HITS AND MISSES
CELTIC SUCCESSES
SCOTT BROWN
Season began in alarming fashion when he was stretchered off seconds into a pre-season game with Rapid Vienna. Belatedly started the campaign against Aberdeen in mid-September in winning style and hasn’t looked back since. Has already passed the 50-game mark for club and country this term and, at 29, Brown (right) is at the peak of his powers.
JASON DENAYER
Relative unknown when he agreed to come north of the border for a season-long loan from Manchester City. It took some time for the young Belgian’s understanding with Virgil van Dijk to click but, since the turn of the year, the 19-year-old (left) has gone from strength to strength. A first full international cap preceded him being named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year. Celtic would love to have him back on loan next season but City don’t appear as keen.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK
Set the bar high with his displays in his first season at Celtic Park but has managed to improve upon them second time around and, frankly, has looked far too good for the average Scottish striker. The 23-year-old (right) has added goals to his game, too — 10 and counting. Still to pull on the Dutch national jersey for real but that — plus a huge move to a potential suitor like Southampton — seems only a matter of time.
CRAIG GORDON
Signed as a replacement for England cap Fraser Forster last summer, his capture looked like a job done on the cheap. How little we knew. Having almost single-handedly got Celtic through their Europa League group, Gordon (left) returned to the Scotland fold against England to prove just how far he’d come in such a short time.
CELTIC FAILURES
ALEKSANDAR TONEV
Bulgarian winger arrived on loan from Aston Villa with a reputation for being inconsistent and surly. He hasn’t disappointed in either regard. Accused of racism by Aberdeen defender Shay Logan in September, Tonev’s claims of innocence cut no ice with the judicial panel which hit him with a seven-game ban. The 25-year-old (right) had almost been forgotten about until he was given his first run-out in almost four months in the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Inverness.
WAKASO MUBARAK
Ghanaian (left) joined on a seasonlong loan from Rubin Kazan and promised to deliver ‘goals and glory’. Came good on his first promise by netting on his debut away to Salzburg but since then he’s been a peripheral figure. Played a pivotal role as Ghana made it to the Africa Cup of Nations Final where they lost to Ivory Coast. Not as impressive for Celtic, however, with just one substitute appearance since then.
STEFAN SCEPOVIC
Serbian cost £2.2million from Sporting Gijon last summer but hasn’t come close to justifying his price tag. Struggled to get in ahead of John Guidetti initially then, when the Swede’s form dipped, showed no appetite to dislodge Leigh Griffiths from the No 9 position. Given the investment in him, however, Celtic cannot simply write off the 25-year-old (right).
DERK BOERRIGTER
Yip, he’s still there. The Dutchman (left) actually looked the part when he made his debut against Ross County at the start of last season and bristled when asked if Ajax had been right to discard him on account of his injury record. We know the answer to that one now, don’t we? Played a part in three games at the outset of Deila’s tenure — against KR Reykjavik, St Johnstone and Maribor — his only distinction being a two-game ban for diving against Saints. Expect the termination of his contract to be ‘mutually agreed’ any day now.