Maik Nawrocki played his first league game of the season on Sunday. His only other appearances were home to Falkirk in the League Cup back in September , when he replaced Stephen Welsh for the final five minutes of the game, and against Raith Rovers in the Scottish, when he replaced Jeffrey Schlupp on 72 minutes. He was behind Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Stephen Welsh and Dane Murray in the central defensive pecking order.
With Stephen away, Liam injured, Auston unavailable for family reasons and Dane not enjoying being thrown into the deep end at Villa Park, the call eventually went out to a player who watched five others picked before him this season. It was a recipe for disaster, but reports of how well the lad has trained proved true. He is a player.
He was our only defender who did not put a foot wrong on Sunday and made a goal-saving intervention. For almost two years the player’s development has withered in Glasgow, seldom even on the bench, despite offers to take him out on loan and his willingness to go.
Unlike Maik, Gus Lagerbielke was allowed to leave for a season-long on loan as backup at Twente. That backup status has since been revised and he is now first choice in central defence in a more competitive league than he left behind. His performances have him with the Sweden squad this week (a country also seeded higher than Scotland).
Here is a prediction for you. Lagerbielke will leave Celtic at a profit, and three years from now, he and Nawrocki will be playing at a higher level of football than any other central defender currently at Celtic, other than Cameron Carter-Vickers. Just as long as they are allowed to leave for a club prepared to develop them.
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Don’t forget Kwon
The manager picks the team..not Peter so get over it
Hat trick
And another thing
The manager who has provided one of the best European performances in recent times (away to Bayern lest ye forget) obviously can’t manage or develop Peters players…The ones he buys are overpriced duds while Peter unearths raw diamonds..Rodgers Out
Totally agree. Guys like these have been given no chance at Celtic Park.
Brendan seems to make up his mind very quickly about players, apart from Yang……..
The state of our bench on Saturday showed exactly how threadbare we are as a club.
Meanwhile half the world is starving and the Israelis have started murdering women and children in Gaza again…but we lost to a team that doesn’t exist so boo hoo
Nawrocki did very well on Sunday.
Yet that should not distract from the fact that his development was hampered by fitness and injury issues.
At 4.5mn we were expecting Rocki who was on the fringes of the Polish National Team to be a first team player from his signing.
Yet, the fact that he has sat behind squad signing Liam Scales, maybe has got as much to do with attitude as ability.
If Nawrocki and Lagerbielke do leave and go on to play at a higher level than Celtic, they will be the exception to the rule, as far as development players that have left and while not making the grade at Celtic went on to prove they could play at our level.
Teemu Pukki is my go to guy for that one.
The only moneyball player that didn’t make it at Celtic and proved he certainly should have.
Hail Hail
Sevco would need to beat nine in a row followed by at least five in a row as things stand. Not to mention the potential of six trebles in nine years, if they manage that………..They’ve not only came, but they’ve overtaken us.
Tin hat on here.
I think Auston is better than Maik, certainly for the way we lineup.
If anyone thinks Brendan isn’t up to the task that’s one thing but if they believe that because they don’t like him personally that’s another thing completely.
If losing a couple of games to them , yes it was hard to take the BBC pundits putting one over on us, negates strolling to another league win and possible treble then that’s their issue, I feel sad for them.
Peter 67 get over it. You don’t really like Brendan at all. Two trebles first stint – well on his way to another. Yet you still taking potshots.
I don’t understand why we didn’t let the lad go at Xmas.
The manager waxed lyrical about Dane Murray (which I personally really don’t get) and denied this lad a chance to leave……He then only plays the big in an absolute emergency.
Meanwhile money spent on Trusty who is bullied all over the place and shows no sign of improving.
Still trying to justify the disastrous summer window of 2023. Lagerbielke is too slow to play centre half for a team like Celtic who play with a high defensive line. Stevie May outstripped him for pace after giving him a 10 yard start in a game he played at Celtic Park. Trusty is better than both Lagerbielke and Nawrocki but he wasn’t signed by the nepo baby so can’t admit that.
It’s about balance for me. Some oven ready first team ready signings, along with a pipeline of development opportunities.
The football dept have to be joined up in this.
We simply don’t have the luxury of some of the lesser teams these players may pass through in time.
Equally, I would like to think we have 6 monthly reports on our signings
Date and sum purchased for
Current stats and status
Plans for next 6 months
Signing channel or scouting network
We need to know what works and what doesn’t. We’ve kissed a few frogs over the last 10 years or so.
Your WITS is on fire!!
ONENIGHTINLISBON @ 12:08 PM,
Yang goes to prove the opposite of what you suggest.
He was certainly not setting the Heather a light when he came – yet BR&CO seen a bhoy with ability and attitude who was doing it in training.
It has taken him over a year and a half to develop into the player we are seeing now.
However had the moneyball magic wand who was waving it about when Wnayama and VvD were about…
…you know the one that created overnight talent…
…took it with them a long time ago.
It is now about analytics, development plans, conditioning, training and all the goid stuff football folk understand and businessmen don’t.
