Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (19), joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City yesterday, following a tradition of City central defenders after Jason Denayer and Dedryck Boyata took the same route.
We have a settled first-choice on the right of central defence with Cameron Carter-Vickers, while on the left we vacillate between Liam Scales and Auston Trusty. Jahmai is right-footed, so it would be a surprise to see him dislodge Liam and Auston, he is more likely to deputise for Cameron – who needs a reliable backup.
With Liam, Auston and Hayato Inamura available for the left position, right side is covered by Cameron, Jahmai, Stephen Welsh (25). and Dane Murray (22). Seven is at least one central defender too many. Dane is in the last year of his contract and Brendan Rodgers is likely to spend the remainder of the month making a final decision on whether to allow him or Stephen (who has two years on his contract) to leave the club this month.
Playing our League Cup game against Falkirk on the Friday gives us extra recovery time before the first qualifier, five days later. In deciding to play Livingston at home, three days before the return leg, instead of exercising the option to postpone that game, Brendan clearly feels his squad will need gametime. Given that Sloven and Almaty will both have played twice as many competitive games as Celtic at that stage, it feels a good call.
Regular reminder: there are 13 days to add to our Champions League playoff squad and 25 days to add to our season squad. Getting it done right is more important than getting it done early. Fretting about our Coefficient Monkeys is not a good look. We spent £27m between 6 Aug 2024 and the end of that month. Try to remember how successful sides work.
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Shoot
Goal ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Looking forward to that £27m spend over the next 25 days . WooHoo!!
winger incoming
https://i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article35679625.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/1_Scotland-versus-England-football-match-at-Hampden-Park.jpg
Personally I don’t not think Man City has sent a hot prospect to Celtic in order to deputise for anyone.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see him start regularly on the left.
Were this to happen, Trusty may drop out of the match day squad altogether as Scales gives you cover at both CB and LB (this assumes the manager’s reluctance to play ‘club signing’ Inamura).
Pusey looks a smart addition. He no doubt has the qualities to play out and hold that high line coming from Man City.
I’m not sure Inamura is cover for KT. He’s not cover if he’s sitting in the stand.
Wur wobbly window, wobbles worser, when we want wingers.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 6th August 2025 10:04 am…
Excellent post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on transfer process.
I would add that it is likely that the Board will insert trigger points. ie if transfer fee of a certain value is being considered – then the Board would be asked to approve. Or a similar approval of a contract value beyond a certain point. If this amounts to due diligence, then that’s a good thing. If it amounts to interference, then that’s another thing.
Weeron.
Hate to admit it but thems would appear to have unearthed a gem from Sheffield Wednesday ….shades of that Fecker Walters …
Who’s fretting?
Wow what a window. We’ve brought in an on loan youngster who plays on the right to replace our £6m defender who plays on the left? Add to that we’ll probably get rid of our youngster and still have Stephen Welsh in the treatment room.
Brilliant plan Celtic.
Surely most of us have been around long enough to know how it works?
as is my morning routine nowadays, I decided to look back at 2ndRangers performance last night, taking my emotions out of it, and replacing with hard analytical and scientific analysis.
so reporting back, i have learned that the Viktoria defence , all of them, were absolutely pish.
The right back, and right midfielder, never got near Gassama, no strike that, they DIDNT GO NEAR Gassama.
They jogged around, never accelerating to make a block or a tackle, they gave him all the space required, making the boy look something special, but Motherwell were able to contain him.
The left side defender not much better, looked like he was towing a caravan.
Rangers conceded 51 sHOTS IN THE PREVIOUS GAME, vICTORIA MUSTERED 4.
They really were piss poor.
I am not subsciribing to the Rangers are coming hyperbole, again.
And neither do I believe Celtics business has slowed down, just to wait see what the Rangers do.
correction –
Rangers conceded 51 shots in the previous 3 games , Vitoria 4.
Oh and of course our back up fullback is also our back up left ch.
GlassTwoThirdsFull on 6th August 2025 12:42 pm
Surely most of us have been around long enough to know how it works?
I wouldn’t think so, given the comments here over the last decade or more..
Weeron
timmy7_noted on 6th August 2025 12:45 pm
Oh and of course our back up fullback is also our back up left ch.
what is wrong with that ?
KT can also play centre back if required.
carpe diem 63 on 6th August 2025 12:37 pm
Hate to admit it but thems would appear to have unearthed a gem from Sheffield Wednesday ….shades of that Fecker Walters …
watch his goals last night, tell me what you think of the Viktoria defending.
So if you are correct Stivs why is our business going from dead slow to backwards?
I’m not interested in the huns unless and until they put a run of league victories together.
So who plays lb when Kieran is at ch?
Ridiculous.
