We spoke a while back about clubs’ footballing identities.  The Red Bull stable, City Football Group teams, as well as those using Jamestown Analytics have similar characteristics to each other (despite enormous differences in resources, on some occasions).

Even unsuccessful clubs can have consistent identities, think Manchester United, or Newco, who rinse and repeat the same plan year-after-year.  While some clubs can be successful without a coherent identity – they simply buy better players then their opponents.

If Celtic are to maximise their potential, they need a clear identity and that should be to find and develop players like Callum Osmand (19).  It is a crime against football that Callum had not seen a minute’s professional action until six days ago.  It is a crime against Celtic that he sat on the bench against Kairat Almaty in August, alongside Johny Kenny (22).

Callum and Johnny have a long way to go to develop into Champions League players.  You and I know to expect that, at most, only one of them will make the cut.  However, they were good enough to deliver in a crucial game on Sunday and might have done the same in August.

We signed Callum on...