Brendan Rodgers declared himself delighted with his first transfer window as Celtic manager, which is now over, after the additions of Kolo Toure, Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele, Dorus de Vries and Cristian Gamboa.
Toure, Dembele and Sinclair, the managers three primary targets, were acquired early, while de Vries and right back, Gamboa, were added recently. Deals went close to the wire today but the hoped-for midfield player (which was never James McCarthy) didn’t materialise.
A permanent deal for a (known around these parts) central defender to backfill Jozo Simunovic, who was wanted by Torino, couldn’t be tied up either, so Torino also look to have missed their target.
You’ll hear direct from the manager soon enough but he’s got the calibre of recruit he wanted – which he didn’t know would be possible three months ago.
There was never anything possible to make a formidable Champions League group look any easier, but we’ll compete at the top table, and we’ll wipe the floor with all-comers domestically.
More tomorrow.
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JAMES FORREST –
You stated on 29 August that :
– Ronal Koeman wasn’t telling the truth
– James McCarthy would leave Everton
– Celtic were JM’s preferred option
– He would be a Celtic player by the time the window was closed
What was your optimism based on?
TD
If your account hasn’t been hacked then I got a serious question; Do you suffer from Split Personality Disorder?
Question for Paul67
Is it possible that to impersonate someone on here?
Beatbhoy…
Smiley thing …
Passive reading of the shoite on here must be harmful methinks…
Braw.
Smokers should carry doggie bags. Obviously not to put the dog in.
Should chewing gum be banned as it costs a fortune to clean up. ? People who put chewing gum on seats are worse than smokers. But some may say the results can be funny; especially for suited gents. :-)
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 11:14 AM
You don’t need to have played the game to spot a player. John barnes and Jose Murhino are polar examples of that.
The issue, IMHO, isn’t about spotting a player, it’s about not getting the deal done. We didn’t and I’m over it.
I am not being taken for an idiot; I have been buying 2 season tickets for al long, long time and will continue to do as long as I can afford to. I will also buy the CL package.
I understand that previous boards prior to The Bunnet were divesting the club of income for their own ends. I still went along as often as I could (didnae need a season ticket then).
The Bunnet came in and said he would impose corporate governance and walk away with a profit in 5 years. he did and he did. I got my season tickets.
He sold his shares to DD who employed a CEO and still imposed corporate governance. I’ve still got my season tickets.
Football is a business; you and others may not like it. In order to be good on the pitch you need a good business model. Celtic have that; in todays game they are hand in glove. I understand that and I accept it. For those who don’t, you are welcome to vote with your feet; however, don’t disrespect me and thousands of other because we make a different choice.
Are you an idiot for not going? No. Am I an idiot for going? No.
Let’s leave it at that, a difference of opinion.
KTF
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 11:55 AM
TD67
So you are denying that you called Celtic fans ‘Groomers’?
If thats what you are saying…i tell you straight, you are a liar.
Absolutely, I’v never used that word on its own to any Celtic supporter, I have said the leaders of the GB groom kids to cause trouble by waving flags and holing up banners yes absolutely, but not in the road your going Down, but that’s what the pack do right, make things up. Let the kids enjoy supporting Celtic, and stop grooming them to break laws so that CFC get in trouble from UEFA all for a left wing socialist mobs agenda to be met, get it?
How’s about a wee charity football match.
Malcontents v Conformists.
Nae soiled nickers allowed thouh TD67 or back stabbing for that matter.
MWD
Malarkey on 1st September 2016 11:57 am
Flamini would be absolutely perfect – the problem is you don’t just go out and tell them we’ll take them , just because they are free agents. In particular Flamini, given the options he is likely to have(only 32). He’s made a packet from the game – top of the list of places to play will be somewhere there is a nice climate, still earning plenty. Champions League? A nice extra.
Unfortunately, a non starter, unless he could be convinced, which I’m sure we know the answer to or we’d have heard by now…
HH
NATKNOW:
Well I guess it’s not a secret now :)
For openers, Koeman really wasn’t being honest when he said the player wouldn’t be allowed to leave. That was obvious from a close reading of the more knowledgeable English sports writers. It was common currency down there that he was unhappy at being asked to play right-back and that Koeman had told him that might well be his future in the team … if he had one.
