How many players do you reckon have played for Celtic in our “rebuild” season, 21-22?
Given modern squad sizes, the turnover, how different Celtic looked in the summer to how we do now, the use of youth players, it’s got to be quite a lot, right?
Consider injuries, rotation, the occasional suspension, and the number’s got to add up. But would you believe that 40 (forty) players have had minutes under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic this season? It’s true; across all competitions, Celtic have already played more members of the squad than the entirety of 20-21 [Transfermarkt].
From Joe Hart with close to 4,000 minutes, to Karamoko Dembele with just 6 this season, Ange Postecoglou has used this Celtic “rebuild” year to utilise a small battalion of footballers. Now, this is extremely relevant for a few reasons.
Foremost, it shows the challenge presented to Ange Postecoglou. This Celtic rebuild required some major overhaul, and while a few players racked up minutes in early-season encounters, they were gone by the time the transfer window closed. Big names, too; Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie played plenty when Ange arrived.
Secondly, it makes the fact we’re top of the league, and chasing a treble, even more commendable. That is significant overhaul. It’s 3.63-recurring totally different starting XIs. Ange has infused the core of the squad with youth; Dane Murray, Joey Dawson and Ben Doak can attest to this.
Ample evidence of how much things are changing under Ange’s Celtic rebuild
Consider the fact that Ange Postecoglou isn’t exactly a Ranieri-style tinker-man. He’s had a spine of the team largely intact throughout. But if there was evidence as to how much upheaval this season has seen, this is surely it.
For reference; last year, 33 squad players were used. Some for the first and last time against Hibernian, in that famously Covid-affected game in January 2021 [BBC].
It’s unbelievable, really. But there’s a clear and distinct look to each of the three iterations of Celtic we’ve seen this season. Early on, we had Edouard leading the line, no real centre-back pairing we could rely on, and uncertainty in goal. That we turned it around to get to the Europa League is a small miracle, considering.
Then, there’s the team that won the Premier Sports Cup Final. David Turnbull and Kyogo were key players in that excellent run of form in late 2021. Both are currently injured, and new blood was brought in for January. Now, we’re a team with plenty of creative options in midfield – something we struggled with – and a range of centre-forward possibilities.
It’s been an incredible Celtic rebuild, if that’s what you want to call it. Challenges have been presented throughout, but Ange Postecoglou has continued to find ways to win. That’s despite being a manager that – Rogic excepted – was brand new to a lot of these players when he first joined.
Last season, Celtic’s squad looked thin, and we didn’t have too many options to freshen it up. Recruitment was largely abysmal, and it’s no surprise Hammond and Lennon would both end up leaving.
This time round, things look far, far more positive. In the first-team, with the players coming through the Academy, and the fringe options that give us depth.
Happy days.
Read more: Report: Celtic legend Scott Brown to call time on his glittering career
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