I love this time of year. As we publish, 60 hours of the transfer window remain. Celtic have gaps to fill in the squad, we have targets for each position, each target has his own target destination clubs, and the potential selling clubs all want to hold out for as long as possible to get top price – and some do not want to sell at all.
There are options for several positions we could have concluded on Monday. These were not top of anyone’s list, of course, and not cheap either. Hospital facilities are reserved in cities across Europe, most awaiting medicals that will not happen, but may be required before Friday evening.
How long should we wait for top targets? You certainly wait this late in the window. Bedwetters signing players early in the window to relieve anxiety symptoms is a sight to behold. If you have that knot in your stomach right now, just go pop an antacid and let those with a seasoned constitution cope with stressful negotiating situations.
Every transfer window follows the same rules. Players want the most money possible and the best stage to enhance their subsequent contract. Clubs do not want to sell valuable players with a lengthy period left on their contracts. When a sale looks inevitable, they employ agents to entice more bidders into the market.
If more than one bidder is involved, stalemate can run until deadline day. People who ask, “Why are we not signing players earlier?” occupy that special peak at the top of the Dunning-Kruger chart. None of this is news, we all know and accept this as an absolute article of faith.
So why all the angst? This is the game, let the enormity of what Celtic are attempting to achieve over the next two days sit with you for a few moments and you might begin to enjoy the unfolding drama. It sure beats wearing adult nappies (I’m led to believe).
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Hola.
HH
Bedwetters? Here we go, Tena na row
hahahahahahahaha tbb
SFtBs @ 11:31 AM,
Maybe the punt/ Oven ready distinction is not that useful as it is too flexibly interpreted much like the terms Woke and Libertarian.
Totally agree, I have tried to avoid that terminology along with “project” as the meanings are stale…
The Kris Ajer and Alistair Johnston comparison is interesting
Ronny brought Kris in as a boy and had known him well in Norway where he was a top prospect
I’m not sure he wanted him as a first team starter from the beginning
Ange definitely seen AJ as a starter and was impressed enough to start him in front of Jura at Ibrox, albeit Jura was Jaded from an exhausting world cup.
It is not hindsight, Ange was very much open and transparent and worked in tandem with the Board, it’s all a matter of record.
Bernabei was never talked about in the same terms, it was quite possible he was the type of player that BR was talking about this window
I.e. was chosen by the recruitment department as a good fit left back and “given” to the manager and coaches to develop.
My point is simply this, why can’t players like Hart, older and experienced, Alistair Johnston, a proven competitor and Bernabei a good prospect be part of the same model
It seems that’s the mix the manager is after, it was certainly how Ange recruited when given the opportunity.
Have a good one
Aff Oot
Hail Hail
I concur with Paul67.
How come we sold Jota so quickly then?
big wavy on 30th August 2023 10:44 am
Scullybhoy,
What’s an established player ?
HH
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Someone who has already achieved in one of the top leagues and is still valued by their current club.
HH
Back in Denia now after a week in Troon with my parents. A massive thank you to Almore for sorting me out with two tickets for the St Johnstone game. My 11-year-old had a brilliant time regardless of the score. It’s an expensive day out when you take an 11-year-old to the Superstore . . .
I refrained from commenting on the game afterwards on here as my son reminded me what it’s like to just go along and support the team without being critical. Only person that was winding him up was the St J goalkeeper’s time wasting antics which began in the first 10 minutes.
While in Troon, managed to have a beer or two with CQNer Lullabies and Battle Cries. How I grew up in Troon without knowing this guy is a mystery but that’s sorted now.
Most importantly, my Mum is doing ok after a wee heart scare and she managed to come out for a few wee walks on the promenade and a day out at the Farm Park at the Heads of Ayr.
HH.
Sickening. The same old pre Ange Celtic.
Seriously pissed off, and no, I am not a bedwetter.
Is it coincidence, or have things changed since Peter Lawlwell has returned??
KINGLuBO
What a typically pompous article today Paul. You have previous when you don’t like being questioned and you answer what you like to answer in your blog.
If the above applies why did it not apply the last two windows?
You’ve also failed in recent weeks to cover why we fail to sign players that are not just potential or even decent young players? Why did we not replace experience with experience?
You are a fan of a certain age and should be better than the pompous attacks you make.
I and many others are not wetting beds it’s just that (unlike you it appears) our ambitions lie higher than domestic success. When our own manager makes public views on how the squad is weaker than 3 months ago, as Celtic fans you’d have to be a “head in the sand” type to ignore that.
We may sign a couple of players of adequate standard but as a club we do have previous in late signings that are desperate e.g. Mulumba. So, to say some of us have concerns as to how this season goes is correct and it’s because of the form of the team and for me the daunting prospect of playing in Europe with a squad primarily of young players.
I make no apology for looking at it from that point of view because I don’t live in a goldfish bowl where I live my Celtic life by just being better than rangers.
Happy 80th Bobby Lennox
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Who would win in a fight between a bed wetter and a streamer?
Bedwetters?
What an idiotic comment.
We are already out of a tournament.
Sounds exciting. Hopefully those seasoned negotiators are the same people who brought us Jota and CCV, not Toljan, Laxalt and Carlton Ole.
Number 1 priority has to be midfield. I hope the Benfica boy comes. He definitely fits the profile.
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/7fe03e5ac5aac7b84c3b763a1562aff2
CHAIRBHOY on 30TH AUGUST 2023 12:15 PM
My point is simply this, why can’t players like Hart, older and experienced, Alistair Johnston, a proven competitor and Bernabei a good prospect be part of the same model
They can. Lagerbielke and Palma are around the same age as AJ when he signed have played more club football than him when he came and both are full internationals.
