Given everything Brendan Rodgers has achieved at Celtic so far, you’d be forgiven for thinking where the Hoops can possibly go from this point on. Still unbeaten in domestic competition, having a treble of trophies to defend and meeting expectations in Europe, things could hardly be going better for the club right now.
However, football is a game of constant progression and the last person who will want to stand still at the Scottish champions is Brendan Rodgers, even when experiencing overwhelming support from fans. He would never be happy settling for the status quo and will be looking to evolve his Celtic team into one that is capable of even more at home and abroad.
Recently the Celtic manager has been handling his team selection and tactics in a different way, recognising that to repeat the success of last season he needs to make changes, after a number of dropped points in the top-flight at the start of this term. The classic Rodgers formation at Celtic has been a 4-2-3-1, with three attacking midfielders supporting a lone striker. In the three matches prior to the international break though, Rodgers has fielded a three-man defensive line with James Forrest and Kieran Tierney providing width in support of the defence and the attack.
It’s been an interesting change, with the Hoops arguably playing the best they have all season with the system that Rodgers has tinkered with for nearly a year now. Where previously it was a formation Celtic looked uneasy, now it seems like the perfect way to adapt enough to keep opponents guessing and create the chances needed for victories, while providing more defensive stability.
While it has been a success, it does highlight that the upcoming January transfer window is a vitally important one. The Hoops simply don’t have enough first-choice centre-backs to support playing with three on a consistent basis and it’s something Rodgers need to address.
Stop-gap success
One of the most surprising stories of Celtic’s season so far has been the emergence of Nir Bitton as a defender capable of taking on challenges both domestic and foreign. Once a player thought as too lightweight even for his natural position in central midfield, he was a curious choice to fill in for injured defenders at the start of the season but has gone on to make all of his 13 starts in the heart of the Hoops defence.
It is a success story that critics of Celtic’s transfer policy have had to admit has worked well so far, even if the Israeli has looked less convincing in matches where Rodgers’ side don’t dominate possession in. He is so composed on the ball and has excellent technical ability, meaning he’s played a vital part Celtic’s possession heavy style, there’s rarely a Hoops attacking move that isn’t started or recycled through the makeshift defender.
He is undoubtedly doing well, but to rely on him to as a permanent solution is a risk for Rodgers, especially when it comes to European competition, where Bitton’s lack of positional sense has been exposed a few times already.
If Bitton isn’t the answer then, and Celtic’s other defenders continue to struggle with fitness issues, what kind of defender should they be looking for in January?
The answer
Celtic need strong, dominant defenders in the manner of Jozo Simunovic, a player who is also confident playing the ball out from the back. The Croatian has had his fair share of problems at the club so far, but when fit and ready to go, there’s not a better defender in Scotland. The amount of mistakes he’s made since joining in 2014 can be counted on one hand, which isn’t something you can say of the Hoops’ other defenders. Simunovic plays with a restrained aggression, never afraid to tackle fiercely or put his body in between attacker and ball.
Perhaps Rodgers’ lack of activity when it comes to defender highlights how difficult it is to attract a player like that to Glasgow, even with the lure of UEFA Champions League football.
However, the club arguably have more resources available to them than ever before, with two years of record UEFA Champions League money and sold-out season tickets contributing to unprecedented revenue in Scottish football. When Celtic have the money available, they aren’t that shy when it comes to spending it and having failed to sign the defender required in three transfer windows so far, it’s surely time for the Hoops to push the boat out for a defender with the quality needed to slot straight into the first-team.
To continue otherwise will come back to bite them, especially in knockout European football, which is what everyone at the club is dreaming of after Christmas. That’s even more true with the changed formation that has the potential to bring their game to a new level.