Yang had just turned 21 when he arrived at Celtic from Gangwon in South Korea in July 2023. He had made 62 starts in senior football but Celtic scouts had been on the case for months. Ange Postecoglou was of the opinion that if the club didn’t move that summer, we would miss the opportunity to take him.
The player’s portfolio was handed to Brendan Rodgers when he took control, just two weeks before Yang signed. It was a low-risk deal for a young player who would need to be developed, but whom the scouting team thought had huge potential.
Roll on 20 months and Yang has 10 Champions League appearances an assist against Bayern Munich under his belt and against Aberdeen last night provided more evidence of what happens when you craft a development path for a player.
A week after Yang arrived in Glasgow, Kwon Hyuk-gyu (then 22) followed. Kwon has yet to play for Celtic but enjoyed rave reviews on loan at St Mirren last season, and has done enough to impress at Hibs this term to bring himself into the South Korea squad. Korea are currently 23rd in the Fifa rankings, 22 places above Scotland.
Speaking last week, the South Korea manager told local press he had met Yang and Kwon on a recent trip to Europe and both were in his plans.
Marco Tillio, then 20, was another who arrived that summer and another who has yet to play for Celtic, apart from a 28-minute cameo in a 1-1 draw with Motherwell. He has continued his development on loan at Melbourne City and scored a peach in the Melbourne derby at the weekend.
A week after Kwon arrived, Gus Lagerbielke, then 23, came in from Elfsborg in Sweden. With substitute appearances, we have seen him 10 times in a Celtic shirt, including a win at Ibrox and a scoring win against Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Others arrived that season. Some (Bernardo, Kuhn) are clear successes. Iwata moved on at breakeven cost, and found an environment at Birmingham which has allowed him to flourish. Louis Palma promised more than he delivered, is now on loan at Olympiacos and could eventually leave at a profit.
The development path has been closed to Odin Holm (20 when he joined but off to the MLS on loan this month) and Maik Nawrocki, who seems to have been given no roadmap.
The summer of 2023 was one of transition. It was setup for Ange Postecoglou by Mark Lawwell, before Brendan’s appointment. Brendan had little time to make assessments. He gave the green light to all who were signed, and brought in loanees Nat Phillips and then Adam Idah from his own network.
The recruitment of young players with elite potential and their subsequent development is where we have to be as a club. It is (genuinely) great to sign known quantities at their peak (Kieran), even if the reality does not match (Nat). It will help “Beat the Rangers” and fulfil all our short term aspirations, if that’s what your thing is. But you and me are not here for the short term.
How many elites will we get from signing players like Yang, Kuhn, Iwata, Bernardo, Kwon, Holm, Tillio, Palma and Nawrocki? Or put it another way, how many will we lose money on, not even serious money?
It is a low risk, high reward strategy. It beats the hell out of signing players in their mid-20s with no appreciable value to earn and in time, we should only get better at it. Clubs everywhere are doubling down on data, learning from others and making it harder to find inefficiencies in the market.
This season, only Viljami Sinisalo met this criteria. Arne is also a development prospect but of a different cost magnitude. How many elites will we get from Viljami? I feel good about Champions League qualification prospects in August and expect us to win the league. But the drift in strategy is a concern.
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I’m sure the huns will do better in the second half when Barry admits brown brogues are possibly not the optimum footwear for football
All good Mate. Working in CUH as an Admin Supervisor in the ED for a while now. 12 hour shifts sure take it out of these old bones.
How’s you and yours?
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
Brother Walford may have wanted us to fit in but he did not want us to forget who we are. His idea of together required 2 groups not 1. I think you will fine wee minded Scotland did not want the irish disapra in the best wee counrty in the world and actively excluded them from wider society for many decades. Even now racism toward the Irish and the Irish disapra is still just banter in Scotland.
I will decide how I celebrate my culture, thanks very much. Without resistance empires and oppressors would simply oppress folk and take forever. Look at Palestine right now, 10s of thousands of innocent men women and children kill with no means to defend themselves, denied water, food, health, education and housing treated as subhuman and as soon as they resist the world tells you they are the bad guys.
My eyes and experience will determine my view not some moral crusader who has been brown beat propaganda.
HH
The Staunch-0-metre will be gettin’ ramped up furra hauf-time bollockin’………………………
Turkeybhoy
“Take their headlines,and tell them to ram them”
Agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly.
What SMSM publish about the singing or banners is of zero interest to me.
I happen to think Celtic fans are better people than R1/2ngers fans
(I’m biased and that is a generalisation).
Not angels and devil’s. Just a bit better.
I happen to think the Celtic ideal “talks” to humanity in a positive way and the R1/2ngers ideal doesn’t
(I’m biased and that is a generalisation)
With those biased generalisations in mind?
I want us to better than them by default.
