Club-by-club preview 2018-19
Edouard preparing to wreak havoc
More of the same. That is both the ambition and likely outcome in the season ahead for Celtic as they pursue an eighth consecutive title triumph. The champions have a settled and battle-hardened squad for the domestic challenges they face, albeit perhaps not yet bolstered by fresh faces to the extent Brendan Rodgers, pictured, would have hoped for in the summer transfer window.
Regardless of the player recruitment business they conduct over the next few weeks, they
Ishould still have too much in the locker for any of the pretenders to the throne they have made their own in such a dominant era for the club.
Complacency is never likely to creep into the mindset of the Celtic players under the high and demanding standards which have been set for them, especially over the last couple of years under Rodgers. The early indications from their Champions League qualifying campaign suggest the
t’s difficult not to conclude that another perfect season will be impossible. While the trophy count might not match last season, or the season before that, we can improve. Our home form was a difficult watch; with too many drawn games and goalless, toothless performances.
They seemed to drop down gears and turned it on for big games, where we were never let down. Recent results suggest that things could be tighter club’s record £9 million investment in securing the permanent transfer of Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-germain could prove something of a steal. The French striker appears poised to wreak havoc among Premiership defences over the coming months. The law of averages in cup competitions means a “treble treble” might be asking too much but it would hardly be a surprise to see them retain all three domestic trophies once more.
this season and while I’m not worried about what our rivals do, us treading water and not refreshing is a worry. Early performances suggest we have hit the refresh button with vigour.
The Champions League dominates our early thoughts. We need to show character, handle the pressure and take those punches once more. It’s a massive ask with the Uefa-sized obstacles being put in our way.
KEVIN GRAHAM