Celtic will slim down their squad in the summer, with manager Ronny Deila challenging his players to show they have the character for a big club. The Scottish champions secured Start 17-year-old Kristoffer Ajer on a pre-contract agreement this week. And it has led to claims that Deila is signing too many midfielders. "Yes, I think so," he said when asked if players would leave in the summer. "People have to show who has the character to deal with these things." Deila was speaking ahead of a 3-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle during which the introduction of young midfielders Ryan Christie, Scott Allan and on-loan debutant Patrick Roberts breathed fresh impetus into the Celtic attack. "I agree it is too big now," the manager said of his squad. "It starts with being 100% committed to Celtic and, if you do that, you will get your rewards. "You see that with Kieran Tierney, with Callum McGregor coming back and Tom Rogic coming through. "There's lots of players coming through and that's because they work harder. "But if they get lazy then they are not in the team. That's how it is at big clubs and this is a big club - you have to fight for the jersey." 'You don't get everything right' One newspaper ran a poll to suggest that few of Deila's signings since arriving in Scotland in 2014 have been a success. "You don't get everything right," he admitted. "Some can be positive and some can be not so positive, but the most important thing is that you learn from it and we have learned a lot through this time and we are in a good position now. Ryan Christie, Patrick Roberts and Scott Allan came on as substitutes against Inverness "These are young players and you need consequences. If you don't develop and don't work hard, you don't have your jersey. "To get people to progress, you need a big squad, but I think it's a little too big now." Caley Thistle created the better of the chances at Celtic Park until Gary Mackay-Steven broke the deadlock via a deflection. "We have to give credit to Inverness," said Deila after his side pulled six points clear at the top of the Premiership. "They are a good football team and they kept the ball and made it hard for us. "In the second half, we started more positive and were more direct in our play and we got our chances and some good substitutions made a difference. "In the end, we had more chances than them and deserved to win." Caley Thistle manager John Hughes was "bitterly disappointed" that his side's efforts came to nothing. "I am a bit frustrated, but I can't ask more of my boys," he added. "I just feel for them because we played good stuff and had one or two real good chances. "They passed it, Celtic knew they were in a game and it was the second goal that killed us. "Even in defeat, you can take great pride and inspiration from the way we played. We gave as good as we got."
Who stays, who goes? For me, anyoen in BOLD goes No. Position Player 1 Scotland GK Craig Gordon 2 England DF Tyler Blackett (on loan from Manchester United) 3 Honduras DF Emilio Izaguirre 4 Nigeria DF Efe Ambrose 5 Croatia DF Jozo Šimunović 6 Israel MF Nir Bitton 8 Scotland MF Scott Brown (captain) 9 Scotland FW Leigh Griffiths 11 Netherlands MF Derk Boerrigter 13 Turkey FW Colin Kazim-Richards 14 Scotland MF Stuart Armstrong 15 Scotland MF Kris Commons 16 Scotland MF Gary Mackay-Steven 17 Scotland MF Ryan Christie 18 Australia MF Tom Rogić 19 Scotland MF Scott Allan 20 Belgium DF Dedryck Boyata 21 Scotland DF Charlie Mulgrew (vice-captain) 22 Switzerland DF Saidy Janko 23 Sweden DF Mikael Lustig 24 England FW Carlton Cole 25 Norway MF Stefan Johansen 26 Belgium GK Logan Bailly 27 England MF Patrick Roberts (on loan from Manchester City) 28 Denmark DF Erik Sviatchenko 38 Italy GK Leonardo Fasan 42 Scotland MF Callum McGregor 49 Scotland MF James Forrest 52 Scotland MF Joe Thomson 63 Scotland DF Kieran Tierney 7 Turkey FW Nadir Çiftçi (on loan to Eskişehirspor)[183] 10 Republic of Ireland FW Anthony Stokes (on loan to Hibernian)[183] 12 Serbia FW Stefan Šćepović (on loan to Getafe)[183] 34 Republic of Ireland DF Eoghan O'Connell (on loan to Cork City)[183] 35 Scotland DF Stuart Findlay (on loan to Kilmarnock)[183] 41 England DF Darnell Fisher (on loan to St Johnstone)[183] 53 Scotland MF Liam Henderson (on loan to Hibernian)[183] 59 Scotland DF Calum Waters (on loan to Dumbarton)[183] 64 Scotland FW Aidan Nesbitt (on loan to Partick Thistle)[183]
Mainly agree with that, i would also get rid of Janko and Scepovic. Lustig is also coming near to the end of the road so we would need a replacement for that position.
i would get rid of GMS and keep Rogic. Scepovic also has to go and I would try and cash in on bitton (by cash in i mean 3 million) If we get rid of 13 players, would we bring in 10 plus million that we need to bring in every summer via transfers?
That's some size of a squad. Also some right stinkers in amongst it. Cant believe anyone would want to get rid of Janko. Admittedly I haven't seen much of him but when I have seen him play he has been impressive. He's a young player with lots of potential. Not his fault your manager is a tit and won't give him a run out.
I wouldn't know mate. I remember him being a standout in a euro tie and then being dropped for the next game as Lustig came back in. Lustig has been gash anytime I've seen him this season. Looks unfit.
Bit unfair on Janko as he's been injured since October ... Scepovic, possibly as Delia wont give him a chance!
McGregor has to go, should be sacked when his court time comes around. I punt Biton too, the longer we leave it the more chance someone will spot he's asleep half the time.
Apparently Janko is 'homesick', which I don't get. Hardly like he moved to the other side of the world, although in fairness Glasgow probably looks like a different planet. Wouldn't get rid of Rogic, that's mad. He's a great player.
