Modest understatement: we got our money’s worth for the wages paid to Mikael Lustig, who confirmed last night he had left Celtic. He joined from Rosenborg in January 2012 on a free transfer and leaves on a free, winning all eight league titles, four Scottish Cups and four League Cups in the intervening period, becoming one of our most decorated players in the process.
In 2013, Mikael had surgery to shave bone from both hips. It is remarkable that his career at the top lasted this long, but, perhaps as a consequence of changes to his physical mechanics, he has suffered regular injuries since. At 32, so the story is not over, there will be a place in the game for him, just not at the level Celtic aspire to.
Football clubs have a tendency to keep favourite players beyond their peak years, when they are running as much on reputation as ability. Had Mikael stayed, it would be either for this reason, or because we were not going to recruit a replacement. It is better for both parties that they moved on.
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QUADROPHENIAN on 21ST JUNE 2019 9:23 AM
But how many fellow bhoys/ghirls would have approved if we’d appointed a two-handed management team of an ex-Juve, Chelski and Italian national coach twinned with fellow Tally and ex-Celt Massimo Donati? I would.
____
I’m sorry, are you suggesting Celtic could get Antonio Conte? Who’s Inter Milan manager?
Why the hell would we put Donati in there. What experience does he have?
Absolutely nuts.
I think I might be correct in saying Nick Hammond was responsible for signing Ollie Burke for the Baggies ?
TIM – simply strikes me that Killie has shown more left field imagination in their appointment – Alessio was Conte’s RHM and Massimo who well knows SPFL – than we showed in our managerial hunt.
What special experience did JK or Damien Duff boast on joining anyway?
Good luck today to all the sclaffers heading to Aberdour. I hope you all have a great day.
I hear that Daniel Fergus will be making an appearance.
I see Danny regularly in the Main stand. I’ve always wanted to share this wee anecdote with him but he always seems to be in a rush.
Celtic played a pre-season friendly against Chelsea in August 1977AD. It was also 1977AKK (After King Kenny).
I think it was our first game with Danny as captain.
I was sitting in the Main Stand and seated in front of me were 6 Chelsea fans. After about 10 mins they started to get quite animated, waving the match programme about and pointing at the pitch. One of them turned to me and said” who’s the guy with the beard?”. When I said “Danny McGrain” there was a collective nodding of appreciation. A few more minutes passed and the questioning started again:
“What is he? Is he a defender or a midfielder? He’s bloody everywhere! Picking the ball up from the goalie, playing one-two’s up the wing and then firing in crosses”.
I just shrugged my shoulders and said “aye, that’s Danny. We refer to him as an overlapping full back”.
At HT they turned to me and said that they had never seen anything like him.
I remembered this when years later Chelsea signed Ashley Cole from Arsenal. I thought maybe now they’ll get a wee taste of what we enjoyed for all those years.
I doubt back in 1977 any Celtic fan would have dreamt that Danny would still be captaining us the the SPL title in 1986!
POGMATHONYAHUN AKA LAIRD OF THE SMILES on 21ST JUNE 2019 9:38 AM
You are correct good sir.
I don’t think Celtic will be signing Burke. I have no idea where this has came from.
QUADROPHENIAN on 21ST JUNE 2019 9:40 AM
TIM – simply strikes me that Killie has shown more left field imagination in their appointment – Alessio was Conte’s RHM and Massimo who well knows SPFL – than we showed in our managerial hunt.
What special experience did JK or Damien Duff boast on joining anyway?
____
John Kennedy did his coaching badges, did his apprenticeships with the youth teams and has stepped up each stage earning his stripes.
I’m assuming your original post doesn’t refer to Conte.
Celtic don’t need to appoint a rookie manager when you have somebody waiting in the wings who has done it all before. This guy at Killie may turn out to be the next Conte or the next Steve McLaren.
I would never have risked that when it comes to 10 in a row. Plus, NL doing it will hurt them more!
WBA are trying to recoup some of their crazy transfer fee for Ollie Burke. Good luck with that one.
Reasons why we won’t be signing him, apart from the obvious
1. He is not worth £8m never mind the £15m WBA paid for him
2. He will be on crazy wages that will be reflected by the £15m transfer fee.
3. He does not fit the ‘buy young and cheap, develop and sell big’ MO
I can’t see anybody taking him off WBA’s hands for £8m so likely scenario is out on loan again until his contract expires along with his high wages then a free transfer, but football down South is crazy so you never know.
