Sky Sports reports that Celtic have agreed terms with Benfica for Paulo Bernardo and with Aston Villa for goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo are both encouraging. Both players are 22 years old and well within the ‘young prospect’ category. News of Kasper Schmeichel’s impending arrival caused concerns that Brendan had navigated away from our developmental strategy.
Sinisalo is a full Finland cap and made 50 appearances for third-tier Exeter City last term. That’s too much of a gap to bridge to Champions League level, but enough to establish the player’s credentials.
We are unlikely to learn the full details of the deal with Benfica for Paulo in the short term. After successful experience with both clubs with Jota, Benfica will surely want a large cut of any resale value for a player who is already a regular in the Celtic team.
We are still filling in the gaps created at the end of last season but these deals would represent solid progress before the start of the season.
This morning’s news that Gareth Soutgate has resigned as England manager will remind you that last year a leading Scottish newspaper, found someone prepared to say Michael Beale was “nailed on” to become England manager and that he could lead them to World Cup glory. This is the world in which we try to achieve objective football comment.
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Please rotate your device 🙄
As a good man said, 4 more sleeps until I get to see they bhoys. Hopefully not Bain in goals for the 3 games.
F5 key wearing out.
Happy Wednesday eve and BOGNORBHOY for the win.
Holy Moley!
Good afternoon all from the Brazen Head. Rather wet day in old Glasgow Town.
Been a long time since I’ve had a full screen , rotate your device add , creeeeppp up on me …😏🤔
Really pleased re Bernardo. Also hearing the gk is spoken of as Neimi level from a Finnish contact.
Michael Beale is still being quoted at 40/1 for the England job while Ange Postecoglou and Stevie Gee are at 50/1.
He must have some incriminating pictures of Rupert Murdoch to get such a quote in the Press.
Brendan Rodgers was not quoted 😀
22 years old isn’t too young,old enough- good enough
I’m pretty sure the DR had a barking mad article suggesting that Beale was the next English manager when he was producing his magic at the huns 🤫
Rumoured to be talking to the clubs of a 21 year old polish midfielder and a 23 year old Belgian attacker. 23 year old Idah almost signed.
Still plenty of time, space and cash for some experience, especially if Matt does go.
SFTB
You have a better chance of being England manager than those 2 clowns. And you’re an old lush.
Once Matt does go then every club will think they can up the asking price for anyone we show an interest in, Idah included
Fortunately we have a penny pinching board who don’t just pay the asking price to get deals done.
Lowball csc
Who, with the exception of Paul67, was concerned about the signing of a top, experienced goalkeeper? Has the Joe Hart experience been banished from memory already!
Not every signing has to fit in with one strategy because by definition many players signing to be developed are not ready to play first team football for Celtic, domestically or in the CL.
Let’s stop the panty wetting, we’ve got a quality keeper ON A FREE and still there is a complaint! Different maybe if he was costing us millions on a transfer fee.
I’d have taken Buffon at 40 too. Development us great but we have games starting in a few weeks running until next May that need to be won.
HH
Goalkeepers are like buses.
“News of Kasper Schmeichel’s impending arrival caused concerns that Brendan had navigated away from our developmental strategy”.
Concerns from whom?
The only concern I came across was on this blog!
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 16TH JULY 2024 12:28 PMM
Yes, making lots of stops…
In: None.
Out: Hyeon-gyu Oh, forward (Genk, undisclosed); Sead Haksabanovic, forward (Malmo, undisclosed); Joe Hart, goalkeeper (retired); Rocco Vata, forward (Watford, undisclosed); Magnus Mackenzie, defender (Queen’s Park); Benny-Jackson Luyeye, midfielder.
Loan ended: Adam Idah, forward (Norwich City); Paulo Bernardo, midfielder (Benfica).
Loan out: Marco Tilio, forward (Melbourne City, loan extension).
BELMONTBRIAN on 16TH JULY 2024 10:26 AM
Morning all.
BIG JIMMY
Hope you are well
The Fair Fortnight started on Friday past.
Is this the tune that you were looking for?
Dan Skinner, Adam Skinner, Dave James – Can’t Stand the Rain
https://youtu.be/_Tq_wYrUlYU?si=FMDhEGsn2z3whd
…………
Cheers BRIAN, thanks for the LINK on previous Thread.
A Great song.
My health hasn’t been great in the last 10 weeks, so I havent been out anywhere or had any Beers since 8th MAY.
I hope to reunite with Human Race in the very near future.
All the best to you and the family.
HH Ma China.
Now that it looks like some signings are imminent we can now move away from the angst that was causing , to the next stage.
A detail of height, specifically lack of, of each signing, goals scored, once again lack of and general despair about how few games they’ve played and won’t do anything in Europe.
