When an unexpected name flies into the frame from left field there’s always a concern about what you’ve written about him before. I still remember the day we signed Kenny Miller, and an earlier blog with my assessment of the player (subsequently found to be on the money). While it’s important to be fair when assessing players, I’m not in the business of trashing them before they kick a ball for Celtic, so Miller’s signing was not a comfortable one.
With this in mind, I typed “Leigh Griffiths” into the articles database to check what had been written. Apart from match reports, there was only one comment, the day after last season’s Scottish Cup Final:
“Leigh Griffiths has had plenty of uncomplimentary discourse written about him this season, most of it deserved, so it should be recorded that he was the first Hibs player to return applause in the direction of Celtic fans yesterday, closely followed by his team-mates.
“This is the way football should be. For too long our game has been poisoned by the unique kind of rivalry you got in Scotland. More of the same, please.”
He unquestionably did deserve the criticism that came his way last year. If he gets his move to Celtic he needs to grow as a person, as well as a player, which is a big challenge. His move towards the Celtic support at Hampden was a modest but necessary first step towards reassessing other people.
Having said this, don’t go ordering your ‘Griffiths’ shirt just yet, I reckon a deal has no more than a 50% chance of happening. Wolves didn’t invite our interest and our need is to be ready by June, not February. Neither club has an imperative to do this deal, which is often an omen for snags to get in the way. Patience required, as you know………
Reminder to everyone who booked tickets for the CQteN St Patrick’s Day Dinner that they have to be paid by this Friday! Let me know if you can’t find details, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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January 28, 2014 · by Ralph Malph · in Diary, Latest
Leigh Griffiths. Leigh bloody Griffiths.
Thats the name that has divided the Celtic support over the last day or so.
Neil Lennon has made a bid, reported to be around £400,000, and not surprisingly, Wolves have knocked it back.
Negotiations are “ongoing ” and Lennon is not giving up on the former Hibernian loanee.
“He’s a good player and I was very impressed with him last year,” he said. “Whenever we played Hibs you were always looking at him as a threat.”
Well, Scott Brown was, but he stares at everyone. It apparently puts them off.
Probably more effective before he scores, though , Scott. Just a thought.
“His goal tally is impressive. Even though he’s not playing at the minute he’s still Wolves’ leading scorer.
“Leigh is only 23 so he’s the right age for us. That gives us a lot of scope. He’s maybe not up to Champions League standard yet but it’s up to us to turn him into that.
“Nor was Gary Hooper and nor was Scott McDonald when they first came here but what they do is they get the confidence from playing for Celtic and scoring goals and, when the elevation to the Champions League comes, they believe they can play at that level.”
Griffiths scored 28-or 31-goals while at a struggling Hibs side, they got to two Cup finals, and its fair to say they weren’t a good side. Its also fair to say that without Griffiths this year they have struggled to score goals.
Griffiths won the Scottish Football Writers Player of the Year, despite Lennon moaning that none of the nominees for that award would have got into his team. It seems he has changed his mind.
Griffiths scores goals-he’s currently top scorer at Wolves even though he is no longer a first pick. Celtic do not have-Kris Commons apart-a recognised goalscorer. We don’t buy recognised goalscorers. Chris Sutton and John Hartson apart, forwards make their name at Celtic. Even Henrik Larsson would say later that he made his name at Celtic.
Leigh Griffiths may not be the one that we want, but perhaps he is the one that we need. At 23, he has a lot to learn about being a footballer, but it seems he already knows how to be a goalscorer.
Give him a chance.
Lennon also spoke of the baggage that comes with Griffiths-presumably not hair products-and insists that he can live with and deal with that;
“He has matured into a very good player. I know he has baggage off the field but we all did. You can manage that. If he comes then he is here for the football and not the controversy.”
“I think he would jump at the chance of coming to play here. We are in talks. We have made a bid for him. There is serious interest.
“But you are never confident. Wolves are tough negotiators. We have known that from when we tried to get Kevin Doyle last year.
“So I would not say I’m confident but I am hopeful.”
“It could go until Friday but we may not wait that long. We may have options to look at.
“Preferably we would like to get a definitive answer in the next couple of days. I don’t know how far apart the two clubs are. That’s the difficulty – we have not been given a price. There will have to be a cut-off point at some stage.”
It does look like all that has to be agreed is the fee. The baggage is irrelevant, to prove this we asked a section of the Celtic support to remain in the concourse at half time recently if they had -no matter how trivial-ever had a wee bit of bother with the police. Those completely clean went back to their seats;
Its not the biggest problem in the world, is it ?
Give him a chance, as I said above, he might not be who we want, but theres every chance he’ll turn out to be what we need.
Though if this was him, I might reconsider..
For old time sake
Podium?
I’ll take 2nd!
yabbbaaa
oops – too long making soup
World record for longest ever podium win , AND, relevant to the header from P67. Off round the garden, arms wide, tongue out ala Henk style.
Any body got a picture of the beanie hats from paddy ( I think)
Cheers
HH
HH
Paul67, no news then!
Anyone else at the Bobby Womack gig last night?
He may be blind, at times wobbly on his legs and he can’t remember the names of his band members (he has dementia) but what a voice.
His rendition of ‘A change is gonna come’ was a magnificent highpoint of a gig full of great songs.
Rock on for many more years Bobby.
A true music legend.
Have we moved to the Championship yet?
Are the Huns dead (again) yet?
