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.
Order Jim Craig’s new Lisbon Lion Diary – Right Back to 67 from CQNBookstore.co.uk and you will receive a signed copy from the man himself plus a FREE copy of That Season in Paradise – Ten Months of Celtic Heaven signed by fellow Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld! Simply order Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 and the second book will be sent automatically. Stocks are running very low so hurry! THIS DEAL WILL END IN A FEW DAYS!
572 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- ...
- 16
- »
enough of the rainjurs and mr regan, question i asked last week, fallon young and gemmel, clark mcneil and kennedy, ffs what was the forward line c,mon tontine tim.hh.
CELTARELLA on 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 6:58 PM
Your post has been deleted – puerile inference!
I’ve informed P67 and have asked him to deal with you directly.
BIG PACKY
A load of possible answers to that one.
Johnny Divers, Mike Jackson, Bobby Carroll for example.
Apart from the usual suspects.
Jim Johnston was one
MODERATOR
Great post mate!
….Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, Jon Divers and John Hughes…
Mod,
Think you missed one………..
PHILBHOY cheers mate.hh.
THIRDS63. also thanks.hh.
CELTARELLA
BYEEEEEEEE!
And now you have two ………
CELTARELLA on 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 7:29 PM
Thank you!
You’ve now given me carte blanche to delete each and every post you make from now till P67 deletes your log-in!
BIG PACKY
I always remember Bobby Carroll because I dated his lovely niece!
MODERATOR
Even better post!
CELTARELLA
Cheerio cheerio cheerio………………………
that’s me in nutshell celtarella
adios amigo
Oh Mags :-)
PHILBHOY. you lucky man hh.
BIG PACKY on 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 7:23 PM
enough of the rainjurs and mr regan, question i asked last week, fallon young and gemmel, clark mcneil and kennedy, ffs what was the forward line c,mon tontine tim.hh.
*Jim Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, John Divers and John Hughes and 60,000 Celtic fans who proudly sing the news as sung by big Crazy Horse aka Frank Haffey.
7 LL and the Bear in that side also our first goal scorer in the honest NIAR as well as a player who would run round the track at Lisbon waving a tricolour while still on Morton’s books.
CELTARELLA
Just leave us….. that’ll be enough.
You brought it on yourself.
TONTINE TIM knew you would know.hh.
And the Mod wins best post of page six !!
Roddy also on message on five live – “the meltdown of Craig Whyte’s regime”. What the hell does that even mean?????
Tonight CeeBeebies is showing the 5,000th edition of Blue Peter.
Anyone feeling old?
Bollox,
Missed Celtarellas’ last post…..;-))
BugleCSC
H.H.
Big Packy – re your Celtic song, try this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR5FGrir2cI
HH
Celtarella will not go to the ball
Good evening, friends.
BIG PACKY.
Simpson. Craig.& Gemmel. Murdoch. McNeil.& Clark. Johnstone. Wallace. Chalmers. Auld.& Lennox.
BHOYS3 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 7:19 PM
Going for the weekend to Dungloe and looking for a pub to watch the game
Mulhearns Corner Bar, on the Main St. should have it on.
Enjoy your weekend in Ireland’s finest county.
PHILBHOY on 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 7:32 PM
BIG PACKY
I always remember Bobby Carroll because I dated his lovely niece!
*another unlucky player who was at Parkheid at the wrong time, he provisionally signed for us and then was left with Irvine Meadow for a season during which he scored 75 goals, from the wing tae, resulting in him being voted Junior Player of the Year and also won the Scottish Junior Cup.
He made history for the club when he scored our first goal in Europe against Valencia in the old Fair Cities Cup. He scored 27 goals from 78 appearances including League SC, LC and Europe.
He left the underperforming boys for the Buddies where he scored 19 goals in 55 appearances, and then 6 goals from 12 games for Queen of the South, no bad for a winger.
I was a huge fan of his back in the days in the wilderness, mibbees because my granny would always ask about him when we came in from games as that was her own mother’s maiden name.
After retirement he was a regular attendee at our games along with his son.
Wee story here about one of his games:
During a match on 1 October 1960 – he went to take a corner kick and…
“I stepped back to get my run-up and this thing, this black thing, came flying over out of the crowd behind me and landed in the penalty box.
I took the corner and Johnny Divers headed over the bar. So while the ball is out of play, I go to have a look.
I recognise the horseshoe shape, it’s a black puddin’ lying there and I’m still looking when the referee comes up. “What is it?” he says. “It’s a black puddin'” I say.
And right at that moment, the voice from the crowd, “Aye, Carroll, and that makes effin’ 12 o’ ye!”
It was definitely 12 and it was in the penalty box, not at the corner flag.”
oldtim – you missed Fallon
12lisbonlionsCSC
Maybe Murtinho needs to apologise too then:
“there are figures being bandied about that would turn anyone’s head. How real they are, I’m not sure. It’s almost designed to confuse and unsettle”.
The BBC lacky apologising , over a pack of lies, a new low, even for that mob.The blackmail plot thickens….
ONEMALLOY. cheers pal.hh.
Celterella posted some good stuff but sailed close to the wind on a number of occasions – sad it ended as it did
Oldtim67
100%
HH
TONTINE TIM
The blog’s finest poster without a doubt!
CQN at it’s very best!
Thank you!