Celtic fans are notoriously impatient regarding new players brought into the squad. Not a day has went past this close season, without someone mentioning a name who Celtic have been linked with. People are getting far too excited over chip-wrapper reporting by the Daily Record's "Celtic insider."
I wrote an article just as last season ended, urging Celtic supporters not to get caught up in this bombardment of players linked with a move to the club. Yet many are falling for it. At the beginning of the close-season, it would have been easy to predict the names we'd be linked with. A newspaper story is only that until pen is put to paper.
I believe that Martin O'Neill would have left Celtic at any given opportunity, if no transfer funds were available. There has definitley been an agreement made between himself and the board, regarding money to spend on players. Recent season ticket sales and merchandise have been the highest ever over the last year, O'Neill is not silly and will realise this. To suggest that he has been instructed not to buy anyone to keep debts down is fantasy stuff.
What goes on in Celtic Park is only known to the people who need to know. Celtic have not signed anyone, yet, but how do you know they are not attempting to? Signing a player is not a case of one wee phone call and the deal is done. Things take time and I know that I would rather wait to see a good player arrive than jump in early and accept some of the average Joes who've signed for the 2005 quadruple winners from Govan.
Since Seville, Celtic have only signed one player who is currently in the squad, Stephen Pearson. In 2003 we won nothing, in 2004 we won the double and were the best in the country by the length of Argyll Street. I believe we could still win the SPL with flying colours for the next two years, with the current squad we have.
Recent departures include Henrik Larsson, Liam Miller and Johan Mjallby. Mjallby is no loss, but a guaranteed 30 goals a season man will obviously be missed. Still, we have two strikers worth £12 Million who will be happy enough to keep the goals banging in. Liam Miller hardly featured this season, and we can only worry about what might have been. Time to forget about him.
We have a young goalkeeper in David Marshall, who is still raw but has shown his capabilities, even when thrown into the deep end. I would be happy if our back line of McNamara, Balde and Varga remained for this season, and John Kennedy will be back soon. Young Stephen McManus is progressing steadily, and Joos Valgaeren still lurks.
Our midfield is in a sound state. Neil Lennon has got at least another two years at the top, while we have two of the finest midfielders in the country, in Stan Petrov and Stephen Pearson. Rumours are flying around suggesting Didier Agathe is leaving the club, but, I stress, they are only rumours. Alan Thompson is at the peak of his career and young Aiden McGeady will show us what all the fuss is about in months to come. Another shining star from last season, Ross Wallace, will get a run in the team, let's see what he can do.
Shaun Maloney will be back soon, and here's hoping he can recover like Henrik did three years ago. My only worries are the fitness levels of Sutton and Hartson - both are known to be injury prone, but if we can avoid anything drastic we'll be sound.
Yes, signings would be nice. A few new faces to keep the morale high would be good. But with our current squad, there are no worries about the destination of the league title next year. We are not yet good enough to progress into the latter stages of the Champions League, but I am sure a couple of decent new players would help us out there.
Do not worry, with Martin O'Neill we are in good hands. Do not rush to slate the board for not bringing in any new players. There's no need to panic.