TIM – I could have been clearer but I was inferring Alessio.
Duff and Donati are roughly on a coaching par. JK’s apprenticeship was largely done on our patchy defence.
As for ‘rookie’…? Every manager’s a rookie sometime.
NFL was one when he was appointed interim at CP.
In 4 years he won three league titles and two Scottish Cups. 5 out of 9; not bad. Not Brendan, but decent.
Killie had 70 applications after Steve Clarke left and they picked a guy with 10 years at Chelsea, Juve and Italy.
We crave better progress in Europe and a more adaptable, savvy coaching style; Alessio’s pedigree is v good.
True, the guy could be a mini-Conte or a complete Conte.
Nobody knows what Neil will be this time round, backed or not by the board’s puzzling machinations.
Darren Fletcher reckons that Burke needs to play to his strengths . If we can use his strength and speed correctly he can realise his potential . But I suppose thats what his previous clubs thought .
POG
Taken a guess here, wee Olly?
New Balance Friday exactly a week later.
Liam Burt to Celtic as former Rangers youngster hints at surprise move
The 20-year-old was released by Rangers at the end of last season but could make a surprise move across the city.
Disclaimer: source is the DR
QUADROPHENIAN on 21ST JUNE 2019 10:04 AM
“Duff and Donati are roughly on a coaching par. JK’s apprenticeship was largely done on our patchy defence.”
Donati only just retired from playing in 2018 and as far as I can tell this is his first coaching job. Duff has been coaching since 2015 with Shamrock Rovers and ROI.
There is no such thing as a defensive coach. This isn’t the NFL when defence and attack are separate units.
“As for ‘rookie’…? Every manager’s a rookie sometime.
NFL was one when he was appointed interim at CP.
In 4 years he won three league titles and two Scottish Cups. 5 out of 9; not bad. Not Brendan, but decent.”
When Celtic appointed NL in 2010 there wasn’t an equivalent to 2019 NL waiting in the wings.
NL was a risk that paid off in 2010. He’s less so of a risk in 2019.
Appointing another rookie is an unnecessary risk.
“Killie had 70 applications after Steve Clarke left and they picked a guy with 10 years at Chelsea, Juve and Italy.
We crave better progress in Europe and a more adaptable, savvy coaching style; Alessio’s pedigree is v good.”
I agree that Kilmarnock have made an imaginative appointment. They also have less to lose than Celtic.
“Nobody knows what Neil will be this time round, backed or not by the board’s puzzling machinations.”
I think NL is as close to a known quantity as you could possibly be.
Neil has been around Celtic park for a long long time. He’s also been managing in the SPFL for the past couple of seasons.
I have faith that NL is the right man to get Celtic over the line in the next two seasons. After that? Who knows.
@ STEPHBHOY on 21ST JUNE 2019 4:06 AM
I agree our tactics were predictable, but if you think that Neil (who claimed he didn’t change them last season) can come in and magically get this team playing fast flowing football through being more direct, then I think you are going to be disappointed. Our season starts in a couple of weeks and players are still on holiday. There just isn’t enough time to implement a substantially different approach.
Look at the players you are mentioning. Exactly who in the mix would be considered to come in as a first team player as opposed to a back-up:
-Arzani- signed last year in mid August but didn’t get his first minutes to the end of October. He is an unknown entity and back-up, having only 24 appearances in the Aussie league over two years;
-Kouassi- hasn’t had an impact so far and his position is the most contested/strongest area of the park. Back-up;
LG- we don’t know what he will be like this year. It’s not a physical injury which has an easy prognosis; he may still be suffering; he may relapse; he may not be the same. I’m hoping he is the LG who scored 40 goals in a season (but that was 4 years ago). We cannot assume he will be that player.
Of the others you mention:
-Boyata and FB are gone and, objectively, our best CBs;
-Ralston isn’t a first team player and really is no improvement on Gamboa or Toljan or if he is, not by much (assuming we sign a new RB);
-Jack Hendry played 4 league games last year and not because of injury (he just wasn’t good enough to be in the squad), so hardly inspiring to think that he will now be in the team;
-Bitton- plays in the area of the park we are best covered. He will be a back-up player to Ntcham/CalMac/Christie and Broonie;
-Bayo- an unknown entity; and
– the American fullbacks are playing college football.
The others are quality first team players (KT, Ajer, Christie and Rogic). However, they could just as easily be injured for large periods this season. I don’t get the rationale that we will be fine this coming year because injured players will return; we will get new injuries.
