Celtic fans will have felt a sense of normality returning over the last few days as the Bhoys completed pre-season exercises against Ayr United and Queens Park.
Admittedly, friendly matches can sometimes feel slightly tedious. With not much to play for bar pride and fitness alongside heavily rotated sides being fielded, one cannot help but yearn for competitive action.
Nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers’ men have applied themselves well over the two games, contributing to a stalemate last week at Somerset Park, followed by an entertaining 6-4 victory last night.
Seeing Celtic play friendly matches in Scotland is a rarity; it isn’t something supporters will recall taking place too much across recent years, bar the odd home match before the Scottish Premiership calendar takes precedence.
Anyway, there are plenty of positives from the Bhoys’ exploits on home soil as they now prepare to travel Stateside for their three-match USA tour.
The verdict on Celtic’s Scottish double-header
First of all, one of the advantages of featuring on home soil is the fact supporters have been able to get an extended look at some youngsters from Lennoxtown up close, and it is fair to say they have equipped themselves admirably despite the weight of wearing a first-team jersey.
Rodgers praised Francis Turley for his involvement against Queens Park last night, paying tribute to his work on the ball and ‘natural instinct’ that led to his first senior goal last night.
In alternative circumstances, Celtic supporters may not have been aware of his talent, so seeing his contribution recognised in Glasgow’s southside was nice.
Critically, minutes in legs for senior professionals and youth prospects will have prepared them nicely for the schedule ahead. Ayr and Queens Park are both competitive second-tier outfits gearing up for action in the Premier Sports Cup group stage. These two hard-fought contests will build valuable match fitness.
From a fan perspective, it was nice to have the opportunity to tick off an early away match by travelling down to Ayr United last week and experiencing a packed Railway End.
Aside from the game being stop-start, Celtic brought a large support down to Ayrshire, creating a sense of normality that had been missing during a long summer. Despite a mixed product on the pitch, fans will always make the trip down in their numbers to roar the Bhoys on, making it worthwhile no matter what.
Pre-season can also indicate how far you have to go before the competitive stuff begins. It has been well-documented that no new signings have arrived at Parkhead, and Rodgers has needed to rely on his internal pool over the last few days.
The Irishman wasn’t afraid to criticise some of his established players for their first-half display yesterday, taking issue with their pressing as he commits to driving ruthless standards in the hotseat.
He stated: “It is about fitness but there were lots of elements of the first-half that I wasn’t happy with, especially with some of the guys that should understand the game better. Our pressing was nowhere near the level of what I would expect, and that’s what I said at half-time.”
Clearly, there is work to be done for Celtic. Bodies are needed to provide an injection of quality. Hopefully, there can be movement on that front before the Bhoys head across the Atlantic.
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