6 Paul Tisdale Celtic recruitment priorities as incoming chief has long-term job on hands

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Paul Tisdale may not yet be in the door at Celtic Park but that won’t stop the work going on behind the scenes.

The Hoops had a strong summer of recruitment with scouts and manager Brendan Rodgers himself identifying key positions in the squad that needed strengthening.

Arne Engels, Kasper Schmeichel and Adam Idah have all hit the ground running as new faces at the club, but there will be more signings to come in both the January transfer window as well as the longer-term.

That’s where former Exeter City and MK Dons boss Tisdale will come in as he reportedly has a gig at Parkhead lined up as the head of recruitment to finally replace Mark Lawwell who departed some time ago, now.

The ‘football doctor’ will have the keys to the kingdom of the Scottish champions as well as riches from the money in the bank to spend. Albeit he’ll have to do so wisely.

• READ MORE: Paul Tisdale Celtic recruitment credentials laid bare as potential Champions League edge fits the bill

And that’s where the question of Tisdale’s priorities come in. We at 67 Hail Hail have looked at the squad in its entirety and considered the positions he may well be tasked with improving in the coming years.

Goalkeeper

Kasper Schmeichel, as all fans can attest, has been excellent so far and barely put a foot wrong. But at 37-years-old he won’t be around forever. Viljami Sinisalo is the long-term backup who cost just £1million but that is likely to be down the line when he’s truly given his shot.

For that reason, Tisdale will be asked to scope out a goalie to keep on standby, we’d presume, should Schmeichel consider his future or opt against signing an extension.

Left-back

Greg Taylor has been terrific since he joined under Neil Lennon but it was with Ange Postecoglou where he thrived. He has been a consistent performer and one the fans have always been behind. The issue, however, is finding a long-term solution for when the 26-year-old is injured or out of form.

Alex Valle arrived on loan from Barcelona and has looked promising, but the key term of that deal was that it was a short-term thought process. Unless the Hoops opt to spend to take him permanently, Tisdale will have to find a better solution than Alexandro Bernabei who will come back soon enough.

Centre-half

Cameron Carter-Vickers is the main man, that’s not up for debate. Liam Scales, too, has come up trumps in recent seasons. Then there was the reported £6million or so spent on Auston Trusty.

But CCV won’t be around forever and he’s already showing unfortunate signs of being injury plagued. It’s clear Rodgers isn’t convinced by Maik Nawrocki while Stephen Welsh is probably not a long-term Celtic player. Right-sided cover is definitely needed and on the left it’s probably best to bring someone new in there, too.

Right-back

Alistair Johnston has become a serious player for Celtic, but with that comes unwanted transfer attention. It’s clear the Canadian won’t be a Hoops man for too long. Even signing a new deal will guarantee nothing as it’s all about the board boosting his value to the club.

Should the 26-year-old depart it leaves just Anthony Ralston and with the greatest respect to a boyhood Celtic fan, he may well struggle in Europe which is where the club demand to be. Tisdale will have to use his contacts and scouting team to find another full-back on the right-flank for planning reasons.

Left-wing

Luis Palma hit a treble against Sligo Rovers to take himself back into Rodgers’ thinking this week, but too many questions loom over the Honduran. If Daizen Maeda is out for any reason, no player inside the dressing room can come close to replacing the workrate with which the Japanese goes about his business.

Tisdale will have to find someone who can at least compete to an extent with Maeda – possibly a player who can also finish his chances – to add the same sort of statistics tally as Nicolas Kuhn on the other side. Easier said than done!

Striker

Kyogo has been the main man for a while now but the club splashing out on Idah to add to the frontline was a signal of intent.

Rodgers admitted himself that he wants three strikers to regularly compete and with Rocco Vata leaving, for example, they lost that. An affordable yet competitive third option would suit to a tee and Tisdale will likely be tasked with finding one.