Celtic mid-term report card: Performances, results, recruitment & more

Celtic have played 23 competitive games so far this season, which means their campaign is well underway.

They have competed in three competitions, playing fixtures in the Scottish Premiership, Champions League and League Cup. 

It has been virtually non-stop since matches started in July, with the exception of an international break in September.

Given there is now a five-week shutdown to allow for the World Cup in Qatar, it feels like a good time to review the first three-and-a-half months of action and how the Hoops have dealt with the challenges in front of them.

Here, The Celtic Way issues its report card on how Ange Postecoglou's side has fared so far this season...

Performances

The Scottish champions got off to a quick start by winning their first seven games. During that time, they dominated the opposition by scoring 29 goals while only conceding two.

It was a clinical beginning to the league and League Cup campaigns as it laid down an early marker that other teams had to try to follow.

The highlights of this mini-run were undoubtedly the 9-0 victory against Dundee United and the 4-0 victory against Rangers.

Both fixtures showcased the Australian's football philosophy at its best. High-pressing and high-octane action full of beautiful passages of play that did not give the opposition a moment's rest.

It is fair to say the Parkhead side were brought back down to earth when they played Real Madrid in the Champions League. However, despite losing 3-0, the Bhoys gave a very good account of themselves against the reigning European champions.

The game provided fans and critics with clear evidence that the 57-year-old's tactics can be effective at the highest level.

Across the rest of the Champions League campaign. With the exception of the away fixture to RB Leipzig, Celtic competed in every game and, while they may not have picked up any victories in their group, there were more than enough positives to take from how they equipped themselves against quality opposition.

In the cup, two convincing wins means the holders find themselves in a semi-final tie with Kilmarnock post-break.

The rest of the league campaign, apart from a disappointing defeat to St Mirren, has seen the Hoops play good football as well as having to dig deep at times to come back after going behind or move ahead from level terms.

One concern remains for the manager and his staff though: the number of goals the Scottish champions are conceding. Since the Glasgow Derby dismantling of Rangers, they have only kept two clean sheets in 16 matches.

Grade: A

Results

The Bhoys have won 16 out of the 23 games they have played so far this season.

All but one Scottish Premiership fixture has seen Postecoglou's men come out on top, as they have had a mix of blowing teams away and also having to grind out results.

In terms of the League Cup, the holders have won two out of two to reach the last four for the second year running.

In Europe is where disappointment comes in again. While aspects of the performances were widely praised, two points out of a possible 18 must be considered poor in terms of results. 

A lack of penetration in front of goal meant the only points on the board come the end of the Champions League group were from draws home and away to Shakhtar Donetsk.

It ended up being Celtic's worst group stage, statistically, of all time and it will no doubt be something Postecoglou is desperate to make amends for next season.

Grade: B

Recruitment 

Celtic signed nine players in total during the summer transfer window. First, Daizen Maeda and Cameron Carter-Vickers agreed permanent deals after successful loan spells the previous season.

Then Benjamin Siegrist arrived on a free transfer to be swiftly followed by Alexandro Bernabei coming from Argentina for a fee of just under £4million. 

Next, the transfer saga of Jota came to a positive conclusion as he put pen to paper on a five-year deal.

Soon after, Aaron Mooy and Moritz Jenz arrived as part of a double swoop with the Australian costing nothing and the German becoming the first loanee of the window.

Then there was a slight lull before the Hoops signed two players from Rubin Kazan. The first was forward Sead Haksabanovic while the final player to come through the door was Oliver Abildgaard. 

In terms of what each player has offered, Jota, Carter-Vickers and Maeda have all kicked on from the last campaign and continued to offer positives to the squad.

Siegrist is harder to judge as he has only featured in the two cup games but he has looked relatively solid, if a little unsure of himself when playing the ball out from the back.

Bernabei has struggled for game-time due to how well Greg Taylor has been playing. However, when he has been involved, it has been clear to see he has talent.

Mooy and Jenz have featured more than originally expected due to injuries. While each of them has contributed at times, there have been a few shaky performances in there as well.

Haksabanovic has undoubtedly been a success story, given his flexibility to play across the front three or in midfield. He has now started to add goals to his game which makes him even more of a valuable asset.

Finally, there is Abildgaard. He is the hardest to judge. Not having a full pre-season has meant he has struggled to get up to full fitness and therefore the Dane has only featured sporadically off the bench.

Grade: B-

Overall grade: B+

There have been plenty of positives so far this season.

No doubt, being nine points clear in the league is more than any Celtic supporter could have hoped for at this point in the season.

Postecoglou's men are also ticking away nicely in the League Cup however, in Europe, there is still work to be done even though the team appears to be on the right track.

Over the next five weeks, the players have the chance to work on things and rest up before a second half of the season that could - and perhaps should - bring another treble to Parkhead.

This piece is an extract from today’s Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team. 

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