Decent enough analysis of the squad from some random blogger:
http://www.thefootballlife.co.uk/post/94895974786/deadwood-who-at-celtic-should-stay-and-who-should
[SIZE=6]Deadwood - Who at Celtic should stay, and who should go?[/SIZE]
Celtic need to be rebuilt from top to bottom in terms of the squad. Ronny Deila has taken over a team at the end of it’s cycle and has to build a new one - quickly.
So who, in my opinion, should be going? Here’s the full list of the Celtic first team (as taken from their website) with thoughts and whether I feel they should be punted or not. It’s worth noting that a lot of these players are young prospects whom you may not have even realised were classed as part of the first team squad due to the lack of playing time they’ve been given. This isn’t intended to be a piece of just slating players, rather to actually stir some debate as to who fans feel should be going. With the full first teamers (as such), I will have a Keep/Replace system, for youth prospects, I won’t as that would be somewhat unfair considering the paucity of time they have been afforded.
Goalkeepers
Craig Gordon
While Gordon’s injury record speaks for itself, the simple fact is that, when fit and with games, he is a better keeper than Fraser Forster. Getting those games is the big thing with him. As long as he can stay fit, then he is a massive boon to the side. That, more than anything, will determine how good his time at Celtic will be as, if it all pans out, Celtic have one of the best goalkeepers in Europe and got him for nothing.
Keep
Lukasz Zaluska
But, the issue is that, if Gordon’s fitness doesn’t hold out, Celtic need a reliable, talented deputy. Zaluska has been given a lot of chances at the club to fill in and has never really satisfied on any of them. It is hard to have total confidence in the squad depth of Celtic when, should Gordon get injured, Zaluska could have to be relied upon for 15-20 games or more. And that must concern any fan.
Replace
With who? Mark Gillespie (Carlisle United) - 22 year old keeper with a growing reputation and a tendency to excel when it is most needed. Overdue a move to a bigger side.
Leo Fasan
For once, Celtic shouldn’t have to loan in a random keeper from somewhere to be the third keeper. Fasan has that nailed down now and played well in pre-season.
Defence
Adam Matthews
Matthews has been linked with Swansea and it is clear that he has huge potential. Realising that potential has been an issue and, while it is worth giving him a chance for another season, this season is the one that is make or break for him. Get a run in the side and impress and he has the right back slot for years. Fail to and he will be on the scrap heap.
Keep
Emilio Izaguirre
Where to begin? For those who love their statistics (and you should), Izaguirre was the worst player of the entire World Cup. Worse than Fred, even. This should tell you a lot about where Izaguirre is in his career right now. After a great first season, his form has slid into a permanent funk where he is simply a liability and nothing more. That reliable one great cross a game he’d have is gone completely and defensively, he is not aware enough to do the job any more. If you had to select one regular starter to punt out of the door, it would be him.
Replace
With who? What Celtic need is basically a left footed clone of Mikael Lustig. Were Deila to raid Norway, as he seems keen to, the most likely candidate would be Stian Ringstad of Lillestrom who has played for Norway at every youth level and sits on the edge of the full national squad.
Efe Ambrose
The St Johnstone team sheet probably said it all. Deila prefers a part time centre back in Lustig to Ambrose. Jason Denayer has likely been brought in to replace him already rather than as a pre-emptive strike as a replacement for the now seemingly staying Virgil van Dijk. A good player but so regularly capable of complete brainfarts that he can no longer be relied upon.
Replace
With who? Already replaced and made superfluous.
Virgil Van Dijk
It’s obvious that he has to stay. Technically proficient, sensible and strong - he is the blueprint of the modern defender. He has growth left in him as well.
Keep
Charlie Mulgrew
The solution to the question no-one was asking, Charlie Mulgrew has evolved into a utility player that has more or less played every position on the park for Celtic, managing to be just about adequate in every single one. To be honest, he is never going to go anywhere because having him about means that there is at least one less player needed in the squad for depth until he is too old to do the job, which will be a while yet.
