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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It would need to be Stornaway black pudding of course for our comrade
Hebcelt
Viva The Quince Brigade
With a four leaf clover on my chicken breast.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 2nd September 2016 9:39 am
VFR
Enjoyed that,cheers,you’ll be changing your name to Lambretta ;)
Davidopoulos
;)
HH
_______________________________
Nah, I was a Vespa man. I had a PX125 and a PK50 up until fairly recently!
Mod the Hoops CSC
KTF
This lamb is your lamb
KTF
And as I look upon what I have started, I back slowly away…
The Merry Ploughmans
The Patriot Game Pie
See before all your grub eating puns …… I hope you all said Grace… ;-)
Aiden McAnes Pies?
Take me back to garlic Mayo
My friends in Celtic,
If I may I would like to add a couple of points to the list of improvements / upgrades to Celtic Park.
1) Clean the windows and surrounding area in the Jock Stein stand Food courts. Frankly it is disgusting sitting there eating or drinking. Totally unhygienic and an eyesore.
2) Give the passageways in the JS stand a lick of yellow paint and repair the green epideck surface which has seen better days. The paint may be cosmetic, but the epideck is there for a non slip safety feature.
Hail, Hail.
One for WDH
Tinned Omelettes
Just Canned – Get an Oeuf
For a healthier option I’d like a Green (brigade) smoothie bar.
Added keane-wa and a pinch of Maca powder to boost the ol libido.
Kale kale the Celts are here :)
HH
Geordie Munro
A Lemon-Lee Wallace shot as well?
Where the helmets glisten in the Capri Sun
The Trifles of the IRA
Pasty gallaghers ?
Oh, we’re all off to Dublin for our greens (f**k the beans)
KTF
long time lurker and am no a hun, a was hoping for a midfield dynamo but will settle for much needed right back
And they gave us James McGrory and cheese soufflé…
Natknow
Still the best. I do like a quorny joke.
kel fae cowden
No a hun, but do you like puns? God, I hope you like puns or you’ll hate this place…
To the rattle of a Thompson bun.
TALLYBHOY
Cheers,bud. Salivating already. If the deli doesn’t come up trumps,I’ll nip up to see a young fella I know.
Runs similar but with an Indian/Oriental,erm,orientation(!) International market most mornings,he makes my timesheet look like a holiday.
Owes me a favour or two. I usually accept their return in pints but perfectly prepared to procure pork products instead.
Puns is old hat,folks.
Alliteration is the name of the game(!)
My Little Almond Bite
walk on through the wind
walk on through the rain
Though your eggs be burst and turned
Wok on
Wok on
The mashing of the van.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
If both sources let you down, try Ocado (online surpermarket), they do proper wedges of ‘Nduja instead of the jarred stuff we normally get in UK. That’s if Ocado deliver in your area. Failing that, as I said to BT, Carluccio’s stock jars of it.
Happy munching…
KELFAECOWDEN
You’ve picked a good day to join in the fun-and Welcome Aboard!!!!
Just think of something stupid and yer in. Beats a bitchfest by bliddy barrowloads.
(I’m pushing it here,I reckon)
Just can’t get an oeuf
Our last coaching team could maybe operate a Deilacatessen.
Haaaave yoooou heard about the big strong man, he works in a burger van.
HH
I’m quite happy with business this summer, but we can’t stop, so next window I’d be looking at the following departures:
Bailly – Free;
Ambrose – Free;
Boyata – £500k if we’re lucky;
Biton – £3.5m;
Commons – Free;
GMS – £500k if we’re lucky;
Ciftci – £500k if we’re lucky.
I’d also loan Fasan out for the experience, and Christie if he’s not getting game time.
So that would bring in around £5m. But remember if we sell a player who doesn’t want to go (or at least hasn’t asked to go) we have to agree on paying up contracts, so it’s not a “we’ve earned £5m there – we’d lose a chunk of that on paying those contracts off – hence, the talk of net spend being negligable isn’t entirely true when that and signing on fees are taken into account.
