With the transfer window finally creaking closed on Tuesday night the squad that Neil Lennon takes to Inverness today is basically the one to deliver the SPL title.
Over the next four months Celtic have three trophies to play for but for everyone at the club the League Cup and Scottish are very much secondary prizes with the return of the SPL title meaning everything.
Regardless of the daily pantomime coming out of Ibrox Neil Lennon’s focus is solely on Celtic and extending the 12 match winning run in the SPL- another 12 wins will almost certainly clinch the title!
Video Celts contributor Paul Morgan suggested that I canvass some supporters on the most important players of the season so far, kicking things off Paul shares his views on the five players who have contributed most to taking Celtic to the top of the table.
5 Charlie Mulgrew
Charlie has put together a very solid season so far. It is only since we started him at CB that the team started performing again. We have only lost one game in sixteen with Mulgrew as starting CB and only conceded 12 goals. He is a great player to have in the team because of his versatility, his composure on the ball and his excellent vision. Charlie has also pitched in at the other end with a few important goals and assists. All in all, we are a better team with him starting.
4 Gary Hooper
Hooper is turning into the best out and out striker we have had in years. The lad is deadly given half a chance. How many breaking balls in the 6 yard line has he turned in? It is not only his poaching skills that impress me though, if he is one and one with a keeper, it is as good as a goal. His turn of pace over 5 yards puts him in great positions and some of his finishes have been top class, goal against Rangers in the 4-2 defeat was my favourite. Hooper did lose form for a while and found himself on the bench, but he was professional about it, no complaints and he came back better for it. He now has 16 goals and will surpass his total from last year with ease.
3 Victor Wanyama
This one is a bit of egg in the face for myself. When we signed Victor I was baffled. We had Kayal, Ki, Ledley, Brown, Forest and Commons all on fire from the previous season. I was thinking “Why sign a 19 year old midfielder to sit on the bench? Surely someone from our under 19’s could do that.” I’m sorry Victor. Wanyama has been brilliant and would probably be higher on this list if he started the whole season. Strong as an ox, hard in the tackle, simply passes and now chipping in with a couple of goals. Hard to believe he is still only a teenager. To me Victor is a faster, stronger Neil Lennon. Every team needs a player like this and I think he will become a very important player for us.
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2 Fraser Forster
Get him signed. Fraser has been outstanding this year. He improved everything he needed to from last year. His kicking and ball handling are better though still need work. Frasers reflexes though are amazing. For such a big lad his movement is top notch, he gets down and is up again in a heartbeat, numerous double saves have been made because of this. His shot stopping is flawless as well. Fraser has single handedly saved us double figures in points this year. Penalty save at Hearts, heroics against Udinese in Italy and countless other top drawer saves have made him irreplaceable. It is so refreshing to be able to rely on a solid keeper.
1 James Forrest
This young man has been outstanding so far. Forrest is consistently one of our best performers, even when the team was in a slump he still put in a great shift. He sometimes took an ugly game were we looked ordinary and turned it around with a wee flash of brilliance. His direct running coupled with a great cross makes him very dangerous. Add to that his intelligent off the ball runs to open space for Hooper and Stokes as well as his finishing ability, it does not surprise me the EPL teams are sniffing around with potential multi million pound moves. James is another kid with a huge future in the game, let’s hope he stays in green and white for another few years.
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Agree with most of your comments but to leave out Scott Brown in the list of 5 stuns me. he is Celtic’s most important player.
Celtic are such a better team with him in the side. He has for over 2 years now had many celtic fans on his back almost wanting him to fail.
He seems to be a great motivator for the rest of the team. He keeps morale high in the squad and he is a fighter. He may not chip in with as many goals as you would like but he makes such a difference to the team and will not allow other teams to bully us off the park. Prime example first old firm game when he went off the team folded.
Great to see him back and no suprise how the teams form has improved with him in the side. An injury free Scott Brown will win us the title.