Keep
Jason Denayer
It’s hard to rate a player who has never played for the club, but being described as the heir to Vincent Kompany certainly bodes well and it is hard to imagine that any player making strides through Man City’s youth system wouldn’t have at least a bit about him. I do, however, hope his name is pronounced “Denier” as that would be very suitable for a defender.
Mikael Lustig
The irrepressible Swede is an endless runner and, for many, has become an icon of the team - no matter how bad the performance is, Lustig will always be galloping up the flank and giving it 100%. Although he has had fitness issues, if he is over them and can get the full season in the side that his talent and effort deserves, he is nigh on irreplaceable.
Keep
Eoghan O’Connell
Possibly the best placed young defender, having made his debut for the side late last season, O’Connell will need first team football at some point this season. The introduction of Denayer probably frees him up to go somewhere on a short term loan to the Championship once any UEFA Youth League duties are done with.
Stuart Findlay
Findlay got his short term loan by spending the second half of last season at Morton. However, that was a dire Morton team and he will be sent out to get another chance on loan to prove his worth in a team that, hopefully, isn’t so woeful.
Darnell Fisher
Thanks to injuries to Matthews and Lustig, Fisher got plenty of game time last season, a luxury he is unlikely to be afforded this season, but something which he has proven himself adequately ready for. Ronny Deila will improve him no end by fine tuning his attacking sensibilities, but this is a season where he fits in as a capable back-up rather than having a breakthrough season.
Keep
Marcus Fraser
Having done his cruciate ligament, Fraser is in the unenviable position of having had to sit on the sidelines while other youths have jumped ahead of him. With his contract up at the end of the season, it is hard to see him staying on.
Lewis Toshney
Had his chances on loan but clearly didn’t do enough to impress Neil Lennon and while a new manager may have a new opinion, he is a player who, again, may be nearing a natural end to his time at the club.
Calum Waters
Promoted from the youth team this season, his job this year is to make a spot on the bench his own and take any chance that may come his way. Hard to assess at this point (as he’s never played senior football) but the fitness and physical conditioning orientation of John Collins at the club will give him a better chance of making the grade.
Midfield
Nir Bitton
The lanky Israeli clearly has something about him. The key to unlocking him is, perhaps, getting him to adapt his game to a less physical holding role that amplifies his somewhat languid playing style. One concern is that this may not be something that is best suited to the somewhat higher pace of Scottish football. He shows plenty of promise, but needs to find his niche.
Keep
Scott Brown
The captain is injured and, as his injuries pile up, eventually one has to worry that they will catch up with him. The whole Keep/Replace choice is an irrelevant one as Brown’s use to the squad isn’t defined by his talent, as that isn’t in doubt, but rather by his body’s capabilities to be able to cope with the rigours of the modern game while still performing to the same level. As soon as that balance tips against him, he would have to be replaced immediately but, for now, he remains the club’s most dynamic midfielder.
Keep
Derk Boerrigter
Boerrigter came to the club with a reputation for being injured and has lived up to that reputation. When he has played, he has shown glimmers of talent and is able to beat a man and get a cross in, but has two main issues with his game: That he is injured far too often and that his heart just isn’t in it. There is a good player in there somewhere, but whether he would ever come out at Celtic is unlikely.
Replace
With who? Arguably, with a fully fit James Forrest and a welcomed back Calum McGregor, Boerrigter doesn’t need to be replaced. But a fully fit Forrest is a rare sight. In terms of a cheap replacement, Banel Nicolita, who can play on both wings and is a real workhorse with plenty of Ligue 1 experience would work but better still would be his international team-mate Florin Tanase. At 19, he is one for the future but having broken into the senior Romanian national side without having even played 20 league games stands him out as talent.
Kris Commons
To assess Commons seriously, he has to be assessed as a player who has a year left on his contract. Is he going to improve on last season? Probably not. Is he going to contribute a lot? Yes. But his value has never been and will never be higher. He may be essential, but if Celtic feel they have to cash in on him, then now would be the time.
Keep
Jo Inge Berget
Having flopped at Cardiff, Deila seems intent on giving Berget a chance. His performance against Legia was woeful but, after only being at the club for 48 hours, it is somewhat forgivable. His cameo against St Johnstone showed a bit more of what he’s like in so much as that he is a powerful attacker and capable in the air, something Celtic have lacked. But if there’s one position that was already filled at the club, it was that of attacking midfielder who gets in the box late and, in that respect, Berget is just a bit pointless.
