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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Bobby.. the majority were already off (70 min mark) practising their marching skills for this weekend in Glasgow and the ones that were left obviously looked around and realised they were seriously outnumbered (think Manchester police in 2008) and thought they’d be better off staying in the safety of the stand.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
12:52 on
3 June, 2015
Just had a quick flick through the DR site.
One of their journos reckons ‘Gers fan merit praise for not rising to Well fans taunts’
Well,cool. Has he reported on same fans battering lumps outa fans of Hearts,for instance?
Throwing missiles at all and sundry?
Etc. etc.
Thought not. Twat.
Come off it. Have you not got it in to recognise dignity in defeat when it stares you in the face>
You should know better than to be reading the Daily Ranger.
CHAIRBHOY
All quiet. Though IIRC two of the main suspects are now dead.
I’ll try to find the details on it. Might take some time,my midweeks tend to be a mix of work and sleep,so probably Friday.
Private Eye should be well up to speed on it.
QUONNO
Know your enemy,challenge their lies.
Ignoring it rarely works out,before you know it you are facing established ‘fact’
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
12:58 on
3 June, 2015
QUONNO
Know your enemy,challenge their lies.
Ignoring it rarely works out,before you know it you are facing established ‘fact’
Agreed. However the Brookes and Coulson verdicts make it appear like an increasingly uphill struggle.
Big Shoe :)))
update
Off to xray
dept
docs odds
Broken foot 2/1
RheumatoidArthritis 1/1
metatarsalgia 1/2
QUONNO
Pretty much,tbh.
Did you read the George Monbiot piece on relative corruption in various countries?
It’s not corruption if it’s the equivalent of established working practice.
How we arrived at this I know not. What can be done about it I also know not. But it is still totally unacceptable to me.
There you go,bud. With one small sentence there,I’ve got The Establishment a-quaking…
An interesting perspective from a local having to endure N. Ireland’s Orangefest! http://slightlydoolally.com/wp/?p=2994
The diatribe undertaken by Dick (The Dick) Wilson on Shortarse last night, in which he basically disparaged the qualities of Boyata and the prudence of Celtic’s investment in him, had to be heard to be believed.
Why is it that the Huns have many, as you would expect from the make-up of our population, writers and commentators within the game, ALL of whom accentuate the positive for the Ibrox dwellers, and, of course, put the boot into us – We have understandably not so many, but those we do have are all soup-takers, frightened of their shitty wee jobs and who decry us on every single occasion.
On another point – I am no lover of Murdoch and/or Coulson – nevertheless I am glad he has been cleared, the case was brought by whoever in order to get that working class hero, who has never had a working class job in his life, Sheridan, off the hook.
It was patently obvious that the testimony of twelve of his erstwhile so-called socialists, was what brought the inveterate liar down – Coulson’s part in this sex saga, was always a side-show.
Sheridan will now probably start crawling up to his SNP buddies in order to get back into politics, I saw multiple SNP posters in his windows during the GE campaign – he would fit in nicely with the Smith Commission document-burners and Celtic-hating chav, Mahri Black, he could that other ‘nae brain’ Clerkin with him.
LEFTCLICKTIC
Bestaluck,bud.
Anyone seen his before?
http://bit.ly/1GYNY0r
Hilarious!
HH
Olivia & philbhoy
Thinking of use and rest of family.. Keep up the good fight and speedy recover.
Petrofac Cup final due to be played at McDiarmid Park 2016 I think, where the Perth Porcupines will be looking to have themselves immortalised in the pantheons of football greats
Bedtime down under
Quick question
When is draw for our quAlifers being made ?
I’ll try log in on way to work in morning for the answer . Thanks in advance
Leftie
Foot in mouth? :-)
MRPASTRY
I can never quite make up my mind whether you genuinely despise the SNP but are sadly incapable of a coherent argument thus,or a fifth-columnist satirising the views of those who can.
Tommy Sheridan, whilst flawed, at least tried for the greater good. What do your politicians do Mr Pastry? Cut benefits for the disabled?
Mr Pastry
I heard Owen talk very positively about Boyata last night and then Wilson trying to clearly even it up by completely rubbishing him.