BORGO67 @ 12:14 PM,
Trusty is a much better footballer than Rocki IMO – his physicality is shown up sometimes in Scotland – but they play soccer in America, not bloody & snotters, up kilts and at’um aul skool fitbaw.
BURNLEY78 @ 12:16 PM,
Dane Murray is a great CH prospect, as is young Agbaire.
We should prioritise developing our own.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
“ I would take four Rainjurz defeats if it meant we win the treble “
Martin O’Neill
The only surprise about Maik Nawrocki is that he was fit to play.
Paul, were you involved in running performance analytics on some of these players for Mark Lawell? I ask because you seem so utterly invested in players like Nawrocki, Lagerbielke and Kwon that it’s hard to believe that you don’t hold some kind of interest that goes well beyond the average Celtic supporter.
For what it is worth, Lagerbielke seemed way too lightweight for our league, where ferocious tackles are the norm and they frequently go unpunished. That Lagerbielke can succeed in Holland or elsewhere in Europe does not automatically mean that he’s a good fit for the Scottish Premiership. I seem to recall the Dutch player Edson René Braafheid made an appearance as a substitute in the World Cup Final but could barely get a game at Celtic, and I guess that was for much the same reason.
I would say “all the best” to any player who passes through the gates of Celtic Park and then goes on to have a good career elsewhere. Scotland is a very peculiar football environment – it shouldn’t be but, as we all know, it is.
Aff oot CSC
“Burnley78 on 18th March 2025 11:54 am
The rangers franchises are now back in front….”
In what way are they `back in front` ?
I would love to know who Paul and other Brendan detractors would like managing Celtic?
My oft repeated rule of thumb/mantra/template when signing a player is this;
Does it look like he has kicked a ball before?
For many of the signings over the last 15-20 years the answer has to be a resounding No. They arrived as complete unknowns and left even less well known. I half expected us to sign Timothee Chalamet, he would certainly fit in with the past, present and possibly future policy.
Maik Nawrocki meets my criteria, as did Holm, and Lagerbielke in that they played at a good level before arriving at the dear green place. Iwata too, now likely to be playing in the EFL championship next season under Chris Davies, a potential future Celtic manager.
My point though is that these players do not need “developed” they need to be incorporated, if that is the right word, into the club and into the squad and hopefully into the team. Of course I do not have, the sadly missed, view fae the windae, I am not the guy up there on the Campsie Fells with the binos (sp), I do not see what Brendan and Gavin et al sees, but I would like to think that if we are not improving players like Maik, then we are at least not hindering their future.
So no mention of Kwon today – best to not to bang the drum for him since he’s fallen off a cliff at Hibs…
On Lagerbielke, I think it’s extraordinary after the Shane Duffy season that some Celtic fans still seemingly don’t appreciate how important pace is for a Celtic CB more often then not situated ten yards from the half way line.
Duffy had 6 seasons in the EPL and was an international that played in major tournaments for his country. But he had no pace and was wholly unsuited to Celtic – since leaving he’s now a mainstay in an English Championship team.
On Nawrocki, type Maik Nawrocki injury into a goodle search engine and you’ll begin to realise the main problem with the lad.
PAUL THE SPARK
Let’s be honest, complacency also plays a big part.
The success we’ve had now, creates expectation, and there’s not a lot of thunder there, maybe they’ll bring back Neil.
How is a manager supposed to develop 9 raw projects all signed at the same time whilst trying to win a league and compete in Europe.
BTW
Lagerbielke was playing at the same time we were on Sunday. First choice central defender as he shipped 6 goals at home.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
I’m hoping the days of doing job interviews in the Hampden dressing room have gone, but some seem to hark back to those days.
Paradoxically, Trusty is good in European ties but can struggle in domestic competitions imo.
I think he does not stand up well to the bustling centre forwards he faces in Scotland where he is too easily brushed off the ball and bullied.
Rocki stands up well v Huns and seems to relish the physical battle but seems to lack a bit of pace.
Either Trusty needs to toughen up or Maik needs to find a bit of pace from somewhere.
Both have some good characteristics but neither is the answer at the moment.
Both need development as I see it.
“ Wee are the peepil “
Connor Barron
Achht Paul, whit are ye like !
Like you, I also hope Brendan has a riddy over getting outfoxed by the ex-Kelty supremo.
When you write of Gustav that ‘…he is now first choice in central defence in a more competitive league than he left behind…’
The same could have been said of Jack Hendry also of that Belgian parish.
Did we make a development blunder in letting Jack go too ?
Borgo67 – may I borrow the tin hat.
Have a feeling I’ll need it more.
I’m clearly in a minority who thought Maik was largely ineffective on Sunday.
According to Paul he “did not put a foot wrong on Sunday”
IMHO – the principle reason for that was, very often, he did not put a foot .. period.
Not entirely his fault.
The back four (particularly the keeper but also CCV and Jeffrey) bypassed him.
Don’t know how many times I screamed at Kasper “pretend he’s Trusty. Give him the ball”
On quite a few occasions he got it … I thought he was slow to switch to CCV or play it round the corner to Schlupp.
Played into their hands.
“Burnley78 on 18th March 2025 11:54 am
The rangers franchises are now back in front….”