TNT… How did you manage to get all that typed in under 4 seconds ? Summat no right about the speed you type mate…. :)
LeighGriffiths loyal(maybe)CSC
I sincerely hope the bid for Griffith is just a ruse to put pressure on our main target, yes, he’ll score for fun in Scotland, just don’t think he is european standard, but what the hell do I know
tonydonnelly67
12:29 on 28 January, 2014
shieldmuir celtic
12:14 on 28 January, 2014
I watched the highlights of the Hibs v Celtic match on B.B.C. the other night. What a travesty of fairness and accuracy that was. For the first half , when Celtic were well on top and clearly the better team, they showed every Hibs attack and the only Celtic attack they showed was Kris Commons’ goal. What a shameless lot they are. Nothing changes. No wonder we are paranoid.
————————————-
Hahaha, I did notice that myself, i was pizzing myself laughing imagining the time that the Hun Fromm the Bbc took to edit and clip out all the Celtic attacks, so funny.
So maybe not Griffths – then who??
JoeFilippi
Sorry, Joe, can`t answer that as I don`t know of any free country.
JJ
Good afternoon CQN
this is the link for hills goal of the month, Mikael Lustig is undeservedly IMO way behind. have a look at it and decide for yourself?
http://bit.ly/1jS7MoG
And most of the money for CQteN tables I have preserved is now in, payment will be made on Friday as per, given CRC is back in the country:-)
Robcfc
I got a tip from Paul 67 for the 12.29 race. The rest was easy.
Robcfc11
12:33 on 28 January, 2014
TNT… How did you manage to get all that typed in under 4 seconds ? Summat no right about the speed you type mate…. :)
LeighGriffiths faithful(maybe)CSC
Fixed that for ya..!
We want him, he wants to come, they don’t want an unhappy player moping around for the next few months as they push for promotion.
We’ll just have to put up with the usual games teams play in this transfer window, the brinksmanship.
We will sign Griffiths. We will sign him on Friday night. Until then we’ll increase our bids in increments of a tenner. He’ll cost us about £750k upfront with another £200-300k if we qualify for CL in the summer.
Leigh Griffiths did not eat my hamster
if he signs he signs,he gets my support
and that of Celtic,
if he does not he does not
I still support Celtic
more perplexed bout bout Jobo using
2 ‘very very’s whilst issueing his weather report
on sunday morn
‘very very wet and very very windy
is this a new scale in meteorological reporting in the EK area?
:-)
veryveryworriedovernowtCSC
Kayal33
12:41 on 28 January, 2014
“Until then we’ll increase our bids in increments of a tenner”
:-))
Robcfc,
“He’s maybe not up to Champions League standard yet but it’s up to us to turn him into that.”
That quote from Lenny sort of answers my reason for not wanting to sign LG. as per my post to you at what is now, near the end of the last article
Hopefully, if he does indeed sign, then Lenny and co can “…turn him into that.” and we see the benefit in the CL.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
NatKnow – that’s funny
Paul 67
I would like to see Leigh Griffiths brought in to strengthen the team.
I would also put Stokes oot on loan and bring in Kris Boyd.
What do ye think ?
Oh, how do I get a beanie ? Can ye wear them ootside – in ? :)
Hail Hail
gordon_j backing neil lennon
12:34 on 28 January, 2014
So maybe not Griffths – then who??
—————————–
It’s all a big poker game, first to blink and all that.
Celtic prob. Got a couple of irons in the fire.
Come Friday midnight, we will all know.
All a game of bluff, and PL plays hardball too, he’s my HERO ;)
Pod i
12:42 on 28 January, 2014
NatKnow – that’s funny
Standards need to be maintained mate!
What time does the windae slam shut on Friday. I know its 11pm in England, is Scotland the same or does Sandy like to go home early on a Friday??
Benjybhoy mul Re Bobby womack gig
Florida ghirl said she were there,siad Bobby introduced Bass player
Charles Green lol
would that have been Challs ‘fasteye’ Green?
hope you enjoyed gig
I think that the knicker-twisting that’s going on about Mark Walters is maybe a wee bit, drama Queen-esque ?
What ? when ye consider what Paul Wilson had to put up with for a decade.
2 wrongs don’t make a right btw.
Jungle Jim. Unfortunately im no youngster and throughout my life I have been happy to voice my opinion of course I have taken stick from some who disagreed with me . I have never been jailed for it or even told I could not have my opinion so in my World everyone is entitled to there own opinion even Though there opinion might be different from mine. H.H.
An Tearmann
Yes, she’s right his name was Charles Green and very good he was too.
Not surprisingly it was not our hero Chuckles Green last heard of in France and laughing non stop loudly while repeating endlessly, “how stupid were these Huns, how stupid”?
Club Statement on fixture changes http://t.co/NrFjXK8AVC (NM)
Would be surprised if he didn’t come, we may have other irons in the fire and are waiting to see if they commit. Lenny also said a signing collapsed last week at the final hurdle. Maybe that’s being resurrected.
It’s the first time I have heard Lenny talking in such terms of a signing, I assume we know what to pay and are happy with it.
Kikinthenakas
I’d only be happy with Griffiths if we got rid of Stokes
We don’t need two limited strikers with bad attitudes
Off oot zzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZ – work the night.
LB I still sense there is something a 30.48 centimetres here with Neil himself being so candid about Leigh Griffiths and details of the transfer.
111 goals (many of them crackers) in 224 games – LG will do me.
At 23 that’s quite a record, he has been playing since the age of 16 at professional level.
I spoke to a pro at another club recently who said he hated LG. Not that he hated playing against him, but that he actually desoised him as he was a nasty wee ned.Same player added ..’but what a player he is!’ also said that any team in Scotland would start him if he signed for them.
Pukki seems like a lovely. nice quiet lad. I suspect he has impeccable manners.
Ideally we’d have Pukki’s manners and Griffith’s goals. If I’m to choose between these two – I’ll have a beer with Pukki and watch Griffiths in the Hoops.
Remember he’s 23… he can still knock himself in to a better person.