A proposed swap deal with Blackburn with Shane Duffy coming to Glasgow and James Forrest heading south makes sense for Celtic. Late last season we were talking about how Erik Sviatchenko was our only solid central defender, with Jozo Simunovic injured and yet to establish himself.
Duffy made his Euro 16 debut in the 1-0 win over Italy, before being red carded for a professional foul against France. I’m not expecting a van Dijk, but his performances in both games was of the standard Celtic only have with Erik.
James Forrest grabbed the space vacated by Aiden McGeady’s move to CSKA Moscow and made the most of the opportunity but injury has inhibited him in recent years. He’s also suffered from being part of what looked like a World Record attempt of squeezing wingers into a 23-man squad. We need fewer wingers and at least one more central defender.
Brendan Rodgers comments that Kris Commons is nowhere near ready for the first team is not encouraging. I’d have him limp to the bench for the forthcoming qualifiers. Even unfit, he’s capable of linking play like no one else in the squad.
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You sometimes hear talk about the ‘spine’ of the team …. and for good reason ….you win the middle,you usually win the game.
CG was not as good last season as the season before, but still not bad… and better in the second half of the season, so I am okay with him there.
Centre-backs … hmm? I rate Sviatchnenko (spelling?)…. Jozo, if he can get healthy, is a player. Boyata, if he can get his confidence back, could be a player… and the Irish boy would by okay (if they do the deal for JF).
Up front, LG and the new bhoy look like they could do the business.
That leaves the middle of the park…. which, to me, is the key position, and the one we have been missing for a few years now … NB hasn’t become the player that I hoped he would ….he is still the best passer of the ball we have, but seems to have foresaken the forward pass. Scott Brown is simply not the answer. Has made more forward passes of late than NB, (but that is not hard), but, as his legs are going, he gives away far too many silly fouls in dangerous areas.
Ajer looks very promising. I haven’t seen enough of Darnell Fischer in that role, but he has the physicality to play a defensive midfield role … but, we dont really need a pure defensive mid in most games (except in Europe). I like Sviatchenko in the middle of the park, but we would need to find a replacement for him as CB.
But, Ajer and Sviatchenko have a presence that we haven’t head in the middle of the park since Wanayama left, and which we need ….
For now, I would leave Sviatchenko at back, but give Ajer a run in the middle of the park. The question then is what formation, and who beside him. Maybe at the base of a diamond?
Forrest’s pace will see him shine in the championship, where away teams play on the counter. Never happens up here when playing away from home with Celtic. His problem is his work rate without the ball por cierto
G67- I saw a Blackburn game live last year,Hanley was MOTM by a country mile,attacked everything,like a young Mick McCarthy. HH
Do people with Mackay-Steven on their keep list realise we are trying to improve the quality and being ruthless means cutting the nice guys who aren’t up to it as well as the slackers?
Another good one for the Hibees but nowhere even close to possessing the technical or mental strengths to get us where we want to be,
HH
4.40 Ayr
Shumaker is fancied …about 8/1
Also later at Beverley
Flickas Boy 6.35 and Call Me Crockett 8.40
Best of luck
David
OMG :-)
!!BADA BING!!
He was poor when I saw them, Duffy was the one that held them together at the back. Hanley dives in and either gets skinned or gives away cheap free kicks. He’s good in the air but on the deck looked dodgy, not just when I saw them last season but in the previous couple of seasons as well. Of the two I’d take Duffy, although Rafa Benitez apparently wants Hanley at Newcastle
Por Cierto
His pace has foxed five managers it’s the ‘what happens next’ that counts.
Ajer is simply a stop gap in the rear guard till we get someone in and or someone healed (Simunovic). He will be the midfielder we are craving for. He has had a lot of pressure heaped on him by being moved to the back line, as someone mentioned earlier it is not an easy position to pick up. Probably by the time he starts to feel comfortable he will be drafted back into his natural position in midfield
HH
gsu
A quick beer with Mountblow Tim, a fine Celtic gentleman and ambassador yesterday and hey presto I was the appreciative recipient of Kano Foundation goodies! The scarf and t-shirt will be making the rounds with me on my travels.
Thank you for giving up some of your precious time and I hope you enjoyed your afternoon out taking in the scenery. Enjoy the rest of your stay in the US, and I’ll see you in November.
It would be wrong to write off Saidy Janko for one poor game in which he wasn’t alone including the other FB Kieran Tierney.
It would be wrong to write off Saidy Janko for one poor game in which he wasn’t alone including the other FB Kieran Tierney.
***I have made my comment on ‘big sadie’ over his previous performances , and have also previously commented on young kieran hoping that we haven’t burnt the young bhoy out.
Sentiment does not win you games.Jock Stein and Alex Ferguson both showed a ruthless streak when players effectiveness was no longer relevant or diminished.
Seems that Brendan thinks the Commons of today has no place in his future plans.
Think it’s reasonable then to make decision to omit.
Commons is a talented player who will be a perfect fit somewhere else.
I also think Rogic and Bitton don’t fit with Brendans philosophy but thats just my opinion.
Time will tell.
Still on holiday…yeah.