This is where the journo’s earn their spurs for the Hun. The Hun swoops, seal deal, fight off suitors, get their man, etc.
Celtic sign rejects, has beens, nobodies, unknowns and projects.
The pressure is applied to players in different ways from the off.
Wilson showed his leaning for a certain club over the previous days and it was clear from Sportscene on Sunday that he is a Sevconite.
Owen Coyle handled it well and I don;t know what the point of Wilson was accept to give a wee boys argument that nobody else wanted him so he must be rubbish. he has no idea who or who didn;t go in for Boyata but this is a guy who spent 9 years at City who are a fairly big club these days and he has more experience than Denayer.
Ronny has proven he has both an eye for a player and the ability to develop them.
Wilson came across as bitter and childish.
I loved every minute of it!!!!
LB
FAC public meeting has been planned for Wednesday 10th June in St Anne’s primary school at the corner of Crown point Rd and Fielden St, just a matter of minutes from Parkhead.
The meeting begins at 7pm and will be an opportunity to listen to the accounts of some of those who’ve been charged under the OBaF Act as well as the opinions of some guest speakers.
Jonny theTim…that Was funny ,lmao….
This mornings daily record headline again inciting sectarianism. ( they can be sensationalist so why can’t i?)…
Aiden MCGeady was said by them to have been taunting Scotland. If you read what he actually said it was nothing of the sort. Aiden actually said he felt that Ireland (the Republic of) had a better starting 11 than Scotland. He then went on to say that Dcotland played better as a team and were more confident in passing than his colleagues.
MCGeadys comments were positive rather than negative wrt scotland considering the treatment he got from supporters that night which he has said was the worst in his career. Some doing when you consider the treatment Aiden got at Ibrox and other away grounds.
I would think it reasonable to say that Ireland had a better starting 11. Other papers chose to print Aidens comments on his experience of the treatment he got from supporters rather than on the merits of the starting 11.
Presumably this twisting of the truth will be addressed with the headline writer or those responsible. shaneful and pitiful bunch clutching at straws.
I think Boyata could be a magic signing and I think the success of Jason Denayer probably helped make the big mans mind up, “if” we make CL group stages then Boyata must think he has a chance of a call up since Jason D managed it while playing in Scotland, without the CL anyway just my opinion but think it’s a great start to Ronnys first full preseason while being in full charge of signings (with Mr Lawells guidance as any good CEO should)
Lennybhoy hope your sister and all the family have a great day today (I think I read you saying it was Wednesday)
Offski & Hail Hail
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
13:21 on
3 June, 2015
QUONNO
Thanks.
I will be making the point of putting the arm on the family to get me ‘How Corrupt is Britain’ for father’s day. A wee bit of Blackmail to get a read about corruption. Oh! Dearie! Dearie Me.
Once upon a time I worked with a local councillor whom I considered and still consider to be one of the straight guys.
He gave an example of how easy it is to get involved in even low level corruption.
You are a serving councillor. It is rent week, the HP payment s due and the wean really could do with a pair of shoes.
You drive into a garage forecourt for petrol.
The owner, who has a project on the go which will ultimately require council permission comes out and takes a walk round your car.
“You really could do with a couple of new tyres” says he meaningfully.
Take the tyres and you are hooked for life.
That’s how simply it can all begin.
I used to get wound up at the blatant bigging up of all things Hun in the SMSM.
It’s done them a real turn……..eh?
Chillaxed about it now and actually laugh when they are obviously…….at it.
Hail X 2
Any one got a link to the Wilson/Coyle piece from last night? H H Hebcelt
Afternoon all.
Been off for a week: part illness, part hacked.
Wanted to say first off: my prayers for philbhoy (I think) and Olivia. I know the consequences of breast cancer first hand. Thank God Olivia doesn’t have it. May the Lord strengthen you all at this time.
Glad to see Boyata signed. Sounds like a good replacement for Jason Denayer. Hope the lad from Malmo joins too.
R.I.P. Charles Kennedy.
Bawsman
I agree re the smsm, without their compliance and telling lies, the hun might have been saved.
