If Celtic are to stand the best chance of Champions League qualification this summer then they must find a reliable centre-back partnership and stick with it. On too many occasions in recent seasons, we’ve gone into crucial matches with makeshift and patched up defences.
This coming season must be different.
Recent years
Last year, out of favour defender Jack Hendry started all six of our Champions League qualifiers. Cristian Gamboa also started two matches with neither seen in a Celtic shirt since the turn of the year.
In Brendan Rodgers’ first season, both Saidy Janko and Eoghan O’Connell started crucial matches away from home while the likes of Jo Inge Berget and Teemu Pukki played under Ronny Deila.
Some of those players may have gone on to have decent careers but the fact is that they were out of favour at Celtic when thrown into these crucial matches.
Settled team
Neil Lennon can’t afford to have any passengers in any tie this coming season. There’s a chance that Celtic could be tested from the very first round of qualification and we have to make sure every player is up for the fight.
We have a settled goalkeeper and centre-back pairing so it’s important that we start them together. Scott Bain, Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic started eight of our last nine matches together as a trio. They only missed out on the full set due to the latter being rested for Trophy Day against Hearts.
They’ve formed a solid partnership together conceding just four goals in that time. We must look to build on that in our qualifiers this summer.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
