Celtic deliver Sviatchenko below radar

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18 days into the transfer window we’ve landed our first business, 24-year-old Danish international central defender, Erik Sviatchenko, joining from Danish champions Midtjylland, who are due to compete in the Europa League knock out stages next month.

On paper this one ticks all the boxes. The player has been tested in a league a little stronger than our own, and in Europe this season, where Midtjylland eliminated Southampton, Bruge and Legia Warsaw. He will add security to the back line in the chase for the treble, and will be ready for Champions League qualifiers in August.

Ronny Deila now needs to make sure Sviatchenko and Simunovic form a proper defensive partnership – something we’ve lacked this season. Pressure will now mount on Efe Ambrose (27) and Dedryck Boyata (25) to up their game if they are to force their way back into the team. Both are in their prime years, but older than the two I expect to keep them out.

I’ve been shouting for a defensive mid for two years, most noticeably on Friday night, when Dundee United ran straight up the middle of the park to score, but we’ll see what shape the team takes after the addition of Erik.

I think Celtic should also be congratulated on getting this business done below the radar until close to the finish line. We’re involved in lots of transfer speculation at the moment but don’t spend your time researching every name that pops up. There will be five players linked to the club for every prime target.

Welcome to Celtic, Erik.

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485 Comments

  1. Paul67

     

     

    Why don’t we make everyone tell a (funny) joke as their first post of the day and if they don’t…..and it must be funny remember…..their not allowed to post until they do……..how could anyone be serious there after? Thank you

  2. glendalystonsils on

    Talking about the Davy Crockett song, I’ve just had a great idea for a fitba song…………………

     

     

    Luther, Luther Blackett

     

     

    King of………….er……………mibbe naw.

  3. Philbhoy

     

    Ha, BT beat me to it :-)

     

    I would imagine JF has had the best of treatment and the very best diagnosis, they will have tried everything me thinks, but sometimes the simple things are forgotten about.

     

    HH

  4. Glendalystonsils

     

     

    Luther….Luther Blackett

     

    King of the Shogly Nail Jacket

     

     

     

    Fixed that for you

  5. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 18TH JANUARY 2016 9:32 PM

     

    MacJay

     

     

     

    Have you morphed into a croc??? :)))

     

     

    =========================================================

     

     

    You mean a dingo ???????

     

    :-)

     

     

    Poor taste,I know.

  6. Just looked it up….Glasgow trams were Shoogly……Edinburgh trams are Shogly…….that’s Morningside fur ye

  7. Delaneys Dunky on

    MacJay

     

     

    You and your good lady certainly produced beautiful babies. :)

     

    That must have been a sick wind up.

  8. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s , the 3 bhoys have made careers out of football. I can only think of the Coyles, Joe, Tommy and Owen , where three brothers from the same family , have all played Scottish professional football. I may be wrong with that.

     

     

    Regarding James Forrest and driving his car and not the guy next to me , who is driven round the bend by James.

     

     

    Ryan Giggs had a lot of hamstring injuries early in his career. The Man U medical team decided one of the factors for these injuries was the way he sat when sitting in his car. They advised him to adjust his seat to put less stess on his legs when pressing the accelerator, brake or clutch pedals

  9. glendalystonsils on

    31003 on 18TH JANUARY 2016 9:34 PM

     

    Predictive text changed Shoogly to Shogly……whit the hell does Shogly mean?

     

     

    I looked it up.

     

    Shogly is like shoogly but no quite as shoogly, if you see whit a mean.

     

     

    Shogly = a wee bit shoogly.

  10. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    RE Erik’s first interview.

     

     

    I reckon these are stage managed affairs and they do a couple of versions.

     

    Celtic TV probably decided to go with that one, instead of the alternative.

     

     

    Version 2.

     

    Glad to be at Celtic and look forward to using my time here to secure my ambition of playing in the EPL.

     

     

    I can’t wait till Rangers are back where they belong next season, as I heard all about the OF games.

  11. long haired yins man on

    Welcome Erik and Hail Hail! Trust you do well in the hoops. But please don’t tell us you turned down the EPL for us….

  12. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s, did Wullie from the Brothers Grimm play professional football? I know Jim payed for Dundee and Tommy played for Killie plus a now defunct club.

     

     

    How could I forget the McStays. I think Raymond chucked it when he left us .

  13. Paul67

     

    Thanks and well done

     

    I was one of those who was avoiding this great site due to the poster, now having a wee sabbatical

     

     

    Hail Hail

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 18TH JANUARY 2016 9:39 PM

     

    MacJay

     

     

    How nice of you to say so.

     

     

    Gracias a La Mexicana. :-)

     

    ——————————————————————————

     

    Mate. I don`t care about these silly observations.

     

    I do care about double standards.

     

    I`m a Tim. That`s part of our D.N.A.

     

     

    Aff tae work.

  15. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    The question – Do you eat babies? is sometimes asked of Hebrews.

     

     

    Think that it’s from the book of Deuteronomy or something.

     

     

    HH.

  16. Glass 2/3rds, thanks.

     

     

    Macjay, yes. Yes, it would.

     

     

    Do you?

     

     

    31003, works for me.

     

     

    Philbhoy, cheers.

     

     

    Emusanorphan, aye, but………