Coherent recruitment strategy, in June!

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There was a standing joke on here for years.  On day one of the transfer window someone would write, “The transfer window’s been open 13 hours and still no news, get your finger out Celtic”.  It mirrored the less jovial comments when the transfer window had 13 hours left, although “get your finger out Celtic” occasionally still featured.

It’s not just Celtic, transfer business is a deadline activity.  Why sell your prime asset early when you know desperate clubs will pay over the odds to appease the manager who is demanding sufficient resources to meet target?

You need to work an angle to pick up prime cuts this early in the window.  We picked up Virgil van Dijk for a paltry £2.6m in June 2013, which is remarkable, considering he is an outstanding player who was working in one of Europe’s heavily scouted leagues.

We got in early with van Dijk, who had been released by Willem II without playing a game before making 62 appearances with Groningen.  A false start followed by a period with just enough form to tempt Celtic’s scouts, but not so much as to alert the slower footed.

So what do we know about Dedryck Boyata?  He’s 24, three years older than Virgil when he joined, but has played around half the number of first team games Virgil had experienced.  Dedryck was vacuumed up by City as a 16-year-old, part of the annual harvest major clubs make each year.  He clearly had something about him to convince City to retain him, but first team outings were rare.  When Celtic came shopping a year ago, City were prepared to live without Jason Denayer for a season, but not Dedryck, who went into their first team squad.

It’s correct to say that knowledge of Dedryck is scarce, even among City fans, but Ronny has spent time on City’s training fields with him, and had him watched extensively in non-first team outings over the last year.

Is he the answer to our defensive prayers?  Time will tell, but the recruitment strategy which brought him here is coherent.  All our scouts and management team have watched him to the extent that a consensus has been reached.  His profile is not high enough to commend a fee which is out with our budget, and most importantly, we can bring him in now, making sure he’s embedded before the potentially lucrative Petrofac Cup Champions League qualifiers.

Welcome to Celtic, Dedryck.

Still laughing, in case you were in any doubt.

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684 Comments

  1. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Iain Anderson playing some crackin music tonight on Radio Scotland. And this sipping whisky is good!!!

  2. TSPOAL – will definitely bump into you then. I will be the 6ft 2inch father at the sidelines shouting like a madman at his centre back bhoy!

  3. Delaneys Dunky on

    Sipsini

     

     

    My Polish friend and his wife and family live on Duke St. He has experienced Diablo walks for his 2 years in Glasgow. He thinks thinks they are Glasgow’s KKK.

     

     

    Tae see oorselves as ithers see us!

  4. The Spirit of Arthur Lee on

    Kelvinbhoy

     

     

    Drop 2 inches in height and i will be doing the same thing

     

     

    Love

  5. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    SOAL, sorry for the late reply.

     

     

    Hopefully, next year both tournaments are played on different days.

     

     

    When my grandfather arrived in glasgow from pettigo in Fermanagh, he lived in the Garngad. Jimmy McGrory’s family lived in the same close as him.

  6. 2015, Glasgow.

     

     

    An ‘Orangefest’. A public celebration of anti-catholic ideology.

     

     

    Religious bigotry given official sanction, enabled by taxpayers’ money.

     

     

    What kind of image of Scotland does this project to the rest of the world –

     

    That we’re as backward thinking as ISIS? Mired in the faux-historic celebrations of a perceived battle victory over Catholicism?

     

     

    How can the basic concept of such an event even be tolerated by a civilised, sophisticated society?

     

     

    As Celtic supporters we cannot throw around the word ‘Hun’ in public – a nickname for a bunch of moronic, savage baboons in blue FFS – without the chance of some thick plod lifting us.

     

     

    And yet Glasgow council validate the public display of intolerance by the inrbed, ignorant, scum of society.

     

     

    The lunatics are now in charge of the asylum.

     

     

    I expect in forthcoming months there to be a Ku Klux Klan day in Glasgow, an evening parade of torches and burning crucifixes and some mock-lynching to climax in George Square.

     

     

    I mean, why not?

