If there is one position where Celtic need to strengthen during the upcoming January transfer window, it is striker. The Hoops have been pretty inconsistent in front of goal this season so far. Of course, there are games when they can go out and score six times. But then, on days they are having a tough time finding the opener, they do seem to struggle quite a bit.

Their scoring rate has certainly dropped significantly since last season. This time around, they have scored 35 goals in 14 league games so far. That is 2.5 goals per game.

On the other hand, in the previous campaign under the management of Ange Postecoglou, they scored 114 goals in 38 games. That is 3 goals per game. That is a significant difference.

Kyogo has been solid but he is not scoring at the rate he was last season. On the other hand, Oh Hyeon-gyu simply is not ready to lead the line yet. He has shown flashes of quality but needs to put it all together and perform consistently. And most importantly, the AFC Asian Cup is coming up in January, and both strikers could be called up by their respective national teams, leaving Celtic without a recognised centre-forward.

Celtic must consider signing striker from Premiership rivals

Thus, it is not hard to see why Celtic need to sign a striker in January. And Bojan Miovski of Aberdeen is someone who they must have on their radar.

While Aberdeen have struggled this season, Miovski has continued to deliver the goods. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has scored 11 goals and provided 3 assists in 21 appearances till now.

• Published on 11/26/2023 at 3:00 PM EST
• Last updated on 11/26/2023 at 3:00 PM EST

After Celtic drew 1-1 against Motherwell, the Rangers were handed a major chance to get back into the title race. All they needed to do was win their games in hand and they would be just three points behind the Hoops in the league table. We have seen the Ibrox side not perform at their best in pressure situations though. And this appeared to be another example of that.

Philippe Clement’s side could manage a 1-1 draw in their game against Aberdeen. And even, they needed a 94th minute penalty to rescue a point from their trip to Pittodrie Stadium.

One man who failed to impress for the Ibrox club once again is Todd Cantwell. So much so that there are even murmurs about a possible departure next summer or even as early as the upcoming January transfer window.

Amidst all this, Cantwell appeared to take what looked like a pretty clear dive in the game against Aberdeen. And one man who was quick to call it out was Chris Sutton.

Celtic legend takes dig at Rangers player for diving

Sutton retweeted the clip of the moment involving Cantwell along with the seemingly sarcastic caption ‘This isn’t a dive’ and accompanied by a laughing emoji. It does look like one to say the very least.

Of course, Sutton and Cantwell have had their exchanges on social media since his arrival at Ibrox. It remains to be seen if the Rangers player has something to say on this occasion. But he quite certainly is not doing his talking on the pitch at the moment with his performances.

Cantwell had put up decent numbers for the Ibrox club in the second half of last season after arriving in January but has not been able to do the same this time around. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has scored 1 goal and provided 2 assists in 16 appearances so far in the 2023/24 campaign.

• Published on 11/26/2023 at 1:35 PM EST
• Last updated on 11/26/2023 at 1:35 PM EST

Titles are not decided this early in the season. That has been proven once again. Not too long ago, Celtic were sitting seven points clear at the top of the Premiership table and most fans felt that the league was pretty much in the bag with the Rangers struggling for any kind of form.  It is safe to say that things have changed since then. Now, if the Ibrox club win their games in hand, that gap will be just three points.

Celtic dropped a couple of points in the game against Motherwell, drawing 1-1. It was another under-par performance from Brendan Rodgers’ side who have been inconsistent throughout the season.

David Turnbull scored a penalty kick for Celtic on the day while Luis Palma missed from the spot. It is a bit worrying that they could not find a goal from open play against a Motherwell side trying to avoid relegation.

In the aftermath of the game, Oh Hyeon-gyu is something who has received criticism for not scoring enough. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Michael Stewart told BBC Sport:

“Oh Hyeon-gyu is the fallback guy when they’re looking at something different or Kyogo isn’t firing on all cylinders.

“He’s had a lot of chances and he doesn’t score enough goals. The difference between him and [Giorgos] Giakoumakis is staring you in the face.”

Celtic player criticised after draw against Motherwell

To be fair, Oh has been decent in recent games after a slow start to the season and has scored three goals. But overall, he has not been a consistent goalscorer since joining Celtic and is still finding his feet.

He quite certainly is not playing at the level that Giakoumakis was during his time at Parkhead. In hindsight, letting the Greek striker go has proven to be a mistake on the part of the Hoops for sure.

Kyogo and Giakoumakis were both capable of scoring consistently, and Celtic had brilliant depth up top. One cannot say that that is the case right now. The Japanese forward has been very good once again but is not scoring at the rate that he was last season. And Oh is not consistent enough to be given the starting spot.

