One of the things you hope for when a player leaves for a richer league is that they perform well. It reflects on whatever value you will get the next time someone leaves. Joe Ledley has gotten off to a flier with Crystal Palace, although there is still a long way to go there, but our two big summer sales are finding it tough.
Gary Hooper hadn’t scored in his last nine starts for Norwich. His season tally stands at five league goals and two assists, which is still four goals more than Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who cost more than twice Hooper’s price but has scored only once in the league. Norwich other two strikers have yet to get off the blocks.
Bizarrely, Norwich are flooded with expensive strikers but their fans will bemoan the fact that they don’t have a goal-scorer, which Hooper was at Celtic and van Wolfswinkel was at Utrecht, where he scored a hat-trick against Celtic, and at Sporting. There is a good chance they will be relegated as a consequence, which will probably have them back on the hunt for a Leigh Griffiths-type striker.
Gary had his dips in form at Celtic, which included a meagre last four months of his final season, Cup Final apart, but Victor Wanyama is one of the best central midfielders we have seen at Celtic in a considerable time. He was a solid performer for Southampton before injury side-lined him for two months. Now back, he has a seat alongside Jos Hooiveld on the bench, due to the form of Jack Cork, one of Southampton’s many current stars.
Hooper and Wanyama were among the stars of the Celtic team last season but I suspect their new clubs’ fans are wondering what all the fuss is about. Form is fickle. It’s hard to tell when a career is about to turn all Liam Miller on a bright young prospect (and let’s be honest, Miller was every bit as lauded here as Hooper or Wanyama), or what consequences the new club, the move, or other distractions are having on performance.
There are also a couple of ex-Celtic goalkeepers doing a star turn in the FA Premier League, David Marshall at Cardiff and Artur Boruc at Southampon. After dazzling in his early months Marshall sipped well down the pecking order at Celtic, who eventually offloaded him. He was replaced as first choice by Boruc, who could claim to be the top rated keeper in Europe 8 years ago but completely lost ‘it’, before finding it again, recently.
My prediction is that Hooper, Wanyama, Balde, Boerrigter and Pukki will not fulfil their potential at their current clubs, although I considered Wanyama’s place on the list for a while. This does not make them bad players, ‘it’ just doesn’t always happen when it should. By contrast, some players look born to play for Celtic, including Kris Commons, who does not fit the profile of top-flight English clubs but is a rare gem in the Champions League for Celtic.
Really enjoyed reading the questions to and comments about Tommy Gemmell yesterday, as did Tommy, who spent the afternoon reading CQN and was “delighted” at the response. He’s not got a login yet but we’ll get him sorted and do a live event on the blog after we have the book out of the way.
I’m attending a meeting next Wednesday with Supporters’ Liaison Officer, John Paul Taylor. Let me know if there are any questions you’d like raised.
If you would like to read the new CQN Magazine, GO HERE to read properly, and for FREE, the graphic below is just a taster.
[calameo code=0003901710a55b5798f06 lang=en page=1 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
795 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 21
- »
Whit
This weather in Edinburgh is horrific
The strength of the breeze has reached at least moderate and has the capacity to cause minor issues with my hair
And the sun glare might mean I have to pull the sun visor down in my convertible merc
Why is David cameron not up here telling us what he is going to do about it
Whit me ?
drat
and double drat
boom!
Who needs the pound when we’ve got Irn Bru bottles!?!?!
hoopy-do
Unlucky mate , pure luck on my part .
InAHuffCSC
Well Hello There
themightyquinn
12:34 on 13 February, 2014
Who needs the pound when we’ve got Irn Bru bottles!?!?!
====================
Great shout, our new unit of currency can be The Gingy
I probably got more of them than I do Pounds anyway
Anyone anywhere near Swindon /
Can you swing bye and fix BMCUWs Email thingy :)))))
Auldheid – many thanks for posting the links to the Celtic Trust minutes in the last thread.
Ernie Lynch – note the following from those minutes :
“It was also noted that Celtic appears to have amended the Stadium regulations to include…foul and abusive language”.
I hope you’re happy now Ernie. I believe it was your recent campaign on CQN targeting sweary words that brought this about. I hope you feel proud that you have helped criminalise the Celtic support further!
;-)))
I notice this one didn’t get answers, no surprise there?
__________________________________
john o’neil
10:09 on 13 February, 2014
Kev, is Aberdeen FC not also operated by a rich man? Why do you like them then?
Hi Paul67
Thanks for bringing big Tommy on to the Blog, i really enjoyed the banter yesterday.
He could bend it, long before Beckham was a twinkle… The ball that is.
Will look forward to the book lauch.
As for John Paul, He is approachable, and I have always had a quick response from him to any issues. An unenviable job in the current climate, i would think.
Hail Hail
.
I predicted the Super Hooper (Chuckle) would score between 6-8 Goals in the EPL this season..what is he on Now..3..????
We Won a Watch getting Money for a Ordinary Striker..
Summa
Glasgowdave, aye, that’s a thankless job for JP.
Natknow.
No swearing at CP?
Aw FFS.
PS, anybody ever seen Ernie lynch and the celtic board in the same room?
It is somewhat bitter sweet after last weekends result, that Neil should pick up the Manager of the month award, but congratulations Neil, a convincing result against St Johnstone will ease the pain a bit, and keep our unbeaten league run going.
HH
Paul67
Could you please ask John Paul to tell CFC to ignore the CST and the GB, as like many in here are doing, it only gives them oxygen and that is the last thing we need, both are struggling bad now for publicity, unless it is in a positive way for Celtic then fine go ahead, ehhhh you know what forget that last sentence, that’s never Gonny happen, just ignore them.
