Things could get worse at Celtic before they get better

By John McGinley

August 2, 2021

It’s been a long, hot summer at Celtic, hasn’t it? Full of ups and downs, twists and turns, keeping track of what’s going on at the club is sometimes difficult.

As fans, we don’t really know what to think. There’s the optimism of a new era with Ange Postecoglou and Dom McKay, coupled with the problems of the past directly impacting a supposed rebuild.

From the outside looking in, little progress has been made.

As welcome as the signings of Carl Starfelt and Kyogo Furuhashi are, they barely scratch the surface on the problems in the squad.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the road ahead in the wake of defeats to Midtjylland and Hearts and come to an uncomfortable conclusion – all of this may get worse before it gets better.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually have belief in Postecoglou and his vision for Celtic. I see where he wants us to be and I like it. I just think, in the short term, more pain is on the horizon.

When you consider we play Rangers, at Ibrox, in less than four weeks time, suddenly the gravity of the situation hits you. Can you imagine this unit facing off against Steven Gerrard’s side and getting anything but a doing? If I’m honest, I can’t.

As a Celtic supporter, I’m now fully prepared for a long, bumpy road ahead. There are going to be more nights like Midtjylland and Hearts. I can’t see all of this clicking immediately.

The best we can hope for, the best-case scenario, is that Postecoglou’s new signings hit the ground running and immediately shine in the system he wants to play. But even that isn’t a guarantee with players arriving from around the world.

When Postecoglou first arrived at Celtic, 67 Hail Hail asked him about concerns it could take a long time to enact successful change at the club. He told us it’s not about the journey, but the destination. As Celtic supporters, I think we’re going to have to accept that, take the victories as they come, stay level headed in defeat and hold the board to account in other areas off the pitch.

Back the team, hold the club accountable. That’s our aim this year.

In other news, James McCarthy was ready to sign for Celtic during Brendan Rodgers era.