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Celtic or players fault? Ewan and Liam kick off huge debate

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Celtic fans have had plenty of thinking time recently, the SPFL season was over in January, the club has been managerless since February with virtual silence on the hunt for a new manager as this doomed season gets ever closer to the next.

A massive turnover of players is anticipated in the summer but one aspect missing is a crop of young players looking to take their chance.

Over the last decade only Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor have come through the ranks, James Forrest was just ahead of that timeline.

First there was the collapse of the Reserve League. Attempts at u-19, u-20, Development League (u-21) just highlighted how clueless the authorities in Scotland are about developing young players.

Clubs such as Motherwell and St Johnstone haven’t really had problems, whenever a player gets towards the required standard they get pinched in for first team experience. They sink or swim. At Celtic a large element of luck is required to get that chance, a little more to take advantage of it.

For a variety of reasons players aren’t coming through at Celtic but are making it elsewhere at a decent level. Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell helped Scotland reach the European Championship Finals through the back door, at Hampden today Marcus Fraser and Jamie McCart were at the core of St Mirren and St Johnstone’s plans. Yesterday Jackson Irvine helped Hibs to the Scottish Cup Final.

Over at Starks Park Ewan Henderson and Kerr McInroy ended their stay at Dunfermline with defeat to Raith Rovers in the Premiership Play Off, Regan Hendry has been a big influence on Raith’s season.

It will be more of a task for the Director of Football than the manager but Celtic need to re-establish a realistic pathway into the first team, there has been increasing signs recently that the better prospects just don’t see it.

Karamoko Dembele will likely leave next month, that will put the issue in focus but there are many other examples across the game of players for whom it just didn’t work out for.

Shaun Maloney was the last striker to come through the ranks but was more of an advanced Number 10 than a striker.

The list isn’t 100% but there hasn’t been much of a return on Mo Bangura, Teemu Pukki, Stefan Scepovic, Nadir Ciftci, Holmbert Fridjonsson, Carlton Cole, Colin Kazim-Richards, Lassad, Miku, Vakoun Bayo and Patryk Klimala.

CLICK HERE for details of Celtic 3-1 Manchester United, 2018 Milk Cup Final for u-19’s, scoers Ewan Henderson (2) and Thomas Coffey.

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