BBC’s Jim Spence reports this morning that Dundee United have rejected a £900k bid from Celtic for striker Nadir Ciftci (23), as Ronny Deila continues his quest to recreate the all-conquering (cough) Dundee United team of 2014.
While Ciftci is clearly talented, this is an unexpected move. He can hold the ball up and bring others into play but he never struck me as having Ronny Deila-type industry. Not that he would be the first convert to perpetual motion.
With John Guidetti away and Stefan Scepovic yet to stake a claim, we’ve space for a couple of strikers. It would be good to have at least one before the qualifiers.
Dukla Prague are one of those teams who my generation grew up hearing about. They were one of the finest teams in Europe, with one of the world’s top players, Josef Masopust, who sadly died yesterday. Masopust won the Ballon d’Or in 1962, after leading the great Czechoslovakia to the World Cup final that year, which they lost to Brazil.
He faced Celtic with Dukla in the semi-final of the European Cup in 1967, losing only once in the competition, at Celtic Park. Czech football retains the potential to create great teams, but, denied access to TV deals available in neighbouring parts of the EU, they have been robbed of the ability to achieve meritocratic progression.
The passing of Masopust is a chance to celebrate a great player and team, and to regret what appears forever lost because of television.
Enjoying Phil MacGiollaBhain’s work with the Belfast Telegraph, laid bare in his blog of yesterday. He includes scanned letters from the newspaper’s editor who regards it as “outrageous to suggest that I, or the Belfast Telegraph, would operate a blacklist of any form”, including one which includes Phil, despite how popular such a move would be in places.
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There was a time we travelled the world trying to pick up the best young players in their country, ones that have won young player of the year and it worked no too bad, have we chucked that, was last year the end of that experiment ?
Im sure Ronny could make ciftci a decent striker,watched him a couple of times playing a loan striker,wasnt at his best but i suppose up there on your own can be fraustating, but i have seen him playing out on the wing, and i was surprised how much pace he has, and thats were i think celtic will get the best out of this player.as for McGeady,like Hooper had his time at celtic,
interesting… “A crow has been photographed riding a bald eagle mid-flight” 11:54 30-Jun-15
This is depressing….Ciftci as a CL player…Never
Not buying it at all.
HH
A no on Ciftci from me….Don’t think United will sell him to Celtic anyway
Ciftci not for me not got right temperament. I was channel hopping at the weekend and came across Northampton v Man U from the sixties when Best scored 6 in F A Cup. The Mancs were using one of our chants. Our words were Aye aye aye aye ,
Simpson is better than Yashin
The bear is better than Eusebio
And Johnstone is better than anyone, anyone. Brought me back to being an 11/12 year old boy in the jungle happy memories. R I P Faither and Jinky and God bless you Yogi hope your health is good.
Mate asked me about Celtic TV, canny get on fishal site at work.
He’s paid £80 for premium and wants to know if it’s an actual TV channel or a web site?
Sounds like he should have read the blurb (he’s no usually daft BTW) but hey ho.
EMBDY KNOW?
praecepta
12:51 on 30 June, 2015
BMCUW
The problem is we are probably close to exhausting our current income streams (wrung the last drips out the socks) and player re-sale will be the norm for quite a few years.
Me? I’d love to see another; Charlie Gallacher, Lubo, Naka type player in the Hoops – regrettably it’s a luxury we can’t really afford these days.
Unless UEFA come up with some form of Pan-European midweek league divisions to supersede the current CL format – we are going to be a buy/develop/sell Club for quite a few years to come.
I’m now resigned to enjoying them (VvD etc) while they’re here – wish them all the best when they move on and hope that we continue to unearth a ‘gem’ every other season (or produce a few from the Academy).
I live in hope!
–//–//–//–//–//
An interesting comparison on Charlie Gallagher
I never saw him play but aware of the epic corners for big billy in key matches and know he was held in high esteem.
