I’ve waxed lyrical about the forward options Celtic have enjoyed this season. A rejuvenated Daizen Maeda; a new Nicolas Kuhn, now apparently a serious option for Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Even a reborn Callum McGregor, piling in with goals as well as powerhouse midfield performances. It’s about time, then, I made a case for the defence.
As good as Celtic have been in an attacking sense – just shy of three goals per game in 11 Premiership matches thus far – they’ve been just as impressive at the other end.
Any questions raised by the acquisition of a 38-year-old goalkeeper have been answered by the often immaculate displays of Kasper Schmeichel. Just ask Kilmarnock.
The guys in front of him haven’t been performing too shabbily either. The Celtic defence has yet to concede a single goal from open play away from home in the Premiership this season. That takes some doing.
A Ronan Hale penalty in Dingwall is the only time the Celtic goal has been breached on their travels.
The go-to back four when the season started was Alistair Johnston, Cameron-Carter Vickers, Liam Scales and Greg Taylor. Auston Trusty and Alex Valle have been brought in to complement that, with big-money signing Trusty edging out the high-performing Scales in recent weeks.
All are likely to play a big part given the number of games Celtic have in front of them. Between now and the final whistle on 1 February, Brendan Rodgers’ men will have played 20 matches in 75 days.
As well as the stamina of his forwards, Rodgers must be admiring the concentration and discipline of the boys at the back. One miserly league goal conceded on the road; just the two at home, in that four-goal classic against Aberdeen.
The manager would be quick to point out defending starts from the front, with Maeda particularly impressive at closing down space.
When teams do break the Celtic press, they still have to contend with Schmeichel and co. Celtic have racked up 11 clean sheets in 18 games across all competitions by mid-November.
It’s then a value judgment as to which is the more impressive stat: Celtic’s 31 league goals? Or the fact only three have been conceded in the Premiership so far?
Despite being on the same points tally as Aberdeen, Celtic’s goal difference is 14 better. While Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi and Maeda might get all the glory, Celtic fans should also tip their hats to a defence deserving equal acclaim.
