It speaks volumes about the standard of Celtic’s recruitment in recent years that, despite signing 11 first-team players in the summer transfer window, Ange Postecoglou is only part of the way through a dramatic rebuilding project.
Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Joe Hart and Filipe Jota have laid down the foundations, now Postecoglou will turn his attention to furnishing his new Glasgow home.
Because, as it stands, Celtic feel like a side with a Jacuzzi in one room and a 1970s wood-panel TV in the next – shiny and new in some places, mouldy and crumbling in others.
“There’s no doubt going into January we have some work to do on the playing roster in terms of depth in certain areas,” Postecoglou told the Daily Record on Tuesday.
Back-up for Hart in goal would be well received, as would further options at centre-half and in the troublesome number six role.
Furthermore, Celtic somehow appear to have no left-back despite having four left-backs in their squad. Figure that one out.
Should Danny Mandroiu leave Shamrock Rovers for Celtic?
According to the Scottish Sun, there’s confidence a deal will be agreed for Danny Mandroiu too, the 23-year-old Shamrock Rovers midfielder who’d provide some much-needed competition for the overworked Tom Rogic and David Turnbull in Postecoglou’s ‘twin-eight’ system.
Celtic have failed to win three of the seven Scottish Premiership games without Rogic in the starting XI this season, failing to find the net in two of them.
Despite all the attacking talent at Postecoglou’s disposal, Celtic aren’t exactly overloaded with lock-picking attacking midfielders.
“Danny is in the squad because he has very high technical ability,” Ireland manager Stephen Kenny said of Mandroiu recently after handing him an international call-up (Independent).
“He is an incredibly talented passer and capable of scoring from outside the box.”
Mandroiu, who found the net 15 times last season, is certainly a player in the Rogic or Turnbull mould. Someone who could slot straight into the Celtic XI and play with the sort of verve and creativity Postecoglou demands.
Well, that’s one way of looking at it.
Reacting on Twitter to the news a January departure could be on the cards for Mandroiu, Shamrock Rovers fans have wasted little time pointing out Parkhead has proved a “poisoned chalice” for young Irish talent in recent years.
Just ask Mandroiu’s former teammate, the seldom-seen Liam Scales.
Here’s what some Shamrock Rovers fans on Twitter had to say about Celtic’s interest in Mandroiu:
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