As the Scottish Premiership edges towards a dramatic conclusion, veteran pundit as the potential downfall in their quest for the title. With just five games remaining and a slender three-point lead over arch-rivals Rangers, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Hoops.
Keevins, a longtime Super Scoreboard (SB) writer, claims that Celtic is susceptible at a crucial point in the season because of a string of expensive, ineffective additions. The team’s defence has been a major weakness; in their previous ten games, they have only managed two clean sheets, which has undermined an otherwise successful season.
Significant investments and hype accompanied the arrival of key players like Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki, but they haven’t been able to establish themselves as regular starters, casting doubt on the efficacy of Celtic’s scouting and recruitment plan. Likewise, they haven’t gelled well with the group dynamic, as has Nat Phillips, a last-minute loan acquisition after Cameron Carter-Vickers got hurt.
There has been disagreement, especially with Phillips. He was brought in to strengthen the defence, but his brief five-month stay exposed even more flaws in Celtic’s defensive setup. According to Keevins, these errors indicate a lack of cogent long-term planning and reveal a broader problem with the club’s recruitment strategy.
“They don’t look like one with an implicit belief in their qualifications for deserving to take the ultimate prize,” Keevins said in his RecordSport column. A potentially disastrous hiring strategy that resulted in a slew of multi-million dollar additions like Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, and Yuki Kobayashi as well as a loanee named Nat Phillips who fits crazily has befallen Brendan Rodgers.
The former has returned to Liverpool. The Japanese are nowhere to be found. Additionally, it is never acceptable to trust the two, who cost more than £7 million, to start games.
The result of Celtic’s encounter against Dundee on Sunday could prove crucial. Keevins is still doubtful, speculating about a stormy conclusion to what could have been an easy ride to victory despite the fact that winning all of their remaining games will ensure the championship title.
This puts attention on Celtic’s hiring practices while they consider their options. The issue still stands: Can Celtic properly realign and bolster their roster, or will the poor choices they made in the past haunt them moving forward?
