Andrew Smith: Mixed offerings from the new faces on a horribly difficult night

ONE of the perennial fascinations for the football supporter is turning up to their club's first home game after a summer break and seeing how the fresh new faces fit in with the old ones.

The real element of intrigue for the 50,000 who rolled up to Celtic Park last night was whether there was any room for the tried and (un]trusted once manager Neil Lennon had jammed in his summer acquisitions.

It wasn't whether the tie could be retrieved. All but the fantasists knew that was a non-starter, even before Paulo Cesar exposed Celtic's defensive vulnerability with a 20th minute header that put Braga effectively 5-0 up and left Celtic requiring five goals to maintain an interest in Champions League qualification. What the club's followers, and Lennon himself, wanted out of the tie was hopeful signs from the signings, for them to lay down markers. A number did that, but the markers were mostly of the black variety.

In all, Lennon picked five of his seven new recruits. Striker Gary Hooper donned Celtic colours competitively for the first time, while Cha Du-ri, Charlie Mulgrew, Efrain Juarez and Joe Ledley appeared in last night's return having hardly covered themselves in glory in the grim 3-0 in Portugal. In every department, the Irishman had fresh blood. Indeed, with Joos Hooiveld making only his fourth senior outing for the club as a result of injury problems since his January move from AIK Stockholm, there was precious little about this wholly lacking side that was a hangover from the team who toiled so desperately last season.

Of course, the Georgios Samaras and Scott Brown haters – in the majority among the Celtic support – will point to the presence of these two in another sorry failure. Alarmingly, however, Samaras and Brown were among the better performers on a night that could only raise questions over Lennon's rebuilding activities.

It might seem cruel on the guy, but nothing across the log-jam of summer friendlies or in both legs of the Braga humping has provided any clue as to why Lennon and his coaching team thought Mulgrew was worthy of a second stint at the club. He may be capable of delivering a wicked set-piece ball, but his lack of pace and stuttering in possession to so often give the ball away – the very weaknesses that led up to the tie-ending goal – are evils in his game that leave him exposed at the level Celtic aspire to. It was no surprise that he was withdrawn at half-time.

The fact Ledley had then to act as an emergency left-back said everything about Lennon's much-stated need for depth in that position.

On his wishlist is also a goalkeeper, centre-back and, possibly, a centre-forward. At least in terms of the latter, Hooper last night provided an indication he can be the sort of goal sniffer that Lennon is crying out for after Robbie Keane's departure. His record of 50 goals in the past two seasons for Scunthorpe suggests as much, as do his early contributions for Celtic. As with his goal in the friendly against Lyon at the weekend, against Braga he was in position to turn in a cross from the right. He has been described as a quicker, stronger Scott McDonald and there seems some logic to that comparison.

Judgments will be reserved for all the close season captures, and little could be said one way or another on the basis of their in-and-out displays on a horribly difficult night. Ledley displayed an eye for a pass early on and Cha an ability to get himself out of trouble with zip. The poser to be put about the South Korean is whether he is any better than the man he has replaced, Andreas Hinkel.

Possibly Celtic's best piece of business in the summer was acquiring Mexican midfielder Efrain Juarez for 2m from Puamas. He proved a real dynamic performer in the Emirates Cup at the weekend and after a subdued first period against Braga, he burst to life and took it upon himself to drive Celtic forward in search of a respectable scoreline. A header from him 15 minutes from the end provided that.

Thereafter, Lennon chucked attackers at a lost cause, with summer signing number six Daryl Murphy making his competitive debut. By the closing stages, with Paddy McCourt on for Brown and Juarez pushing up through the centre, they were effectively configured in a 4-1-1-4. The numbers didn't add up. They will need some cold, hard calculations from Lennon and his board for that to happen. Celtic need the 9.5m Aiden McGeady's sale to Spartak Moscow would earn them more than they need McGeady. For no one player is enough to transform them. So far six – with Israeli midfielder Beram Kayal to come – haven't appeared up to that..