Bologna are fifth in Serie A after 19 games. If they finish higher than seventh, this will be their best season since 1970-71. 18 months ago, they signed Lewis Ferguson (son of Derek) from Aberdeen for €2m. The 24-year-old is now a star in Italy, attracting a Transfermarkt value of €18m. Their squad is dominated by players in their early and mid-20s, who in Scotland would be called ‘projects’ but at Bologna it’s just regarded as a normal way to build a club.
Now they want to sign 18-year-old Celtic winger, Rocco Vata (son of Rudi). Rocco is out of contract in the summer, so is able to sign a pre-contract and has had only a handful of substitute opportunities since making his Celtic debut a year ago.
Two Celtic managers have worked with Rocco and despite a period of injury crisis this season, he has not been given a platform. Do Bologna see something we don’t? It’s possible, but that question misses the point. Rocco is 18, it’s what happens next that is more important than whatever innate talent he has.
We use the word ‘potential’ to describe young players all the time, without attributing the developmental responsibility the club has in delivering that potential. Great young players fail to make it for various reasons, not least of all a lack of opportunity to work in a conducive environment. Look at Liam Scales, a different injury crisis rescued him from forever being associated with the word “Darvel”.
Will Rocco get first team exposure and flourish like Lewis Ferguson, or will he spend the next three years learning a language while playing in empty stadiums with the occasional loan period? The breakthrough odds on a teenager making it in the game are ridiculously low, but at Bologna he would be moving to a club that understands how their role in development better than most.
Celtic largely target players a few years older than Rocco, the early 20s are our hot spot (the stage Lewis Ferguson was when he left Aberdeen). Most, like Nawrocki, Lagerbielke, Tilio, Palma, Yang and Holm are usually first team players in comparable leagues. This is where we need to operate, there is no other viable development play for the club.
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who stands in for kyogo when his shoulder is targetted whilst the asia cup is underway ?
…
Scales ?
We also signed a very good prospect in DT from Motherwell for a good fee, he had or still has potential but is now out of the picture, why has he stagnated and been unable to command a regular place since a hamstring injury at Hampden several years ago?
Is it really such a big step up to get better projects? You’d think the plan would be to gradually increase the quality of our targets but it doesn’t seem to be a consistent inclined slope. The other thought is that we have to pay more to compensate for playing in Scotland. We are losing to teams with lower wage bills than ours entirely too often.
For the Taylor doubters,
Could his form maybe down to the managers tactics as opposed to his quality, just maybe !!!!
Just look how well he does when we play fast, attacking football
KINGLuBO
What carpetbhoy said at 12:06.
Good article Paul.
Thought provoking and factual.
And yet I’m left thinking “so what?”
“Do Bologna see something we don’t?”
Aye, the possibility of a player helping them to finish seventh in the league.
Bodo Glimt, Brentford, Bologna.
All very well run clubs. Respect to them all.
But, notwithstanding that respect, there is very little we can learn about recruitment from them.
Our fans demand continuing success even in the dip years.
PS – the usual suspects miss the point of the article as always.
… instead contorting the article to fit their “I hate Lawwell” narrative.
Yawn.
Taylor has played well recently but I think it would be foolhardy to ignore months of poor form.
Against the Huns, watching the game back, Taylor dropped two clangers which on another day, could have seen us concede two goals.
He got caught wrong side of McCausland which seen Hart save the ensuing cross/shot with his foot.
The second instance, he was caught out with a Butland long ball which if McCausland keeps calm and makes a simple square pass to Sima, sees him with a shot into an empty net with Hart standing near the pen spot.
We were the better team and deserved to win but that doesn’t mean we weren’t poor at times in that game. Taylor and Hart remaining in position with no cover yet alone competition for their place will see us running a material risk of losing the title imo.
For the Taylor doubters,
Could his form maybe down to the managers tactics as opposed to his quality, just maybe !!!!
Just look how well he does when we play fast, attacking football
as pointed out by an dun – just look at his defending, fast attacking football or not
regardless, where is the backup ? (and i dont mean the argentine headless chicken)
AN DÚN on 10TH JANUARY 2024 2:57 PM
“We were the better team and deserved to win”
That’ll do me all day
As for Rocco Vata.
