The wrong move can kill the career of a footballer. We discussed Maik Nawrocki on Tuesday, who arrived in Glasgow as a promising 22-year-old but has scarcely seen grass on active duty since. The same can happen to proven talents, such as Kyogo.
Rennes were in relegation trouble when he joined them in January. Three days later, the manager who signed him was sacked, leaving Kyoto a peripheral figure since. Anthony Ralston has played more than twice as many minutes for Celtic as Kyogo has for Rennes since the Japanese forward went to France.
Reports from France suggest Kyogo will be available for transfer when the window opens in June. Like Jota, 30-year-old found the perfect platform to flourish at Celtic. Like Jota, his slight frame does not fit the popular identikit of the modern player. He will struggle to find a place to land next season which makes the most of his outstanding talent.
You want him back. I know how you feel. So many great goals and great performances mean he is an easy player to love. For me, though, he is off plan. Celtic has (perhaps had) a football identity; for years this has been a club which finds undervalued potential, develops and sells great players at a significant profit.
When you have a clear and successful strategy, commit. This is without question the best strategy open to Celtic and to maximise our potential, we need to lean into it. This strategy invests equally in this season as in three years out, when the newest crop may leave.
It is not clear we are still on this path. The only player we signed across the last two windows who could be described as undervalued and with potential is Viljami Sinisalo, who has made one appearance since joining (against Raith Rovers).
Kieran Tierney will be 28 when he arrives. We love Kieran too, he will improve the team and help with the all-important qualifier (if fit). Jeffrey Schlupp is a solid performer and we may need a solid backup to Kieran, but Jeffrey is 32. The argument to fill your first team with players who have development potential is substantial; there is no argument for backup players to be the wrong side of 30.
This brings us back to Kyogo. Kyogo did more for Celtic than Kieran. He picked the club up off the turf in 2021 and helped deliver eight of 10 available domestic trophies in his time here. As far as our legacy strategy is concerned, he is off plan. If that strategy has discretely been disposed, like Jota and Kieran, he still has something to offer Celtic.
Finding undervalued talent and developing players is hard work and you usually need to wait until the medium-term for payback. It is a lot easier to sign them at their reputational and earning peak; until the reckoning comes. 20 years ago, some of us watched a great Celtic team grow old, before being broken up, sold for buttons or leave for free. This is a warning for us.
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Spring has sprung.
Had a great time back in the old country inspire of the result. Loovul lover loved the Sevco game in terms of meeting people at the corner and the match day experience. Seeing my face up on the big screen was a nice wee birthday gift. Got texts from the US during game about it.
Watching game back today now that I am back in the fair state of Kentucky and some of the pain has subsided. Hoping to see we were not as bad as the result.
Where is out midfield Hartman that retaliates first?
The grass here isn’t blue, it’s teal.
HH and thanks to all that I met and treated my good lady so well.
Ps My dog is now sporting his new “You’ll Never Walk Alone” collar from the Celtic Store. He looks fairs chuffed.
Quad, I loved your Aussi update there, it was excellent thanks.
Not if they can’t win things it isn’t, it has to be a blend of experience and development potential, those who want to stay or go, churning our best players all the time leaves us with a midfield and options from the bench we had on Sunday, a squad that could not win a big game. Lawwell promoting his cash growing agenda again why not a leader on our academy as to where its going and what needs to change to get this better?
When is Barrowford opening and what is the club getting for 10 million pounds?
You don’t win anything with kids CSC.
RIP Eddie Jordan. Former Celtic shareholder.
A manager is only 3 bad results away from the sack.. I think Brendan has earned a bit more leeway but he knows that his job depends on his results. If he thinks the left back isn’t good enough he wants a better left back in, someone who will walk into the team.. If the manager has 100% say on signings it will not end well.
The boards job is to keep the club going in the long term, they would prefer a signing that cost £3M that will get sold for £15m in a few years. If the board has 100% say on signings it will not end well.
Hopefully over the summer Brendan and the board strengthen the team and strengthen the squad so that we face the CL qualifiers in as good shape as possible.
12m spent, doesnt get you a lot.
BARROWFIELD UPDATE 13/03/25 & CELTIC PARK DRONE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkgXT_f24Kc
CELTICMAC [last article] – Jackson Irvine was with Celtic with stints at Killie, Ross County and Hibs.
He’s not silky like your Arne’s or Reos, but had plenty dig, a good engine and eye for goal.
TIMMY7 – thanks for the feedback. It was a surprising and nice meet with the young lad and the McStay bit was icing on the cake.
20 years ago Gordon Strachan managed to dig us out of the mess which we were left with after doing as you suggest Paul.
Credit to WGS as he was competing in a totally rigged market as well as rangers were close to peak overspend.
Credit also to Ange for dealing with the quick rebuild needed post BR1 and then Lenny’s departure. At least Ange had a few bob to utilise wisely.
