With the fixtures now out and pre-season training due to start at the end of the month, it feels almost as if the new season is upon us.
Is it just me who thinks that the time between seasons gets shorter every year? Even with no Champions League qualifiers to play we will, in fact, be back in combat for the SPFL title in a mere six weeks.
Don’t get me wrong, that will feel like an age.
But we’ll be into the pre-season friendlies before we know it, and for some of the players their rest period has only just begun. With us now seemingly hurtling towards the new season, the question naturally arises as to how it’s all going to play out.
To say we’re in a better place than this time last year is an understatement.
Fans are confident.
Indeed, I can barely remember any time when fans were as up for it as they are right now.
There is a growing sense of destiny about this team … and this manager.
There is a sense that as good as last season was that we’re only at the start here.
I think we’ll retain the title, and with room to spare.
I can’t see past us for it. This article is about the ten reasons I think we’re a lock. This is about the ten things that I think will make the difference for us and put us over the top with two in a row.
I make no predictions about the domestic cup competitions or about Europe, but obviously I’m also pretty optimistic about those.
For now, I just want to focus on the league race.
But suffice to say, if all the pieces fall into place the European games and the domestic cup competitions will take care of themselves and this could be something very special indeed.
It’s hard to disagree with much of your analysis. Personally speaking I think the January signings were essential. They, poor Ideguchi excepted, slotted in impressively and allowed Ange to rotate the squad while allowing the long term injuries to get themselves fully fit before throwing them back into the fray. Ideguchi will be like a new signing when the season starts.
If we do sign a centre back, I hope he has the ability to break forward with the ball in the way Ayer often did. It will be another key with which to unlock a stubborn defence. Like you I would like to see an enforcer who can shield the defence while allowing Calmac more freedom to get forward.
Roll on the new season!
I wouldn`t get too cocky if I were you. Old Firm FC may be getting on in years but they are only a matter of weeks older than when they last gave Celtic a difficult game. We`ve been hearing for too long now about their imminent demise and they are still hanging in
there. I fear, with Celtic now starting to drag their feet regarding Jota, remember the McGinn saga?, that Postecoglu could suddenly
find himself in the same situation as Rodgers.
And that`s me being positive, by the way.
You’re maybe being overly pessimistic in response to JF’s over optimism. I’m confident out signings will be sorted and OK. But you’re definitely right with regards old firm FC. We continue to write them off at our peril. Whether they are good or bad we must act as if they are a threat and make sure we are as good as we can be. We also need to massively change how we set up against them. Sitting back cost us the Scottish cup semi final and we did it again a few weeks later and didn’t win.
We’re night and day in terms of the chaos of pre season compared to last year, but we have a lot of improvement still to do before we’re where I’d like us to be.
I’m in suspended animation until the season begins.
An Aussie Celtic Down under.
We are retaining the bulk of our squad – and hopefully is signed.
We have the first ‘proper’ pre-season in many years – without pre-qualifying Euro rounds.
Add in a couple of quality additions, and we could/should be set up for a solid start to the season.
An unknown though is how the World Cup break in Nov/December will impact the team’s momentum, and will some players return tired / injured?
Should be an interesting season though: both at home and in Europe.
* Hopefully Jota is signed.
We have lost more than we have gained with Rogic and Bitton now gone and if we loose Jotta we are looking at second spot we have nothing in midfield against rangers of note and that includes McGregor