da esoccer bet： When Brendan Rodgers arrived at Celtic last May, the club’s supporters were full of optimism. However, we’d wager that none of them quite expected as much progress to be made in his first season in charge as has been shown.
da 888： Still, incredibly, unbeaten domestically, the Hoops are having one of the best seasons in their entire history. You may think there’s no going upwards from here, but you’d be wrong.
There will always be room for improvement at any football club but at Celtic, there’s even greater potential. Dreams to dream and achievements to achieve. It’s Europe where most supporters now like to measure the progress of their club and that will never be more true than next season.
How do you go about improving on a record-breaking season, though? How do you go about improving on a stomping league win and, if all goes well, a domestic treble of trophies?
Here are FOUR things the club will be looking to improve on next season…
Their Champions League point total
With just three points to their name, Celtic’s tilt at Group C of the UEFA Champions League didn’t quite go to plan. The Hoops finished bottom in an admittedly tough group but will have hoped to have done better in the competition, especially at home.
This season was the first time Celtic have not won a home match in the group stage of the Champions League, highlighting that while plenty has gone right this season, there’s still progress to be made. The heavy 7-0 defeat to Barcelona is also something they’ll not want to repeat, their biggest ever European defeat.
Another tough summer of qualifiers awaits them but if they can get past that gauntlet then fans will be hoping to see an improved points total and the possibility of making it into the Europa League or last 16 of the competition after Christmas.
A defence that still looks less than assured
Despite excelling for most of the domestic season and not conceding a goal for the entirety of their League Cup-winning run, there are still question marks around the Celtic defence in the big pressure games and at a higher level than Scottish football.
Last year Erik Sviatchenko looked imperious but now seems to be regressing. Dedryck Boyata has come back into the fold and has looked better than ever, but still makes mistakes from time to time. Kolo Toure started the season well but, given his advancing age, is unlikely to have a long-term playing career at the club.
That leaves just Jozo Simunovic who has been consistently great in the centre back area and his form has mostly been enough to keep the Hoops ticking over, combined with the likes of Kieran Tierney and Mikael Lustig on the flanks.
A signing in the centre of defence is likely to be a priority in the summer, to try and stave off the heavier defeats in Europe and to ensure no sloppy goals are lost, especially at Hampden or against Rangers.
A midfield that still has one missing piece
The upturn in form of Stuart Armstrong, Scott Brown and Tom Rogic means the Celtic midfield is in the best shape it has been in for years. That trio have been fantastic throughout the campaign, earning their place in the hearts of Celtic supporters everywhere.
Armstrong has had a particularly strong season and appears to be getting better by the week, whether playing alongside Scott Brown or in a more advanced ‘No. 10’ position.
Still, though, there’s not much depth beyond that with possibly Callum McGregor the pick of the bunch behind those three.
Nir Bitton is sometimes very capable and at others weak and ineffectual, while Liam Henderson has yet to force his way into a regular start for the club.
Signing a midfielder ready to burst into the first-team of genuine flair and quality could take this side to the next level. Someone like Shunsuke Nakamura or Lubo Moravcik, a maverick who can entertain supporters on a weekly basis.
Add that and there could be no stopping them.
A green and whitewash of their great rivals
With Rangers arriving in the Scottish Premiership, there’s been a renewed curiosity in Scottish football, with many wondering whether the Gers can truly ever challenge Celtic at the top.
That hasn’t been the case across the season with Celtic winning three out of the four matches. For Hoops supporters, though, they were dreaming of a whitewash of their opposition, blitzing them in every match they played for maximum bragging rights come the end of the season.
Clint Hill’s late leveller in the recent match at Celtic Park put an end to that hope, meaning that Brendan Rodgers and his side still have that aim next season.
Given how well this campaign is going, it’s one of the few domestic improvements next season Rodgers can possibly deliver.