Just checked, neither goalie has ever scored a goal, bring back Craig Gordon at least he goes up for corners.
I welcome Kaspar Schmeichel
The reservations I have are on Sinisalo and those reservations are, I admit, based on ignorance of his qualities. I have never seen him play.
He has played for Espoo (who?) in Finland, Aston Villa reserves, and on loan to Ayr United (similar to Josh Clarke who did this last year for the same team) and for 2 League One clubs.
We released a goalie, Conor Hazard, who has 5 more International caps than Sinisalo has, for a comparable international outfit Northern Ireland v Finland, and who is now playing at Championship level having played for a team promoted from League One, Plymouth.
I hope Sinisalo proves me wrong (and ignorant, which I admit) and is better than Niemi, who only managed to turn out 13 times for the Old Rangers before becoming a better keeper at Hearts and Southampton.
Back in the auld days when I was a red hot STRIKER….I used to hate Goalies !
I would sometimes be involved in some Fistiecuffs and the auld Gleaga KISS with a few of them.
Thankfully, I always emerged unscathed and kept my Good Looks.
LOL
HH.
Kasper Schmeichel’s impending arrival causes me no concerns whatsoever.
Over and above our loans – permanent conversions, I await a left sided defender of quality. Otherwise our opponents will simply launch the ball high at that area of weakness.
For me, a battle hardened CM has been needed for years. This will help protect our defence, especially in the CL, or the risk is teams could waltz and weave their way through us.
No point in participating in the unforgiving CL to be cannon fodder, unless your primary objective is to stockpile cash.
Beale will need to fight off Warburton for the job but once they’re in place Fotheringham is a stick on for England’s next goalie. Then there is Tavenier as well.
All have been quoted at one time or another.
Sinisalo also played 45 times for Exeter City, last season. Funny, signing two keepers at the same time (if we do), made me think back to when we signed Brian McClair snd Jim Melrose.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 16TH JULY 2024 12:46 PM
His stats are excellent. Best XG prevented of any goalkeeper in the English leagues last season.
Hazard was nervous as a kitten,new guy got POTY last season
SFTB
Finnish keeper was voted player of season by fans and players at Exeter last season.
His manager at Exeter was HEID so hope he would alert Celtic to any shortcomings.
He played very well at Hampden against Scotland just before EUROS
PS anyone know if playing for AYR for a season when 18 counts for UEFA youth development
blah blah blah.
Hating Goalies ?
I was only JOKING when I Posted that earlier.
In fact, on the odd occasion I would volunteer to go in Goal whenever called upon.
I did have a few Bust Ups with some Goalies over the years, and some Defenders and Mid Fielders also !
LOL
HH.
CELTIC40ME on 16TH JULY 2024 1:11 PM
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 16TH JULY 2024 12:46 PM
His stats are excellent. Best XG prevented of any goalkeeper in the English leagues last season.
……….
I have read of XG in recent times….But I do NOT have clue what it means ?
HH.
Good afternoon all from the Queens Park Cafe. All good signings once officially confirmed, a mixture of youth and experience. And if not I shall drink them to the airport meself.
Big Jimmy
You’ve had more dust ups than Sugar Ray Robinson.
QUESTIONS….
What is the purpose of ” The ARC” at Corner Flags ?
WHY do Goalies SPIT on their Gloves ?
LOL
HH.
Celtic 40ME
I’m not sure how this is calculated. I just looked at the XGA (expected goals against) and compared it with the GA (Actual goals conceded). It suggests that Exeter’s keeper conceded 0.04 goals fewer per game than he did, which is commendable but it looks like the keepers of Portsmouth, Oxford, Derby, Blackpool, Stevenage, Wycombe, Lincoln, Cambridge & Wigan did even better.
Am I reading these stats wrong?
https://footystats.org/england/efl-league-one/xg#
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 16TH JULY 2024 1:29 PM
Big Jimmy
You’ve had more dust ups than Sugar Ray Robinson.
…………
As the great ALI said…” I’LL AMAZE YEA….I’LL WHOOP JOE FRAZIER”
I could have been a Contender….LOL
HH Mate.
Sinisalo is 1.9M
BRRB…
In my brief Boxing career I was known as ” REMBRANDT”…..I was never aff the Canvas !
LOL
HH Mate.
Big Jimmy
Dearie me. 🫣
SFTB
Conor H actually won POTY for HJK Helsinki the year before last and was a bit of a cult hero with the fans we met in Seville when we saw them play Betis in Europa League. For me he was not composed as a footballer in the way keepers need to be. Nor was he really commanding and dominating the defence. I will always appreciate him giving us our only joy in the middle of the 20/21 season at Hampden v Hertz.
All the insight from Finland is really positive about the lad coming to us though. I just hope as back up he gets enough game time to develop.