Time For Celtic To Come Together As The Second Half Of The Season Gets Underway.

After a near three-week break, the Celts finally return to action this weekend as their defence of the Scottish Cup gets underway.

A home tie against Buckie Thistle which ticks almost every “Romance of the Cup” box along with the potential of seeing our new number 10, Nicolas Kuhn in action for the first time in the Hoops has no doubt added to the anticipation.

Yet amidst all the excitement, it goes without saying that the first half of the season was not without its challenges.

From hushed disgruntlement among certain quarters at Brendan Rodgers return, frustration and anger at what is now accepted as a poor summer transfer window to some dreadful performances on the park in early winter, not forgetting the very public spat between fans group the Green Brigade and the board, it’s safe to say that it has been far from plain sailing in the first six months of Brendan’s second spell in charge.

And yet, despite all these setbacks, we remain top of the league with back-to-back derby victories already secured and our own destiny firmly in our hands.

Which is why as the kick off to the second half of the season fast approaches, it is time for everyone at the club to set aside whatever grievances they feel they may have and focus solely on the only task in hand that truly matters; the pursuit of the remaining silverware on offer.

There are some fans who were less than thrilled at Brendan’s return, they are of course entitled to that view, but I fundamentally disagree with them. He was the outstanding candidate who literally made a Monopoly of Scottish football in his first tenure.

His second spell may not have hit the heights of his first so far, but our league position hasn’t changed, and he is still essentially working with another managers team. We may not get everyone we need in in this window, but I fully expect more of his kind of player to be recruited in the summer and beyond.

And of course, there is the small matter of current relations between the board and certain fan groups.

There are those who stand with the Green Brigade and there are those who firmly backed the board’s stance earlier in the season. Whatever your view, the matter for the time being is settled.

The powers that be clearly have received the assurances they were looking for regarding certain behaviours and reinstated the group to the North Curve. And whether you are for them or not, there is no denying Celtic Park is livelier (and louder) with them around which can only benefit the players on the pitch.

For the players themselves, to their credit they bounced back from disappointing back-to-back defeats in December with four impressive wins including one against those from across the river.

It is vital we carry on that form into the second half of the season. Kuhn, I believe will be a great addition to the squad, but it is vital that Brendan is allowed to add to the squad as he sees fit. Greg Taylor and Joe Hart remain under constant scrutiny, but I feel they are more than good enough to see us through to the summer domestically.

A striker in this window is an absolute priority to support Kyogo.

We are never stronger as a club than when the support, the players and the management are all pulling in the same direction. In the next two weeks the transfer window will close, and the squad will be what is between now and the summer.

For us fans, that means backing and not berating from the stands, for the manager that means working with what he has and not publicly bemoaning the lack of quality if asked, however justified he may feel. For the players it’s giving 100% in training and doing everything they can to work their way into the managers plans.

And for those above Brendan, it’s about doing everything in their power to back him in the transfer market not just for the remainder of this window but for the summer to come.

Three weeks without the Celts is more than enough. Let’s start as we mean to go on by getting the job done on Sunday.

Enjoy the game.

Anthony Dunn is a regular contributor on the EndlessCelts Podcast. You can watch it live on YouTube Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8.30pm