  7. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s, guys like yourself, lou, cokey,terry mcquade, john duffy, frantic 07, the pattersons, joe and gerry o’neill, jim reilly, gal and his crew, willie taggart and my pals i went on the lions with, hardly missed a game in the centenary season .

     

     

    Most of the above went to every game of the 87/88 season.

  8. Delaneys Dunky on

    TheClumpany

     

     

    Loving your brain more every day you post.

     

    Level5 must love you. You have Traynor roon yer little finger. :)

     

    Peace & Love

     

    Shane McGowan CSC

  9. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Sandman 23.33

     

     

    You can be arrested by the police for performing your tunes in Ibrox.

     

     

    You will be protected by the police for performing your tunes on the streets of Glasgow.

     

     

    Blatteresque.

  10. Gerryfaethebrig on

    the spirit of arthur lee

     

     

    22:38 on 3 June, 2015

     

    Forget Glasgow on Saturday and get you arse over to Hamilton For the Reamonn Gormley footy tourney from 10am to 16.30 pm

     

     

    Love

     

     

    Not even looked at the blog since around 6pm, I mentioned to my good lady about Raemonn Gormley tonight, not even sure why he came up in the conversation, I didn’t know the bhoy but my sister was close to his parents, I log on for a wee lurk and read your post, totally agree with your post and I hope everybody has a great day over in the Ton on Saturday, that bhoy done more good in his few young years than most could do in a few lifetimes

     

     

    Hail Hail

  11. Sandman, when’s the KKK march as I might be free?

     

     

    Is my MLK “I have a dream t-shirt” de-riguer?

     

     

    Anyhoos, aff to Tam Shepherds in the morn to buy 300 pounds of itching powder, 100 fake jobbies, 1 buzzer ( to fake the ole masonic handshake) and a score of fake moustaches for the wummin. All to be delivered to Gorge (sic) ■ for Saturday morn.

     

     

    Scratch that bit- they have taches!!!!

  12. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Good night all and sleep well.

     

     

    Celtic,celtic, that’s the team for me

  13. Gerryfaethebrig on

    art of war

     

     

    15th June …….

     

     

    Starting to panic about rejoining the rat race, quite liked being a kept man !

     

    Wee yin is gutted that I won’t be on school run duties everyday

  14. Delaneys Dunky on

    Clogher

     

     

    The Diablo peepul only know hatred. Pray for their black souls.

  15. Been done etc…

     

     

    I hope it goes well bud but I’m not enjoying the journey…sound familiar?

     

     

    Will do my best to help oot!

  16. Delaneys Dunky on

    AoW

     

     

    Would love to meet you. Esquire Friday afternoon you could meet me and the huge Delaney clan. :)

  17. clogher celt on

    DD,

     

     

    You are right about The Clumpany blog, I get it e mailed, great stuff.

     

     

    Anyway heading off to the scratcher.

     

     

    Thanks for going on Saturday.

     

     

    Wonder what the retailers and business owners in Glasgow think of OrangePest on Saturday?

     

     

    HH

  18. Huns urging Warburton to come to their rescue…..otherwise they fear they could end up Pan Breed

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    Clogher

     

     

    My niece works part time in Glasgow. My sis and I have declared her a no go for this Saturday. We are weighing her lost wage. Diablo peepul!

  20. Delaneys Dunky on

    AoW

     

     

    We are in when we pick the wean up fae Saint Ninians at 3.

     

    See you 5 defo. We will know each other when we meet. :)

  21. Delaneys Dunky on

    AoW

     

     

    I will be the cool granda wi a family of extremely handsome and beautiful progeny. My sis and you were in the same year at Saint Thomas Aquinas school for young ladies and gentlemen. West End Tims!

  22. Minceyheid and Barrowbhoy,,

     

    As far as I know the ex players going to Vegas are Pat And George McLuskey, Dixie and Evan Willams, I’ll be driving up on Tuesday, maybe catch up for a drink?

  23. minceyheidman

     

     

    Sorry didnae get back to you I am on backshift finished at midnight went to my local couple of applejuices back home now. Don’t know who’s going Berties always there but I am confused how do you know me I can’t remember your monicle