BSR
Kieran Tierney is not a FB. He is a UFB.
HH
Fanatic
Where are you getting it seems Commons doesn’t fit?
He’s injured like Boyata, Gary Mackay Steven, and Jozo Simunovic
Was out for a meal in Troon on Saturday night and was sitting at the next table to Ronan Flood ( Harringtons caddy), we exchanged niceties about the Open Golf and he then introduced me to his table guest as the man who brought down Lance Armstrong, former Tour de France cyclist, now journalist Paul Kimmage.
Never heard of him before, went home and looked him up on Google, what a fascinating story of remarkable man.
I want James Forrest punted.
I would however play him ahead off Gary Mackay Steven.
GMS is even more timid in the tackle than Forrest.
He looks half decent in pre season friendlies,when the pace and competitive edge are out the game.
He is the most ineffective forward in our squad.No heart ,not guts,no winning mentality .
A lacklustre loser.
If pushed I would keep Efe before GMS.
Nice lad,but nowhere near the standard of player that successful Celtic teams have enjoyed.
Those that think he is any old can’t have seen much of his live ,competitive performances.
TT
Any old = any good.
TT
Tinytim
Efe wide left?
Geroid
What’s a UFB?
BSR
ANYBODY BEFORE GMS (:-)
TT
An Unrepentant one X
HH
Lullabies
Ronan Flood, from what I can remember, is Padraigs brother in law.
Paul Kimmage was an excellent cyclist himself before he became an excellent journo.
HH
TinyTim
Disagree about GMS. Much more versatile than JF and scores goals.
Quite frankly JF should be shown the door at the earliest.
If commons is over weight what does he weight and what should he be ?
Some real crap spoken about him.
I look forward to him back in the hoops and his goals against second rangers.
Hunskelper hero.
Evening Timland from a hot, very hot in fact hun free mountain valley.
Been a very fraught day, getting locked out of PayPal and them not available till the morra to talk to someone, and trying to open an Amazon seller account is a nightmare, you can trust me on that.
Then I log on to CQN and read Paul67 advocating that we should play Kris Commons in the CL even if he has to limp to the bench.
I honestly don’t know what is worse if the truth be known.
Geroid
Nicely done
HH
Bournesouprecipe
I know he is injured.
My post contained the word seems because it’s only my opinion not fact.
I based this on the fact that Brendan has commented a few times on his fitness while other injured players have not been mentioned.
I also said the(Commons of today)so perhaps Brendan is just frustrated with the situation?
I have no idea of the inner workings at Celtic so anything i post here is based only on my opinion.
Sin City Bhoy it was a pleasure to meet up with you
Thank you for taking the time out to come and
Meet me
Will see you in November at Celtic Park CQN corner
HailHail
Mt
Re the two Blackburn Rovers CBs
Rafa Benitez has bid £6m for Grant Hanley.
We have bid £2m or so for Shane Duffy ( I am not buying the direct swop rumour: James Forrest and his agent have been allowed to get themselves to a position where they hold all the aces and he will only go to Blackburn if that is who will pay him the most).
Yet these two wanted CBs played for a team that spent big money and finished 15th of 24 in the Championship, behind Brentford and Preston and on a par with Notts Forest. They conceded 46 goals, just one less than the Forest defence but again, bettered by Preston, Sheff. Wed. Derby and Brighton (who had the freed Gordon Greer in defence).
I see, however, that he was a contender for 90 minutes team of the Championship so he may be better than these stats suggest.
Just nipped on and delighted Sin City Bhoy & Mountblow Tim got to meet
Hail Hail Cqn
TET
Who would win in a fight between PayPal and Papal?
Turkeybhoy
I saw your post last night about the failed coup and you reckoned it could have been a put up job.
I must admit the thought had crossed my mind, but had I been the one to say it on the blog, I would have been accused of all sorts, I do like a good con theory mind you, but I agree with you on this, it just doesn’t sit right.
HH
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
As I said the other day, Marshal Law coming to a nation near you soon.
Things are gathering pace, all the killings, bombings etc are just what is needed to impliment it, mark my words.
Another thing, can you really see Trump being elected as president, he will either be taken out or the election will be postponed due to the aforementioned Marshal Law, and I hope I am so so wrong with that, I really do.
BSR
Now that would depend on if the later really wanted to win :-)
HH
I met Kris Commons last season,he had a Celtic polo shirt on,if he’s overweight,we’re all in trouble……….
Fanatic
Fair do’s
If KC gets fit, he’ll get his chance like everyone else promised by BR
Jerome67
I agree about Forrest ,my point was poorly made.
I was trying to show that I don’t rate Forrest and rate GMS even less.
To be honest there are very few that I would be wanting to keep.
The problem is that we pay them more than they are worth ,and they will stay put because the standard that they can perform at pays less then we pay them.
We have a problem.
Our scouting in recent times has been abysmal.
TT
Kris Commons is not overweight.
I was on holiday in Dubai a couple of years back.
He was staying in the Atlantis hotel at the same time as me.
The Bhoy didn’t have a pick of fat on him.
The same could not be said of me.(:-)
TT