The 2 strong Celtic teams as Brendan Rodgers threatens to crack code that’s 20 years in the making

Brendan Rodgersdescribes the long football winter as an ultramarathon with the games coming thick and fast right up for the next few months.

It’s just as well it’s more of a relay than an individual race as the Celtic manager is going to need all of his runners to stay on the trophy track. And that’s one thing the Hoops don’t lack. Rodgers has assembled a squad packed with strength in depth and while a strongest starting XI has started to emerge in recent weeks, there are plenty of players who can all be considered part of the first team.

There’s going to be plenty of chopping and changing over the coming months, with sore knees and weary limbs, but has Rodgers managed to find that Scottish football sweet squad Dick Advocaat’s Rangers dreamed of more than two decades ago? Back then, Sir David Murray proclaimed the Ibrox club had THREE teams on the books – one for Europe, one for the league and another one for the cups.

It turned out to be fanciful thinking but with the resources currently being enjoyed across the city at Parkhead, it’s not to big a leap to suggest the Hoops have two different sides that could quite conceivably do the business most weeks. Assuming everyone is fit, it’s worth testing the theory...

Kasper Schmeichel: A no-brainer this one. Celtic replaced one top class experienced keeper with another when the Dane came in after Joe Hart retired. Schmeichel is a huge presence who makes big saves and is crucial to Celtic’s play with his ability with the ball at his feet.

Alistair Johnston: The Canada star was an instant hit when he arrived a couple of years ago but he’s kicked on again in the last 12 months to become one of the main men at Celtic. It’s no wonder the club are trying to tie him down to a new