SPL Report Card - Celtic

A workmanlike season still produced a Double

MARKS OUT OF 10: 8

LEAGUE: 1st, 79pts (2011-12 - 1st, 93pts)

SCOTTISH CUP: Winners
LEAGUE CUP: Semi finals

MOST USED FIRST XI: Fraser Forster, Mikael Lustig, Kelvin Wilson, Efe Ambrose, Emilio Izaguirre, Kris Commons, Charlie Mulgrew, Victor Wanyama, Joe Ledley, Gary Hooper, Georgios Samaras

OVERVIEW: I suppose you can only beat what's put in front of you, and in the SPL Celtic won the title by an impressive sounding 16 points...but on the other hand, they scored 14 points less than last season, lost seven league games and blew their treble chances with a dreadful League Cup semi final performance against St. Mirren.  Given the massive advantage in resources that the Hoops have, some of their domestic performances were inexcusable.  The big positive from the season was the tremendous Champions League campaign, for which the players saved their best efforts.

HIGH POINTS: You had to be heartless - or a Rangers fan - to not enjoy that home win over Barcelona, and in particular Tony Watt's fine second goal and the subsequent pandemonium.  Given Celtic finished ahead of Benfica, eventual Europa League finalists, in their group, qualifying for the last sixteen was surely the greatest feat of Neil Lennon's managerial career so far.

LOW POINTS: The aforementioned League Cup exit was a bit of a shocker.  Home form was patchy at the start of the campaign, with defeats to Killie and ICT, and at the end of the season they managed to go six away games without a win before a final day victory at Tannadice.

STAR MAN: Victor Wanyama takes this accolade despite putting in a series of half-assed performances after new year - that's how good he was in the first half of the season.  Even when he wasn't at his best he could still bestride the midfield area.

ONE FOR THE FUTURE: After looking explosive in the first few months of the season, Tony Watt hasn't actually scored a goal for Celtic since November.  Still, he looks to have the tools to be rather more than the next Mark Burchill.

WASTE OF SPACE: You'd expect a lot more from a striker who had previously scored as many La Liga goals as Miku had, but the Venezuelan forward was a huge let down.  He just didn't look up for the more physical aspects of SPL matches.

THE BOSS: So, is Neil Lennon a tactical genius, based on the European successes, or a coach who struggles to motivate his players for more mundane matches?  The truth is probably somewhere in between.  With title successes almost guaranteed for at least the next two years, Lennon's job security is excellent.  He might attract interest from down south, but I wonder if a few club chairman will baulk at his dreadful record with touchline bans.

PROSPECTS FOR NEXT SEASON: Whilst there is a real likelihood that a few big names will leave in search of a new challenge, Celtic will look for youngsters such as Watt, Dylan McGeouch and Tom Rogic to really step up next season.  The initial priority will be to get through a Champions League qualifier, which will hardly be a given.  A further league title, on the other hand, probably is.

FIRST TEAMERS DEFINITELY LEAVING: Rami Gershon (end of loan), Paddy McCourt, Miku (end of loan), Viktor Noring (end of loan), Thomas Rogne

NOT IN THE MANAGER'S PLANS: Mo Bangura

UNLIKELY TO SIGN NEW DEALS: none

L.