HH
New equipment for the next golf tourney………??
https://www.facebook.com/fox12oregon/videos/10153312529033701/?fref=nf
QUONNO
Little acorns,mate. Power is addictive,the fruits and trappings of power are addictive.
Like crack but wi only the guilt trip and none of the fun.
As ever,the end user is abused;the one wi the power,ultimately,is the supplier.
coolmore mafia
13:33 on
3 June, 2015
Tommy Sheridan, whilst flawed, at least tried for the greater good. What do your politicians do Mr Pastry? Cut benefits for the disabled?
I attended the same school as Sheridan – I KNOW him – the only good that Tommy ever cared about was his own – he raised his profile on the back of benefit claimants, the poor and some working class in Pollok.
A by-product of his empire building was a raised awareness of the disgusting Warrant Sale regime and some success on the poll tax.
Amazing isn’t it, that this disgraced and proven liar has done more for the poor in Scotland than the SNP have EVER done, or even, PROPOSED.
Sheridan is a weak man, again looking for a job as a Robin Hood for the poorest in society, who in many cases know no better – but be clear, Tommy will ALWAYS come first – NULLI SECUNDUS
WEEMAN67
FFP,I hivnae played golf for over twenty years-when I found out I was crap,always the last to know!-but that’s just a sacrilege!
Bliddy good chance of spilling yer tipple on one of them things. Not for me.
Or my Dad,if I’m any judge…
Paul67
Chairbhoy
Any observer from say Mars, untainted by the experience of being a supporter of either Celtic or TRFC, if asked for an opinion of the differences between both might opine that:
Celtic seem to be an organisation learning from its mistakes (and as making mistakes is what us humans excel at, then learning from them is of very high value).
TRFC as an organisation, in whatever guise, seem to be an organisation incapable of learning anything.
Evidence of the former is a much improved player signing policy in terms of timing. It has emerged fairly recently when we sold Joe Ledley a decent professional and replaced him with Johannson a more than capable replacement. Then getting VVD.
Next came the winter signings of S Armstrong and GM Stephen which I was delighted to see in terms of quality as well as timing.
Now we have Boyota to replace De Nayer early enough to start bedding in. All we need is a striker of the kind of quality we have signed of late.
The Supporters Forum, whilst still with inclusively issues, as well as SLO recruitment, albeit UEFA required, are other signs of evidence of an organisation prepared to learn.
The statement on the OBB encouraged by the supporters associations is another good sign of working together.
If they could only sort out Sumner fitbaw and with it a return to 3pm Sat Kick offs they would have to make new mistakes to learn from.
Oh and we seem to have got it right with Ronny.
TRFC on the other hand….. groundhog day forever…..
A certain Tim from Blantyre ;) however would probably observe the Martian was not quite the right shade of green and belonged in a Cleeeeeek (how the word sounds in high pitched Martian.)
Re. corruption, a friend of mine was refused retrospective permission to build his garage, until a friend arranged a meeting with a particular Planning Officer. His instructions were, to take an envelope with £200 in it, and during the meeting, place it on the Official’s desk. Result, permission granted a week later!
This was in Glasgow in 1997.
HH
Boyata is a poor man’s Denayer.
And Denayer was simply a poor man’s Moshni.
We are fekked.
No top class goalkeeper. No strong , athletic classy defenders.
No midfield balance of rough and smooth, poise and purpose.
And no striker that Can them away quicker than a surreptitious tea cake.
Fekked I tell yous.
I blame Kafflik schooools!
Richard(Dick)WilsonCSC
HH jamesgang
Does the Petrofied Cup have qualifiers ???
I don’t think a link to this piece has been posted:
https://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/
Read it, not to gloat, but rather to reflect on mortality and on the utter destruction that can be wrought by a few dishonest businessmen, a few incompetent football men and a sickly culture, all allowed to persist by a lazy and prejudiced mass media.
Auldtim
Your summer football suggestion seemed genius on the last day of the season…….less so on Monday when the wee Mhan’s 5s tournament was called off due to a late November gale!
;-)
HH jamesgang
Auldheid even!
Apols!
Daft heid moi!