Brendan Rodgers brought five players to the club this transfer window: Moussa Dembele, Kolo Toure, Scott Sinclair, Dorus de Vries and Cristian Gamboa, two defenders, a wide midfielder, a striker and a goalkeeper. Moussa has been used sparingly so far, but there’s a decent chance four out of the five will be first choice for our key games this season. Kristoffer Ajer also arrived but was signed up by Ronny Deila earlier this year.
The leavers over the summer were mostly deadwood, with honourable mentions to Charlie Mulgrew and Stefan Johansen, both former Player of the Year winners. Our best wishes go with them. We also saw Saidy Janko escape on loan to Barnsley, Scott Allan head to Rotherham for the season, while Aidan Nesbitt will continue his apprenticeship at Morton until next summer.
You would be hard pressed to identify a better transfer window than this since the ‘Robbie Keane window’, which looked good at the time but was ultimately unproductive. Try naming one. Peter Lawwell’s adage about coming out of the window stronger than we went into it, was unequivocally achieved.
We also managed to achieve something you and I have debated here for years: spend early in the window in enhance your chances of reaching the Champions League. No one should be in any doubt that the reason we were able to achieve this, this season, was down to the personal pull of Brendan Rodgers.
Kolo, Scott and Moussa would not be here for any other manager, and without them, we’d not be in the Champions League. It wasn’t a decision to spend early this year that we didn’t want to do in earlier years, we’ve simply not had the drawing power to get the targets we wanted. That included Teemu Pukki, who wasn’t prepared to walk among us until we’d delivered Champions League football for him to enjoy. This is the reality, even for everyday-jobbers like Teemu.
Those of us who like the scientific approach to football won’t like this. Success shouldn’t be about reputations, it should be finding good managers or players who are undervalued, and giving them a platform to shine.
What the last two years demonstrated more than anything else, is that a football dressing room is an incredibly difficult place to get scientific. Brendan’s reputation as a top manager helps him deliver success, which we’re all happy about.
I spoke to someone last night who felt “cheated” by the window. “Why?” I asked. “Because we were promised a major spend. Dermot was raging at that other lot after the semi-final and we were promised a big spend. A week ago we were promised James McCarthy.”
Honestly, some journalist writes a complete fantasy and we’re jumping off cliffs after one of the best July and Augusts we’ve had in years. Don’t confuse media output with actual reality. It’s mostly nonsense. Dermot left the game in question before the penalties, there was no overreaction from the other lot.
And Celtic told anyone who asked that they had no intention of signing James McCarthy. If a fan told you otherwise, his taxi driver-source was misinformed. It happens. If a media outlet told to this, they either wanted to run the story without checking, or didn’t care.
Did we want more from the window? Yes. We all did and we all always do. That’s why Celtic were still on the hunt for a deal or two yesterday, but the manager’s primary bases were all covered. Celtic will continue to do what they always have done financially – spend all the money that comes in over any business period you care to mention.
Enjoy this season, I think it’s going to be a memorable one.
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BMCUW
“Well,if it’s that bloody difficult,we might as well make the tea-lady or sumdy chief executive and put another million a year that we’ve saved onto the table for a new signing!
Bloody hell,mate. PL is paid to do a job. IMO,by failing to land a defensive midfielder-a position which we definitely need filled-he has failed in his remit.”
As you well know, I will readily concede that our CEO is overpaid as are most CEOs who claim too much of the added value is brought by them but are slow to accept their share of any losses.
BUT….. We did land a defensive midfielder in this window
The Tim reaper
Brilliant tweet that!
In the Daily Rectum’s defence, that front page was published before the meaning of words like relegation, liquidation and incorporation was changed here in Oceania.
I remember many years ago the Press & Journal were in the habit of calling the sfa the rfa.
BMCUWP
Sorry to but in on your discussion with Starry and Auld Tam, but Peter Lawwell does not negotiate with himself. There are at least two parties, and possibly more, involved in the deal making. If the players agent throws in an outlandish wage demand or exemption from playing on rainy nights is it Peter Lawwell at fault if the deal collapses? Simplistic example I know but you get my meaning hopefully
SETTINGFREETHEBEARS
If you mean Kristoffer Ajer,you know more than most on here. Some think he’s a centre-half,others agree with you,while he played central mid at Start(?)
If he’s a defensive midfielder,he’s scoring far too often to be taking his duties seriously.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Why does it need to be anybody’s fault mate??
The deal didn’t get done for the player we were looking at..basta fertig, it happens.
Torino thought they were signing Jozo, he’s back in Glasgow..
Could be the player, the agent or the selling club but on here and I don’t necessarily mean you here we’re as quick to jump on Celtic at every wee thing as the dirty SMSM are.