Koeman had already signed a very similar player and last night was trying, until late, to sign Sissoko. Had that deal gone through I have no doubt McCarthy would have wound up somewhere else. In England, by the looks of it, as we were clearly not on the scene on the day.
Celtic was definitely his preferred option. He’s never hidden that. There are familial issues as well which are part of why he’d have favoured a move to Glasgow over anywhere else. I’m not fully up to speed on those, and they’re not my business to speculate on, but that would have weighed heavily in his thinking.
Why was I convinced he was coming here? Believe it or not, he’d told people that. I am going to assume right now that he was talking more in hope than expectation, but he gave a lot of folk good reason to believe that a deal was imminent. He stayed in Glasgow over the weekend, and a good friend of the family, not prone to gossiping, bumped into him at the hotel where he was staying and they had a very nice chat about it and not only was McCarthy hopeful of the deal but he told my mate to bet on it.
I like a flutter and McCarthy had been 8/1 that day. By the time I got logged in he was 6/5.
So something major was going on, or people thought it was.
All the planets seemed to be in alignment on that one … and as a loan deal (which, as it turns out, is what was on offer) it would have made perfect sense. Born in Scotland, so fits the Champions League “Home grown (Nation) player”, can play the midfield anchor role, has an affinity for the club and a guy Brendan would have known well from the Merseyside derbies …
Everything fitted. Or seemed to.
Looked a certainty.
And so many media outlets thought the same that you have to wonder.
Its all about getting the next Scott Brown…unfortunately.
Rather than go the creative McStay, Moravcik route…..we want a Scoddish type player.
Stifle rather than create.
Sad really.
HH
TD67
Flower it however you attempt to flower it.
You are aware of the underlying implications of your use of the phrase and it took 1 week and 4 days for you to find someone intelligent enough to give you an out and provide what appears to be a reasonable response.
Your use of the phrase says more about your personal traits than it does anyone or any group you apply it to.
MWD
Have I missed something?
Have we sacked Brendan and replaced him with Mo Johnston?
Pretty depressing on here at times. Far too often.
TD67
The sort of response id expect from you really.
Cant own what you say….because you know you were out of order calling Celtic fans ‘Groomers’
I know what you said, and so does everybody else.
You are making an arse of yourself….again
Be a man….tell the truth, nobody likes a liar
Now we are grassing on insider trading betting!!!!!
Feck sake !!!!
Smiley thing
Braw
Can you imagine the reaction today if we signed an unknown 33 year old Slovak yesterday ?
TRADITIONALIST88 on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 12:08 PM
Malarkey on 1st September 2016 11:57 am
Flamini would be absolutely perfect – the problem is you don’t just go out and tell them we’ll take them , just because they are free agents. In particular Flamini, given the options he is likely to have(only 32). He’s made a packet from the game – top of the list of places to play will be somewhere there is a nice climate, still earning plenty. Champions League? A nice extra.
Unfortunately, a non starter, unless he could be convinced, which I’m sure we know the answer to or we’d have heard by now…
HH
——-
Your post is interesting in that you suggest we can’t attract an out of contract 32 year old. Where as others are slating the club for not signing a qaulity player. It’s not as easy as it seems.
AURORABOREALIS79 on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 12:02 PM
TD
If your account hasn’t been hacked then I got a serious question; Do you suffer from Split Personality Disorder?
Question for Paul67
Is it possible that to impersonate someone on here?
Hey! If that’s what your into, you may get some answers here? The illness your talking about is DID I think, shame on you, who ever I am.
GREENPINATA:
Haha :)
Is there such a thing anymore? The great thing about the internet is that we’d have Lubo’s career, chapter and verse, and all those excellent YouTube clips to watch … and we’d have been convinced.
Of course, the Scottish media would still have told us we were daft for missing out on John Spencer instead!
They have a problem with actual research! :)
Bit of perspective needed.
Brendan has consistently praised the board and the owner for the support he has had and said so publicly.
