IN EXACTLY a month’s time, the ball will roll off the centre spot at Parkhead to get the 2026/27 crusade in motion.
Lord only knows where the latest adventure will take us.
Dundee are the visitors for the Monday evening kick-off in the gala occasion for what has been known as Flag Day in the east end of Glasgow for thirteen of the past 14 seasons.
Now, as we gear up for yet another of these most enjoyable celebratory jamborees, we have much to ponder in the four-week countdown.
Last summer, Benjamin Nygren had already been introduced to the club after arriving on June 27 with the £1.7million deal from Nordsjaelland being rubberstamped four days later.
The Swede, admittedly a bit of an unknown quantity to many of the Celtic persuasion, went straight into the first team when Brendan Rodgers named his line-up for the opening encounter against St Mirren.
Nygren had showed enough in pre-season to get the nod ahead of £11million man Arne Engels who started on the bench.
OFF AND RUNNING…Brenjamin Nygren celebrates another crucial goal, this time in Celtic’s 3-2 win over Motherwell at Fir Park in May.
The debutant almost claimed the breakthrough goal in first-half stoppage-time with a drive that was deflected by keeper Shamal George onto the junction of crossbar and post.
The champions eventually won 1-0 with a late goal from Luke McCowan, but there was no argument the hitherto anonymous new Bhoy had made a fine first impression.
Nygren was in again at the kick-off for the next game a week later – this time against Scottish Cup conquerors Aberdeen at Pittodrie – and within half-an-hour he had scored the first of his 21 goals in an impressive debut campaign.
The Hoops went onto win 2-0 – Reo Hatate added the other strike with a long-range screamer – and it was clear Celtic had landed a bargain in the 24-year-old performer who had already played for IFK Gothenburg, Genk, Heerenveen (loan) and Nordsjaelland before pitching up in Glasgow.
Clearly, the point is that Nygren was primed and good to go for the new season’s kick-off.
He had over a month to settle into new surroundings, get to know the styles and preferences of his latest team-mates and be well aware of what is expected of a Celtic player.
Nygren is a fine example of the worth of getting recruits in early, bedding them in and priming them for what lies ahead.
MY BALL…Arne Engels challenges Connor Barron during a derby encounter.
Unless we are about to witness a landslide of new signings, conjured up from somewhere, then there will be no incoming player allocated such a luxury this time around.
Puzzling, isn’t it?
It’s all gone very quiet on the transfer front as far as purchases are concerned, but, of course, there is plenty of noise about players departing, including Japanese double-act Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, Canada World Cup right-back Alistair Johnston, Engels and, ironically enough, the aforementioned Nygren.
That is more than disturbing, isn’t it?
It’s fairly mystifying that the curtain came down on the last game of the previous season, the 3-1 Scottish Cup showpiece victory over Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline, precisely one month, one week and three days ago – and not one new player has been brought in since the final shrill of referee Steven McLean’s whistle at Hampden.
It’s preposterous that Celtic, gearing up for challenges at home and abroad, haven’t strengthened a pool of players which is in dire need of reinforcements.
I know it, you know it and the family cat knows it.
HEAD-SCRATCHER…Martin O’Neill looks puzzled as he prepares for the new season.
Martin O’Neill takes his players to Tolka Park in four days’ time for a match against Shelbourne. The result doesn’t matter a jot, this is merely a bounce game to get the summer rust out of inactive limbs.
It would also have been an ideal encounter to welcome a new Bhoy or two into the fold before the competitive action gets underway a month today.
There is still time to bring in fresh faces, but we all accept transfers are tricky business with agents, lawyers and advisors all involved, not including the man who matters the most, the player himself.
Everyone wants a slice of the financial pie and that can slow down progress considerably.
However, such obstacles have not prevented Hearts – nine players and counting – Aberdeen, Falkirk and our chums across The Clyde from adding numbers to their squad.
In fact, every team in the Premiership have brought in recruits with the curious exception of Celtic who, perplexingly, appear to be moving in slow motion.
Maybe someone is sitting back waiting to push a button to unleash four or five new players in one go.
Remember this, though, Celtic.
Time is not your ally.
ALEX GORDON
