Late last night Celtic got their goalkeeper, Scott Bain (26), on loan from Dundee, from where he had already been loaned to Hibs this month, while also landing Jack Hendry (22) on a permanent deal from Dundee.
The Hendry deal is intriguing. The player didn’t get much of a chance to shine before being released by Wigan in the summer. Two dozen games for Dundee later and he is a Celtic player. This is not a conventional career path, so what are Celtic doing here?
First of all, the player has the attributes Brendan Rodgers looks for in a central defender. He has pace and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. The jump from Dens Park to the Allianz Arena is eye-watering, but when you have just signed a four and a half year contract at Celtic, someone must think you are capable of reaching the required standard to play at the latter venue one day.
I don’t know if Jack will make it that far in the game, but I am pretty sure Brendan Rodgers will improve him as a player and craft him into a valuable professional – one we may sell at a profit one day.
Set alongside the signing of Lewis Morgan (21), you can see a strategy here. If a Scottish player in his early 20s raises his profile high enough, we’ll sign him. Only some will make the grade, but the aggregate financial consideration of having these players at the club will probably be profitable.
Alongside all investment in youth sits Marvin Compper (32), one time German international and by all accounts, the real deal. Marvin will have the responsibility of leading the younger defenders through their on-field development.
The other side of the transfer window equation passed without Celtic cashing in any of their premium chips. By the time Moussa took to the field against Hearts on Tuesday, he knew he was going nowhere, and his performance indicated that whatever was previously on his mind had passed. Kieran Tierney’s recent contract renewal seems to have convinced all that there is no business to be had there. I expect some movement out in the summer in the central mid and central def positions.
You and I have been through January transfer windows when the objective has been to make sure we win the league. Now it is all about player development and getting ready for the inevitable Champions League qualifiers. We have not measurably improved our chances against Zenit this month, but it is not clear how possible this is (or even if it is necessary).
The market in England took another step into the ridiculous this window, possibly in anticipation of the announcement of a bumper new TV deal later this month. The new deal will not come into effect until summer 2019, but previously we have seen player values inflate immediately after the deal is announced. Game Theory suggests this inflating possibility will have been anticipated.
What you and I have also pondered for over a decade is when the great English football bubble will burst. I’m not going to predict that date, but just as sure as we knew Rangers would crash and burn years before they did, so will the English Premier League. The model has inherent risks which cannot be safely accommodated. Let’s wait and see how much Sky TV are prepared to pay this time.
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MODERATOR 748
As I said,I missed the kerfuffle in real time. I’m happy to accept your assertion that you only deleted posts by CELTARELLA,and apologise for the slur.
Mea Culpa,though with clearly erroneous info from elsewhere.
Again,my genuine apologies.
It seems like CQN is as disdainful towards Celtic supporters as the board that sponsors it.
You guys better not talk dross, act like sweetie wives or engage in tittle tattle.
Next thing the mods will be accusing you of being criminally racist.
Know your enemies.
The “Mags was deleted for dissent” narrative won’t fly.
Neither will the “Moderator is in the wrong” charge fly.
There are plenty, such as Neg Anon, myself, Kev Jungle and others who have directly attacked the positions expressed by other posters (read again the language you used towards the blog Host recently, Neg Anon!) and it remained there unmoderated.
So what brings a post to the level of being deleted- in 99% of cases that I manage to read before they get deleted- it is for use of direct abusive language using the words that we all know are banned. In other cases it is for continuing a spat which is merely an exchange of childish insults and in others, it is for making libelous accusations against public figures on Paul’s blog.
So, then we get the whataboutery accusations- somebody else swore or used a substitute word for swearing. I’m afraid the answer there is “So what?”- often the post that you think was untouched, was just not seen by the Moderator, or they missed one offending word or they deleted it later but, because you did not see a quick deletion, you think they got a Pass because they were blog favourites or toed the line.
Mags knew what he was doing the other night- he has been there before. He departed from the strong and vigorous debate that he is more than capable of mounting and he broke the blog rules. It seemed to me that his response to the moderator showed that he wanted to go in a “blaze of glory”. I think it is a great pity that he chose to do so and he will be missed but, make no mistake, he actioned this himself. The moderator merely applied the rules.
I too, would prefer that the blog rules were more directed towards hate speech and casual racism as I am less offended by the swearing but it is not my blog. There are other Celtic blogs with a more liberal attitude to swearing, one blog might even encourage it by example of the host’s rare replies, but this blog says no to swearing and the host is allowed to do so.
