August is a perilous time for predictions. Teams are still working on fitness, new arrivals are often learning the language, and until the window closes, players can still come and go, affecting the performance of anyone competing for the title.
That’s easy for us to say, though. Across the city, all they can see is the unstoppable Celtic machine grinding all before it on the way to four-in-a-row. I doubt our optimism, or Newco’s pessimism are a full reflection on the reality of where we are.
Celtic are by far the stronger side right now, but we have to prepare for a guaranteed eight Champions League games. Only three times in our history have we played as many games in a European competition proper. Do you think we have the bandwidth to cope with that load?
We have two strikers, one left back and the manager seems to trust only two central defenders. A lot could change between now and the turn of the year.
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Ten men won the league
By what metric is the squad poorer than 12 months ago ?
Give me something to understand why you think that.
I gave you plenty examples which suggest different.
All you gave me is a generic recruitment is crap reply which does not substantiate your initial claim re weaker than last year.
On the seemingly inevitable loss of Matt, I’m reminded of that scene in moneyball where the Oakland A’s general manager is at pains to explain to his recruiting team that they can’t go out and sign another Jason Giambi because they can’t afford to – they need to replace Giambi’s runs with the purchase of several players.
I doubt we can go out and sign a midfield replacement for Matt who will score nearly twenty goals and claim twenty assists this season – perhaps two midfielders scoring and creating ten a piece is much more realistic.
As BR has said, should Matt go, we’ll need two new midfielders. We still need left back and CB strengthened.
Lots to do. As for the Huns, they’re irrelevant, or rather, they should be. Go out and make us the best team we can be and don’t worry about the Huns.
If we start looking over our shoulder at what they’re doing, that’s the road to downsizing. Aim higher than winning the SPFL and the league will take care of itself.
Vale Bhoy
God and the fact we have signed Bernardo. We did sign Holm who was ill and did not get enough game time last year. We are not an attractive proposition in a non competitive league where we get very limited global exposure for any aspiring players. Hence O Riley domestic form not rated by international manager of Denmark.
https://news.stv.tv/west-central/rangers-settle-multi-million-pound-football-kit-dispute
https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/028b-1a7880138a24-7a993e2e33d1-1000/20240322_circular_2024_13_en.pdf
(See Page 12 of 13)
…. What are the odds the agreement with Elite stipulates a financial settlement date of 28 September 2024 ?
Noticed the Jeremie Frimpong flavoured click bait doing the rounds today.
I’ve been thinking about the wee man recently ….. I think the sell on windfall ship has sailed.
Jeremie was on fire at the turn of the year but I thought his form dipped towards the end of the season, plus he got precious little game time at the Euros.
He has barely been mentioned in transfer gossip dispatches during the summer plus two of his defensive colleagues are being coveted by other clubs.
I think a sale in the next two weeks is unlikely. Hope I’m wrong.
The judge in the hun court case is quoted as saying “I don’t know where the fault lies” when talking about the delay in finalising the settlement.
I think most of us have a pretty hood idea.
Tangbhoy,
Agree with some.I see no reason we cannot bring Engels in now,if,as it seems,he will be Matt’s replacement.We have spent nothing so far that has not been brought in.Again with the Greg Taylor thing.Just what faults some fans see in him is beyond me.
Looks like O Shea would walk up the road if we bid for him.Why are we waiting?.Its beyond me.Engels and O Shea,roughly,£18 million.£7 million left over from Matt’s sale !!!!!!.Strengthened in one important area,and hopefully,a replacement,with again,a massive sell on in 3 years.What BR has been hammering on about,yet still we FAFF about.
Wolves in for O’Shea
BTB,
Was talking about that with my mates this morning.Very quiet.A few months ago he was all the rage.
We’ve not spent the money we got for Abada, Oh,Haksbanovic,Vata,Kelly,Lawal,not sure we will in this window
Burnley78
BR in every single press conference since the season started has asked for the squad to be strengthened in certain areas. If that doesn’t convince you of the need for reinforcements then nothing will i’m afraid.
Bada,
Thats what happens when you FAFF about.Makes me sick every window.As I said before,how much tracking,monitoring,weighing up,can you actually do.Especially on a player the manager is keen on.
In the Recruitment field, Left Back is the hardest position to fill. Left footed defenders are hard to find. As cover for Greg Taylor we have Liam Scales and Tony Ralston. We have the youngster Anderson and Montgomery who. Is out on loan.
I don’t think things are as bad as being painted. I feel we have options in all positions. Look at Sunday one of our wingers Maeda, filled in as Striker and Scored twice.
I can remember Armstrong playing a blinder at Full back a few seasons ago.
