Ciftci, Nicholas and shiftless brilliance

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Of all the players signed for Celtic by Ronny Deila, Nadir Ciftci was the strangest. He faced us for Dundee United after news leaked we were interested in him, so I paid close attention. After the game I was convinced he would not sign for Celtic, such was his languid performance.

More than any other Celtic manager, Ronny valued movement. Stefan Johansen was his architype player, always covering ground. Nadir was the exact opposite of this that evening for Dundee United.

Maybe Ronny thought he could build on Nadir’s touch and perform an engine and mind-set upgrade, whatever the reason behind this particular raid on United, the player was never going to cut it at Celtic.

He reminds me very much of Charlie Nicholas (although Nicholas had heaps more talent). Charlie was irrepressible in his first period at Celtic, but the game changed under Charlie’s golden feet. When he returned to Celtic, he looked lazy. In reality he was the same player, but shiftless brilliance was no longer enough.

I hope Motherwell get a turn out of Nadir during his six month loan.  There’s talent buried there, if they can make it move around a little.

The CQN Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind (EP28) with former Celtic director Tom Grant

Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham are joined by Celtic’s ex-director, Tom Grant, who offers a fascinating insight into the running of the club in the 1980s and 1990s.

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Tom Grant explains exactly why Celtic refused to complete the Mo Johnston transfer in 1989, and lifts the lid on audacious efforts by Billy McNeill to recruit Peter Beardsley and Steve Bruce.

Tom Grant also dissects his relationship with Fergus McCann, and the impact of the ‘Celts For Change’ movement in overturning the ‘family dynasty’ board in 1994.

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  1. See I’m being slagged off for living in East Devon on the last article. What’s that all about?

  2. that’s funny. If memory serves me right Ronny never picked his signings and as I remember it we were enthralled in the nonsense that was moneyball.

     

     

    But still. easier to blame Ronny.

  3. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    PAUL67

     

     

    I think MC had scored one league goal prior to signing for DU.

     

     

    Never my idea of a Celtic player,but I’m sure you recall The Project Years. We all suffered them,some eulogised them,Paul. It’s the way forward,we were told.

     

     

    Moneyball? Muck up one season,and yer Moneyball Theory goes back about seven. I wasn’t the only person pointing that out,and begging for investment aimed at proper,planned,achievement.

     

     

    Naw,the high heid yins know best. And the highest high heid yin got f…..g lucky when his failure blew up in front of his face.

     

     

    And Dermot Desmond.

     

     

    I give grateful thanks that Brendan Rodgers is the manager of Celtic.

     

     

    I’ll bet Peter Lawwell canny believe his luck.

  4. CHARLIE NICHOLAS .

     

     

    My Arsenal season ticket pal has a framed photograph of Champagne Charlie on his kitchen wall .

     

     

    Why ?

     

     

    2 great goals v Spurs

     

     

    2 goals v Liverpool at Wembley =. Arsenal’s first trophy in 8 years !!!!!

     

     

    Being less of a waste than the even more hyped Peter Marinello .

     

     

    Being a total spiny gooseberry up the anus of George ” No Fun ” Graham

  5. JAMESGANG on 10TH JANUARY 2018 12:22 PM

     

    Bobbio

     

     

     

    She read your comment and smiled. So I thinking it’ll mibbee be a nice pinching not a bad punching!

     

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JAMESGANG

     

     

    Or just a nice smile. I recall she has a talent for that.

     

     

    Give her a wee BMCUWP hug,just this once.

  7. Moneyball has its place as a factor that could be part of your recruitment policy. Coutinho to Barca for £140m being a case in point of it being done successfully. VVD to Southampton for £20m with a 10% sell on would have been equally impressive.

     

     

    Doesn’t and should never equate to buying heaps of pash players. That’s just Numbnutteryball.

     

     

    Just my opinion (though I am 100% correct btw)

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  8. glendalystonsils on

    JAMESGANG

     

     

    Numbnutteryball!?

