It's almost exactly 12 months since Kyogo Furuhashi was sold; Adam Idah departed at the end of the last transfer window in August. To be almost halfway through January and manager Martin O'Neill having to cancel a defender's loan due to a lack of back-up in the squad is a stark illustration of the depth of the problem. You feel for Stephen Welsh.
Here is the definition of the word 'chronic'. 1) persisting for a long time or constantly recurring. 2) of a very poor quality.
Celtic's recent recruitment problems snugly fit into both definitions. The club's inability over the past year to replace the goalscorers they've lost is remarkable.
It's almost exactly 12 months since Kyogo Furuhashi was sold; Adam Idah departed at the end of the last transfer window in August.
To be almost halfway through January and manager Martin O'Neill having to cancel a defender's loan due to a lack of back-up in the squad is a stark illustration of the depth of the problem.
You feel for Stephen Welsh. Surplus to requirements under previous manager Brendan Rodgers, he was farmed out to Motherwell and flourished.
He has now been recalled to Parkhead as cover. Should another central defender be signed in the next fortnight, Welsh may be sent back to Fir Park. Hardly the ringing endorsement from his employers, is it? "Come back, son, until we sign someone else."
It's further up the park where the real problems lie, of course. In addition to the departures of Furuhashi and Idah, the goals and assists of Nicolas Kuhn disappeared to Como last summer.
The only striker brought in to compensate was free agent Kelechi Iheanacho. It quickly became apparent staying fit would be problematic for the former Nigeria international.
With Daizen Maeda preferred in a wide role, and Johnny Kenny missing far too many chances to be regarded as Celtic's 'go to' number nine, it is remarkable and baffling there is still no sign of a striker at the halfway stage of this transfer window.
What has the recruitment department being doing for the past year? There must, surely, be folders full of files on prospective strikers and forwards that have been worked on? Or is that why head of football operations Paul Tisdale lost his job along with former manager Wilfried Nancy?
With assistant boss Shaun Maloney now, perhaps unexpectedly, having to lead on transfers it may be reasonable to expect some kind of delay in new arrivals.
It may also take James Bell-Walker, formerly a senior figure in scouting and talent identification at Chelsea, a wee while to get his feet under the table at Celtic.
We are dealing, however, with a problem entirely of the club's own making. Less than a year ago, they had the world at their feet, relatively speaking. Drawing 1-1 with the mighty Bayern Munich on their own patch in the Champions League knockout stages.
Here's what they've lost since then: two cup finals, two managers, a chairman, their place at the top of the Premiership and Champions League spot (to a team from Kazakhstan).
Little wonder previously disparate sections of the Celtic support are now coming together to demand better, and quickly.
Category: General Sports