Neg Anon and Kev Jungle’s dissent, which avoids swear words, no matter how tempted they might be, re not quashed. Many people disagree with them and tell them why they do so; some even get personal and accusatory but they do not tend to reach the levels of direct abuse and swearing that Mags fell foul of.
I, too, would favour an amnesty for posters who were banished but you have to ask if some of those who departed actually want to get back on here or are happy to have quit this diverse community.
So- get off the Moderator’s back- it is a thankless job and unless you are volunteering to replace him/her and apply the blog rules with the wisdom of Solomon, then accept that it is what it is- a neutral application of the blog rules.
And before any childish accusations fly back at me-
No, I am not
No, it was not me
If it had been, I might have banned and deleted a lot more. Just as Peter Cook did not have the Latin to become a judge, I lack the equanimity and forgiveness to let much of thee childish stuff by. I would even have deleted myself on several occasions and, I did once, when I went into voluntary exile from the blog. To my mind, Mags did something similar when he went- just with more impact.
I wil catch replies later- have to start work now
Thank God the transfer window is closed – Celtic did really well and the team looks a lot stronger. Charly is a massive investment, but when you are trapped in a football backwater it is a real coup to do such a thing. I heard Spurs fans complaining on a phone-in that their club lacks ambition because they only buy players for 20 to 25 million!
Are tabloid style Sun reader level personal attacks on our manager seen as dissent these days??
Is that what being a rebel means these days??
Hmmm
Being a Celtic fan is a gift and it is a curse.
Similar to being a CQNer…
@ SCULLYBHOY on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 8:55 AM
Charlie and Compper are indeed good signings, but the signing of Hendry shows a lack of ambition and runs contrary to Brendan’s comments about only bringing in quality. It’s hard to sell that a Dundee player (let go by League One Wigan in the summer) is a “quality” player; I’d put him in the category of one of 20 players Celtic could have purchased over the window.
I also think it’s unhelpful to compare Celtic’s business to that going on in the Premiership. The Premiership is unique in the world. It spent a combined £400m+ in January. The next highest spending league was La Liga with a spend of £250m (although £190m was attributable to Costa and Coutinho).
The fact is, other continental leagues manage to make signings for reasonable prices, so there should be no inability on Celtic’s part in doing the same.
BIG JIMMY on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:12 AM
Gone a bit too far there with that comparison, a rant is fine but know when to call a halt to it!
HH
NEGANON2 on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 8:47 AM
It does beg the question what are you doing on here in that case. And before you work yourself into a righteous fit about it, I’m not suggesting you go away.
DAVIDOPOULOS on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:08 AM
Being a Celtic fan is a gift and it is a curse.
Similar to being a CQNer…
The difference being that most of us have no choice about the first one
Big Jimmy
You don’t do self-awareness do you? You have had a go at Celtarella for his ongoing namecalling of posters but you then call him chump/ clown, Babbage, scumbag, nutter, idiot, nutter and waste of space.
Don’t be surprise if you, yourself are moderated and me too for repeating the ad hominems which you used.
TRADITIONALIST88 on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:21 AM
BIG JIMMY on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:12 AM
Gone a bit too far there with that comparison, a rant is fine but know when to call a halt to it!
HH
Agreed
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE
It was Brendan who wanted Hendry in, he said so himself, so I don’t really understand how you can say it lacks ambition on Celtic’s part when it was Brendan who wanted to sign the Bhoy??
“I think his potential is huge,” Rodgers said. “That’s what I said to the board when I first saw him play, ‘this is a player I think can be a big player’.
“When you come to Celtic you have to deal with expectation and pressure. If he can deal with all those things then you’ve got a Scottish centre-half who has all the attributes of a top-class footballer.
“When he was a young player he was a right winger. He’s still developing as a player. I would have no hesitation of putting him in [the first team] because he is ‘game ready’ as well. He can fit very easily into how we work.”
HH
Did MORRISEY just get a post deleted?
Babbage??????? I think we know what the predictive text moderated. There was a hurricane in the west of Scotland a few years back with the name.
Celterella seems to have rattled a few on here. Let us prey.
BIG JIMMY on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:32 AM
however if someone on here decides to have a personal go at me and insults me, then that’s a different matter IMO
======
Yep. Don’t think NegAnon did that though, did he?
It’s all about opinions on here, wether we like it or not,if it was all being positive,well to me that would be to boring,so all the guys and gals,who like myself are cheeky, keep it coming,as for some who could write a book,on here,there are boring too,but I just suffer them,so there.just mind it’s just a bit of fun, don’t get to serious,or you will end up a Hun in your next life .