Tom Rogic
Rogic would also fit that “pointless” moniker. It’s not that he’s not a good player - he is - but there are better at the club and, after his time on loan in Australia, one gets the feeling that he’d rather be playing somewhere else and that the gamble he took on moving to Scotland is one that just didn’t pan out for him. This is a pity as, while Celtic may not have played in a manner suitable for him when he joined, as they moved to a diamond at the end of last season and a 4-2-3-1 under Deila, the position at the top of the midfield that he wants is there. But now he has Commons, Berget and McGregor all in front of him, his time is up.
Replace
With who? Already replaced by Calum McGregor coming through.
Stefan Johansen
I like Johansen, although I know not everyone shares that opinion. He is a talented workhorse who lacks one key aspect of his game and that is making the right decision with his final ball. Once he gets that sorted out in his head, then he will take giant strides in his game. As it is, he is a useful water carrier with the potential to become the heart of the team. His issues are mental - and at 23, that is something that will likely develop out of him in the next 2 years.
Keep
John Herron
Having been given chances by Deila in pre-season, it is clear that Herron is at least in the shake up. He has had limited chances before but has the advantage of being right sided - a position where Celtic are hardly flush with options. This season is one for him where, like many others, if he is unable to make the breakthrough now, he is unlikely ever to.
Beram Kayal
Kayal, the guaranteed yellow card, came with the potential to become a great ball winning midfielder and has not realised that. Instead, he often looks uncommitted, sloppy and scrappy. He is, at this point, an anti-Bitton and, in that respect, is almost the opposite player to what Celtic actually need. A worse workhorse than Johansen or Brown and a worse deep lying playmaker than Biton, there is no longer a place in the team for him.
Replace.
With who? Kayal is one player who is already superfluous and I would argue that there are young players at the club who can already take his position and perform competently.
Alexander Tonev
Having just signed on loan from Aston Villa, it is too soon to assess Tonev, but that his career at Villa has gone so badly makes it hard to be too confident that he can do the job at Celtic.
Jackson Irvine
The man who would be the obvious stand in for Kayal - having had a full season of Premiership experience at Kilmarnock, while he may not be ready to slot into the side on a permanent basis, that experience sets him fair for being given a chance as he should now be at a stage where he can perform competently.
Callum McGregor
While it is too early to call McGregor the breakout star of the season, his quick integration to the side and his tendency to score has already made a good impression. That he has so rapidly adjusted to Deila’s style is more to do with not having been tainted by playing under Lennon - he is so good because playing Deila’s way is all he knows at the club. There is still plenty to work on with his game and his shooting covers up other flaws in his game but if he can kick on from here, he can be an essential part of the team for years to come because of his directness.
Keep
Dylan McGeouch
McGeouch has had his chances and has now seen McGregor jump ahead of him in the pecking order, a decision driven much by the fact that McGregor excelled on loan where McGeouch did not, in spite of playing as part of a better team. His time at the club is up.
Replace
With whom? Again, not necessary to replace him due to other youngsters
James Forrest
If he can get fit over an extended period, he can find his form and start to show why we was so highly rated earlier in his career. He still has the electric burst of pace and this makes him all the more important as Celtic are not blessed with many speedy players. His final ball has always been what has let his game down, though. If he can improve that, he can be the first name on the team-sheet. What he cannot afford, however, is another season where he flits in and out of the side and, once more, this season is make or break for him.
Keep
Paul George
He has has injuries consistently stunt his progress and another season out on loan would be the best thing for his development.
Liam Henderson
Henderson has already made a partial breakthrough at the end of last season and everything points to Deila continuing that in ensuring that he gets requisite game time. His potential is huge and he is too good to be going out on loan but how the balance works in terms of how much time he can be given in the first team will be a big factor in his development. Many players before have gotten stuck in-between the youth team and the first team and it would be interesting to see if a short term loan is considered to get him some game time come the end of the transfer window.