The above is on the more negative side (apologies), but I don’t think is overly unfair. A lot of the players mentioned are back-ups and not first team players. I can’t understand why you think they will improve the team if they haven’t been able to do so thus far.
We need a few quality additions further forward on the park (Turnbull is a start) to elevate the quality of the team.
Next seasons fixtures out. Deadly Bears at Ibrox game number four…………….
Lennybhoy
Its not Olly Burke whose signing its Liam Burt – attacking midfielder who left sevco Was with us as a youth
If we have been offered Burke at £8 million then that’s the starting price. We could end up paying £4 Mil. total with the add ons. I think that’s a great deal for him, and I think there will still be a profit in it, if he’s successful, and we sell him on por cierto.
TIMALOY
Damien was coaching SR’s underage teams. He joined us an assistant reserve coach before getting a surprise step up when Brendan’s entourage did one. NFL aside, it really so feasible that JK was coaching our forwards??
Re Neil’s ‘risk factor’ he left us once and we could always ask the folks at Hibs for their risk evaluation of NFL.
Re rookie managers – Pep Guardiola did not bad after only managing Barca B squad.
I’m glad we agree Kilmarnock have made an imaginative appointment. It was the main point I originally made.
Ask the Killie board who have surely stumped up for him and Killie fans if they have less to lose than Celtic.
All football fans have big expectations – mine is to see a Quadro-Treble this coming year.
On the tee,
Johnnybhoy, BlantyreKev and BJMac.
In the bar,
Davie, David and Stephen.
Just watched the PC Lustig compilation on Phil’s site.
Lustig’s biggest problem is that there aren’t enough of his like in the game. An entertainer, full of fun, enjoys the game, his life and loved by the fans.
His contribution to Celtic goes way, way beyond his on field performances.
He will be sorely missed.
QUADROPHENIAN on 21ST JUNE 2019 10:45 AM
“Damien was coaching SR’s underage teams. He joined us an assistant reserve coach before getting a surprise step up when Brendan’s entourage did one. NFL aside, it really so feasible that JK was coaching our forwards??”
I know DD was coaching youth teams. Generally, that’s the best thing to start off with before moving up.
Donati hasn’t even done that it seems.
JK was first team coach under BR. He will have assisted in the training of all the players.
Gameplans, tactics and structures will be decided by the manager. BR is ultimately the man responsible for all players.
“Re Neil’s ‘risk factor’ he left us once and we could always ask the folks at Hibs for their risk evaluation of NFL.”
NL Hibs record speaks for itself. Promotion followed by their highest ever points total.
So funny how Celtic fans try to belittle the achievements of a club legend.
“Re rookie managers – Pep Guardiola did not bad after only managing Barca B squad.”
Pointing to an individual success story hardly gives a good overall picture. You know as well as me there are plenty of counter-examples out there.
Thierry Henry, Gary Neville, John Barnes, Alan Shearer, Steve Kean, Sammy Lee, Franck Sauzee, Brian Kidd, David Platt, Terry Connor
“All football fans have big expectations – mine is to see a Quadro-Treble this coming year.”
I don’t seriously think that the Kilmarnock coach will be under the same pressure as the Celtic coach.
Quadrofenia?
Turnbull deal off
Official
A sight for sore eyes
WHAT IS THE STARS on 21ST JUNE 2019 11:25 AM
Turnbull deal off
Official
eH???????????????
WITS
Basturt.
OR
A very naughty boy.
See BSR ☝️
WITS:
Magic! :)))))))) por cierto
its not going to happen
Forget Turncoat…Load of bull
Fake news
Emilio is coming back as cover for Lustigs legs
Fake news.
Deal is done and he’s doing his interviews for Celtic TV etc.
Picture on twitter with a Celtic shirt on in the trophy room.
Some guys should read back..☝️
Apparently a deal has been done with some guy Turnbull from Motherwell
Anyone else heard this?
Is Glenn Miller still missing….?
new article posted.
Hullo again all you young rebels.
Right? who’s at the wind up and who’s no.
Just logged on and apparently the young lad Turnbull has realised the
enormity of his mistake by not signing on to the biggest and best
supported club in the world, admittedly after talking to the canaries.
He must have thought ” feck me! i’m away with the birds ”
So somebody confirm to this aul tim who’s had his usual skinfull.
Is he ours or not?
H.H Mick