MORRISSEY THE 23RD
Did you see CELTERELLA’S posts last night?
The one’s that were deleted?
@STARRY PLOUGH on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:31 AM
Brendan will be provided with a transfer budget. He will not make the budget nor (i imagine) will he have much input into it.
Therefore, if he is told that he has £1m to spend to find a defender then he will go for Hendry given the fiscal constraint placed upon him. My issue is that I think we have far more resources at our disposal and could afford a higher transfer fee and better calibre of player.
Once again, speaking objectively: we have signed a Dundee player who was released from League One Wigan in the summer.
However, I’m delighted with the signings of Charlie and Compper.
I didn’t see them Philbhoy.
MORRISSEY THE 23RD
As poor as I’ve read on here in 10 years.
BIGJIMMY
It’s simple to invite someone to a pub for a pleasant beer and exchange of views-in a warm yet civilised manner.
It’s not always so easy for the other person to accept. You yourself had to refuse a few invitations recently due,sadly,to ill-health. I’ve had to refuse plenty cos I canny get there in time from Swindon!
Do you think CELTARELLA stays just round the corner from the BV,or The Tollbooth? He doesn’t,mate. That’s no secret.
Keep calm and carry on,as the old saying goes.
HH
Mags you will be missed …… xx
BIG JIMMY on 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 9:49 AM
Can’t you just ‘just scroll by……..Feckin Simples ! ‘ as you suggested at 9.07am that others do with horse racing posts if they dont like them?
Blantyre Tim
Sorry to hear about your uncle Neil.
Smile when you recall the days.
Condolences
HH
I won’t be getting excited about Regan resigning, his work here is done.
Titles transferred, cheating swept aside directors/owners in place.
He should be made to stay and answer to his crimes and corruption charges but again he’ll walk off into the sunset like his other corrupt friend Campbell Ogilvie.
Well done every club in Scotland you pandered to the blue pound and now fans are suffering after your silence.
God Bless Turnbull Hutton the only man to come away from this with your head held high.
It’s fine to use the blog to physically threaten users. Moderation has many faces. Some Celtic fans really are different class.
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE
I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the budget, reading what BR said it’ seems to me he saw something in the Bhoy and that’s why he was brought in. I can’t say he made any impression on me anytime we played Dundee but BR has a rep for spotting players let’s hope he’s right on this one.
Like you I’m happy with the two others, let’s hope Marvin proves to be an astute signing and Charly Bhoy Brendan has been after for a while and he said it was because of BR he came and that’s the real benefit to us of having a manager like Brendan as I doubt we’ll ever be throwing really big money at players in the near future!
HH
For the record, I am suggesting you ‘scroll on by’ NegAnons posts if you dont like them, not abusive posts others may make.
You just seem to want a clearout of anyone who has ever annoyed you even if its just for holding a different opinion.
TEUCHTERARLA
Howdy,old bean.
Bet yer missing “The Heat of Lisbon”.
Coldest I’ve had down here-according to readout in my van-was 15 below. I found it more comfortable than Lisbon in May,I struggled to WALK round Estadio Nacional,yet our heroes ran all day.
LEGENDS!!!
Btw,if anyone fancies a visit to that lovely city-and I’m still trying to swing the weekend off-a few fine CQNers and better halves are offski for 1 June.
Just saying…
What did he post Philbhoy?
Sometimes when I read CQN it makes we wonder if we bloggers really support the same team ? Now we are proud when we are called the best supporters in the World but we dont act like it.On CQN we fight and squabble like school children and we curse and swear like we live in the gutter hardly a good example to any youngsters who use the blogg. We have the right as posters to disagree with each other but we should respect our differences not start to cuss and swear and belittle each other.H.H.
MORRISEYTHE23RD
Unfair to ask that,big fella.
I missed it,but someone sent me a précis of it. I’ll mail it to you.
If you don’t get it,that means you’ve changed yer addy and not told me,ya swine!!!
The Offensive behaviour on football blogs act is real.
Big Jimmy,
I’m not taking any sides but, firstly, it’s bad form to challenge people to a fight and, secondly, Mags/Celtarella lives in the USA so he is unlikely to be taking up your offer any time soon.
It was obvious that he had upset you due to your absence from here, and you were missed. Best advice has already been given if you don’t like particular posters then scroll past them. Never met a bad CQN’r yet. The ones worth watching are the ones that nobody has ever met!
Physical violence seems a reasonable response to being called a chump.