Keep
Filip Twardzik
Speaking of player who have gotten stuck between the youth team and the first team, Twardzik is becoming the dictionary definition of that player. He has been stuck on the outskirts of the first team for the past three seasons without making any advance up the pecking order and without ever really showing why he should make a first team spot his own, it’s time for him to move on for the betterment of his own career as it looks unlikely once more that he will be getting the playing time that he needs to progress.
Replace
With who? In terms of young attacking Eastern Europeans, the time is now to get Belarussian Pavel Savitskiy. He is a left winger (so not a direct replacement for Twardzik but also not a position where Celtic have much strength). His contract is up in December and he is currently stuck at a smaller club - in other words, he is ripe to be plucked away for next to nothing. He has broken into the national team and has scored 2 in 2 for them also.
Attack
Anthony Stokes
Stokes is hard to criticise - he is perfectly adequate for the Premiership, but also completely inadequate for any level higher than that, which he has shown at all points through his career. His usefulness to the club is, then, defined by how much you think the club need a merely good Premiership striker. And, because of that, for any fan with any ambition at all, it’s hard to see Stokes as all that useful when the club have so many similar players in the respect of fairly athletic, reasonable strikers.
Replace
With who? Stevie M… ah, crap. It’ll have to be Nadir Ciftci, then - the man with the fleetest footwork in the SPFL offers a very different threat to any other striker at the club - big, nimble, skilful and capable of some ridiculous final balls (see his assist from the 3-0 win at Aberdeen for proof of this) he is equally capable of leading the line as he is playing as a support striker and his talents allow the starlets of Dundee United to buzz around him - something Celtic haven’t had since the days of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Amido Balde
The worst signing of the Neil Lennon era? Balde has no place at the club, simple as that.
Replace
With who? While the ghost of Dixie Deans would probably be an upgrade on Balde, of those options with corporeal form, it’d be remiss to not mention Jack McInerney of Montreal Impact. He has a perfectly decent scoring record in the MLS, which is stronger than the Scottish Premiership, wouldn’t ask the earth in wages and has the whole “Irish-American” thing going for him in terms of marketing. He is very very streaky though and can look woeful when he’s on a bad run, something which playing against lesser defenders in the Premiership could well knock out of him.
Holmbert Fridjonsson
Lesser sighted since joining, it’s hard to assess Fridjonsson simply as he hasn’t played. That he can’t get on the bench but Balde has been able to probably says all you need to know.
Replace
With who? Should Deila go back to Norway for his buys, swapping Fridjonsson for Icelandic team mate Vidar Orn Kjartansson, who has been scoring a goal a game for Valarenga would be a sensible move - at the very least, he’s prolific.
Teemu Pukki
Some will no doubt expect Pukki to be one I rate as for the off as well. But I don’t. One thing about Pukki is that he works hard. He has the talent to score plenty, so I’m prepared to write last season off as him just having a bad run. That he works is half the battle and there’s no reason that, should he be able to get the monkey off his back and score in a few games on the bounce, he wouldn’t be able to consistently score once his confidence is boosted.
Keep
Leigh Griffiths
Griffiths’ future could already be decided if the rumours about him going on loan are to be believed. To accept Griffiths in the side, you also have to accept the baggage that comes along with him and, while he is undoubtedly a talented player and an accomplished goalscorer, he is also a bit of an immature idiot and that is a personality trait that time does not appear to have blunted. That he has played so well at previous clubs yet those clubs haven’t shifted heaven and earth to keep suggests that that plays on their mind also - Griffiths is a good player who appears to be, for many, simply not worth the hassle because, at heart, he is a ned. He does a job and it would be a pity to see him leave but, at the same time, it is hard not to see his career eventually going the same way as those of Derek Riordan and Garry O’Connor.
Keep (until he does something stupid again)
Bahrudin Atajic
You won’t find many who don’t think Atajic has what it takes to reach the top. In spite of this, he is one who is stuck on the fringes, in spite of everyone seeing that he is capable of more. But fans don’t see training sessions so there is clearly a reason why he has stuck on the fringes. He deserves a chance under Deila. If he doesn’t get it, this is his last season at the club.
Keep