Good morning everyone,
Just wanted to give my own humble and honest opinion on our squad right now. I don’t think we are weaker that we were last year. I just feel that certain players are finding some good form right now that may have been missing or inconsistent in the last campaign. Yes we will lose MOR at some point, but look at the players we have lost before. We lost The Maestro too early, we lost John Collins, but we brought others in, maybe not as good as those two as they were exceptional, but players that could do a job. Sometimes we are too quick to write players off these days. Every newspaper refers to young players as the wonderkids these days, and with that comes a terrific amount of pressure to hit the ground running when you join a new club. I believe that there is a player in Odin Holm, don’t ask me why I feel that way, just that hunch that he could come good for us. Now he probably needs to work a little bit harder and I think he is getting more involved this season, albeit we have only started, but he along with others, needs our encouragement. Look at the way James Forrest is playing right now. He is very confident in 1v1s, and his movement with and without the ball so far has been terrific, but it mainly always has been throughout his career with us. What we will look like in 11 days may be so different to what we look like now, but we have the coaches behind the scenes that are doing a fantastic job and putting a team on the field that we can be proud of and get behind. I am sorry for the long post and if it doesn’t make sense to you, no problem, just scroll on by:))))) Remember, we have never had it this good, well apart from 1966-67 season, but some of us were not born then. Enjoy who wears our jersey cause it is a select few.
Hail Hail
Sean
Bigbhoy- I seen Anderson linked with Reading…..
Isn’t that what we thought about 3 in a row last year? See how that turned out.
Derek Rae,now the go to expert on Bundesliga,has stated” Engels would be a perfect fit for Celtic”.
Good news,he know his stuff.
Midfielder – what’s Ryan Kent doing nowadays 🤔
or todders
Good afternoon all from the Palace Bar. Great pub but I forgot about the stairs down to the khazi. Dearie me. 😳
Gene 3.44
Giving fans in Istanbul a right good laugh. When he can get a game.
Who’s Ryan Kent ?
Who cares if we are “not weaker” than last season. We were pathetic in Europe and we were weak in Scotland (let off the hook). One or two key players out and we were all over the place. (Ccv, Hatate, eg)
So far the board/recruitment is having a nightmare.
Rodgers has been pleading publicly since season start. Why publicly? To pressure and drive urgency – he doesn’t trust them to deliver. Pleading publicly , begging privately.
Replace our 4th choice LB with a defender who can defend and stop crosses (I love Greg going forward and I love his desire but every team in Scotland and Europe exploits LB for a reason).
Get a CB. Coaching can make players taller or jump higher – would be nice to dominate defensively and offensively and increase % of areal wins.
Like Rodgers, I don’t trust the board. Dividends over repairing our embarrassing European record.
I expect signings / last minute scraps and loan deals.
*can’t
* Taylor 4th choice international LB
The amount of money paid in dividends is fixed and has not increased since Fergus had the first share issue.
It is not affected by turnover, cash in the bank, player transfers, wages or results on the field.
I don’t think any of the board members are relying on the Celtic share dividend to keep them living in the style to which they are accustomed.
However I do agree that we should improve the squad.
We can’t do that by signing players who are no better than the ones we have on the bench or in the team at the moment. No point in signing people just for the sake of it.
Plenty of Celtic jerseys in old Dub town. Still no sign of the damned elusive hun.
If we play 3 at the back we don’t need fullbacks 🤔
and we were weak in Scotland (let off the hook). One or two key players out and we were all over the place.
————————-
after the back to back defeats at killie then home to hearts in mid december celtic played another 35 games,
we only losy another 1.
winning a double,
we won it.
i enjoyrd iy.
never feart,
26 games only 1 defeat.
boondock saint on 20th August 2024 2:53 pm
thumbs up.
https://1drv.ms/i/s!Aq2slJaXzx6NgcQEP3tqWKP0zbvMcA?e=KyHBIy
Pesky pelican has stolen BRRB’s beer
SS- How did we get on in Europe last season?
Burnley 78
With Matt’s departure imminent .
Who would you sign as his replacement?
TT
https://x.com/celticfc/status/1825933311581016194?s=46
Inside The Huddle
IMHO
we competed in europe last season, better than the season before, only 1 skelping, madrid.
in all the other games we competed, but did not take our chances.
it is a tough watch, but real blunders there were not many, and we made chances to score in all 5 games.
1 win, 1 draw, 4 defeats.
SS- So that was good?
2024/25 Champions League: Who has qualified directly for the league phase?
Monday, August 19, 2024
England (4): Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa
Spain (4): Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Atlético de Madrid
Germany (4): Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern, Leipzig
Italy (4): Inter, Milan, Juventus, Atalanta
France (3): Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Brest
Netherlands (2): PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
Portugal (1): Sporting CP
Belgium (1): Club Brugge
Scotland (1): Celtic
Austria (1): Sturm Graz
European Performance Spots (2)*: Bologna (ITA), Dortmund (GER)
Champions League winner rebalancing (1)**: Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Europa League winner rebalancing (1)***: Benfica (POR)