Big Changes at Paradise

By Daniel Hayes

Over the last few days, Celtic fans have had to come to terms with some changes in personnel.  Many fans were shocked by the announcement that both Jonny Hayes and Jozo Simunovic will be leaving Celtic Park this summer for free.  

Both players have had mixed times at Celtic.  Having both suffered from serious injuries at different points, it has been difficult for either player to truly cement themselves in the side.  However, no one could ever question the commitment shown by Jozo and Hayes in their 5- and 3-year stints at the club respectively.  They leave the club with multiple medals and will be looked upon in the future as members of one of Celtic’s greatest ever sides.

Jozo Simunovic arrived at Celtic on Deadline Day in 2015 as a replacement for Virgil van Dijk.  With the bar already set so high, it was always going to be tough for the big Croatian.  Constant injuries throughout his debut season meant that we barely saw the defender play under the man who signed him, Ronny Deila.  However, with the arrival of Brendan Rodgers in 2016, Jozo pushed his way to the top and became one of the main names on the team sheet during the Invincibles season, partnering both Erik Sviatchenko and Dedryk Boyata at different points.  In a highly successful season, the cherry on the cake for Simunovic was his exquisite slide tackle on Kenny Miller at Ibrox.  Rumour has it that NASA have only just managed to bring the former Celt back down to Earth.  From there, Jozo became a bit part player for Celtic, as injuries halted his chance of becoming a central figure in the side.  However, he played a massively important role in the 8-in-a-row run in with the interim appointment of Neil Lennon after Brendan Rodger’s shock departure.  Aside from performing admirably alongside Kris Ajer at centre-half, Jozo scored two goals for the ages.  the first of these came in a 1-0 win at home to Kilmarnock, with the Croatian sporting the legendary no5 jersey worn by the recently passed Billy McNeil.  So fittingly, in the 67th minute, the current no5 rose highest to win the game for Celtic, essentially guaranteeing the league title.  The following week he would score in the game which would officially secure the title in a 3-0 win against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.  In the 2019/20 season, we have seen a fair bit of Jozo in a back three with Chris Julien and Kris Ajer.  However, it has become clear that although Simunovic could still be a decent squad player, his injury issues could not justify the wages he has been earning.

Jonny Hayes arrived at Celtic only briefly after the club secured an invincible treble.  Hayes had made a habit of scoring big goals for Aberdeen against the Hoops, including one in his final game for the Dons which could have spoiled Celtic’s treble party.  Brendan Rodgers liked what he saw in his fellow Irishman and moved quickly to poach the winger from our Northern rivals.  Hayes slowly but surely started to push into the team during his first season, scoring his first goal, ironically, against his old club Aberdeen in a 3-0 win at Celtic Park.  However, a tibia fracture at Christmas time ended Hayes’ season in a gutting blow for the midfielder.  In the next two seasons, Hayes would prove to be a valuable squad player for the club, giving 100% on either wing and often at left-back.  This season, Hayes appeared regularly at left-back performing incredibly in Celtic’s outstanding 2-1 victory in Rome against Lazio.  Hayes’ finest moment for Celtic however came in the first Glasgow Derby of the 19/20 season as a late breakaway between Hayes, Edouard and Ntcham climaxed with Hayes putting Celtic 2-0 up at Ibrox and ensuring a crucial victory for the Hoops.

Both players have been majorly important in Celtics 9-in-a-row success and will unquestionably welcomed home with open arms in years to come.

It now seems clear that Celtic have big plans for the summer, whether it is a positive thing or not.  With the current pandemic and the club not benefiting from ticket sales for an indefinite period, Celtic will be looking to cut back costs which will include moving some players off the wage bill.  On the other hand, the freeing up of wages could be aimed more with the view to securing the futures of players like Odsonne Edouard and Fraser Forster and also to bring in some new faces ahead of Celtic’s biggest season this century.  Celtic reeked the benefits of this kind of ruthlessness with the arrival of Brendan Rodgers.  The Irishman was quick to cut off the excess fat round the squad which led to the exits of high-profile stars like Charlie Mulgrew and Anthony Stokes.  This would lead to exceptional replacements in Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair.  With fans already aware that Hayes and Simunovic will be joining Calvin Miller out the exit door, it begs the question if others will follow.  

It would appear likely that Craig Gordon could be next out the door.  The former Scotland no1 joined the Hoops as a free agent after a difficult few years with injury.  With the big-money sale of Fraser Forster in that 2014 summer, replacing him for free with a goalkeeper of Gordon’s profile seemed like an absolute steal – and so it proved to be.

Gordon went on to remain no1 for Celtic until midway through the 2018/19 season when he was replaced by Scott Bain.  With the return of Fraser Forster on loan at the beginning of the 19/20 season, it became quickly apparent that the former Hearts keeper was set to move on sooner rather than later.

Many fans believe it would be worth extending Gordon’s contract.  As reserve keepers go, he would be up there as one of the best.  The stopper has often been extremely underrated throughout his time at Paradise.  Some incredible performances in Europe and in Glasgow Derbies have regrettably been overlooked by some sections of the Parkhead faithful at times.

However, there is no denying that Fraser Forster is the superior keeper – certainly at this stage of their careers.  Celtic will be hoping to re-sign Forster on a permanent deal from Southampton this summer and therefore the club will not be able to justify having its third-choice goalkeeper as one of its highest earners.  Craig Gordon has been hugely important for Celtic and has easily been one of the shrewdest signings perhaps in Celtic history.  Some incredible saves during his tenure have helped Celtic well on the way to 9-in-a-row which no Celtic fan will ever forget.  Of course, the most powerful memory Celtic fans will have of Gordon will be his reaction to Tom Rogic’s injury time winner to secure the invincible treble against Aberdeen at Hampden.  Gordon, along with Simunovic and Hayes, will be remembered as a crucial part of 9, and hopefully 10 in a row.

It is extremely difficult to tell how this summer will go for Celtic in terms of transfers.  As much as the club will be aiming to enter the new season as strongly as possible, financial hits due to the Covid-19 pandemic could alter the plans of several clubs.  Could other players currently sitting on the fringes of the squad be set to move on?  We know it is very unlikely that Moritz Bauer’s Celtic career will go any further than his current loan spell.  In terms of permanent players, Tom Rogic, Jack Hendry, Marian Shved and Boli Bolingoli could all be looking towards the exit door.  The latter three are all signings that had potential but simply have not seemed to work out.  However, Tom Rogic has been a hero in the latter years of 9-in-a-row and someone who we know could still make a major impact if he can return to full form.

This coming summer is the most unpredictable in recent history.  It is impossible to tell how many outgoings and incomings there are likely to be.  Hopefully if Celtic free up some wages, the likes of Fraser Forster and Odsonne Edouard will be here along with some strong new faces to push Celtic towards 10 in a row.

Who do you think should join Hayes and Simunovic out the exit door?  Would you be happy if Celtic’s transfer business was limited to ensuring current personnel stick around?  What kind of players do you want to see at Paradise next season?