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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While I can’t deny it would have been nice to get another mf in, I can’t help thinking of recent Windows when we’ve missed out on the CL only then to make a relatively big signing on deadline day to try to placate us. We could have gone out of the CL then unveiled Kolo and Scott today. Would we have been happier? Don’t think so!
Celtic are not getting CL money to whip Aberdeen and Hertz. However, I suspect Old Firm is the conceptual limit of many in dim timmery.
Janko wont be back imo
naganon
you need to remember you don’t know what you think you know.
I personally think you’re misguided doing the donkey work for some people who do not put our club first but I’m not 100%. you might be a different animal altogether.
Tambourine I am simply re quoting many posters who’s excuse for this latest non ambition/ spending is we need more grander Windows. It’s just jam tomorrow nonsense to justify the glaring lack of ambition.
It seems your ambition is to just win the SPFL.
Inspiring.
MON identified a soft centre in midfield. He wanted Lenny, and preferred to wait months to get him. All worked out well in the end. Just saying.
Sippin a nice malt here listening to Iain Anderson H H
NEGANON2:
Some of what I write has been called the same :)
Listen, I understand that there’s an upside to keeping the club onside. I don’t do it, I don’t need to do it, I don’t want to do it. But this site has a profile none of mine will ever have, and reach none of mine will ever have, and influence none of mine will ever have.
I think this site has grown beyond what it was, and I think that for all the criticism leveled at it that the enormous good it does, the charitable work, the people it’s brought together … all of that eclipses what’s generally on the front page.
I believe The Strategy is flawed. I believe it is wrong. I believe those responsible for implementing it have done more harm than good. I think Lawwell is a busted flush, who’s desk ought to have been emptied the day his pet project from Norway emptied his.
He’s overpaid, over-rated and his ego is overblown.
But you know something? I don’t believe we have Uncle Tims running this site or any of the others. The guys who defend The Strategy do it because they themselves believe in it. The club did not invent CQN. If CQN has more influence than other sites it’s because Paul’s views closely resemble their own.
Neither Paul nor this site is a mouthpiece for the board. The close relationship between the two is more than convenience. There’s a general agreement about how things work.
That’s not the same as writing spin. It’s not the same as currying favour.
If Paul didn’t believe this stuff he wouldn’t write it in a thousand years.
More than a bit underwhelmed.
Never for one minute expected James McCarthy to be signed up, but I can’t believe there isn’t any midfielder out there within out cost structure. And by midfielder I don’t mean a number 10 or a winger type.
Blueprint is defensively aware, positionally intelligent and can tackle……
This has been a gap for 2+ years, for a team in the Champs League, it’s just about the most important position you can get!
All that said, we are in 10x better shape this season compared to last.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 31ST AUGUST 2016 11:07 PM
Majay
Maximus malcontentum CSC
=============================================================
Tempted to do my John Cleese ear tugging scene on you.
Oh, malcontentus permanentus plebs.
Ah QF do I work for level 5 then? Is that the best you guys have got? To make yourselves fe comfortable you have to come up its claptrap to allow yourself to ignore it all.
Like I said to the rather silly tonydonnllly it was incredibly prescient of level 5 to plant me on this site 11 or so years ago, around a decade before they were created.
But maybe they do time travel?
I liked the naganon bit though. I see what you did there. Clever!
Neganon
So Paul is eating succulent lamb now?
You are encouraging him by logging on to his site, therefore you are responsible for the alleged rubbish that he writes.
You use a bank, you buy from exploitative retailers and manufacturers and use ozone blasting transport. Therefore you are directly responsible for many of the problems facing our world.
If you think that is pish, then you have an inkling of how many of us feel when we read the drivel you post.
Well said James, agree 100%
HH
James, no, don’t retract a word mate, your viewpoint is always interesting, if a little, ehm, nega, naw, realist, nah, pessimisti, nope, your own:-)
TET, I know:-)
Does the bonus run on a calendar year or a fiscal year?
Ask Pierre ? ☘☘☘
Good night and God bless
Happy but always questioning
What time is the BR presser live from Santa Ponsa?
James Forrest. I do wonder about the motivation behind this blog. And in recent times it’s clearly become a simple mouthpiece for lawwell.
So I ask again. Lazy journalism? Hypocrisy?
If Brendan was here for the short term we would be hawked up with loan signings and washed up PL players. Paul says he’s happy and some on here say he’s not. Nobody knows so it’s pointless speculating. Most well organised clubs don’t do business on the last day, scrambling around looking for any sort of deal is evidence of poor planning. We need more out of what we have and more from our youth system. What happened in Israel will be an eye opener for Brendan and as such he will need to adjust tactically to accommodate any weaknesses in the midfield area.
In regards what Peter Lawwell , Brendan Rodgers of Dermot Desmond think, or what actually goes on in the Parkhead inner circle :
I can confidently state I know, that I know nothing.
HH.
NEGANON2 on 31ST AUGUST 2016 11:11 PM
Vfr do I really need to explain it. The whole of Scotland has been telling the big lie to get us back to allowing the racism to continue. Including those who run Celtic. We have seen cheating and corruption on an industrial scale.
But here you are salivating at the thought of playing the Hun again.
It’s simply rank hypocrisy.
————————–
I rest my case! Disagreement with your opinion isn’t rank hypocrisy; it’s simply someone else’s opinion. Not that you’d understand that.
KTF
no – not level 5. you have made assertions which I know for a fact are romours started by agents. I know the agents. I’ll say it again you don’t know what you think you know. unless you are deliberately making the mistake which would make you the agent or an agent of the agent.
Have to laugh at people who think that our current midfield is anywhere near good enough!
Mr Stein always said games are won and lost in the middle of the park.