……………………………………….
Whit!?
joes11 on 18th March 2025 1:00 pm
“Burnley78 on 18th March 2025 11:54 am
The rangers franchises are now back in front….”
……………………………………
Whit!?
—-
We’re 6 European Cups behind the Rangers/AC Milan European Cup tally. We should be fuming.
CCV
Trusty
Scales
Nawrocki
Lagers
Welsh
Murray
That, for me, currently ranks our defensive CBs quality from top to bottom.
Astonishing to see how happy everyone is that we were outplayed for a 3rd game in a row by our local rivals.
Astonishing to see how Teemu Puki is somehow relevant in defending a management team (it’s not all on Brendan) who could not learn from the shambles at ibrox (where our captain played and theirs didn’t btw) or indeed the good fortune we carried at Hampden.
Sunday was a mess. If Celtic had any game plan then it was not evident. Our rivals, coached by Alloa’s worst manager in their history, and some tv pundits, and having played an energy sapling contest 60 hours before could have scored 4 or 5 in the first half alone. Then they inevitably tired and instead of kicking on after equalising we still managed to lose. 9 goals conceded to them in the last 3 games.
Brendan’s historic record v that lot as they re-emerged was fantastic. His record last year was also very good. It counts for nothing in the here and now.
Yes for those not forking out £50 plus to go along it maybe meant a bit less than most games but the momentum swing is tangible and it is moving away from us. I said it last week and was told St Johnstone in 5 weeks time was a bigger game. Well frankly we played like that. I hate giving that lot an ounce of oxygen. We have given a desperate wounded animal a whole tank of it this past few months.
We can talk of the past but this situation is happening now when we are in a position of financial ascendancy as never before.
Personally it concerns me. It concerns me that the slightest criticism of the manager leads to historic accusations of pro board etc. it concerns me to see Brendan’s dedication to playing one way with no plan B for situations like this.
I hope he can solve it. I hope he can go get a decent result at ibrox. I hope we can win the treble and I do hope it won’t be a high watermark and he doesn’t feel the fear and move on in the summer and a wee bit of financial priming goes on across the city to build on their momentum.
No manager I’m aware will frequently change out his CB pairing.
Ange played Starfelt and CCV for two years running.
If a manager can’t get anymore than a couple of games out of a CB before they’re unavailable then they simply won’t play them.
That’s why Nawrocki is far more likely to be without a club when his contract ends than he is to progress up the football club food chain.
An Dun
Fitness had nothing to do with Maik not playing st Villa.
A manager who took the huff because he asked for a transfer due to not being close to playing football is closer to the real reason.
Read what you will into the Dane Murray nonsense. If he liked him so much then why not for Sunday ?
Catching up at the end of the last blog…
BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 11:41 AM,
“Are you happy with Brendan Rodgers because they don’t like him, maybe some are hoping to get the old band back together?”
Well the fact that Brendan Rodgers’ success drives certain well heeled Celtic fans and Board members up the wall, isn’t an disincentive for me to dislike him:)))
Having said that – the band back together is no laughing matter.
These folk take a lot of prestige and cash from their parasitical connection with our great club – it must stop.
BURNLEY78 @ 11:54 AM,
With all due respect, if you don’t state what you mean, we have to surmise what you mean.
Pretty good surmising on my part I’d say.
So you are talking about the Rangers franchises.
Well – bad news…
Rangers is not a franchise, it was a football club that ceased trading in 2012.
The Club that play out of Ibrox now are a new Club.
“I really never thought they would happen again in my lifetime.
Rangers have been in front of Celtic all of your life time, not pleasant but dems the facts.
R2ngers have been behind Celtic all of your lifetime, even if it was initially neck and neck under Ronny.
Brendan has always had the better of R2ngers in both tenures.
While in-between times they were our equal…
Lenny Mk 2, John Kennedy (interim), Ange’s record…
P 21. W 9. D 3. L 9.
Sunday was no straw, that broke no camels back…
Hail Hail
I too, was very surprised by the inexperience on our bench on Sunday, but still believed that we had enough on the field to deal with thems. The only thing I would say on criticism of our coaches was that if all of us knew how thems were going to play against us, why didn’t they??? It is obvious that our host doesn’t like our manager, and that is fine,as we all have our own opinion. I didn’t like the moonlit flit when it happened either, but the man has come back and proved himself all over again to a tough and sometimes unforgiven audience. yes it hurts to lose to that mob, and especially at home and in that manner. A month ago everyone was looking at Arne Slot and proclaiming him as the new Messiah, now after a few defeats and irrelevant performances, he is just a naughty boy. We have the chance at another clean sweep, think about that. Look at our last 25 years. Unbelievable the great times that we have had and continue to have. if better coaches than me say that they would take losing to thems 4 times, if it meant winning the league then I will trust their opinions. I fully respect everyone’s right to criticize our players and coaches, they are thick skinned enough and earn a pretty decent living so it comes with the territory. But, Sunday’s game is over and we cannot change the result, but we can the performance, and that is were we the fans can get behind our team and see them across the finishing line to another treble.
Hail Hail my friends and have a great day.
Sean