I would love to see him lift the trophy and for all those doubters to eventually give him their support.
Thanks for your thoughts on Broony.
I’m always wary of polls that give too much importance to the most recent events and thought whether Wanyama deserved to be listed but he has started 15 SPL matches and Broony only 10.
Very few players have been regulars, Hooper with 22 starts and Forster with 21 have played more of the 24 SPL games than anyone else.
Cheer Joe,
I have always been a fan of Brown. I know he is not to everyone’s liking but if you look at the team with him and the team without he gives us that extra bite that is sometimes missing.
Clearly Lennon knows what he is doing and that is why he is captain.I wish him many successful years ahead at Celtic as our captain.
As for the other 5 I agree Forster is vital to how we progress. Now looking solid and reliable. yes he will make the odd mistake like the others but he has helped build confidence in the defence and that is invaluable when we went through the start of the season with so many changes due to injury.
Hail Hail
I totally agree with Simon’s comment. Brown does the dirty work that Lenny used to do.(I remember many saying get Lenny out all he does is pass backwards)He motivates the rest of the players, you just have to listen to how his team mates talk about him. The poll in my opinion is null and void as you can’t vote for Brown.
Completely agree about Broony! Perhaps if his name ended in a vowel or he had an Irish sounding second name then opinions would change ! ( joke btw)
Broony is by far our most important player both on and off the park
‘It is so refreshing to be able to rely on a solid keeper’
Before Forster Artur Boruc was in the sticks. Seems like a strange statement.
I would have to say Fraser Foster will be the most important player for us over the next 3 months, most out field players can have an off day, the rest of the team can compensate or they can get sub’d.
It’s so important for the team that big Fraser maintains his excellant form.
Hooper besides scoring vital goals for us is my next most important player, he doe’s a lot of unselfish work which brings others into the game.
It’s easy to see why the Southamton wanted him so badly, and it looks like Hooper will be off down south in the summer.
This will give the PLC money to balance the books and release money for a replacment.
Hail Hail
Keep the Faith
I have to admit I was totally wrong to doubt and chastise Neil Lennon. We have a very young capable team of players that can only improve. Neil has done tremendous particularly considering the flak he took earlier in the season. Hail Hail!
I remember the outcry from many Celtic fans when we brought Charlie Mulgrew back, with all sorts of nonsense written about him and his failings.
To his credit, Charlie has shown the doubtewrs how wrong they were, and has grown in stature many times over. Sure, he has made a few errors, but Charlie to me epitomises what being a Celtic player is all about. Yopu dust yourself down, get those sleeves up, and make it right.
Wanyama, probably the best find of all time. This kid will net a big profit when he moves on, and personally, I hope it isn’t too soon till he goes! I want this kid around for a long time. He is our Michael Essien, but with less over-the-ball tackles!
I would argue for Joe Ledley’s inclusion, I think he get’s poor recognition for the outstanding job he does where ever he is asked to play and he also chips in with some very important goals. I feel he is another player similar to Lennon or Lambert, in that a lot of supporters do not really appreciate or see the work and graft he put’s in and go for the more show stopper players like, Hooper, Forest or Kayal.
I actually think a lot of players have stepped up to the mark this season, including a few, that I didn’t think would, while a few have unfortunately, went the other way.
For me it was tough to get the 5. The list was for the best 5 of the year so far. I think Brown is an important player, but he was injured for a while and has not started many. It was tough leaving out Ledley, Matthews and Stokes. They have done nothing wrong, but I could only pick 5.
You can’t complain you could only pick 5 mate as it was you who wrote the bloody article so you could have titled it “The eight players to deliver the SPL title to Celtic” Why make things so tough for yourself? Chill oot man 🙂
you cant pick only five.whats the point?.the entire squad will win the title, all of them contributing in their own way..All performing well when asked and deserving of a few medals..lets bring this title home to paradise and keep it there for a while…..C’MON THE HOOPS!!!