Celtic have had one of their worst seasons in over ten years. They are 19 points behind Rangers and are staring down the barrel of a catastrophic embarrassment.
For so long the Hoops have been the dominant force in Scottish football but they are now doing the chasing just like everyone else.
Though, if there was one bright spark from the season so far, it would be Ismaila Soro.
The Ivorian is a reserved character and has come out of nowhere to lead a mini-revival in the Celtic team. They may have lost to Rangers but Soro was a major reason behind Celtic winning six on the trot before the New Year.
He was given a rare start against Lille and then when he played against Kilmarnock in a 2-0 victory in mid-December, the Bhoys kept their first clean sheet since early November. That was no surprise judging by Soro’s performances.
The midfielder won a combined 12 tackles in those two matches and has been a stalwart ever since. Just imagine, therefore, what he could do alongside someone like Ben Pearson.
It’s been suggested that Celtic are trying to sign the Preston general on a pre-contract ahead of the summer and if his record if anything to go by, he and Soro would be an almighty partnership to break down.
Pearson, who earns £8.5k-per-week at Deepdale, is a mighty figure in the middle of the park and has been given a yellow card on 28 occasions in the last two seasons.
He is a brute and together with Soro, has the capabilities to form one of the sternest protective layers in the whole of Scottish football.
The pair of them are two tough-tackling individuals and if anything can smooth over the defensive cracks that have appeared in Neil Lennon’s side this season, they can.
The Glaswegians have conceded ten more goals than Rangers in the league and shipped a colossal 19 strikes in just six Europa League outings.
It may well be the back four that needs improving, but with a better screen of protection in front of them, the defence will only get better.
This would be one way for Nick Hammond to solve Celtic’s crisis.