See ETIMS today for actual quote.
He was targeting one more player, we didn’t get him for whatever reason. Not one person on this blog knows the reason(s), not one, so all opinions are just that, opinions and supposition.
We have strengthened in key areas albeit Kolo Toure for me is a stop gap signing for one season so we need to establish a centre half pairing that does not include him for next season.
Ajer may be the answer in front of the back four, six foot five and showed up really well against Inter Milan, time will tell. Henderson in my opinion is a good ‘un as could Christie be but they need game time to see if they are or not, all of them.
Time for the management team to get coaching and find a system that works away from home in the Champions League.
3-5-2 would be my preference in that case but lets see what they decide.
To copy a by line from the Celtic Blog
“In Brendan We Trust”
Here’s the movie trailer Awrora
https://youtu.be/WuIigw0tqds
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 12:08 PM
NATKNOW:
Well I guess it’s not a secret now :)
For openers, Koeman really wasn’t being honest when he said the player wouldn’t be allowed to leave. That was obvious from a close reading of the more knowledgeable English sports writers. It was common currency down there that he was unhappy at being asked to play right-back and that Koeman had told him that might well be his future in the team … if he had one.
Koeman had already signed a very similar player and last night was trying, until late, to sign Sissoko. Had that deal gone through I have no doubt McCarthy would have wound up somewhere else. In England, by the looks of it, as we were clearly not on the scene on the day.
Celtic was definitely his preferred option. He’s never hidden that. There are familial issues as well which are part of why he’d have favoured a move to Glasgow over anywhere else. I’m not fully up to speed on those, and they’re not my business to speculate on, but that would have weighed heavily in his thinking.
Why was I convinced he was coming here? Believe it or not, he’d told people that. I am going to assume right now that he was talking more in hope than expectation, but he gave a lot of folk good reason to believe that a deal was imminent. He stayed in Glasgow over the weekend, and a good friend of the family, not prone to gossiping, bumped into him at the hotel where he was staying and they had a very nice chat about it and not only was McCarthy hopeful of the deal but he told my mate to bet on it.
I like a flutter and McCarthy had been 8/1 that day. By the time I got logged in he was 6/5.
So something major was going on, or people thought it was.
All the planets seemed to be in alignment on that one … and as a loan deal (which, as it turns out, is what was on offer) it would have made perfect sense. Born in Scotland, so fits the Champions League “Home grown (Nation) player”, can play the midfield anchor role, has an affinity for the club and a guy Brendan would have known well from the Merseyside derbies …
Everything fitted. Or seemed to.
Looked a certainty.
And so many media outlets thought the same that you have to wonder.
——————————————-
Thanks for the response James.
I wonder if there’s scope here for the SFA to get in a rule change or two before the visit of Der Mob?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-bans-football-referees-fifa-sharia-law-syria-commands-allah-a7218466.html
Am away to cut the grass……
Enjoy your day…
Braw.
thetimreaper on 1st September 2016 12:14 pm
I know, just think too many (football) fans attitude to free agents is ach ok then, go and get them for a year, like we’re doing the player a favour. It has to be right for both parties.
Flamini is high quality and will have options in Italy and the Far East no doubt.
Pretty sure the question would have been asked. Would love the answer to be yes, but don’t see it…
HH
Here’s a thought, is it possible to be disappointed in not getting a midfielder, happy at overall transfer activity, supportive of the manager, positive about the future but still reserving judgement on whether transfer policy has really changed for good all at the same time?
Such complex emotions! It’s a wonder I’m not short circuiting…
DAVIDOPOULOS
Aye.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Thought so.
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 12:08 PM
There’s one main reason I think McCarthy (on loan at least) was a non-starter and that’s his supposed fee of £20M for other premiership teams.
If that’s what Everton truly value him at he’s beyond our means. However, putting him on loan tells other teams that actually that’s totally inflated because I don’t see Everton as a team that’s got so many £20M players swimming around that they can put them out on loan. Especially if Everton think they might still get him sold come January.
