Football Season Guide

There is a real sense of something special brewing at Celtic after the arrival of Brendan Rodgers over the Summer. The Hoops look to be recruiting shrewdly instead of worriedly, but the increase in tempo of Celtic's play throughout pre-season has fans optimistic of a successful campaign. Winning the league is a must every year for Celtic, but with Rangers back in the Premiership it looks set to be one of the toughest league titles in recent years, with Aberdeen and Hearts both improving their squads over the Summer transfer window. So far, Celtic have shown some street-smarts to their play in the Champions League qualifiers against Lincoln Red Imps and Astana, and qualification for the group stages of Europe's premier club competition is another key expectation for Rodgers, even this early on into his reign. The Hoops didn't have much success in their cup campaigns last season either, suffering semi-final exits to Ross County and Rangers respectively. This means at least one of the two domestic cups on offer is a must this season, although the Celtic support will be hopeful of securing their first treble in 15 years. Despite only playing one man up front last season in Leigh Griffiths, it seems that Rodgers is determined to build a partnership with Griffiths and new arrival Moussa Dembele, as they've both been playing together throughout pre-season. Kolo Toure's arrival is another statement of intent from Celtic, as they are going about trying to fix the leaks in the defence that cost them so much last campaign. It could also be a season for the young talent to shine through, with the likes of Ryan Christie, Scott Allan, Patrick Roberts, Eoghan O'Connell, and Darnell Fisher all looking to break through. It only highlights the Champions' strength in depth in a season that they may very well need it.