He’ll be hailed as a tactical genius , subbing off the guy that collapsed under pressure on Sunday and putting on yilmaz
Owen – jeezo, I was up there twice in the last 3 weeks…………..both at the weekend
………. following a.wee RTA at The Magic Roundabout…….Where else! Both visits great but long waits, had I known I’d have said “Hello” ! Staff were incredible.
We’re still on The Gold Coast Of Corcaigh, counting down to retirement.
If heading down our way gimme a shout on here, we’ll meet up.
An T @ 7:06pm.
Thank you for your considered response.
Lots to ponder and reflect upon.
Respect.
“Lastly B2B Imo songs of Ireland and Celtic go hand in hand”
I agree, An T.
100%
I just don’t think songs about the IRA are representative of Ireland.
If the GB played it just a tiny bit smarter?
Replace “I-R-A” with “Rebel Cause” – 3 syllables
And “Up the RA” with “Up the Rebs” – 1 syllable
… the debate that flares up periodically pretty much ends?
Jackiemac – agreed.
BANKIEBHOY1
Sorry to hear that. If I had known you were in I would have come find you.
Hopefully we do not meet in my work, but if I’m down your neck of the woods I will look you up. Would enjoy a catch up.
PAUL THE SPARK on 26TH FEBRUARY 2025 8:22 PM
Obviously the ghetto blaster in the changing room belting out a staunch playlist didn’t work then 😂
Aye, the flute music and orange tracky tops didn’t work.
In an attempt to take the staunch-o-metre up another level I hear there’s a make-up artist waiting for them in the dressing room and they’re all going to come out in the second half looking like oompa-loopas.
Barry the tactical genius.
One can only imagine the wurdz of footballin; wisdom firin’ aboot the dressin’ room as the orange segmenyts ur sooked!
” haw Doddsy, pile in wen ye waaant”
Monster munch for halftime snack
After their half time of Barry’s brand of encouragement 😵 this will go one of two ways , they’ll either be kicking and punching , or sulking .😂😉
AN TEARMANN on 26TH FEBRUARY 2025 4:13 PM
Dexter P Bampot
In your opinion it was a disgrace,and only yours.
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A bit of a leap to speak on every Celtic fans behalf.
==================================
Not a leap made by me MH
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There are more fans than just Dexter who think it was a disgrace.
Imagine you are Tavenier.
Received that Maeda is likely to be through the middle in 2 weeks time.
Suddenly your centre backs totally meltdown. The manager puts you into centre back up against Maeda at Celtic park.
2-2 with The Darnel
TT
Never a corner in a million years
Robertson gave a goal kick there
Incredible Robertson bullied into giving a corner for their goal
How was that a corner.
Barry strutting about as if he had a pole up his arse.
Igamane full on barging the Killie defender into the goal just before the goal – nothing to see here declares VAR ffs
Propper holding guy again at a corner,both boxes
Joke
3-2 to the Darnel now.
TT
It’s full staunch. Disgrace by Kilmarnock.
Well at least that keeps the dream team in a job for another week
Tactical genius.
Complete lack of effort from Killie after the huns scored the first goal.
Mixed feelings .
I would like Dirty Barry to get the gig on a permanent basis.
TT
Bummer, I had my fun and stopped watching 5 minutes in to the second half when I saw the writing on the wall.
Who’s the guy playing wide right for Kilmarnock?
Totally abject.
Engels is the strategy and it’s the one that works for us. Bring in first team ready players, give them a platform to develop and sell on for profit. It’s where we’ve been successful – Forster, VVD, Wanyama, Dembele, Eddy and MOR fit this model.
The Summer 2023 arrivals squarely do not and we’ll be lucky to break even on them. “How many elites will we get from signing players like Yang, Kuhn, Iwata, Bernardo, Kwon, Holm, Tillio, Palma and Nawrocki?” I’d suggest zero – Kwon can’t get in the Hibs team, Tillio is mid-20s and back where he came from, Yang shows promise but isn’t ever going to be elite. Kuhn and Bernardo are great but not really elite in my view.
Summer 2024 saw us tilt and Arne-type signings should be the main strategy going forward. We’ll sell him for a higher fee than we’ll make on all the 2023 guys put together!
“It will help “Beat the Rangers” and fulfil all our short term aspirations, if that’s what your thing is.” Well they’ve just helped take us to our best CL performance since Lenny Mk 1’s last 16 qualification. They have earned the club in the realms of £40m and brought back some respect. Give me the 2024 strategy over the 2023 strategy any day!!
Majestic Hartson 9.04
Ah so it is yourself who is making the leap and speaking on behalf of all fans?
If you come out from behind Dexters post MH tell us what you think then we debate.
HH
Great goal by Liverpool.
Haw, Gie ‘im the joab fuull time!!!
Killie’s game style is grim
4-2 to The Darnel.
Gie him the Joab.
TT