Michael Stewart has offered a stark assessment of Celtic’s early-season struggles, pinpointing the root of the problems squarely on the club’s failure to properly act during the summer transfer window.
And while the summer window can be blamed for the lack of activity, some of Celtic’s senior players are letting the side down, he thinks.
Speaking on the Premier Sports Scottish Football club, Stewart argued that the issues run deeper than just individual performances, with a loss of belief and cohesion stemming from the moment key players left without being adequately replaced.
“It’s a multitude of reasons and it all goes back to the summer window. When you’re in a changing room and you know you need strengthened, and you’ve got your bigger players moving on and not replaced, that creates negativity,” Stewart said.
“Then you have the civil war — the manager and the statements going back and forward — these things have clearly had an impact on the atmosphere and synergy. It’s not there off the park and it’s impacted on the park.
“Look at the team as a whole. Schmeichel is looking a year older, AJ is out injured. CCV has been okay. Liam Scales, you’re still thinking they need to strengthen there. KT is still working his way back in. CalMac is needing some help in the middle of the park. Hatate looks like the edge is out of his game.
“Nygren is a good signing, but he’s not intense — he has the quality. And then you come to the front line — the front line has been the major issue.
“The players that were already there were looking like they needed a fresh injection of new blood to get them going again — and it’s not happened,” Stewart added. “The front line has been decimated, and Iheanacho looks like he’ll be a good signing but he’s still not fully fit and he’s really their only option.”
Celtic allowed Adam Idah to leave for Swansea, didn’t bring in a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi, and has been without a recognised, consistent central striker for much of the campaign. Kelechi Iheanacho arrived after the window closed, but remains short of full fitness and is currently the club’s only viable option through the middle.
Nicolas Kuhn was also allowed to leave, back in July, yet no player was brought in to replace him, and now Maeda is being shoehorned in out on the right, a position he does not favour.
The former midfielder’s comments reflect growing frustration among supporters who see a squad short on depth and spark, and a summer of financial conservatism that’s left Celtic scrambling to find rhythm and consistency. With January looming, the pressure is mounting not just to spend, but to get it right.
When you say Callum ‘s needing help do you mean ” to run”. He lost the ball in the midfield a few times at the weekend and just jogged back with no attempt to win the ball back.
He has lost a yard of pace which allows average players to run past him, leaving our midfield wide open.