Who’s fault is it, well that’s a question furraanotherday:))
HH
OWEN
I do,mate. But if that were the case,the transfer market would dry up.
It’s not a one-off. It’s time after groundhog time.
And there was Dallas, 17 years on, sending off Stephabne Mahe for… getting fouled by that we louse McCann.
That coin – never a pound more worthily spent, never a more deserving target.
No remorse, no regrets.
Looks like we’re in for more ANGER from The rANGERs
STARRYPLOUGH
Hmmm…
Jozo. Deal off. Buying club moved the goalposts.
Nuff said.
HH,bud. No point in us going round in circles.
Anyway as SSN say the window has slammed shut so no need to worry about it until the new year.
I’m not disappointed with our transfer dealings. I would have liked to get the defensive midfielder everybody is talking about and I would also have liked to offload a few more players. But Brendan is only in the job a couple of months, so expecting an immediate transformation is unrealistic, imho. We have who we have until the next transfer window so it is up to the manager to prove himself as a winning coach with the players he has. We are in the CL now, something we failed to achieve under RD.
I would like us to focus on the fans’ experience at Celtic Park now. People often complain about the food on sale inside the ground on match day. I don’t buy food inside the ground or at the various kiosks outside – too many bad experiences. For fans who visit Celtic Park outwith match days there’s not actually a lot on offer, apart from the Superstore.
The stadium tour is excellent but it is not easily accessible and there are many aspects of it which could be improved. You rarely meet a player at the stadium and toilets aren’t the easiest to find either. We are a great club – a proud history, great traditions and exceptional achievement. This year’s CL qualification gives us a fabulous opportunity to promote our club to the visiting away fans and the new fans who will see us for the first time.
Many of these fans will be impressed by the stadium & The Glasgow Celtic Way. It’s a pity though that there isn’t a museum, and more importantly, a permanent café (and bar?) that visiting fans had access to.
Sandman@9:08
I disagree, I think a 50 coin thrown with the same velocity incurs a deeper cut :)
Kristoffer Ajer was a holding midfielder in Norway and when he was bought, he was described as a midfielder. Brendan used him as a stop-gab centre-half a couple of times.
BMCW,
Agreed , Brendan identifies the targets and specifies who leaves. Transfer in/outs are his responsibility. I understand he checks players wage demands as well.
Lawwell then has to close the deal with the club which could be a fee or a loan. Sinclair was a routine deal ; Brendan wanted him , he agreed to come. Checked wages — fine. Ok Peter over to you.
For what was a routine deal Lawwell dragged it out for weeks — even leaking stories that WBA Keith Wyness moved the goalposts, then it was their manager etc etc
Unfortunately every in requires Lawwell somewhere in the process ; Brendan gave him names but he didn’t deliver. He doesn’t care about progress in the CL only the £30M , the balance sheet and his bonus.
Brendan needs to convince Dermot to remove Lawwell as he has been around Celtic Park far too long and treats it as his own personal fiefdom. If Lawwell remains Brendan will only remain for one season. If Brendan had a CEO who backed him and managed the cash/profit we would be a proper CL league club in 3 seasons.
Otherwise it will be back to a non descript manager and Lawwell / Park ( who still reports to Lawwell otherwise Brendan would have him out on loan to Yeovil Town) bringing in talent from the pipeline that gave us Kazim Richards and Carlton Cole. They gave us Pukki, Balde and Scepovic-
Not quite Johnstone, Tully, Murdioch, Auld and Hay !
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Funny you should mention moving the goalposts, it’s the main occupation on here for some:)))
So selling club moves the goalposts on Celtic deal collapses:))))
Hope yer well big chap…
Lucky Cody
Wow I would imagine you have actual evidence to back all of that up? I mean you wouldn’t just be giving your opinion of what you think happened but are trying to dress it up as fact would you?
Cosgrove fairly scathing about Gretna. I’m sure he’ll do likewise with *Rangers
Sandman, further to your earlier post of golfer , Russell Knox.
Going by his accent,Darren Clarke , must have thought Russell was American.
I know he’s been in the States for years but his now accent is very much Sheena Easton like.
I like his hun trait of pointing the finger elsewhere rather than himself for not getting picked.
Record output today… Four blogs… This one is about Aberdeen not acknowledging Sevco as Rangers…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/jibe-talkin/
Why do posters keep thinking Ajer would be a solution to improve our midfield?
Brendan has already told you of the lads present suitability.
When did he tell you? He tells you every competitive game we play, Ajer has not made one 18 man squad despite having the advantage of being match fit.
The fact we have failed to strengthen that position makes him no more capable.