Whatever is left of the £5m, and any other money available to strengthen, I’d spend on a defensive midfielder. Thus the squad would look like:
GK – Gordon; De Vries; Fasan (pos loan);
RB – Lustig; Gamboa;
LB – Izzy; Tierney;
CB – Kolo; Jozo; Erik; O’Connell;
DM – New guy; Ajer;
CM – Brown; Rogic; Armstrong; Henderson; McGregor;
RW – Roberts; Forrest;
LW – Sinclair; Christie (pos Loan);
CF – Griffiths; Dembele.
Of course we also need to plan for the summer. I’d let another of the Goalkeepers go (Gordon or De Vries, whichever isn’t playing)and promote Fasan to Number 2 or, if neither Gordon or De Vries can be shofted, send Fasan on loan until the following summer when those two guys are out of contract.
In defence, with Izzy out of contract I’d be looking to pick up a left back on a Bosman. I’d also be looking at offloading Jozo (at a loss/free if needed) if his injury problems continue, keeping Kolo for an exctra season in that case. If Jozo does a good job, I’d let Kolo go in summer. So we need to be looking for another CB – bosman ideal, otherwise just be planning early (Denayer on loan?). I’d also be thinking about Lustig’s long term future – either moving him in as cover at CB permanenetly (thus negating the need for another CB) or letting him go. In either case, I’d be on the hunt for another RB, again on a Bosman if possible.
Midfield, I’d be looking to freshen up. Henderson, Armstrong and McGregor ought to have had a chance to show if they can do it, if so, keep them but if not, move them on and bring in replacements. I’d say that would be Brown’s last season as a regular, though I’d maybe keep him as back-up and coaching. BR mentioned he could move to CB – not sure about that to be honest. So, I’d keep our new DM (from Jan window), Ajer (I have high hopes for the boy but he needs to be integrated gently), and Brown. Up to 3 midfielders required depending on progress made by McGregor, Henderson and Armstrong.
On teh wings, we know we’re going to lose ROberts unless we can sort something out. SOrting something out would be my priority between now and January. SO potentially a replacement for him. Forrest needs to maintain his improved form – if he does, gret, if he doesn’t I think it would be time to cut our losses on him. I’d also consider movng Christie central – back up to Rogic in the No10 position (thus meaning we’d only need 2 midfielders depending on progress by the “at risk” trio). So, up to 3 wingers needed.
Up front, I’d stick with Griffiths and Dembele. I’d also like a third player as cover, but not sure anyone of any quality would be content with that role. That said, if we could get a really good player, I’d snap them up, even if it means one of those 2 have to leave (would have to be an amazing player to even consider letting Griffiths leave).
So summer would see the potential departures of 1 goalkeeper; 2 or 3 defendenrs; and up to 5 midfielders/wingers (assuming Roberts doesn’t stay(. 9 players out – I’d be looking for 7 replacements. It’s probably too much to do that in summer, so that may have to be over the summer and winter windows of next season. That would give us a squad of:
GK – Gordon or De Vries; Fasan;
RB – Gamboa; New guy;
LB – Tierney; New Guy;
CB – Erik; O’Connell; Kolo/Jozo; Lustig/New Guy;
DM – January this year guy; Ajer;
CM – Brown; Rogic; Christie; Then McGregor; Armstrong; Henderson or replacements for 1 or all of them;
Wingers – Forrest; Sinclair; Roberts/New guy; New Guy;
CF – Griffiths; Dembele; New guy(maybe – I wouldn’t want a Ciftci type bench warmer).
The Filled Rolls of Honour!
Looking for somewhere to watch the game next Saturday in Chester. Can only watch the first half as I am off to the racing. Hopefully will be over as a contest by then.
Also going to Rome in March any ideas for reasonably priced hotels quite happy to walk to see the sights any help appreciated as we have never been to Rome. Thanks in advance.
DAVIDOPOULOS
I don’t think they do deliver around here,bud. Too bliddy slow,their stuff’s aff by the time it gets there.
Only one thing worse than an Ocado van in front of me on the A420 and that’s a MINI plant panel production pantechnicon.
Their company-Gilhuber-still limits them to 40mph on single carriageways. Dangerous stuff as people try to overtake when they shouldn’t.
Pretty sure the young Indian fella will come up trumps if Franco doesn’t.
Pickled Fenians?