I am not sure who would fancy the job of picking us up this time after BR2. Although provided we do get to the CL then at least they will have a few bob to invest. Hopefully wisely.
Yes, very interesting lead, lots of great points…
“Finding undervalued talent and developing players is hard work and you usually need to wait until the medium-term for payback.
Totally agree, hopefully our re-vamped internal player development organisation, with our rebuilt Barrowfield will deliver some of the players we need for the future.
We know, as Matt O’Riley is a great exemplar, that Celtic can’t develop top players.
Now, here’s where the main challenge lies – recruiting top quality young talent into Celtic to get developed.
Having watched a lot of European football recently I’m blown away with the amount of quality 18, 19, 20, 21 y.o. that the top teams have.
Some phenomenal young players.
If we are saying 2,3, 4 mn to recruit 21, 22, 23 y.o. that will go on to be top players that’s a tough ask.
It’s not impossible of course as Matt and Nic Kuhn are clear evidence but there tends to be a back story there.
We bought the YPOTY from Sweden and Norway and they haven’t flourished.
How many great Young Norwegians are playing away from their domestic league by twenty?
Are we looking at slim pickings?
We certainly do need to use the plan, we need to develop these players, yet finding them will be rare – and if we can bring in two or three per season, and be content that a couple will end up good squad players, that’s as much as we will get out of it.
Home grown, players need to augment experienced bargains like Schmeichel, Sclupp and KT if we are to have a competitive first team.
Hail Hail
I reckon we’ll make a decent turn on Bernardo.
Unfortunately, I think we have vastly overpaid for both Idah and Engels.
RIP Eddie Jordan 🙏 One of a kind.
Mike & Bernie certainly don’t like Brendan.
On to post BR2 are we, when and who decided that?
B78
“20 years ago Gordon Strachan managed to dig us out of the mess which we were left with after doing as you suggest Paul.”
Eh… Help me here, I’m struggling. Perhaps I’m misunderstanding your point but… Paul Telfer, Gary Caldwell, Lee Naylor, Barry Robson, Paul Hartley, Jan VofH, Naka, Magic, Artur, Dion Dublin, Jiri Jarosik, Kenny Miller, Thomas Graveson et al.
WGS defined his approach to team building as signing “real men”. Of course there are a scattering of youngsters signed during his time, Evander Sno, Adam Virgo etc, but his teams were built on seasoned pros, albeit they were often found in the bargain basement.
It was only when Lenny came in first time that we went big on the strategy of young uncut diamonds, years after WGS had left.
BURNLEY78 @ 12:33 PM,
My aul Mum had a saying – tell the truth and shame the devil!
“Credit also to Ange for dealing with the quick rebuild needed post BR1 and then Lenny’s departure. At least Ange had a few bob to utilise wisely.:
When BR1 left, we had a good team, of course it would have been a great team if we got his chosen targets like Schar or McGinn etc
But it was a good team.
After BR we won the next five trophies making up a Quadruple treble…
Count them 4 × 3…
Neil – eye for a player – Lennon and Peter Lawwell then rebuilt the team, we failed to win a single trophy the next season and R2ngers won the league by a staggering 22 points.
Ange did great to pick up after Neil and Peter were shown the door.
Every season since then we have got better and better
We are now a treble winning, UCL side, and hopefully BR is not going anywhere.
If he is, hopefully the Celtic Chairman won’t have anything to do with it after his Eddie Howe debacle.
Hail Hail
Here we go again .The Brendan haters in full flow.
Our greatest manager lost twice to Dundee United in 66/67 season .
We should’ve sacked him.😡
lockdown stopped us winning the league.
collectively we didnt cope.
convinced of it now.
BURNLEY78 on 20TH MARCH 2025 12:33 PM,
That wee bit of money Ange spent was…
…45 mn
Lenny spent close to 20 mn on Vasilis, Ajeti and Jullien.
Brendan Rodgers has never had a nett spend at Celtic.
Hopefully he’ll have it this summer, with the cash he’s brought into the Club he deserves a splurge.
Hail Hail
SAINT STIVS @ 12:59 PM,
Yes, but we have no excuses.
We were very, very badly lead during lockdown.
Hail Hail
I notice the list of Strachan signings appears to exclude the signing of a top young Scottish talent during that time: Scott Brown. He was also denied the opportunity to sign another Scottish talent, Fletcher, who may have ensured the winning of another League Championship.
its amazing how much noise and angst is created on the timternet when we lose the old firm.
The only thing that will ever make Celtic maximise our potential is leaving Scottish football. Every season that goes bye the league drops in credibility and let’s be honest, standard.
The richer leagues leave us behind and within 10 years I’d predict we will be further behind in Europe than closer.
We need our club to agitate for change, if we want to ever become the club we all believe it can be.
