Ruben Amorim Source: Imago Images
Celtic’s heavy pre-season defeat to Sporting Lisbon in the Algarve has intensified calls for the club’s board to open the chequebook before serious business begins.
The Portuguese club ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, exposing a Celtic squad that remains thinner than the one which delivered a remarkable Double last season.
Colombian attacker Camilo Duran provided the one bright spark on the night, scoring a debut goal just ten minutes after coming off the bench.
The £6m signing from Qarabag chased down defender Eduardo Quaresma, picked his pocket, and finished coolly to draw Celtic level on the hour.
His effort was described as a textbook Daizen Maeda-style goal, with the 24-year-old pressing relentlessly before finding the net from close range.
Celtic were fortunate to be only one goal down before Duran’s leveller, with Geny and Ricardo Mangas both missing presentable chances in the opening stages.
Geny had given stand-in left back Liam Scales a torrid time throughout before eventually breaking the deadlock, burying Gabriel Silva’s cutback after 24 minutes.
Celtic should have equalised on the hour when Callum Osmand teed up Luke McCowan, but the midfielder was denied by goalkeeper Joao Virginia.
After Duran’s leveller, Sporting hit back immediately through Daniel Branganca following a defensive mix-up involving substitute keeper Ross Doohan and Dane Murray.
Ricardo Mangas then pounced from close range and a third goal was added in a devastating eight-minute blitz that left Celtic well beaten.
Frustration among supporters was visible in the stands, with a pocket of fans producing “sack the board” chants, a sentiment driven by more kit launches than new signings this summer.
Celtic have spent much of the summer releasing Lisbon Lions-inspired strips to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the club’s greatest achievement, but supporters want players rather than jerseys.
Midfielder Paulo Bernardo played 45 minutes and had an effort cleared off the line, though there was little else to catch the eye from the former Portugal under-21 captain.
The £3.5m permanent signing from Benfica seems to be heading for the exit, though a potential departure of Arne Engels and Reo Hatate could offer him a route back into contention.
Manager O’Neill has spoken of implementing his own style this season, but with so many players still absent, that vision has been difficult to identify in pre-season.
World Cup returnees including Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston, Alistair Johnston, Auston Trusty, Benjamin Nygren, Yang Hyun-jun, Sebastian Tounekti, and Daizen Maeda are expected back in training next week.
Their return will improve the picture significantly, though Celtic may face bids for the likes of Johnston and Nygren, while Maeda is widely expected to depart.
With the Champions League qualifier only five weeks away and the Premiership opener just over a fortnight out, time is running short to address clear squad deficiencies.
Skipper Callum McGregor is among those linked with a move away, adding further urgency to what has been a frustratingly slow transfer window for supporters.
Celtic face Middlesbrough this weekend and AC Milan the following week, giving O’Neill limited time to road test his ideas before competitive football arrives in earnest.
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