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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Good morning all from a very mild Garngad, the wee birds are a singing out the back. I love listening to them.
BRRB – when you hame?
D. :)
Ps Have we still not signed anyone yet.
Forward planning from the Board, shhhhhooperb and in some fans eyes there is nothing to worry about.🤣
These fans are enablers, enabling no good, Liars to stay in a job and ROB our club.
Forget about January transfer window let’s do our business in summer, aye right.
How are you meant to do anything in Europe with that mantra.
Open your eyes.
D. :)
Lewis Ferguson – how did our 5* recruitment team miss him? Played against him 4/5 times a year and none of the genius’s spotted the amazing potential?
No we were too busy looking on the far side of the moon for 22yo midfield players with some experience and potential at around the £2m mark – wait a minute????
I was never overly convinced by him but seem we missed a project+ right under our noses? He may not have come for personal reasons but if we weren’t looking at him that’s a big error.
Liel Abada – I think will be gone soon also. During Ragers game at CP he didn’t acknowledge the crowd during his warm ups, barely looked at them and was very detached and emotionless during the lap at the end. Difficult when your countries sworn enemies are so robustly supported by your employers customer base regardless of the rights and wrongs. Maybe the RB guy is replacement?
Good Morning Fholk- Grand Day To Be A Tim,
Moisey @ 6:59 AM,
Yes, very curious lead, it seems to be highlighting deficiencies in Celtic’s young player recruitment and development over the last few years – very un CQN like, yet intimates we need to stick with it, even if we aren’t that good at it!?
Missing the obvious in Lewis Ferguson, then bringing in a South Korean second division player!?
Good post by…
TONTINE TIM @ 4:05 PM,
Rocco like several other “B” team players, was offered a chance to extend his contract and go out on loan.
My understanding was he wouldn’t extend his contract but still wanted to go out on loan.
Celtic, quite rightly, kept him in the “B” team.
Just wanted to clear summit up, t’uther day after I was aff oot, a few commented on my use of the word disastrous…
CHAIRBHOY on 9TH JANUARY 2024 12:59 PM,
Please look at our current squad.
This obsession with moneyball and age is proving disastrous for us.
We are now in the situation where we can no longer bring in development players as our current squad and players on loan are teeming with an unmanageable amount of development players.
My comment, quite clearly, is about the “current squad”, nothing more, nothing less.
So let me explain to the strawman builders what I meant.
Our current obsession with moneyball players and age has meant we have a squad not fit for purpose.
It is bloated, far too many players underdevelopment, too many not contributing at the requisite standard.
We went out of the league Cup, we are out of the UCL and we are far closer in the league, with the league still in our closest rivals hands, than we should have been.
According to our CEO we are striving to be an elite Club and there are certainly signs of that, no doubts.
However, nothing should be getting in the way of our preparation to be competitive in the restructured UCL next season.
While often saying that our player recruitment was not fit for purpose, a perusal of our current squad will show that our recent signing policy and implementation, has been a disastrous.
We are nowhere ready to be “elite” in next seasons UCL and that’s our PLC’s stated ambition.
Hail Hail
Looks like a summer signing is for the off.
“Forgotten Celtic man Marco Tilio has hinted that his future could be away from the club after just six months having failed to make his mark in Glasgow’s east end.”
So we have our rivals doing good business by loaning out a dud from an already depleted midfield / forward unit and taking on a non proven wonder boy at pretty hefty wages with no option to buy.
We have our rivals compliant media only making noise ( and to be honest I though a deal had been done going by negativity on here this past few days ) about signing some Turkish star and possibly offloading their only decent left back.
Yes they are going about things well.
At a time when not much is usually concluded apart from pre arranged ‘projects’ and those from less prominent markets and when the Afcon and Asia cup are about to commence it is maybe not too big a surprise nothing concret has happened for us.
In 1969 when the Huns signed Colin stein the 9 year old me was terrified and unable to sleep some nights for fear he was going to take it all way from Celtic. The evening citizen suggested that and the wide old Celtic guys who talked about the football after mass all said it there were troubles at Celtic. The new kids were not good enough etc etc.
A year later of course there were troubles at Celtic. They were there for all to see. We lost a European Cup we should have won after beating champs of Switzerland Portugal Italy and England on the way to the final and Bobby Davidson cheated us out of a treble v Aberdeen in the cup final after we had beaten rangers (Colin stein and all) in the Qtr final.
Yes there were troubles at Celtic and it took another 6 seasons from then until rangers actually won the league. They actually won the cup winners cup before they won the league back then. They also only won 1 Scottish cup and 1 league cup in that period vs our 3 or each.
Just as the old men were right we had troubles back in 69 and everyone panicked about the greet Colin stein. Every window since they were invented we have seen the whole scenario play out again.
My old man wasn’t always the voice of reason nor was he a great communicator or football expert. He did say that folk are sometimes happier when they have something or someone to blame (the whites and Kelly’s were that of course) and in the case of rangers fans they needed something to cling to and the longer they went on losing the more this magnified.
By contrast to the worries of 9 year old me I look at the poor kids of Yemen. The contrast with Oman could not be more stark. Even in the soft areas near the border of the 2. The lottery of birth and how much 50 miles north south East or west makes to chances in life. 2 Arab countries damaged by Britain who have responded so differently. The Oman success is mirrored by the Yemen tragedy ( I cannot find a strong enough word ). No worries about signings for them. Only food and water and shelter ……. The other shared one they do need is hope.