Best of luck tonight with the launch Gordon j
Tony Donnelly.
How do you propose that celtic fans voices are heard?
Tony Donnelly
Your obsession is eating away at you sir (imho).
Let it go, chill and live and let live.
we are a broad church:))))
Hi Paul, down memory lane two years ago today you wrote on the blog;
Rangers in administration without tax case
Posted on 13 February, 2012 by Paul67
There are not words powerful enough to describe today’s news. The English language is insufficient and I have no Greek or Latin. Rangers Football Club have today asked the Court of Session to appoint an administrator, unable to service their creditors. The freight train of their tax tribunal has yet to hit, these events relate exclusively to how the club has operated in other areas.
Scottish Premier League rules state that clubs are deducted 10 points on going into administration, which will give Celtic a 14 point lead at the top of the table once in effect.
This is a day we have predicted will come for over three years. It has been inevitable for that long. Now the really interesting events will happen.
We don’t need no stinkin’ Rangers.
Up the Celts!
Not playing a big money signing and giving your youth a chance. Please take note Celtic and Neil Lennon! To think Pat Bonner and Paul Mc Stay are the last Celts to play out their careers with us is a bloody disgrace.
Look at what Marshall is now doing at Cardiff. Compare him to Wojciech Szczęsny at Arsenal or De Gea at United. They both had their bad spells and were took out of the team for a while but ultimately were seen as the number one. I loved Boruc but he was never going to play out his career at Celtic. A guy like Marshall would have done. That’s 2 world class keepers we let go now. Unforgivable.
the honest mistake loves being first
12:58 on 13 February, 2014
Tony Donnelly.
How do you propose that celtic fans voices are heard?
____________________________________
To go through the proper procedure, same as I always do, e-mail, letter, phone call, if I have a problem that’s what I do, I don’t need a political movement to do my talking, prob. Not the answer your looking for, but that’s what I do
Paul67, John Paul,
After recent damage to seats and offensive chanting by Aberdeen fans on their last few visits to Celtic park, are Celtic planning to ban any of their fans? Also, did police or stewards take any action?
leftclicktic we are all neil lennon
13:02 on 13 February, 2014
Tony Donnelly
Your obsession is eating away at you sir (imho).
Let it go, chill and live and let live.
we are a broad church:))))
____________________________
Now I got Huns and Tim’s telling me I’m obsessed, hmmmmmmmm.
proudbhoy
13:08 on 13 February, 2014
Was looking forward to celtic trust publishing celtics reply..
Just Read it.. Really can’t see celtic coming out with anything worthwile other than copying from previous statements and rule books.
The facts are simple .. People are fed up big time with steward/police haressment.
Celtic time and time again refusing to back their fans.. Allowing media to run us and our club down yet get more of a welcome to celtic park than our own fans.
Club begging us for support yet lacking ambition when transfer window appears
Allowing games to be moved without speaking out much about it.
Living wage
Refusing to speak out during the whole huns saga
The famous cup game where it was the huns lost the plot but we get tarnished with them.
Im sure theres more but this is a slice of what alot of us are fed up with.
A club like no other ? Sadly not at the moment.
Paul67 et al
Well both Hooper and Wanyama have had serious injuries, Hoops at the start of the season and Victor only just back from his. That said Norwich have only scored nineteen league goals all season,and Southampton are only three points behind Manchester United, a pretty good level of football. As far as Liam Miller is concerned, well he briefly showed, in a very good Celtic team, but he was never bright enough to make it into High School.
Wanyama will be a good EPL player. He’s just back from an injury. A future star and likely to play CL football again.
eddieinkirkmichael
12:00 on 13 February, 2014
St Patrick’s church hall, Dumbarton
Well done to St Pats.
It was my first primary school before moving to Balloch and St Kessogs.
Paul,
Please ask JPT to ignore the inane, self-publicising rantings of tony donnelly, as the vast majority on here do (I’ve made an exception on this occassion).
hoopy-do
12:32 on 13 February, 2014
You’re nearly as daft as me, but not quite…..!!!!
murdoch mcgrain larsson- The Glencairn Club Glasgow Rd has music on some afternoons mate.If not The Vogue Main St is a friendly Celtic bar.
Not as easy as it looks.
How to draw your hand in 3D.
http://wimp.com/drawhand/
Penalty box strikers always suffer when they play for a crap team like Norwich.
Paul67
Please ask JPT to ensure benches are provided outside the stadium / superstore, for the match-day benefit of our older supporters…..
Given this particular anniversary it is perhaps worth noting the progress of the much heralded armageddon in Scottish football.
Moltherwell without bank debt; Dundee Utd. cleared bank debt last week and playing with their best group of young players for a number of years; Aberdeen £10m debt and falling (planning on new stadium) and having their best season in years, with a new, progressive manager; Hibs £5,5m debt + new manager with track record of success with Scottish clubs + excellent recent youth development; ICT £400,000 debt and soundly run; St. Johnstone and St. Mirren classified as debt-free; Hearts in admin and taking their punishment properly, therefore likely to be able to build on fan base (and still retain their history as they avoided liquidation); Kilmarnock basket case, but look at who’s running them; Ross County declare they will live within their means.
Competitiveness in the league (below No.1 position) and (unfortunately for us but great for Scottish football, as long as ‘THEMS’ falter when they play a proper team and the MIB on the day plays fair) both national cup finals to be won by a team outside of Glasgow.
Yep this armageddon is crap! What we need is a strong, cheating team who can’t live within their means to bring back the good old days.