Celtic’s 2-1 win over St Johnstone this past weekend was their eighth consecutive victory in all competitions which has them well on course for a first domestic treble since 2001. It was also the first time the Bhoys had conceded a goal in nine matches, but the win puts them three points ahead of Aberdeen with a game in hand.
With the way Ronny Deila’s men are playing at the moment, it is very unlikely that any team will be able to stop them in the league as they look for a fourth consecutive Scottish title.
In the domestic cup competitions, Celtic face Dundee United in both the Scottish Cup quarter-finals and the League Cup final. Even though Celtic will be clear favourites for these clashes, they won’t be in for an easy ride against a side that were the last team to beat Celtic, back in December. But the signings of two of Dundee United’s star players – Gary Mackay Steven and Stuart Armstrong – will severely hamper United’s chances of defeating Celtic in these huge encounters.
In the immediate future, Celtic take on Inter Milan in the last 32 of the Europa League, hopeful of taking another major European scalp. The Italian giants have been struggling in Serie A this season, currently sitting in 10th place. Celtic are certainly capable of beating Inter over two legs and are desperate to do so and salvage what has been a mixed European campaign so far this season.
Although things are going extremely well in Deila’s first season in charge of Celtic, it took a while to get going. The Hoops suffered humiliation after Legia Warsaw appeared to have knocked them out of the third qualifying round in the Champions League, defeating the Bhoys 6-1 on aggregate.
However, the Polish side were later disqualified from the competition for fielding an ineligible player, with Celtic being reinstated as a consequence, but they still couldn’t make it to the group stages. The Scottish giants were beaten by NK Maribor 2-1 on aggregate, with a Europa League spot being the consolation. In the League, Deila struggled as Celtic were a lowly sixth after eight matches, but the club’s fortunes have since turned full circle as the Norwegian now has a win ratio of just under 70% during his reign.
The key to the Celtic boss’ successes so far has been his ability to make smart signings in both transfer windows, adding to an already strong squad. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon was signed on a free transfer and has proved to be a more than adequate replacement for Fraser Forster. Although he is currently on a scoring drought, John Guidetti has been an excellent addition since joining on-loan from Manchester City – the Sweden International has scored 11 goals in 22 appearances, showing his class with Celtic desperate to make his loan spell permanent in the summer.
Another Man City loanee, Jason Denayer is another who has impressed, as he has formed a formidable partnership with Virgil Van Dijk in the heart of defence. The 19-year-old Belgium U21 international has been playing with a maturity well beyond his years and looks like a hot prospect for the future.
Adding the two young Scottish players from Dundee United in the January transfer window was an important step in more home-grown players being able to play at the highest level in European competitions. Both Mackay Steven and Armstrong scored on their debut for Celtic and are promising young players that could go on and have bright futures as Celtic Park.
After a tough start, Ronny Deila has impressed during his tenure at Celtic and is well on his way to achieving a fantastic domestic treble in just his first season in charge at Celtic Park.
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