We have allowed Mulgrew and Johansen to leave while bringing in no-one to replace them.
I discount a 17 year old project.
Given the time it took to secure Brendan’s first big target , it seems that the CEO has not performed to the level the manager expected. The failure to secure a midfielder after securing the riches of the CL suggests to me that PL is still either dragging his feet or has regained control of the purse strings.
Listening to Bndan last week most expected at least one significant addition, a £400k back up right back don’t count!
HH
LISBON LIONS UPPER
True, but we didn’t have the transfer window back then so MON went and got Lenny in the December I think. Back then you could react and sign players through the season as and when the manager thought he needed them.
“Last time a was at Celtic Park on Deadline Day we signed no (expletive) and boys fae Shettleston were throwing tangerines it Peter Lawell ”
Overheard at a Bus Stop CSC
Ger57its succulent lamb right enough.
Man we loved to wax lyrical about succulent lamb and the sfa and the media. Oh we had such fun laughing at Huns.
And then when we began to realise our club was colluding with the Hun what did most of you do?
Absolutely nothing. Just accept it.
It’s just hypocricy.
So I log on here, as I have for over a decade (level 5 time traveller) to challenge Paul’s sycophancy and to challenge the propaganda.
Och, I’m weary of reading the over the top drama queen reactions from ex supporters.
Of course I would have loved a signing or two more, but I still have huge hopes for the 5 we did sign plus Jozo who will hopefully be back playing very shortly.
I have been encouraged by some but not all of recent displays, I think we are going to have a good season.
Following Celtic is a positive joyful experience for me.
I refuse to be brought down by the naysayers and I refuse to be made feel guilty for following the team that I love.
Goodnight & God Bless All.
Another window closed and further evidence that the Board have feck all ambition. Dream a little ffs. Thank god we didn’t lose jozo. If brown or kolo get injured this team will collapse. Don’t believe we couldn’t have brought in a loan for cover or to improve the team. PL said one more and he meant one more. Always the nearly a good team. I’m disappointed but remain optimistic.
QF rumours raised by agents. Haha. That’s got me intrigued that has. Give me a wee example.
TTR
Prob Brendan has is the players are not good enough, you can’t make a silk purse etc.
If a team like HBS and even worse, a team like the Red Imps can make us look like pish, what are our euro oppos gonna do to us, we are so so weak in the mid of the team.
Brown/Bitton were in the mid when the huns knocked us out of the cup last season don’t forget, the same Bitton who was desperate to come off cos he was injured, aye right.
I will wager that BR is not a happy bunny tonight, but he will get on with it as best he can.
HH
Well at least you don’t have to live with the racists corkcelt.
Night night.
i hope we dont get embarrased in the cl.
if br was stiched up, he will be gone next year or pl will. imo.
The trouble with deadline day is almost everyone becomes an expert at identifying the players we need. I’m no different.
Really pleased with our signings.
Yaya Toure was a star at man City and will shine.
Trevor Sinclair is a natural. Who can forget his overhead kick when playing for QPR.
Moussa Dembele is a steal! Belgian international and Spurs’ best midfielder last season? A real coup.
Mark de Vries was a decent striker at Hearts and will be an even better goalie for us.
And not forgetting whatshisname who played all five games for whatchamacallthem in the World Cup? I watched every minute and thought he was a star.
Happy days.
Hail hail
So vfr their hasn’t been corruption? And Celtic haven’t been either involved or complicit?
QF, Neganon is a Tim, a negative one, but a Tim, and one I have met.
Without doubt.
BR stated he wanted a creative midfielder and that the club knew the identity of that player. Who was it and why did the club not get him?There might be a perfectly good explanation so let’s hear it
We also only have two strikers and NC.
Whit ate yous aw aboot. I feel as if am a schizophrenic ( apologies to all persons who may have this illness). You guys whirl around like dervishes. Get a life, We are in THE CHAMPTON LEAGUE. No many teams git that chance. FORZA VERDE BIANCO
Since we never got a midfielder, do you think we will maybe get a cafe instead?
NEGANON2:
I agree with you on The Strategy and on certain people within Celtic Park.
But as I said, I don’t believe Paul is being used, or would allow himself to be.
I’ve met Paul enough times to know he’s a believer. Like a lot of our fans he looks at the wreckage of Ibrox and is grateful we DON’T have a David Murray at the helm. I am grateful for that every day, for the wee guy in the bunnet. I never wanted Desmond to fund Fantasy Football, because eventually those taps run dry and then you’re screwed. It will happen to clubs in England, as it happened to Blackburn and Leeds.
I understand The Strategy, at its heart. I even agree with it in part.
I don’t think we’ve done all we can to grow, and I think lack of imagination and ambition has cost us. One of the best pieces of writing on that subject came from “Celtic board plant” (haha couldn’t resist) BRTH, who’s written a couple of great pieces on the shelf life of the modern CEO.
You need to bring in fresh thinking from time to time.
We’ve not done that in years.
What I’m trying to say is that I get it, part of it, and I get why a lot of our fans support it. I think a lot of cobblers has been put about relating to what some of are asking for … had we signed a central midfielder tonight I’d have been singing a different song.
The guy who runs this blog believes in what he’s writing. He doesn’t need Lawwell or anyone else to tell him what to say. He speaks his mind, and I’ve read critical articles here. Paul has constraints I don’t have; he has good contacts inside and outside Celtic and this site has been the beneficiary of those.
Why, just tonight I was able to get my article on the transfer window done a full three hours early cause this site said the business was done :)
I didn’t like the news, but I was damned glad to get it before the curfew! :)
If I sound happier than I do in that blog it’s cause I genuinely am quite a happy camper at the moment!