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What Does Celtic Need Behind The Scenes For Next Season?

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This is the Silly Season. Transfer windows are about to open across Europe and every club who is looking to sign players will be linked with people from Celtic Park and every club which wants to offload players will be trying to get our club interested in theirs.

But a club is more than just the players. Ange has had a chance to look at the whole Celtic operation by now, and he will know that there are things beyond the squad that he will need to fix. The question is, what sort of changes should he be looking to make?

Scouting is an obvious area which needs work, but that’s what Mark Lawwell is being brought in for. There will be no director of football at Celtic whilst Ange is in the building. Between his knowledge and whatever Lawwell brings, that area might be covered.

I ‘ve always thought that the coaching side of the club needs a couple more staff, but the manager has expressed no dissatisfaction with his team on that end of the business either. Whether he feels that way now that the first campaign is over remains to be seen … but I would not be surprised if he felt the need to add at least one coach.

Are our analytics and sports science departments up to snuff? These are areas which the manager has expertise in and always values at his clubs. I would like to see us put some serious money behind those, so that we can build something to last.

This is another area where Mark Lawwell should bring a lot of experience to bear. He has worked for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and will have seen what the very best of everything looks like. If Ange wants true excellence at Celtic, he will want a major focus on this area.

Medical is another area. Our injury issues are a concern; obviously. We know that part of this will be solved if we get the sports science side of it right, but our medical department has been lacking for a while and we’re missing a few tricks, probably on the back of doing things so cheap. This is one area where Ibrox appears to have a significant advantage; all season long, we waited on their having a similar injury crisis to ours. It never came.

You can choose to believe that’s luck or you can look at things they’re doing and which we are not, and areas where they’ve put real time and money into things where we have come up short. If we get that area of the club right we’re on solid ground.

The transfer window opens in nine days. There will be a lot of activity before, and after, it does. But the backroom pieces, we can start putting in place right now. I would think that the manager considers this a priority.

We live in interesting times, folks.

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  • JimBhoy says:

    Can’t disagree james, new faces, new ideas in new areas can only bode well.

    The bigger questions for me are will Anje look to bring on youth from within to cover those who leave or will he be happier to bring in proven quality? I hope a mix of both.

    I’d like to see a LB, holding midfielder (not McCarthy or Soro) and to replace CCV or Jyota if they do not stay. When Julien goes we should seek a replacement also and when some of the fringe players go we could maybe look at the Scottish market or bring on youth from within.

    Thoughts anyone?

  • Bob (original) says:

    To promote change and improvement:

    Bankier stepping down now would be a welcome decision.

    Bankier has been Chairman since October 2011: 10 years is more than enough for anyone.

  • john clarke says:

    The media frenzy has started. Erick Otieno a Kenyan International defender might be coming to Celtic FC. Celtic have stacks of defenders. Benjamin Seigrist might be coming.
    Bale won’t be going to Rangers. He is a high class amateur golfer. The best golf courses in England; if not Britain, are in Surrey.
    Celtic FC believe they can beat any team in the Champions League but they are not the silly ones. Celtic have a good plan.

    • Mick says:

      You know naff all about golf if you think best British courses are in Surrey

      • john clarke says:

        Point Taken Mick.
        Hibernian FC are in a rebuilding phase after a clean-out…only 30 + mins from Muirfield Golf Club. Gareth now says he wants to play in the LA LIGA. Looks like unfinished for him. I admire his gutsy ambition…but is he joking?. The media pick it up. Like feeding the chooks.

        Following the recent Rangers signings, a Journo has called Rangers team Dads Army. The same point James made. Don’t underestimate them though.

  • Johnny Green says:

    I don’t agree that the huns did not have their own injuries to worry about,they had less than us, but the ones they did have were still significant in their eyes. There were a few of them injured at various stages and for prolonged periods, most notably Jack, Hagi, Helander, Morelos, Roofe and of course their Europa hero Ramsey.

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