Jock didn’t play him in Milan. Do you feel that Lubo or Naka would be left out in Lisbon? Or I misunderstood your comparison?
Fascinated by that type of scenrio and Serious question
HH
The Green Man
13:03 on
30 June, 2015
This is depressing….Ciftci as a CL player…Never
Not buying it at all.
================================
Said the same of countless players in the last 10 years mate……..Sadly, we are where we are.
I reckon Kris C was practising shielding the ball and drew a foul out of the wardrobe the same way he does at least three times per game. He just forgot to avoid the follow through.
Is a warchest a wee wardrobe?
Honest Dave seems to have mislaid his warchest.
Timbhoy2 13:00
Good point. Could give us two options – either up front or as one of the three behind. Also agree re McGeady and Hooper.
Afternoon Timland from a seriously hot hun free mountain valley.
Billybear.
Serious question,
Do you discount what yer man John James is telling you ?
If you do….
Do you honestly believe in the GSL ?
Praecepta
Typo meant “jock didn’t play him in Lisbon’ (although played him in some qualifiers)
Hope that makes more sense?
Canamalar
12:59 on
30 June, 2015
There was a time we travelled the world trying to pick up the best young players in their country, ones that have won young player of the year and it worked no too bad, have we chucked that, was last year the end of that experiment ?
————————————————————
I think the EPL top 4 teams do that now-especially Chelsea/Man City -seem to hoover up all the apparent best new talent with promises of riches then see what falls out the bottom end as being suitable for first team selection which often seems very very little.[Islam Feruz as an example]
You should always try and avoid the follow through.
That’s why, at my age, I always give a good cough the respect it deserves.
The sayings of
KevinBhoy
Bawsman,
Mate asked me about Celtic TV, canny get on fishal site at work.
He’s paid £80 for premium and wants to know if it’s an actual TV channel or a web site?
Sounds like he should have read the blurb (he’s no usually daft BTW) but hey ho.
EMBDY KNOW?
——————————————————————————–
It’s through the Celtic website not TV.
He’ll only get it abroad (outside the UK)
I’m in France and it’s been my savior tbo
http://youtu.be/fT6Yl5UEnEw
rioskorrie
12:53 on 30 June, 2015
Turkeybhoy.
Agree. An interesting one. Certainly interestin to see who the next incoming striker will be.
Other one that interests me is who’s going to fill Zaluska’s place on the bench. Has Leo fasan earned his bench pilot’s goalkeeping wings, or will we import?
~~~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~
Could do worse than Foderingham from Swindon. I know the huns are after him,but he is a very good keeper.
Only 24 too. Plenty of potential. I’m
MAESTRO
Smashing….
Saved for later,bud.
great stuff from
phil
8000 season tickets at ibrokes really
somewhat contradicts
cris jacks figure of
19000
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/ibrox-season-ticket-sales-and-the-emergence-of-a-sevco-samizdat/#more-6547
Bawsman,
If he’s in the UK. He might be able to get wan of those vpn thingies which makes it look as if your computer is somewhere else in the world.
I think…
technophobecsc
BMCUW
Joe Harper is a native of Gourock and played for the now defunct Gourock Juniors I believe.
Think my late dad knew him.
Good player.
HH!!
If the attempt to sign Cifti is true.
Just how inept are our senior scouts?
We have scoured the whole of Europe and the best they can come up with is a mediocre striker from DUFC.
His goal scoring rate is mediocre.
We know what we are getting ,more mediocrity.
I am so disillusioned with this shite.
It is soul destroying.
We have signed approx 1/4 of DUFC’s first eleven from last season.
A team that is also mediocre.
WTF is going on?
As for all the people saying they will be happy if we keep Virgil.
Please give yourselves a shake.
There is more chance of me playing in the Celtic first team in January than Virgil.
Delia is just a yes man .
No wonder Lenny left.
TT
TinyTim
13:30 on 30 June, 2015
If the attempt to sign Cifti is true.
