I watched Celtic friendly vs Middlesbrough and noted teenage promise, a gap plugged and duo's swansong
Our key talking points from Celtic’s pre-season 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at Parkhead
Celtic are still looking for their first pre-season win after being held to a 1-1 draw by EFL Championship promotion chasers Middlesbrough at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.
Returning to home soil for the first time since their dramatic 3-1 win over Hearts that sealed a fifth successive Scottish Premiership title in May, the hosts went behind in the 26th minute when David Strelec finished from close range. However, summer signing Camilo Duran introduced himself to the Parkhead faithful by equalising just five minutes later.
Next up for Martin O’Neill’s men is a tough test against Serie A giants AC Milan, who arrive for a friendly clash in Glasgow next Saturday for Celtic’s final pre-season test before their league opener against Dundee on August 3.
Graham Falk was at Parkhead to cover proceedings on Saturday. These are his three key takeaways from Celtic’s pre-season clash vs Middlesbrough.
A gap plugged
Celtic fans may be frustrated by the lack of transfer activity, but the one player they have managed to get in the door, Duran, has made a solid first impression with two goals in his first two pre-season appearances, and both were instinctive finishes. In truth, Celtic have failed to replace Kyogo Furuhashi following his move to Rennes over 18 months ago. With January loan additions Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu underwhelming, O’Neill was often forced into using Daizen Maeda as a central striking option before introducing a semi-fit Kelechi Iheanacho as a late option off the bench.
Sure, it worked to an extent; Celtic won the title on the final day and did the job required of them after all, but it was patchwork at best and needed addressing in this transfer window. Celtic have desperately needed a first-choice number nine for way too long - and the early signs of Duran are a positive for them.
He’ll have tougher tests than a 60-minute runout against a second-tier English outfit in a pre-season game, but Duran looks sharp and ready to go. He showed a willingness to press the Middlesbrough defence before blasting home beyond Sol Brynn with his first real chance of the game, and those in attendance were encouraged by what they saw from him. He already arrives with pedigree, having scored five times in the Champions League for Qarabag last season, and Celtic fans will hope his positive early signs are not a false dawn as they look to address a hole in their squad that has been gaping for far too long.
The kids might be alright?
It’s a difficult task to make an impression in a pre-season game at a less than quarter-full Celtic Park, but youngster Sean McArdle had some bright moments on the right wing after being given a chance to impress. Linking up with Colby Donovan on the right, the 18-year-old had some neat tricks and flicks that momentarily wooed the home support.
Highly-rated youngsters Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata have opted to leave for pastures new in recent seasons, having found their pathway to the first team blocked. While neither has really flourished away from Glasgow (the latter due to severe hamstring issues), it would be really beneficial to both Celtic and their academy if they can find more ways to promote from within. For example, imagine if Ben Gannon-Doak had stayed for another 18 months rather than making just two or three substitute appearances?
Donovan was thrown in at the deep end during a difficult campaign last season and often stood up to the task. While he’s likely to be behind first-choice right-back Alistair Johnston next season in the pecking order, the 20-year-old can now be relied upon to produce when required, and the same can be said for centre-back Dane Murray, albeit to a lesser extent.
Not every player coming from the academy can be a Callum McGregor or a James Forrest, but if Celtic can improve on their uptake in young players stepping up in the season to come, as opposed to spending £5million on players such as Michel-Ange Balikwisha, it’ll a) save them money and b) perhaps persuade their most talented to see a pathway to the senior set up and encourage a longer stay.
Parkhead swansong
Unfortunately for Celtic fans, too much of this summer transfer news has been focused on outgoings. After four years as their talisman, all the noise surrounding star man Maeda is that he wants to leave the club this summer - and the volume of soundbites coming from the Japan international in recent weeks indicates he wants it to happen sooner rather than later.
Alas, the striker’s exertions at this summer’s World Cup mean he was given the weekend off against Middlesbrough, though two of his Celtic teammates, namely Arne Engels and Reo Hatate, may have played their final game in the green and white hooped jersey. Introduced at half-time, both players were given warm receptions by the small handful of home fans in attendance, many of whom would likely be more than happy if they prolonged their stay beyond September 1.
All three have played major roles in Celtic’s dominance over the last five seasons, but it feels like the end of the road for eacb of them as the season opener against Dundee approaches. Engels has been linked with moves to the English Premier League and Europe, while Hatate has made noises about wanting a new challenge, with West Ham United tentatively linked.
There are six weeks left of the transfer window, and Celtic still have work to do to improve the squad. The lack of incomings has already caused a bit of a malaise; the last thing they need is for their exits to drag on. A huge thank you for their services, a solid profit in the bank and money to spend on new faces is likely to be welcomed by all involved.
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