With two days left of the transfer window, Celtic’s energies are targeted on defence, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jeremy Toljan (24) the prime target. This would almost certainly mark the end of Mikael Lustig’s seven year period as first choice for the position, before he leaves the club in the summer. It is also likely to be the last we see of Cristian Gamboa, with the currently injured Anthony Ralston acting as backup.
We will discuss Celtic’s use of the loan system later. Securing players for half a season is far from ideal. Nor is it cheap. Toljan will become the highest paid player at the club, while Borussia’s loan fee will be significant. But it was used effectively in securing Filip Benkovic, who was almost certainly better than whoever we were likely to purchase last summer.
Benkovic’s injury, which has yet to be fully diagnosed, may clear the decks for a move in central defence, which the club were resigned to postponing until the summer due to the form of Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata. Better for this to happen days before, as opposed to days after, the window closes, but no one at Lennoxtown will be happy at making any unplanned decision on a player.
St Johnstone travel to Glasgow tonight with the distinction of collecting more points away from home than any team in the league, having played the same of fewer than all others, and that’s despite losing at Tynecastle on Saturday.
Fortunately, Celtic are top of the ‘home league table’, having won all their 11 league games at Celtic Park (we are sixth in the ‘away table’). The only table that matters is the one Celtic will go six points clear at the top of with 15 games remaining, should they win tonight. A win would be ominous.
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Peter heads into Paradise
Will miss the first half so….
C’mon the HOOPS.
On Iron Horse heading to Paradise.
Hail Hail.
WITS ???
Should be Celtic’s new Home Ground to reflect our fan expertise :-)
Body
Language
Experts
Top
Coded
Hieroglyphs
Logodaedaly
Explaining
Yogas
Professional
Awareness
Rendering
Keech Merchants
SFTB
Very Good !!
Doors to automatic……
SFTB- VG
Celtic- Bain; Lustig, Simunovic, Ajer, Izaguirre; Brown, McGregor, Christie; Forrest, Sinclair; Burke.
Subs: Gordon, Hayes, Bitton, Henderson, Johnston, Weah, Edouard
Good news about Scott Brown going to commit to Celtic young Kieran Tierney and himself two of the hardest working players at the club perhaps followed by Calum McGregor and James forrest since the arrival of Brendan. Trying to sign players last summer would have been particularly difficult with all the football club royalty heading to the World Cup in Russia and probably the best trading will be done this summer.
Brendan has managed to bring in some interesting signings not all permanent with Burke and Weah quick among the goals which is promising and hopefully another few gems in the next couple of days. Great chance to-night to stretch that lead at the top of the table and best of luck to Brendan and the lads.
it must be freezin at CP
It’s in their DNA
A thug who spat on a priest as an orange walk marched past a church
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A thug who spat on a priest from … any chapel in Greenock, would not be capable of walking again. And so say all of us. Confident of three points tonight. Less confident of feeling we’ve addressed our continuing (apparently) slumber of identifying realistic defensive recruits.
Three points tonight and further from the HUNting pack.
The £30m mistake of not signing a decent centre back and right back during the summer (in fact during the previous January) window looks to strike all over again.
It’s all very well and good saying Boyata and Benkovic are first choice but if they’re not going to be here then someone else should be already in the team, being bedded in.
Come summer it is too late for the CL qualifiers. We go in with Simonovic and Ajer knowing there is a massive chance of at least one being injured. You can’t bring a new centre back in to these games, even if you get one in early.
We should have a list of targets as long as the perimeter of the pitch. The lack of team and squad management, the short-termism, shouldn’t have been allowed.
Hope young Kieran Tierney is making progress with his injury problems not surprising there’s burnout there in addition some of the heavy punishment he has taken on the pitch. I wonder is there a County Galway family connection there Tierney is a very common name in Galway.
anyone got a link?
What’s up with Boyata?
LIVE UPDATES UP
In ither news…………..
Shorties choice of image for Neil on their landing page is shameful.
Doubtless, that dick, Wilson responsible.
Horribly hurtin’………
For all Irish Folk Music fans, 2 Luke Kelly statues unveiled in Dublin today