Celtic have had a bad time of it over the last week with Ange Postecoglou’s positive vibes and infectious attitude waning.

The Hoops tasted defeat in their first European group stage match of the season and then lost to Livingston as Celtic capped off their worst start to a campaign in 23 years.

On the chalkboard

What has confounded the club’s misery over the two weeks are some pretty meaty injury blows.

Kyogo Furuhashi has been ruled out for around a month while Callum McGregor has missed the recent defeats with a minor knock.

The Bhoys have also suffered a blow in defence where Greg Taylor will now miss an extended period of time.

He sustained a shoulder problem and after undergoing successful surgery on the issue, will now miss around 12 matches.

This is a serious problem for Postecoglou because the left-back position is already one where he lacks options, so much so that Boli Bolingoli was forced to come in from the wilderness last Sunday.

The solution

What Taylor’s injury does provide is a huge opportunity for Adam Montgomery to become the club’s first-choice left-back.

He missed out on the starting XI against Livi last weekend with Bolingoli featuring ahead of him in defence.

Sadly, however, the Belgian defender was hardly a pillar of solidity and reliability. During that game, he conceded possession 18 times, made three fouls and was dribbled past twice.

As a consequence, Celtic would be a lot better off if they just unleashed Montgomery instead.

He might be young at the age of 19 and thus, lacking experience, but now feels like the ideal time to blood him.

After all, once Celtic gave a young star like Kieran Tierney the platform to prove his quality, he quickly became a £25m player.

Speaking about the teenager, Mark Guidi issued the perfect assessment of his situation on Go Radio: “I really like the look of Montgomery. Yes, he'll be raw. Yes, he will make mistakes but he really looks the part.

"So, I would put the new back four together, including Montgomery, and go with it. Give it a chance, give it a chance to go.

"Montgomery is the closest thing to Kieran Tierney Celtic have had.

Although his impact was minimal against Betis – winning just 50% duels – he has very rarely put a foot wrong in what has been a breakthrough season for the youngster.

If he is unleashed then it could be the start of a vibrant left side for Celtic. Having recently signed Jota, he’s experienced a wonderful start to this career at Parkhead.

He’s not scored for the club yet but has been a livewire on the flanks, assisting Albian Ajeti’s goal in Seville and causing all sorts of danger down the flanks.

With Montgomery’s future as a defender, he must be given a chance now to see whether he’s capable of delivering consistently in a back four.

AND in other news, Celtic may discover their new Ralston in rarely-seen 21 y/o with "excellent pedigree"...