Both first team ready. All we’ve done this window is sell a 28 and a 24 year old and replaced them with 23 year olds both of whom should be ready for the first team.
You’re getting very hung up on our “new” model. It’s not new, it’s the same, only more aggressive.
We have went from fannying about getting players in for the CL Qualifiers,to fannying about for the CL Groups,that’s progress for some…….
I’m not one to post rambling narratives but this might go on a bit.
As far as I can see, football for everyone involved except supporters is all about money. Managers come and go, players have no genuine commitment to our club or any other club. It’s just about who’s paying the most money the cue badge kissing and I had a poster of Kenny Dalglish on my bedroom wall.
Imagine if a reasonably well healed club made a decision to place an academy in as many towns and cities as practicable and spend money employing the best coaches available. Then bring through local players only and not spend any of its income on foreign mercenaries. Now that might be a team with a vision worth following. But let’s be honest. No one has won anything playing a full team of players all born close to the clubs stadium.Have they?
Happy birthday Bobby Lennox.
Smashing player and a very nice fellow.
Such an informed, mature and seasoned take on C-suite transfer machinations Paulo; almost as if it was from someone who’s seen it all, done it all etc…
Cute to throw in a few derisory barbs about the wearing of adult nappies, soilage and upset tummies.
Quite the strange juxtaposition to when you were positively scheidt-ing yer shreddies at the thought of Brendan getting the gig for a second time. Or were you merely kakking your cottons on behalf of his master’s voice around that time ?
SHART-TERMMEMORYLOSS CSC
Ange recruited experience because we needed it. We wouldn’t sign James McCarthy now.
Hatate was less experienced than Lagerbielke
Celtic deadline day transfer strategy..
Lawwell playing poker with himself ,blindfolded in a darkened room..Nerves of steel that man…but those were the old days.
Now it’s Lawwell playing Russian roulette with himself blindfolded in a darkened room with a half empty bottle of Jameson (none of your Scotch muck).
Oh ye of little faith.
God bless Peter Lawwell, keeping the green flag flying despite the naysayers begrudgers and malcontents
To quote Neil Lennon,
“I’m not wet, I’m soaking…….”
I’m quite enjoying it too. Bit of craic….
Festish csc
HH
SCULLYBHOY on 30TH AUGUST 2023 12:18 PM
big wavy on 30th August 2023 10:44 am
Scullybhoy,
What’s an established player ?
HH
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Someone who has already achieved in one of the top leagues and is still valued by their current club.
—-
On those 2 requirements, we can’t compete. Nobody would argue against that. Not sure that’s new.
Certainly a common factor for all clubs outside the top 5.
HH
Gene.
Players like ajeti and soro?
Agree with the sentiment of the article.
Was listening to s celtic podcast this morning on my way to work and thinking a bit about all this. Do we have any hard evidence on the success or otherwise of early window purchases?
I’m not saying no one else wanted Dessers, Lammers, Cifuentes, Danilo and Co but you do have to ask the question – why were they so readily available? Why no hardball negotiations and no players/ agents hedging bets?
I think the answer could be interesting. I’m not sure we are fishing in the same ponds as them. But I’m glass half full in my attitude so what do you expect from me. Others will conclude that, despite evidence to the contrary, the zombies are recruitment geniuses.
Westcraigs
More like CCV 🤞
For me so far,a very good window,two good CHs,two,by the looks of it,very good wingers.A midfielder named,best in Norway,who most certainly deserves his chance.
Granted we need a loan CH,we wait.If successful with the Benfica boy,great window for me.
Soiled Diaper wearers,need not agree.
I heard from a reliable source, that PL was responsible for the NATS breakdown, cancelling and delaying thousands of flights all over the world. Don’t tell me it’s only a rumour! por cierto
Maybe our targets are holding off until they find out who we get in the CL group stage draw……
Agreed Paul67
Patience is always in short supply among football fans but in this window we’ve seen the worst of it.
The worst sort of short-termism and short-sightedness
The bedwetters choose to forget we signed Jota and CCV at the end of the transfer window.
We got lucky with players from the Asian market because it’s mainly off radar.
I would say that the level of ‘bed wetting’ is likely to be determined by two principal factors – the level of ITK knowledge you have of the state of play; and, level of faith in our ‘seasoned negotiators’ – itself can only be based on previous experience.
P6/‘s bullishness suggest high knowledge and high levels of faith. Most of the rest us have close to zero knowledge, which means attitudes are dictated by our faith in our negotiators. If it’s the negotiators of the last 2 years than faith is likely to be high. The concern is that it’s a reversion to what preceded that before Ange.
We will know which it is by Friday night and if the club deliver as P67 implies I predict much higher levels of faith going forward.
THE STAR ABOVE THE CREST
I’ll take the bait and state the obvious. 30M Euro Dollars reasons why plus the player wanted to leave!
It doesn’t matter who we sign. If they are any good they will be off within 2 years and if not they will be pushed out the revolving door backwards at a heavy loss. Terrible business model if you support the team and are looking for any kind of continuity or gambling on whose name to put on the back of your expensive top.
“If more than one bidder is involved, stalemate can run until deadline day”
I hope it is not a re-run of Bargain Hunt !
Poor article, Paul.
There is much to be concerned with in relation to our team. Sometimes, a bird in the hand is better than two in a bush. Especially with the clock clicking as fast as it is.
It is as difficult to see a strategy off the park as it is on the park.
As a football club, we shouldn’t be in this position. Our very decent team has been disassembled without us having sourced the players needed to reassemble it.
Some of this was luck – as in injuries. But much if it was pre-Ange arrogance.
So we sit here hoping we can buy ‘quality’ now. As the window begins to close. With all the pressure that comes with that, forgetting that anyone signed now will be far from up to speed for Sunday.
Poor state of affairs.
Ronnie