We spoke a while back about clubs’ footballing identities. The Red Bull stable, City Football Group teams, as well as those using Jamestown Analytics have similar characteristics to each other (despite enormous differences in resources, on some occasions).
Even unsuccessful clubs can have consistent identities, think Manchester United, or Newco, who rinse and repeat the same plan year-after-year. While some clubs can be successful without a coherent identity – they simply buy better players then their opponents.
If Celtic are to maximise their potential, they need a clear identity and that should be to find and develop players like Callum Osmand (19). It is a crime against football that Callum had not seen a minute’s professional action until six days ago. It is a crime against Celtic that he sat on the bench against Kairat Almaty in August, alongside Johnny Kenny (22).
Callum and Johnny have a long way to go to develop into Champions League players. You and I know to expect that, at most, only one of them will make the cut. However, they were good enough to deliver in a crucial game on Sunday and might have done the same in August.
We signed Callum on 30 June. No deadline day dramas, no fighting off Ajax, just the recruitment department preparing throughout the season and getting approval from the manager to bring in an out-of-contract player.
Johnny has been a Celtic player since he was 18 and was sent out on three loans before happenchance left a space in the squad this term. Then an injury got him a shirt. Can we develop him into a better player? Probably, but at a point, we need to commit to a football identity consistent with doing so.
There is an expectation that Hearts’ league challenge will suffer when Celtic and Newco spend their greater resources in January. I am more concerned with whom Tony Bloom could bring to Edinburgh from Brighton or USG. Hearts remain outsiders this season, but the challenge is coming. For Celtic, Callum Osmand is the model. Get good at it, get a manager who pays more than lip-service to it, or prepare for some harsh times.
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packed out new celtic shop all over tv with seb callum and jonny in attendance.
put a player on the tills everyday
oh and beat the new huns
Kenny and Donny could have had a hat trick each
Composure and accuracy in shooting practice needed
Martin O’Neill Rips Apart Danny Rohls Tactics – All 23 Chances Celtic Had Against Rangers
https://youtu.be/DuIoyBi7Dt8?si=T0E9bhvahvwQ5bc-
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 4TH NOVEMBER 2025 7:07 PM
“They just can’t leave it for one day and enjoy the victory”.
TBF the mob on here kept a lid on it yesterday, but were quick out the blocks when their Supreme Leader got a bit of criticism this morning.
———-
I’m off today mate can you not get back to your usual name calling ?
Jamestown Analytics modelling doesnt decide what sort of players you sign, its not a simple system that only finds one profile of player. It has enough data on players of all ages in every league in Europe that it can give you a long list of players who suit what your needs are at any time.
If Hearts want to sign players who can make an instant impact its done its job incredibly well. They have a standard mid table Scottish manager and after one window they sit 6 points clear at the top of the league after playing us off the park just over a week ago.
Tony Bloom will know that there wont be much profit to be made from a 26 year old forward who has played in Macedonia and had a couple of seasons in the spl. He’ll understand better than anyone of us how to buy young and cheap and sell for big profits.
I would imagine there will be a time when that comes – he hasnt just bought young a cheap at USG or Brighton but its been a key part of the strategy at Brighton and USG so you’d expect him to replicate it at Hearts, probably on a lesser scale.
Perhaps he wont but that doesn’t change whats right for Celtic. Smart people adapt to their circumstances.
CHAIRBHOY on 4TH NOVEMBER 2025 7:01 PM
Good that know you’ve got a grasp on it now.
I dont think you’re on very firm ground talking about Brendan signing and developing young players after the last couple of weeks but go ahead.
The logic is profound…
Bringing back AJ too soon – very bad
Not bringing back Auston too soon – very bad
Playing development players Johnny and Donny- very good
Playing development players Murray and Donovan – very bad
Can we wee a pattern develop.
Hail Hail
Celtic40me @ 7:25 pm,
So Johnny and Callum Osmand didn’t need developing – MON and Shaun just flipped the done switch and hey presto:))))
Hail Hail
Our transfer strategy should be as follows:
Sign players and have them bedded into the team prior to any qualifiers. If they dont wanna commit before then move on to someone that does.
The transfer strategy does not needs to be completely development orientation. Surely a better balanced approach (mix of experience and youth) would have more benefit to the overall team, results and player development.
Don’t bring in loans unless there is a buy option.
Purchase the best academy players possible whereever they can be found and offer a pathway to the first team.
Do not stockpile players cause they may turn out good.
Don’t hang onto players of they are not good enough or want to go make it happen.
Finally could folk stop talking about celtic fc as if there is no structure and no use of data and analytics in terms of identifying players. Frankly it is silly, of course the club use the latest tech. The skill is to find the people who can cut through the data and identify the players that will work, regardless of age.
Off the football pitch celtic should have a plan to completely upgrade the stadium inside and out for the benefit of visitors be it game day or otherwise.
HH
Chairbhoy
Giving credit to Brendan for developing those two takes some doing.
Celtic40me @ 7:51 pm,
Yes, exactly, who did that!?
Hail Hail
gm.
who is the supreme leader
Was it this sycophantic, talking about his “supreme leader”?
“Hopefully he’ll be judged on what he’s done for the club. He changed the landscape of this club massively. … As a club, we have a lot to thank him for. We wish him well, of course. He was amazing for my career and has done so much for me.”
Callum MacGregor
Hail Hail
originalsadiesbhoys
Was talking to a guy only today re Jonny Kenny who said ah but he’s only been scoring in Ireland, to which I said he’ll do just as well at Celtic surrounded by better players. (Not to mention his own Euro experience). Got high hopes for both him and Callum, and you can be sure they both want to do well at Celtic, but just never got the impression that Brendan thought their style worked for him.
kt … jota
are they development players ?