Dearie me.
D :)
We don’t need your Colin Stein
Eusebio or Alan Gilzean
We’ve got someone twice as good
We’ve got Harry Harry Hood
Hail hail.
Greenpinata
I remember it well.
Great times.
Greenpinata
Re your comments about conspiracy and cover up and manipulation of history. The stuff which happened down here is incredible. A story barely told for sure.
The irony of me sharing a hotel for a few days in Oman with an Astra Zenica conference was quite amusing. Especially never knowing what my wife was going to say to who !!!!
Test
In 2016, “The R@ngers were coming”, Celtic were so afraid they hired Brendan Rodgers.
Celtic won the league
In 2017, “The R@ngers were coming”, Celtic were in decline, turmoil or just plain dithering.
Celtic won the league
In 2018, “The R@ngers were coming” and all was rosy in the Aye-brokes garden. There was considerable strife in the Celtic camp.
Celtic won the league
In 2019, “The R@ngers were REALLY coming”. Signings were amazing. Celtic were unambitious in the transfer market.
Celtic won the league
In 2020, we thought we’d supported the manager well enough with the rebuild of the squad. The season was a total disaster.
Celtic lost the league
In 2021, the majestic R@ngers were at their imperious best and were about to dominate Scottish football for a decade with Gio’s rebuilt squad.
Celtic were a “joke”, a “mess”, a “shambles”. The rebuild would take years and we’d compounded the issue by signing as manager a nobody from the other side of the world.
Celtic won the league.
In 2022, Sevco won the transfer window as always and we’re coming (again). Gio left, the latest saviour arrived.
Celtic won the league.
2023, Sevco have a new Messiah, brilliant momentum, transfer wizardry (in and out) and are coming to get us.
Celtic have been beset by injuries, haven’t played consistently, and are a “joke”, a “shambles” and a “mess”
Celtic are top of the league but don’t let that fact get in the way ……
…. Sevco have a new Messiah, brilliant momentum, transfer wizardry (in and out) and are coming to get us.
Celtic, by comparison, are a “joke”, a “shambles” and a “mess”
Well, got to say, you ghuys and your Rangerses obsession.
Not the healthiest thing by the way;)
Celtic Celtic, that’s the team for me…
Hail Hail
Burnley 78,
The cancelling and censorship of the AZ vaccine blood clotting etc is already ongoing.
Maybe a TV drama series will be forthcoming in circa 20 years.
The same with lockdown and numerous other topics.
It suits the establishment agenda to portray concerned citizens as indulging in conspiracy theories .
Does anyone seriously think the PO scandal and conspiracy of silence would have gathered any pace without the excellent TV drama.
Sure notable exceptions like Private Eye and some individuals have been active in their fight for justice, but it has taken a TV drama to bring this to the publics attention.
If brave tenacious individuals like Alan Bates and Anne Williams had not been assisted by powerful TV drama the “end game ” would have been so far out of reach..
What surprises me is the amount of people ( including) on CQN ) that will shout about ” Rebels ” then refuse to question the establishment.
Have you read about Hollie Greig?
Cheers and HH.
Re scapegoating one of the more depressing stories in the news today is the return of Trump to the agenda. It’s easy to forget how divisive he is until you hear his voice again, with his hysterical rhetoric, emotive, binary approach to complex issues, above all how everything is reduced to us and them, him and her. Scapegoating, hatred, deceit, simple things that appeal to the basest part of us all.
The normalization of his way of operating is one of the most corrosive things to affect our society. There’s nothing good about it at all, but it’s coming our way again, with all that means for politics and life in general in our country.
GREENPINATA on 11TH JANUARY 2024 10:57 AM
The post office scandal wasn’t a simple government or establishment conspiracy. I’ve watched the program listened to the media coverage and I still don’t understand what happened.
There are so many different agencies and organizations at “fault” and it’s not an attractive story for the mainstream media – it has very few of the ingredients that make it one.
CELTIC40ME on 11TH JANUARY 2024 11:17 AM
The conspiracy was the establishment cover up.
Described as the ” Conspiracy of silence ”
The conspiracy is now unravelling.
HH.
Radio 4 broadcast a series of programmes on the Post Office Scandal four years ago, still available on BBC Sounds.
Last nights Panorama ‘The Post Office Scandal’ was first broadcast nearly two years ago.
The first overturned conviction was back in 2021.
HOC Select Committee grilled Paula Vennels CBE years ago.
Private Eye has been exposing the Horizon scandal for years and years.
The facts and the truth was out there……
The Post Office continued to and continues to ignore it…
The Post Office Scandal:
How many folk were sent to prison or prosecuted, say, 10 years before the Horizon software was introduced?
I’ll bet it was nothing like the figures for the next 10 years. Someone has definitely seen the anomaly in these figures and decided to stay silent, actually, everyone who seen the evidence of the increase in prosecutions after this system was introduced has a case to answer, by not asking WHY! por cierto
Greenpinata
Not read that book but I will check with my wife who probably has. I am much more interested now I have a bit more time to get more into these things. She has spent a life challenging all sorts of misrepresentation.
new article posted.
Greenpinata
Totally agree about plastic pretend rebels.
Apologies Greenpinata.
It wasn’t a book you suggested. Just googled it.