‘Getting it done right is more important than getting it done early’
1 week away from the main deadline for registering new players for the qualifiers, or shoehorning them into a squad a couple of days before such an important set of games, is hardly in the ballpark ‘of getting it done right’. It reeks of poor recruitment & preparation, and dare i say, panic.
timmy7_noted on 6th August 2025 12:48 pm
So if you are correct Stivs why is our business going from dead slow to backwards?
I’m not interested in the huns unless and until they put a run of league victories together.
timmy7_noted on 6th August 2025 12:49 pm
So who plays lb when Kieran is at ch?
Ridiculous.
—————————
we have signed 8 players.
we have let go 19 (nineteen)
our big business will be done in the coming days, as it always has been.
players who can play left back – KT, SCALES, TRUSTY, INAMURRA.
SS
I watched the first half . The thing that stuck out for me was the lack of pace in the VP team.
R2angers were decent, the front three especially, still look wide open at the back.
They have a good record in Europe against teams that finish way behind the champions, Pana and VP both met that criteria.
Reckon they are 50-50 to qualify.
If they do , it’s likely they’ll set a new record for goals against.
TMWTL. No panic by our efficient management. There’s bound to be some overpriced, overrated loan deals down south to fill our bench.
I personally have zero belief that this board will allow the Manager the players he requires, they need chased out of Celtic every single one of them with their nepotistic mean ways ,they have no intention of growing Celtic and are happy to maintain or regress.
Happyclapperpipedream.com
Huns have yet to play a team who will punish them for losing the ball in dangerous places.
I’m not saying they will have a poor season but the true test will come when they actually have to play in their new style against a decent, fast and skilful opponent.
LS is not an attacking left wing back , a defensive left central defender at best also imo maeda is holding back and this preseason transfer talk is having an effect on his performance.
Man City and other clubs impose penalty clauses if loan players dont play,so any left footed player is a left back now? Scales was exposed on Sunday when moved there on Sunday, after playing well at CB,if he’s LB against the new Sevco wingers,he will get roasted.
Celtic reportedly want to add another defender to their ranks this summer in the shape of Adam Obert.The Slovakia Under-21 international – who plays his club football in Italy with Cagliari – is said to be on the radar of Brendan Rodgers with a proposed fee already booted out
DR Online
Bada, I agree with you regarding Liam. He’ll probably get put into the spare left ch and left winger bucket so that the window still has a nice successful sheen to it.
Come to think of it can Callum play right wing?
I’m going to work on that this afternoon. Im sure we can come up with a scenario where we don’t need to sign anyone at all. We could probably also sell Reo and Daizen.
Problem? What problem?
BB , spoke about LS after being at the game , mom with his defensive duties but a duck out water when he was moved to wide left totally out of his comfort zone.
OK, I’ll rephrase for the benefit of those whose hair has gone on fire: assuming JSP becomes the starting left CB, AS THINGS STAND Liam Scales likely makes the bench ahead of Trusty because he can cover both CB and LB.
IMHO, this is likely to be the case UNTIL the manager gains confidence in ‘club signing’ Inamura or we sign a left back.
For the record, it would be an extremely bad outcome were Scales to be a permanent back up for KT. I hope and expect it to be a temporary measure.
Weeron on previous thread
Really shrewd observation, succinctly put, on risk of executive due diligence becoming interference.
Interesting point you made too on socialising the “really big” spends to the board.
That got me thinking about something Barcabhoy once posted on here long time ago that chimed with me at the time.
His point (if I recall correctly) was, for many well run, tightly run businesses the only two runners & riders were the CEO and CFO with the other execs largely consulted/informed.
Your post got me thinking about our board culture and how much juice the CEO & CFO really have?
I suspect we’ll never know the answer (which is a shame) but, if the “really big” signings need board approval? …
… I think that could mean in reality
“We need to ask Dermot in front of the cheap seats” (NEDs / Other execs)
Also imo there are fitness concerns over CCV , looked to have lost a fair bit of any pace he had during the saints game
I’ve enjoyed watching CCV in our team when he’s been available, a classy operator. Not for a second have I thought he fits the identi-kit of a Brendan centre-half – not tall enough, not quick enough, not much of a goal threat in attack.
This Man City kid appears more suited to a Brendan defence. His SPFL experience, should he survive it in one piece, may benefit City more than us.
Duck out of water……. 🥴🤣 Belter 😂🦆🐣
That’s a quacker 👍
We are fairly strong defensively and in midfield we have plenty options so the only area to “fret” over would be the top third. Yes, we’ve got until the end of August but by then we could be out of the CL and have lost at ibrox. The latter is less of a concern to me as weve got the whole season to get it right.
Paul, If you genuinely think that Celtic have managed our striking options well i can’t agree. Its not easy to get people in but when you overpay as we did for Idah then you leave yourself short for other strikers.
Jota and Maeda would have been excellent quality for a number 9 but big Adam is a back up and nothing more.
So, I wouldn’t say I’m fretting as I’ve seen this yawnfest time and time again but if we do fall short in the CL it’s an incredible wasted opportunity.