The very best of luck kid wherever you end up. Genuinely.
The boy is a media creation for me.
I’ve never seen anything in his short minutes in the first team that made me think “HE’S worth keeping”.
Compare and contrast with Ben Doak.
My only memory of him in a first team jersey.
Late sub, played on right wing.
Took the ball, knocked it eight yards forward, turned on the burners and absolutely skinned the full back.
All the persuading I needed about his potential. Was sad to see him leave.
The positive news about Greg Taylor is he does appear to be returning to last seasons form when he played 37 domestic games, winning 34, drawing 2 and losing one
A winner
Bada,
Nobody is” leading “you anywhere.You just stay with the Flock.
B,aaaaa,B,aaaaa.
Turkeyneck- you haven’t been keeping up
I wouldn’t have a problem bringing in a couple of experienced loans,not Phillips though.
.., and wait till the summer to get the better quality players we need to improve us in Europe, no point in giving average players like a Shankland or a Miovski a 4 year deal,for us to stand still.
An Run,
If you think Brendan has no say in who we buy this window,you are an idiot.
If he HAS no say,then he is a bigger idiot.
We had 3 bids for Hickey knocked back by Budgie,we also had a 30% sell on…..
When a player tells the huns to GTF,the rags say they are ‘ willing to walk away from the deal’….
You can easily tell who has posters of the Celtic Team on their wall and who has posters of the Celtic board on theirs.
Personally, those that believe Lawell doesnt interfere in all aspects of the club could be classed as delusional. Of course i mean Dad, not any of his three children. That on its own doesnt make it true.
This was January window 2019.
Same Message. We NEED Quality.
We brought in: Olly Burke, Weah, Toljan all on loan and bought Shved and Bayo for a combined 4 million. He left a month later. It was all there clear to see and still people can’t see why.
https://x.com/selickpark/status/1744857701518020684?s=46
Hopefully they’ve learned their lesson and if they haven’t protests should happen outside the stadium.
No surprises Lawwell is back at the club and the same issues arise.
Pointless.Everything gets back to PL from the usual subjects.
Mc Kenna,?no,dont want him
Shankland,?no,dont want him
Miovski ?,no,don’t want him
Phillips ? no,don’t want him.
Don’t want anyone under 22.Enough projects.
Have we no signed any pyoor qualty yet.
We also paid 11m tax on profits, all of the Ange compensation.
SUTTON1888 on 10TH JANUARY 2024 3:38 PM
If we fail to win the league through poor recruitment and hanging on to the £ I would fully hope and expect the board to get what is coming to them.
Sutton 1888,
Not surprising your on posting and mention Peter Lawwell.
B,aaaa,B,aaaaa
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL on 10TH JANUARY 2024 12:27 PM
Why can’t/don’t we bring our own young players through? We spend/waste millions on players from other leagues who we know nothing about and may not even adapt, let alone prove to be any
Thank Minty for that GTTF.No reserve league and a ‘b’ league that is just to big a gap between that and the Celtic 1st team,there is no path of excellence so to say to ensure progress.
We have many playera withering in those leagues when they should be out on loan,gettin a higher level of experience.
We end up buying in players to wifher,the so called maw-doh where we get a small success that is returned to the club.Tis a bit like making cream without milk and is a bit of hit and miss.i feel we should be more efficient as a club and forge more links wigh clubs to enable experience to be gathered.
I recall good Celt The Battered Bunnet doing analysis which showed that the chances of doing a ‘Calum McGregor’ ie start as a young lad and make Celtic1st team was the same probability of pupils of same age becoming a neurosurgeon,something akin to a quarter of 1% iirc.Jts a tough tough gig and with youth we have to show a duty of care to the kids so if they play at all the academy js a success.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
SUTTON1888 on 10TH JANUARY 2024 3:38 PM
A disastrous window that preceded a treble that season then another the season after
The real disaster happened after we’d blown a load of money on quality that turned out to be crap.
Celtic40me
That’ll do me all day
—-
The fear is that our executive hold the same attitude as we find ourselves approaching the half way mark of this window.
Re Shankland, McKenna, see above from 2019 January Window ☝️,absolutely no point in wasting more money for us to stand still, will keep the ones who are happy to stay ahead of the huns by the width of a fla paper though,get better quality in to try do better in Europe, and domestic football will take care of itself.