This bring me on to Schluppe as back up to KT. Your point is valid about not having thirty odd year old players as back up but too many of our fans watch Schluppe look comfortable against Ross County or Motherwell and think he’s great.
He was excellent away to Bayern but poor at home to rangers. They’re the games he should be judged on.
If we go back to spending £30m on 10 players as you seem to be promoting, Paul then we will ho back to being lucky to qualify for the CL never mind compete in it. We’ve competed this season due to the ages of the players and the experience they’ve had.
As discussed before it’s a balance, but if we return to solely buying under 23 year old I’d ask you what’s the point of Celtic as a club. Outside of Glasgow we will not matter at all and in time our value as a club and league will diminish.
Scotland is full of kids wearing PL jerseys of clubs in it and with no emotional attachment at all. We need to get out of this league or we may appear to be grow, but our true value will be worth less.
the world is full of kids wearing PL jerseys of clubs in it and with no emotional attachment at all.
Kyogo not one of the greats for me.
Missed way to many gilt edge chances and simply didnt score enough goals.
Glad he was here, but wouldnt have him back
He picked the club up off the turf in 2021 and helped deliver eight of 10 available domestic trophies in his time here
——
We signed Kyogo when he was 26.
JJ, GG, Starfelt – 26/27 year old signings as well that season.
Those signings were pivotal in how the fortunes of both ourselves and Rangers developed following their league win in 2021.
“He was excellent away to Bayern but poor at home to rangers. They’re the games he should be judged on.”
Schmeichel, Johnson, CCV, etc were poor at home against rangers. Should we judge them on that one game?
I agree, no going back for Kyogo, that bus has sailed.
Tangbhoy
Scotland is full of kids wearing PL jerseys of clubs in it and with no emotional attachment at all.
I honestly thought you meant Peter Lawwell jerseys for a second…
that akward moment when the takeover due diligene is watching your customers being censured.
TCE Weekly: Derby Day Ja Vu | Celtic Fail To Learn The Lessons Once Again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKlfQdoa8fk&list=PL09MC3BtsBWMUoM4qy15CBS6YupxiJTcb
SAINT STIVS @ 1:39 PM,
Indeed….
Found that very, very interesting.
It really gives a marker with what we were discussing t’uther day.
The Americans are not going to contain to their nonsense.
That statement was more than interesting, it says the Americans are not going to put up with the nonsense.
Hail Hail
Cow tail to their nonsense
I have no idea of the SF 49ers group but I assume the r2ngers fans with the banner didn’t pause to consider that San Francisco is probably the most woke place on the planet?
Can anyone assist in tracing a good friend of mine ….Fred Smith …attended Glasgow University 1981-1985 and got a MA ( Hons ) in History and Politics , thereafter initially became a transport manager with some chemical company I think.Fred is a major Celtic fan .Thinking Folks with your Twitter / Facebook know how you may be able to trace ..let me know
An interesting addition to the Celtic store , PL jerseys . They’ll be in the bargain bin I take it 😂😂😜
Who win in a fight between Strachan Strachan GTF and Rodgers Rodgers GTF ?
Devil Dugs CSC
Croftcelt – good spot. There are others too, Mark Wilson for example, but we broke the Scottish transfer record for Broonie and he stands out as an exception to the trend.
WGS’s starting 11 on 16th April 2008 read: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Hartley, Robson, McGeady, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Three years in, that’s probably his signature team, certainly is signature result.
WGS didn’t really do player development to any significant extent, did he. He was a pragmatist – he sought the most effective players for the here and now for the budget he had at the time.
Paradoxically, two years later Lenny rebuilt the team with a galaxy of budding starlets from the proceeds of the sale of McGeady, mark i of the model we have come to know and love.
tangbhoy on 20th March 2025 1:16 pm.
The only thing that puts us on the map is European football. Sucessful European football.
Outside of Scotland nobody really bothers or is remotely interested in Scottish football.
You are correct, this trend is becoming more prevailent.
HH.
“When you have a clear and successful strategy, commit. This is without question the best strategy open to Celtic and to maximise our potential, we need to lean into it. This strategy invests equally in this season as in three years out, when the newest crop may leave.”
A strategy that sent us back years in Europe, and saw umpteen careers wasted and millions spent on Hail Mary signings.
“It is not clear we are still on this path. The only player we signed across the last two windows who could be described as undervalued and with potential is Viljami Sinisalo, who has made one appearance since joining (against Raith Rovers).”
Did you want him to play in front of schmeichel who single handedly was worth several points in CL and we all know euronpoints make mega money.
P67
I really don’t know what your beef is in our most successful season for years, Brendan is developing Kuhn Yang Engels etc, But in order for young players to develop properly they need a modicum of experience around them too. It’s all about the mix. Bearing in mind we traded at a profit in the summer your argument has more holes than a Gorgonzola. I suspect you just don’t like the manager and are aligning with those who don’t like losing a grip of football strategy to a genuine football man.