Where does that leave us? If his real current value is closer to £15M and the £20M was a premium for selling to a team in the same league, as he gets closer to the end of his contract I can see his value dropping to nearer £10M. Would we spend that on a player? We can certianly afford to. I think it was yourself I suggested the guaranteed CL income would allow 2 x £5M players on £25k/week. Well equally it covers a £10M player on £50k/week. The additional revenues would cover any players that required a contractual rise to meet that.
So is a ‘McCarthy’ totally off the cards? Probably not, but it would need to be for an exceptional player. Is McCarthy exceptional?
So from the looks of things this is what we were trying to do yesterday
OUT:
Efe Ambrose
Jozo Simunovic
IN:
Jason Denayer
James Morrison
I would have liked to see it all happen but I’m not too disappointed. There could still be a player in Simunovic and I wasn’t convinced on Morrison.
Davidopoulos on 1st September 2016 12:21 pm
Here’s a thought, is it possible to be disappointed in not getting a midfielder, happy at overall transfer activity, supportive of the manager, positive about the future but still reserving judgement on whether transfer policy has really changed for good all at the same time?
Yes, you’ve just described how I feel.
DAVIDOPOULOS
The positive parts of it are about the only things keeping me sane. Ish…
WEEMINGER on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 12:23 PM
In todays market McCarthy could easily be 20 million.
Proven class performer in the EPL and 25 years old.
Thanks Auldheid for the link to this article, some food for thought on here RE planning ahead and not getting caught up in the SSN ticker tape showpiece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/09/01/behind-the-frenzy-of-transfer-deadline-day-lurks-the-wasted-mill/
The paragraph below sums it up for me…
One of the more curious phenomena of recent windows is it seems to be those supporters whose clubs are most active in the final few hours who are most content. Pre-planning, concluding deals weeks and months ahead of the frenzy earns no admiration in our age of instant, immediate, ceaseless gratification. Forget those who nabbed a bargain in June. It is the chief executive who beats the clock by minutes whose negotiating skills earn most applause.
new article posted.
Flower it however you attempt to flower it.
You are aware of the underlying implications of your use of the phrase and it took 1 week and 4 days for you to find someone intelligent enough to give you an out and provide what appears to be a reasonable response.
Your use of the phrase says more about your personal traits than it does anyone or any group you apply it to.
I’m aware Whois using the underlying implications, and I’m also aware why they are doing it I said that last week, and I also said that the pack in here are also using it too, I’v not used the word once in the context they are, and have no intentions of it either, yourself and the others use it daily, so what does that say about yous? Or it it just me that gets it in the neck for NOT using it but people implying I did with no proof what so ever?
So, it looks like Scotland’s Game is going to focus on the big story. The biggest club in Scotland to go bust.
Gretna!
Good old BBC!!!
WEEMINGER:
Well that’s a very good question mate. I didn’t see a single player we were linked with who WAS exceptional … all but one.
I heard very early that we had asked Man City about Nasri. On a season long deal, with a big fee upfront to offset some of his wage costs, because he was not for taking a wage cut. Unlikely? Definitely, but there was reason to believe it might be doable.
Fantasy football stuff? Yeah of course it was, but worth a punt considering the good relationship that definitely exists between the clubs. Any chance of a deal like that happening went by the boards the second we drew City in the Champions League.
Even the rumoured intention of bringing back Denayer would have been in serious doubt.
I’ve said that I think Brendan will be the manager who breaks our transfer record; someone will be, and I think he’ll do enough to get that kind of latitude. I would still support breaking it for Patrick Roberts.
But no, I don’t actually think McCarthy is in that class. He would have been expensive, even to bring on loan, and he would have ticked a few boxes … but a marquee signing? Nope.
Just a very good one.
Yes – Flamini is an interesting example. He fills particular role that only some teams will have a requirement in.
It totally depends who else wants him and for how long (Roma are mentioned), how much they need him (as backup or to fill an obvious gap), what happened on deadline day (have some teams missed other picks), and how long they need him for?
Then there are his preferences – wages, length of contract, league, first pick?
It’s worth asking I reckon but given all the variables probably unlikely. I guess deadline day buy are probably similarly complex but different factors.