those areas. It’s not just the player that is key, it’s knowing why the player is a part of the team he plays for. What do that team do tactically, what are their expectations and ethos are and what role does of the player have within that structure. Then you need to have an understanding of the player as a person, what drives them, what do they see as their strengths and areas for improvement. If you have all that then you stand a much better chance of knowing if a player fits the requirements that we need as a player and as a person.
The B Team and Academy for me needs fresh eyes and while I applaud the move to get Darren O’Dea into the player pathway role I would still say the club in all areas needs some fresh faces that bring different ideas and come from other places or clubs who have proven records in recruitment, and in academy structures. New managers for the teams will hopefully help. I’m a little biased having spent a little time chatting with Johnny Hayes during an SFA educational course, and I had nothing but respect for his outlook on the game. He came across as a really good character with a really clear understanding that players can come from anywhere and that genetics and maturation age and data can tell you some things but don’t define you, not even if your slower than your older brothers and your dad is shaped like a tattie.
Those things along with improvements to Barrowfield, Lennoxtown and embracing new technology would be a huge improvement. I’m aware the club use the HUDL system but only have 1 main camera filming the youth team games. This tech allows for so much more and installing a multi camera system that the likes of Man City, Man Utd and whole host of other top teams use aligned with player trackers helps coaches identify positives and areas of improvement with young players so much faster and then makes tracking improvements easier.
Scotland as a whole has a terrible record in Europe on a club level and we haven’t helped that in recent years. Young players (u23) getting first team minutes ranks 42nd out of 54 nations in 2023 (see chart above) doesn’t bode well for us or the national game.
As the leading club in Scotland, I am of the opinion we should ensure we set the highest standards both on and off the pitch with a great football setup, including the best facilities and a willingness to be a benchmark club in all areas amongst clubs of similar finances, size and stature.
The base for this is already in place, we appear to be financially sound and able to invest in the club, so the key now is having people who can see it, understand what’s required and challenge everyone who works for the club to push it to the next level….
Part 2 – Tactics and what do we do with all of you will be up by the 18th of May….
Hail, Hail and thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed the win yesterday
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RH