Reasons to Be Optimistic This Season

After winning the league and Scottish League Cup double last season, the 2021/22 campaign was always going to be a tough one to follow. However, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou will be delighted with the start his side has made.

Here is a look at the reasons why this season could end up being another successful campaign for the Scottish champions.

Celtic Outscoring the Rest of The League

After seven games of the Scottish Premiership this season, Celtic have scored 25 goals. That is nine goals more than their city rivals and 11 higher than Hearts, the next best team in the league in the goals for standings.

Japanese star Kyogo Furuhashi has picked up where he left off last season and looks set to better his 12 SPL goals from the 2021/22 campaign. He has been supported by Liel Abada, as the pair have created a fantastic partnership on the field.

Furushashi will be in action at the World Cup later this year in Qatar. As of the 28th of September, Japan is priced at odds of 4/1 in the World Cup betting markets to qualify from Group E in the competition. If the Celtic forward takes his form in club football to the tournament, the Asian country will have a great chance of making it through to the last 16.

Abada is also in his second campaign with Celtic. The Israel international has featured on the wing and as a centre-forward so far for Postecoglou. He scored his first hat-trick for Celtic in their 9-0 victory over Dundee United in the SPL back in August.

Joe Hart Proving Hard to Beat

Six of Celtic’s opening seven wins in the SPL this season have come with clean sheets, something which will have impressed Celtic fans. Joe Hart is proving very difficult to beat in the Hoops’ goal. The experienced shot-stopper has been in excellent form in the early stages of the campaign.

The former Manchester City goalkeeper won the Golden Glove four times in the Premier League, and it is clear to see why he was England’s number one for so long. He has been an excellent signing for the club.

Hart is supported by a solid back four in front of him. Having such a good defensive record is very important to Postecoglou as it takes the pressure off the forward line. If they continue to show such a positive goal difference, Celtic are going to be the team to beat again in the SPL.

Big Performances in Europe

As well as strong form domestically, Celtic have produced two strong performances in the Champions League this season, something which will give Postecoglou a lot of confidence in the club’s return to the group stages.

They faced a very tough challenge against the defending champion Real Madrid in their opening game of the competition. They held the Spanish giants for 56 minutes at Celtic Park before the deadlock was broken. A 3-0 defeat was a little harsh in the end on the hosts.

Celtic was then on the road against Shakhtar Donetsk. They came away from that game with a point following a 1-1 draw with the Ukrainian champions. That result as it keeps them with a good chance of qualifying from the group.

Depth To Squad

With four competitions for Celtic to feature in this season, using the whole of his squad is going to be vital for Postecoglou. Fortunately, Australia has a lot of quality in-depth this year, which will help.

The likes of Jota, Giorgos Giakoumakis, and Saed Haksabonovic have had to settle for appearances off the bench this season. This healthy competition for places should drive performance levels on the pitch.

Rather than relying on the same group of players who brought success to the club last season, the Celtic boss was busy in the transfer window over the summer. He signed 11 players, spending around £15 million on his squad.

The business Postecoglou has done could help take the club to the next level on the field. His new players have settled well into the squad, and they should all get the opportunity to shine at some point this season.

With strong confidence behind Postecoglou and his players, hopefully, Celtic fans will be celebrating another fantastic season come May.

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