     

     

    Could make next years Oxford English Dictionary ;_))

  9. IanBhoy929

     

     

    Don’t worry you are in good company, I was getting slagged off for where I live too.

     

     

    But it was mostly me doing the slagging.

     

     

    I have issues….

  10. GLENDALYSTONSILS on 10TH JANUARY 2018 12:37 PM

     

    JAMESGANG

     

     

     

    Numbnutteryball!?

     

     

    ———

     

     

    It’s only real if VFR designates it so. It should at least makes SFTB’s alternative list, no?

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  11. The singer last night was excellent.

     

     

    Did a nice rendition of BMW’s Waiting in Vain. Sadly the letter ‘v’ didn’t come easy to him so I heard my first rendition of ‘Waiting in Wayne’. Rooney came to mind.

     

     

    YikesCSC

     

     

    HH JAMESGANG

  12. If you throught for a minute that a player was not good enough you would not spend £1.5m so clearly celtic throught he would be good enough, same with all our signings, if it does not work out for whatever reason we have to move on. Passing blame is unhelpful but trying to iron out potential problems in recruitment practice should always be under review.

     

     

    I do no think celtic should sign squad players mind you. All our purchase players should be either first teamers or players with potential to be first teams, signing like gamboa annoy the life out of me

     

     

    HH

  13. This slagging ex Celtic players on here, especially Citcfi,is out of order,did he like a lot of players who come to Celtic, really get a chance,no I don’t think so,same as Ronny it wasn’t the man’s fault.he was given the managers job,but he did ok,but on here he was a dud,which is unfair,to many on here think they know it all,in fact they just stir it all the time.

  14. In some unexpected free time just now I’m watching Celtic v Juve from 2001/02.

     

     

    I was at the game. But I hadn’t remembered how well we played against a very good Juve side. And Agathe was tearing their full back and left sided midfielder to pieces.

     

     

    That was some team we had. Even with bobby Petta in it! Quite outstanding and one of my favourite Celtic memories.

     

     

    I’d some night in Glasgow after it too. I had been on my way home when I met a few pals unexpectedly and ended up on the ran Dan!! Which may be why my memory of the game is hazy!!!!

  15. Jimbob- we want all players to do well for Celtic, some just aren’t good enough, Ciftci being one, he has also been chased twice while loaned out, one of the worst players i have seen in the Hoops, and have no problem saying it HH

  16. IanBhoy929 on 10th January 2018 12:17 pm

     

     

     

    See I’m being slagged off for living in East Devon on the last article. What’s that all about?

     

    ……………….

     

     

    I MAY be wrong but I had posted shortly before this Chumps post about my hatred for the Tories and Esther McVILE McVey, and this “poster” appeared to take a twisted and weird attitude that if you live in Devon, you must be a Tory ?

     

    Again IANBHOY…I may have read this Joker all wrong ?

     

    As BMCUWP has posted..just ignore the CHUM..He’s probably a ugly lurkin Hunscumbag anyway.

     

    All the best IANBHOY.

     

    HH

  17. Celticrollercoaster supporting @WalkWithShay on

    Perhaps Ronny didn’t sign Ciftci? What was it, he said. He never refused any players that was offered/given to him?

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  18. Charlie Nic was a great player. IMO it wasn’t his lack of pace and football changing that did for him – it was his lack of professionalism. The Champagne Charlie nickname was justified. Why would you choose George Graham’s Arsenal over Liverpool? He wanted to live the high life in London, and he did (although a mirrored ceiling in his place in Highgate – allegedly?!! Yuk). A Nicholas who worked hard in training would have been a top striker for years. Such a waste.

  19. Celticrollercoaster supporting @WalkWithShay on

    ARCHDEACONSBENCH on 10TH JANUARY 2018 1:25 PM

     

    Why are there no matches scheduled for weekend 10/11th of Feb? There are darn sarf…

     

     

    —————————

     

     

    Scottish Cup 5th round weekend

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

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