• Published on 11/26/2023 at 7:30 AM EST
• Last updated on 11/26/2023 at 7:32 AM EST

Two more dropped points mean that Celtic have well and truly allowed the Rangers to get back into the title race. A lead which once stood at seven points, could be reduced to three if Philippe Clement’s side are able to win their games in hand. And the sad thing is that the Hoops have drawn a couple of games which they were expected to win easily.

That is not what you expect from the Hoops. It is the reality of the situation right now though. Celtic have never found their best form this season.

Yes, there have been good performances here and there for sure. But overall, there has never been an extended run where this team has looked convincingly the best team in all of Scotland. It is always a step forward and then one back.

Celtic’s team performances have come in the Champions League, even though they have not won a game in the competition so far. They were very good in the 2-2 draw vs Atletico Madrid and scored a couple of well-worked goals. They also should have won against Lazio and were the much better side, but somehow found a way to lose.

Celtic’s problem is very clear and needs solving quick

The 1-1 draw against Motherwell will come as a major blow to Celtic. But it is not a result that has come in isolation.

There have been many games in which the Hoops have looked shaky. It is the individual brilliance that has saved them and secured all three points on numerous occasions.

Celtic have to get back to being the best team in Scotland by a mile and putting up convincing wins one week after another like they were doing under the management of Ange Postecoglou. The club can make Brendan Rodgers’ task easier by bringing in some quality players in January.

• Published on 11/25/2023 at 2:30 PM EST
• Last updated on 11/25/2023 at 2:34 PM EST

It was not the result Celtic were looking for, as they dropped two valuable points against Motherwell. David Turnbull’s goal appeared to have won it for the Hoops but the visitors equalised in the 90th minute and it ended 1-1. That means that if the Rangers win their games in hand, the gap will be just three points. It was seven not too long ago and Philippe Clement’s side look to be the ones with momentum right now.

Celtic might be leading the Premiership table but some of the problems have been evident throughout the season. This side is struggling to match the heights they reached under the management of Ange Postecoglou in the previous campaign.

One major issue Celtic are facing right now is from the penalty spot. Luis Palma was the one who failed to convert against Motherwell. Reo Hatate and Turnbull have done the same this season already.

As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Rodgers said while speaking to BBC Radio Scotland when asked about the three penalties that Celtic have missed this season:

“It’s something we’ve spoken on and actually worked on. It’s about taking that into the game and being decisive with it. It’s something we have to continually work on, they are pressure moments.

“We’re disappointed not to score the first one. David scores the second one well and that gives a foot up in the game. We then controlled the game for the period after that which is good but then we gave away the corner and we couldn’t defend it.”

Rodgers addresses Celtic problem after draw

Unfortunately, Celtic have been very inconsistent this season. It has been one step forward and then one back on several occasions since the return of Rodgers as manager.

Just when it looks like the club are finding some rhythm and ready to go on a good run of form, they ended up with a result like the 1-1 draw against Motherwell. And just like that, all the momentum is gone and we are back at the drawing board.

Let’s just hope that Rodgers can find a solution to the problems and quickly. The Hoops cannot afford to drop any more points in the near future. They have already allowed the Rangers to come back into the title race and they are the ones with momentum on their side.

• Published on 11/25/2023 at 1:05 PM EST
• Last updated on 11/25/2023 at 1:06 PM EST

It would be safe to say that Celtic have their fair share of famous fans. Rod Stewart is the first name that comes to most people’s minds, one of the best-selling music artists in history. Lewis Capaldi is another popular musician known to support the Hoops. And several A-list celebrities like Gerard Butler, Snoop Dogg, Macklemore, Conor McGregor and more have been pictured wearing the club’s jersey over the years.

It is time to add another name to that list. It is that of none other than one of the most successful actors of all time in Pierce Brosnan.

Brosnan has been an actor for more than forty years now and he is best known for his portrayal of James Bond in the 1990s and early 2000s. He starred in four 007 movies and several video games as well.

Scottish actor, Gianni Capaldi, posted a few pictures on Twitter of Brosnan recently wearing the Celtic jersey from this season. He even has ‘Brosnan 007’ printed on the back. The photos appear to be from the set of one of their upcoming films.

Hollywood superstar pictured wearing Celtic jersey

It goes without saying that Brosnan is one of the most recognisable names in Hollywood. Of course, he is best known for playing James Bond and all of those movies were very successful.

Interestingly, Brosnan’s most successful movie is not any of the four James Bond films that he made. Instead, it is Mamma Mia, a film from 2008 which also features Meryl Streep and Colin Firth.

It is good to see someone like Brosnan show his support for the Hoops. The majority of football fans do not realise how big of a global brand Celtic truly are simply because of the fact that the Scottish Premiership is not counted amongst the most popular in the world.