The clues are in his development program.
Martinez working his magic on Belgian national side.
For such an array of talent he has them playing like strangers.
Spain beat them 2-0 and it was easy.
Why based on his previous form would anyone think he is a coach?
A baffling appointment.
To be fair the BBC have just made minty moonbeams look like a total clown there :)
wow, pretty damming from McLeish
MacLeish just blew the “no sporting advantage” fallacy out the water
Dallas.
I’m glad you’re on the blog.
Posted you a message tea time yesterday.
I spoke to S.McG seems a good ghuy, I will make sure he settles in well.
He said he was going to E.Mail you.
He played football with Melly and knows Chalkie too as well as the Hippo, so all good stuff felt like I’d known him for years.
Stephen Thompson ex Dundee utd chairman confirming it was pushback from the fans and threatened non-renewal of season tickets that stopped Sevco from being admitted to the top flight in 2012
Now BBC saying “the predicted downfall of Scottish football failed to materialise”
Seem shy about using the word Armageddon
Well done, the sheepies !
I hope my club is as equally honest.
Jimmynotpaul, you have ‘outed me’ lol
SMcG emailed me yesterday to ask if I know jimmynotpaul.
He’s glad to be in your place , firstly because he’s out of my place and secondly , your place has a large number of Celtic fans in it. Its a win win situation for him.
I had a feeling you would get on well. Like some of us , he’s bern scunnered the last few seasons with the on and off the pitch goings on along with the sevco mythbeing perpetuated.
SID
“Why do posters keep thinking Ajer would be a solution to improve our midfield?”
Of course Ajer would be a solution to improve our midfield.
Would is a future conditional tense therefore, in the future, this 18 year old who already has 50 plus appearances in Norway’s top division and has been capped at all under age levels, is a good bet for threatening the current incumbents in the future.
Now, if you are alleging that some posters have said Ajer is ready now then I confess I must have missed people posting that view because I haven’t read it. However, Kieran Tierney got a few appearances when he was 18 and he used them to kick on and cement a place so it is far from unheard of that a young one can improve year on year if given a chance. Brendan has assessed Ajer and wants to see him play more development games. He will then get a chance in competition with McCart and McConnell for CB cover and with Liam Henderson, Regan Hendry, Joe Thompson and Mark Hill and others for a centre midfield slot.
Ajer is being handled well in development terms: he has not been cast out and dismissed at 18y and 4 months
Dallas.
Ha, good stuff.
Hope being”outed” doesn’t cause you any problems.
I do think my place is one of the better places to be. Like everywhere it does have some issues, but I’m pretty sure it’s much better than your place and I know it’s much better than where I used to work, sometimes you have to give a bit of praise to the management team too, they have helped create a different environment to other places that perform similar duties.
Hail Hail my outed friend.
Scotlands game or Scotland’s airbrush.
More time was spent on Gretnas demise than the huns.
Any proper documentary would have nailed Murray to the wall.
Atleast one nailed him and fair play to him.
The slithery snake will slide on.
The huns will continue with their denial.
Not in my eyes.
SFTB
Bollocks.
If you changed would to could I’d agree, my point stands Ajer is at present not suitable otherwise he would be making the squad, ie the lad is not ready.
Sid.
I left you a message too.
Yes Luke Donnelly had been injured, he missed a good bit of pre season so is still playing catch up.
Alloa must be doing something right. He could have gone to two championship clubs but he chose Alloa. Yes he is delighted to be beside Callum Waters. I’m sure he will be an asset for Alloa and hopefully help them win the league, then return to Celtic to live his dream.
Hail Hail.
Morning , chaps.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention , James.
Memories of Marlon Brando AND a magical goodbye from Antony Stokes , a great Celt.
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2016 2:24 PM
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON:
I wrote an article after the Cup Semi where I said much the same.
A lot of Sevconites laughed at it.
None of them is laughing now.
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/the-storm-before-the-calm/
Still trying to persuade us that a businessman like David Murray,with all his contacts,could be duped by a fake billionaire into buying Oldco.
Why castigate fans for their sectarian behaviour when last week the same programme showed previously unseen footage (27 years hidden) of the Scotland captain,the England captain and many others signing sectarian songs? Disgusted by the actions of fans,complicit in the protection of players. Hypocrites!!!
Jimmynotpaul
Thanks, hopefully the lad catches a break and he is clear of injuries.
Will keep you posted of progress, he has already got one goal for his 30 minutes of football.
Pretty amazing revelation from Alex McLeish on Scotland’s game. In 2003 he admitted that if they weren’t using EBT’s they would have been behind Celtic. He genuinely looked upset about it.