Ange Postecoglou has been placed with the arduous task of rebuilding a hampered Celtic squad.
The Hoops lost their dominance last term and it has been difficult to see them usurping their Old Firm rivals again heading into next season.
On the chalkboard
One area for improvement at Parkhead this summer should be in the goalkeeping position.
Vasilis Barkas has been treated harshly since his £4.5m move a year ago and only played twice since the New Year period.
Conor Hazard took Celtic to Scottish Cup glory in December during their penalty shoot-out win against Hearts but looked abject in normal time.
Scott Bain, meanwhile, is hardly of the highest calibre after making his own individual errors in the last 12 months.
Should Celtic sign Kelleher?
No way!
Of course!
As a consequence, Celtic have been considering a number of replacements. Postecoglou has been linked with a reunion for Mat Ryan who played so regularly under the new manager for Australia.
Swedish stopper Robin Olsen is another name on the agenda while Charlie Nicholas has urged the Bhoys to consider Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward.
A further target could be Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher according to Nicholas, who suggested the Irishman as an alternative.
Speaking to The Express (29/06), he said: “Caoimhin Kelleher has already played in the Liverpool first team, he is another one. My mate Phil Thompson rates him highly and he’s another who wouldn’t be overly expensive.”
Kelleher rapidly developed last season and signed a new deal last month to make him Liverpool’s number two.
With that in mind, it’s unlikely that Jurgen Klopp will be too willing to lose him. However, a loan move could be exactly what both parties need.
Celtic are in need of finding a more reliable goalkeeper while Kelleher could benefit from regular starts. After all, he is not going to leapfrog one of the world’s best in Alisson at Anfield.
The 22-year-old played five matches for the senior side last season as he was even handed a chance to thrive in the Champions League.
After impressing, Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson commented: “Imagine that: you’re making your European debut for Liverpool in a massive game in front of a global audience and you have to replace one of the best in the world in your position.
“Keeping a clean sheet in any circumstances is always an achievement, but in this particular situation it is an even bigger one and all of the accolades Caoimhín received afterwards were richly deserved.”
Capable of standing up in big games, that should suit Celtic who desperately need to improve on their European record – starting against Midtjylland in a few weeks time.
Pundit Noel Whelan described the youngster as “superb”, hailing his confidence in possession of the ball.
Not only is Kelleher a capable shot-stopper but he’s also calm with the ball at his feet. That should please the Hoops supporters who want to continue seeing a possession-based style of play.
Ultimately, though, it’s the hefty defensive issues that the Liverpool gem could solve.
Not since Fraser Forster have they had a reliable man between the sticks. Kelleher could change that.
AND in other news, Forget Vuskovic: Postecoglou must seal Celtic swoop for “incredibly fast” 24 y/o brute…