• Published on 11/25/2023 at 7:00 AM EST
• Last updated on 11/25/2023 at 7:00 AM EST

Celtic’s January transfer window is expected to be a busy one. The club might have made nine signings in the summer, seven arriving on a permanent basis and two on loan, but there are still holes in Brendan Rodgers’ squad that need to be filled. On the other hand, there are way too many players with little to no chance of featuring consistently. It would make sense to try and find them a new team.

One area which has been viewed as a weakness for Celtic for quite some time now is goalkeeper. Joe Hart has been the club’s number one since he arrived in the summer of 2021.

Hart has done a decent job and proved a lot of doubters wrong. He will be 37 years of age by the time this season comes to an end though. So, Celtic need to sign his successor sooner rather than later.

As reported by Football Insider, Celtic are stepping up their plans to sign a goalkeeper in the upcoming January transfer window. It is believed to be the priority for the club in the winter.

Celtic pushing for priority signing in January window

Celtic were believed to be interested in signing a goalkeeper in the recent summer transfer window as well. They were linked with Dominik Livakovic for a while but nothing materialised.

In recent times, two goalkeepers they have been linked with are Andriy Lunin of Real Madrid and Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool. Both are very highly rated but are not getting nearly enough first-team chances at their respective clubs.

Either Lunin or Kelleher would be considered great signings for Celtic. But, it would be difficult to pull off. Thus, it is very possible that the club have their eyes on alternative goalkeeping targets as well. Let’s see how things play out over the January transfer window.

• Published on 11/25/2023 at 4:00 AM EST
• Last updated on 11/25/2023 at 4:00 AM EST

Celtic are believed to be on the lookout for a striker in the January transfer window. There might be a few reasons behind that. Firstly, both Kyogo and Oh Hyeon-gyu might be unavailable for a considerable length of time early next year due to the AFC Asian Cup. They are the club’s two options to lead the line. Secondly, most people think that the Hoops need a third striker regardless considering their heavy schedule.

So, do not be surprised if Celtic sign another striker in the winter. Sydney van Hooijdonk is someone who has been linked with a Parkhead move in recent weeks.

Van Hooijdonk already has a pre-existing connection with Celtic, as his father played for the club and quite successfully. The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to Parkhead on multiple occasions in the past as well.

Many believe that his January could be the perfect opportunity for Celtic to sign him. But as reported by Football Scotland, no official approach has been made for Van Hooijdonk despite previous links with the Bologna player.

Reliable source offers Sydney van Hooijdonk to Celtic update

Of course, there is still a bit of time before the January transfer window opens. So, it is possible that an approach could be made in the future if Celtic do indeed want to sign him.

Van Hooijdonk’s record at Bologna might not be impressive but he has enjoyed success in the past while playing for Heerenveen as well as NAC Breda. He does know his way to the back of the net for sure.

• Published on 11/24/2023 at 5:30 PM EST
• Last updated on 11/24/2023 at 5:30 PM EST

Ange Postecoglou has proven to be a major success in the Premier League since swapping Celtic for Tottenham Hotspur. Of course, a lot of fans were not happy to see him depart after just two years at Parkhead. But he has been very respectful about the club even after leaving. And it is hard not to feel happy to see him being counted among the best managers in the game.

Postecoglou might have spent only two years at Celtic but that was enough for him to win five trophies. What is even more impressive about the achievements is the circumstances under which he arrived at Parkhead.

The club had been trophyless in the season before that and also finished 25 points behind the Rangers. On top of that, several key players left. But Postecoglou turned things around quickly and won a Premiership and League Cup double in his debut campaign with Celtic.

He arrived at Tottenham Hotspur under similar circumstances. Their 2022/23 campaign had been nothing to write home about. Also, the club’s talisman, Harry Kane, left in the summer for Bayern Munich. That has not stopped the Australian from guiding them into an unlikely title challenge.

Ange claims Celtic success gets dismissed

Postecoglou appears to believe that his success at Celtic is somewhat dismissed by people. As reported by the Daily Record, he told Mail Online:

“People were dismissive about my success. I didn’t think it was fair because whatever competition you win, it’s still a competition right? You still gotta be the first team. Even Celtic gets dismissed a bit.”

It is safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur fans were not the happiest when Postecoglou’s appointment was made. It has not taken the Australian long to win them over.

This is not a new experience for Postecoglou though. He had arrived at Parkhead amid a cloud of doubt as well. He might have won consistently in both Australia and Japan, but many questioned whether he was good enough to do that in Scotland. It is safe to say that we got the answer.

• Published on 11/24/2023 at 4:05 PM EST
• Last updated on 11/24/2023 at 4:05 PM EST