da brdice： After securing the feat of going an entire league campaign undefeated on Sunday, Celtic have just one challenge left in order to make this the perfect domestic season. That comes in the form of Aberdeen in Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final. Winning that means they win the treble and enter a new season on the back of almost unprecedented success and consistency.
da 888casino： Brendan Rodgers will likely be in the market for three of four quality first team players but he may also find that solutions to some positional problems already lie within the squad at his disposal currently.
The Celtic boss has relied on the same core to his team for the majority of the season, with little chance for some talent to breakthrough and claim a regular starting spot.
However, the talent is there and some youngsters could improve to the extent that they replace some of this season’s most important performers.
Here are three players who have struggled to get a regular start this season that could make an impact after the summer…
Ryan Christie
Struggling to get the first team football he needed to progress in the early part of the season, Ryan Christie was eventually sent on loan to Aberdeen in January and it’s fair to say it’s been a great success. He’s emerged as one of the key players in Derek McInnes’ side, to the extent that his absence in the Scottish Cup Final will be a significant blow.
He’s scored plenty of goals, including the winner at Ibrox last Wednesday that gave the Dons their first win away to Rangers in 26 years. He also got a double in their rout of Partick Thistle on Sunday.
His form has been so good that he even won the club’s Young Player of the Year award, despite only being at the club for half a season.
There’s no doubting that he has a chance of making at splash at Celtic Park this season. At the very least he’ll have made sure Brendan Rodgers sits up and takes notice of his ability.
Able to play in that central attacking midfield role that’s become so crucial for the Hoops, it’ll be difficult for him to displace the likes of Tom Rogic and Stuart Armstrong, but if the 21 year old continues to progress at the current rate, this time next year we could be talking about him as one of the Hoops’ standouts.
Eboue Kouassi
Signing from Russian club FC Krasnodar in January, Eboue Kouassi’s half-season at Celtic has been one of learning and transition.
It’s a difficult task to come into a foreign league, especially when you don’t have much first team experience to begin with, and Brendan Rodgers has treated his introduction to the first team very carefully. In fact, he’s made just five appearances for the Hoops since his arrival, starting just once. He’s looked pretty raw in those limited minutes on the pitch but definitely has the physical attributes to be a success in the Hoops.
As he gets to know his teammates more and with a full pre-season under his belt, you’d expect him to be challenging for more regular appearances in the heart of that Celtic midfield, most likely in place of Nir Bitton.
Celtic’s Scottish trio of Scott Brown, Callum McGregor and Stuart Armstrong have been fantastic this season but they won’t suit every style of game, especially in Europe, and the commanding presence of the Ivorian international could prove key.
Anthony Ralston
Brendan Rodgers reviewed Anthony Ralston’s ability in pre-season but he served most of the year in the club’s Development Squad, helping the U20s lift the Scottish Youth Cup and pushing for the Development League title.
His form was rewarded with his first start and an entire 90 minutes recently at home to St Johnstone. It was a match that the Hoops won 4-1 and Ralston was standout along with young Mikey Johnston, leading many to speculate that he may even push the veteran Mikael Lustig for a place in the team next season.
We’ve seen in recent seasons what a breath of fresh air youth can have in the full-back positions with the emergence of Kieran Tierney and Ralston has every chance of repeating his rise.
Strong, quick and working on his passing ability, Ralston is definitely one to watch. Lustig recently turned 30 and while he has a few seasons left in him for sure, perhaps beginning a transition at right-back towards a new generation is the best thing long-term. Is Ralston good enough to hasten that process?