Celtic Mac @ 8:01 pm,
Yes, it was good to see him get the call up to ROINT – Evan Ferguson is injured so may get an opportunity against Portugal &/or Hungary.
Hail Hail
“The logic is profound…”.
Yes, it’s a bit like describing buying a player for £9m and selling him twelve months later for £6m as “good business “.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM @ 8:23 pm,
You may not have noticed but I’m no fan of this Board…
Don’t forget the mantra;)
Arne, Auston, A-dam
Arne, Auston, A-dam
Arne, Auston, A-dam
Hail Hail
Stephenbhoyboy @ 7:48 pm,
Good call…
Also, it’s important that recruitment bolsters the team not unsettles it.
If we are successful as a team, we will produce the HVPs and they can move on when the time is right.
Matt O’Riley is a great example.
Hail Hail
chairbhoy
Never realised Ferguson got injured played in the last International.
Might see how a Idah – Kenny combo might work.
Dont know offhand if they played together at Celtic.
Sami handball incident as TT in Liverpool game. Goes to VAR. No penalty. Ref checks the screen. Arms are in a natural position.
Liverpool denied a penalty for a handball where the defenders arm was much further from the body/ in much less of a natural position than Ralston’s was on Sunday.
I expect Liverpool to issue a statement demanding a full public inquiry.
Celtic Mac @ 8:35 pm,
Yes, Evan Ferguson came back from injury for Roma but only lasted 7 mins – so doubt ROI will risk him.
Can’t remember Adam and Johnny playing together but must have featured in the same game – JK has been involved in 19 games for Celtic now.
Hail Hail
Will not risk him…
Hail Hail
Celtic Mac @ 8:35 pm,
Johnny Kenny started in our 5-1 defeat of Aberdeen in May – he scored a goal, he was replaced by Adam Idah who also scored a goal.
Think ROI would be happy with that…
Hail Hail
Never a penalty for Liverpool,but the English commentators outraged.Brilliant Refereeing..
TLWIO
All the pundits agreed at half time that it wasn’t a handball. Even Fowler reluctantly agreed.
” Chairbhoy on 4th November 2025 8:41 pm
Will not risk him…”
If you meant the ROI will not select him because of his injury, then you were correct the first time :-)
Hot Smoked @ 9:00 pm,
Exactly miss-read my own comment:))
Hail Hail
chairbhoy
So not on the pitch at the same time?
Ah,so it was BR that did not make the Idah deal a loan to buy,for the £6 million at the time.
Did not know that.Wit am I like?.
Chairbhoy
Indeed. Adam was so instrumental in us winning the 23/24 league and the £40m CL bounty that came with it.
Bheaver,
Not the commentary team.
CHAIRBHOY on 4TH NOVEMBER 2025 8:56 PM
That was only May but it feels like a lifetime ago -it was the last time we scored 5 in a game if I’ve got it right
Starting 11
Sinisalo
Ralston
Nawrocki
Trusty
Schlepp
Forrest
McGregor
Paulo Bernardo
Yang Hyun-Jun
McCowan
Kenny
What went wrong?
Chairbhoy
They must be logging in to make sure Brendan still away 👍
CELTIC MAC on 4TH NOVEMBER 2025 8:01 PM
originalsadiesbhoys
Was talking to a guy only today re Jonny Kenny who said ah but he’s only been scoring in Ireland, to which I said he’ll do just as well at Celtic surrounded by better players. (Not to mention his own Euro experience). Got high hopes for both him and Callum, and you can be sure they both want to do well at Celtic, but just never got the impression that Brendan thought their style worked for him.
………………
I agree with what you said to your pal. It pained me that some Celtic fans were writing him off as not Celtic class. Shamrock Rovers should be given a lot of credit for the work they did in developing Jonny. I know it’s outdated but I’m one of those who believe that a player needs a run of games before you can begin to judge them. In his early games we saw Jonny not getting much service and missing easy chances when they came his way. Then more recently he was missing chances but they were in the ‘unlucky’ category where he did the right thing, got into a good position but the ball just wouldn’t run for him or a defender made a great block to prevent him. Against Falkirk he finally found the net, twice. Against Rangers not only did he score but he gave their defence a torrid time and combined well with his team mates to help create chances. What we are seeing is Jonny Kenny adding a little to his game the more he plays.
I have high hopes for him and what I am loving is the cheers he gets from the Celtic Park Faithful when he comes on. To be held in good regard by the fans at the game must make him feel ten feet tall.
As for Young Calum, I saw him against Newcastle in the pre-season friendly and he was a real handful. Played just like he did on Sunday buzzing about everywhere at high speed, getting into their faces and looking a real prospect. Thank God he is now getting a chance. I’m a fan of Brendan’s and I’ll be eternally grateful for his contribution to Celtic and all the trophies he won for us. That said, I can also recognise that he has a big ego, he has his favourite players that he sometimes relies on too often and that towards the end of his reign he was making team selections and substitutions which were baffling and not in the interests of the team being successful. The Celtic Board, however, are a bunch of charlatans as is our largest single shareholder. They did nothing to help Brendan since the end of last season.
Celtic Mac @ 9:05 pm,
Certainly don’t remember them playing together.
Hail Hail
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 9:10 pm,
Yes, a crucial signing in January – for both the league and cup – some sort memories…
Arne, Auston, A-dam:))
Hail Hail
Celtic40me @ 9:10 pm,
Yes, between April and May we scored five, four times – I wouldn’t bet against us getting back to that sort of form.
Hail Hail