No excuses: Celtic have enough talent in their squad to turn season around

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With a 3-2 victory against one of the form sides in Europe in the rear-view mirror (BBC), a few things have become clear for Celtic and Neil Lennon.

Now out of European contention (UEFA) and the Betfred Cup (Sky Sports), the club’s energies must be fully focused on 10-in-a-row. There is simply no excuse for anything else.

Lennon’s brave, experimental team selection for last night’s match showed the strength of this squad. Relying on incremental changes during January’s transfer window can’t be Plan A for Nick Hammond, Lennon and the coaching staff.

Having already spent heavily in 2020, Celtic need to make more use what they have. Last night made that point staggeringly obvious.

Yes, Celtic do need to strengthen in key areas. We could use a top-class centre-back, as well as a replacement for Hatem Elhamed on the right. If Barkas cuts his spell in Paradise short, Celtic will need an undisputed first-choice goalkeeper. Speculation around Fraser Forster persists, in this regard, but it’s hard to say if that’s a good thing.

Midfield options crucial for Lennon

Although last night was just one game, it showed that Celtic’s midfield could benefit from freshness. In our tactical analysis of the victory over Lille, I said that Ismaila Soro did what Scott Brown used to do.

If “Lennybol” is in place until the summer, then our manager has to rotate the midfield with more regularity. The Ivorian defensive midfielder could be key for the rest of the season. His drive, tackling and distribution made Celtic an entirely different prospect in the middle of the park.

Scott Brown used to fill that role, but he’s lost a step this season. With shortened minutes, he could still be enormously effective for Celtic. His leadership, on-field charisma and propensity to show up when it matters mean that Brown still has a part to play.

Callum McGregor looks like a Celtic captain in waiting. His determination to make up for an uncharacteristic error last night proved that. He’s learned a great deal next to Brown, but if Celtic are to secure the run of victories needed, he’s best served next to two of Soro, David Turnbull and Ryan Christie.

Olivier Ntcham can still produce on occasion, but without him and Brown, Celtic had increased fluidity in central areas. There was more of the directness that Lennon likes from his players. As attention turns to domestic games, Lenny can’t go back to old patterns. His loyalty to certain players is commendable in a sense, but it’s been to his detriment.

Turning to youth will make up ground

There’s a mental fragility to Celtic this year. In far too many games, we’ve relinquished leads. Games which should have been comfortable victories became draws and losses.

Yesterday, we spoke about sports psychology and its impact.

To me, it seems obvious that Celtic’s senior players are struggling with the pressure. No team in Scotland has ever achieved 10-in-a-row, and with the resources at the Bhoys’ disposal, it’s an aspiration that’s long been expected of Celtic.

Looking across the team, it’s clear that the more experienced players have found the expectations difficult to handle. The ones who have played for Celtic for years; it’s them who have carried the burden.

Neil Lennon has every right to pick players who have been there and done it all. However, if he could travel back to the start of the season, I’ve little doubt that our manager would rely less heavily on the established names.

Kristoffer Ajer has struggled for large parts of this season. We’ve gone over Scott Brown, and Ryan Christie’s inconsistencies have baffled supporters. Tom Rogic and Leigh Griffiths have delivered to differing standards. Across the team, there’s real anxiety about what’s expected of Celtic.

Therefore, the team needs players chasing silverware for the first time. The likes of Turnbull, Henderson and Hazard may know all about the history of the club, and what 10 means. But they’ve not yet contributed to successful league campaigns in the way that Brown and McGregor have.

Laxalt and Elyounoussi’s loan status means they have much to prove. Their parent clubs will be looking on to see how they can respond to pressurised environments. So far, both have been excellent, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

By resting some of the stalwarts, Lennon can better balance this Celtic side. I believe that doing so will yield results.

Taking lessons from defeats

I don’t think Rangers are out of touch yet. Never mind that it’s only December and we’ve got 2 games in hand, there’s still plenty of time for Celtic to overtake Gerrard’s men. That said, our rivals have been outstanding so far this season.

I hate saying that, but it’s true.

Through wise investment, trusting in youth and emphasising the importance of set-pieces, James Tavernier and co. have stormed to their best run in decades. They’re not unbeatable, though.

Celtic can take lessons from this season’s earlier Glasgow Derby defeat. You’d have thought by now that Lennon will have urged the need for better defending at set-pieces, as well as taking advantage of our own opportunities in that regard. Jullien’s header from a Turnbull corner last night was a promising sign.

The fact is, in domestic competition, we’re always going to win a lot of free kicks and corners. When we dominate play, the opposition will always have to resort to playing the ball out, or cutting down attacks with cynicism. Our inability to take advantage from these scenarios has cost us points.

Amongst all of the things Lennon will have learned, this should be one of the more vital.

There is immense talent in this squad

The frustration for supporters this season will be in knowing that the players Celtic have are much better than what they’ve shown. It’s not as if anyone thought we weren’t equipped for another run at the title.

We didn’t lose any of the big names we were expected to. Edouard stayed, as did Ajer. They’ll have maintained their status as Celtic players because they’ll want to win the 10.

Lennon has a high-quality squad as his disposal. A combination of lacklustre coaching, bad luck and mental fragility have held the Bhoys back.

From last night’s showing, we know we can win big games. Lennon has no excuses now. If anything, the eyes fixed on our manager will be staring harder to see what he does next.

We’ve been awful, but Celtic showed that we don’t have to be. If Lennon is willing to be bold and make big decisions, this season is recoverable. Last night was good, but it’s what Celtic do next that’s key.