Twelve months ago the Tony Mowbray era kicked off in style with a 3-0 win over Brisbane Roar as the Gordon Strachan saga was laid to rest.
A new dawn beckoned, a new outlook with excitement back on the menu after a stale 18 months that had even some of the most dedicated supporters questioning what enjoyment they were getting in return for their season ticket and emotional commitment.
A year later and in another continent another new era opens up for Celtic although having had Neil Lennon in temporary charge for the two months at the end of last season gives us all a better idea of what to expect.
Mowbray’s mistakes don’t need repeated here, Lennon got a close up view of it and has moved as much as he can to put his own identity on the side.
Tonight, or in the morning for those of us on Celtic Park Time, some detail will be added to those plans although pre-seasons can be a notoriously poor guide to the season ahead.
Every win is a hopeful sign, defeats are simply fitness exercises ahead of the fabled ‘big kick-off’.
What happens over four games in North America won’t shape Celtic’s Champions League hopes which could be dead and buried before the lunchtime start to the new season in Inverness in a months time.
Without Robbie Keane’s goals, perhaps only temporary, there is a massive gap in the team, especially with a midfield that barely mustered double figures between themselves last season.
At the back new partnerships must be formed with Sol Campbell apparently somewhere on the horizon and Stephen McManus now at Middlesbrough.
In goals the presence of Artur Boruc, good bad and erratic, will take a lot of replacing.
Without being overly dramatic Lennon has a whole team to find, picking up the pieces of a re-building programme that should have started after clinching the title against Dundee United in May 2008.
There is no area of the team that is settled. New partnerships, players and patterns will have to be formed quickly with Darren O’Dea the longest serving player currently in the squad.
Spirit and attitude should be assured judging by the look of the new look management team- converting that into an effective team capable of winning on a regular basis won’t come easily.
A year ago the following players faced Brisbane Roar: Boruc (Zaluska 46); Hinkel (Ferry 61), Caldwell, Loovens, Naylor (Misun 61); McCourt (Mizuno 46), Crosas (Caddis 61), Flood, Maloney (McGeady 46); Killen (Samaras 46), McDonald (Fortune 46)
None of those players remaining at Celtic look certain to be first choices in Lennon’s preferred starting XI.
Here’s hoping that some positive signs come from the Philadelphia Union match and the other games in North America to create an environment to get Celtic Park rocking again- bring back the thunder as someone recently said.
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Well said. Let’s not get too carried away, and lets be patient. Expect bad results but stay behind the team and drive this machine towards good times and glory!
Bring back the thunder right the Philli Union just waltz through the middle of our defense for the goal and the defender did not make much effort to try and stop the ball going over the line after the goalie was rounded………. ah well Man Utd next…….