It would be very easy and understandable to conclude that an Academy does not suit our model.
HH.
AN DÚN on 10TH JANUARY 2024 3:49 PM
It’s not, it’s a completely different question
And it’s your fear.
The attitude that being the better team and deserve to win will do when we play the Huns will be shared by just about every Celtic supporter out there
It’ll certainly do for the two remaining derbies
If my memory serves me well Rocco Vata was among several young players, on the periphery of the first team, who were requested to extend their contracts, he refused so Ange, aye Ange, dropped him from the group, and IMHO quite rightly so, as why should we help his hone his talents for the beneficial of other teams.
I recall the hysterics over the Kelly Kids when some aye just some supporters were greetin about a waste of time and money ironically 8 of those “kids” were on the field that memorable night of May 25, 1967, one was on the bench while their coach was now manager and as Shanks said “John your immortal”.
Fast forward a few years and Jock is now developing the Quality Street Gang, we watched a very young Davie Hay join the likes of Lou Macari and George Connolly in making the breakthrough followed by Danny McGrain and even Vic Davidson but one of our alleged brighter prospects looked as if he wisnae gong tae make it, aye a player we would later call the “King” as Jock had determined he wisnae ready at the time, cannae see Bob Kelly interfering there, nor could I see any of the Lawwell’s tellin Ange what tae do.
As for Lewis Ferguson, he was an established international with the Sheep when he moved tae Bologna, prior to the pen he played with Hamilton Accies who he had joined straight fae the hun academy replacing greg docherty, another flop, who had went the opposite way.
So, if was that good why in the first place did the huns release him and then when he did show signs of a very much improved talent why no go back in for him, after all his da was a former, and it seems beloved blue nose player, while his uncle a former captain.
This from an article in February `23:
`The Hoops have dominated Scottish football over the last decade or so, hoovering up 22 trophies in 11 years, including nine-in-a-row and an unprecedented quadruple Treble. The Parkhead giants added yet more silverware to their trophy cabinet yesterday after beating Rangers at Hampden to lift their 21st League Cup.`
Can the above in any way be described as `disastrous`?
Unbelievable.
What about this CHUMP !
The architect of the faulty Horizon IT system, who gave evidence used to convict sub-postmasters, has demanded immunity before agreeing to appear at the public inquiry.
Gareth Jenkins, who is understood to have been instrumental in developing the software as a senior computer engineer at Fujitsu, is under police investigation over his role in the Post Office scandal.
His testimony given in court cases that the Fujitsu IT system was working correctly was central to convictions and repeatedly used by Post Office lawyers.
Tracked down by The Telegraph to his home in Berkshire, Mr Jenkins, 69, said, when asked if he was sorry for what had happened: “I don’t want to talk. I don’t have anything to say to you.”
Cannot be used against him
Mr Jenkins has twice sought a guarantee that any testimony he gives to the inquiry cannot be used against him in any possible prosecution and his testimony has also been delayed twice.
On Tuesday, Paula Vennells, the former Post Office chief executive who presided over the scandal, said she was handing back her CBE and she was “truly sorry for the devastation” wreaked on sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted and convicted. It also emerged that in 2017 she was considered for the role of Bishop of London.
Are Chief Scouts available in this Window?
That’s an interesting lead.
Twenty years ago we got a new CEO, he inherited the blueprint for a World Class, State of the Art Football Academy.
Later there was a share issue to help fund it.
We are still waiting for it to be implemented, twenty years later.
How many potential Celtic youngsters have suffered from …a lack of opportunity to work in a conducive environment….
…at Bologna he [Rocco] would be moving to a club that understands how their role in development better than most.
Certainly better than Celtic, we had a blueprint years before Rocco Vata was born, and as usual the Celtic Board sat on their hands.
New CEOs have lately seen projects to enhance Barrowfield and Lennoxtown kick-off, yet too late for Rocco and hundreds of others before him.
The Club that lead the way almost sixty years ago by producing the quality street gang now usurped by Bologna.
ReadIt&WeepCSC
Hail Hail
Oh man. Twenty years ago and Peter Lawwell
Too much for this bear 👋
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