100% agree
hes average
we have better
http://youtu.be/Uu37E3WhX_g
Tinytim 13:30
We signed Virgil from a mediocre team.
Any Dubai based bhoys on ?
Looking for somewhere to eat near the Dubai mall/water show area 2night for me and the girlfriend.
Nothing fancy just somewhere bit lively with nice view if possible ?
Last nyt here
Cheers
ole TinyTim at centre half?
I can see that workin’
We might need to abandon the ole zonal markin’, and go man for man.
Tiny Tim
I think we new from the get go that Ronny was a yes man, and who can blame him, he does well at Celtic, the same for him as a player, the EPL beckons.
HH
Compare Celtics pre-season schedule for season 2015/16 with the previous 10+ years and come back and tell me Ronnys just a yes man.
Leigh Griffiths is the best striker we’ve signed recently
There is some strength in signing somebody proven to score in the SPL
saltires en sevilla
Charlie was an exquisite inside-forward (I suppose today a No.10) who could thread a pass and at the time of the LL – a player who was deadly accurate at set-pieces.
My reference to him was more to do with my age and having watched all 3 of them in the flesh. Each was an artiste with the ball at their feet but it’s probably fair to say none of them could tackle a fish-supper – nor had blistering pace.
You know that all 3 can execute/deliver a ‘game changing’ moment – are a joy to watch when they contribute but can be a ‘man short’ when the game gets physical.
For me – the LL could carry 2 players having an off day. MONs team was physically strong enough to carry a man having an off day and WGS team was probably sufficiently organised to carry a man having an off day.
The game has moved on and I’m not so sure that the current RD format can ‘support’ a luxury-type player today. Today the game is about; ball retention, fitness levels, pace, tactical awareness and these type of players need to have team-mates around them that are very technically competent – able to take the ball first-time, make space and recycle it for the fulcrum (Messi/Xavi, Pirlo/Pogba etc etc).
RD is improving our system but we are a long way short of being able to ‘carry’ that type of player. We have seen examples when KC or JF have struggled with link-up play but – here in Scotland we can get away with it. Not so sure we can get away with it in Europe – hence the reliance on the high-pressing formula.
Just my opinion – would love to see one of my ‘3 type’ players in our midfield (from a creative point of view) but not so sure our current personnel have the all-round ability to ‘carry’ (support/protect) a luxury-type player in RD’s system.
Exiled Tim.
I think you’re being a tad harsh on Ronny being a yes man.
This time last year many on CQN mocked his determination of no trans Atlantic tour’s. Our chief executive would put him in his place. Not so.
On Ciftci, Ronny has now watched him on numerous occasions. I would suggest he asked the opinion of our central defenders
on the merits of opposing him.
Personally I was hoping for better quality, however a fit Ciftci can play the lone striker role we require. Holding up the ball is a paramount requirement especially away from home.
In Ronny we have to trust. HH
Outside of one or two of the big teams in the EPL – how many sides have consistently – or even just recently – bought well when signing a “proven” striker?
ProudBhoy
I’m not sure if this will help but I spent a bit of time in Dubai and always enjoyed a walk along the creek in Deira where the old port is, where the dows park up and offload everything from… well just everything! Fence posts, chickens, tyres, kitchen sinks, linen… It’s amazing to see really. You can take a water taxi across the creek from there to the old souq for next to nothing, and there are loads of restaurants on either bank. And hotels like the Radisson etc that all have restaurants overlooking the creek if you want to spend a bit more money/have a glass of wine/beer etc.
Actually I enjoyed that more than anything else in Dubai. Anyway, hope that helps a bit.
Chin Chin,
KevinBhoy.
Timaloy29
I agree we should sign a proven goalscorer.
Cifti has proven that he cannot score enough goals in Scottish football.
He has scored 23 goals in 2 seasons.
TT
TT
Eyes Wide Open 13:49
Spot on.