The January transfer window closed in an underwhelming manner last night. Celtic concluded a straight four-month loan deal for Adam Idah (22) from Norwich City. I started the week bemoaning how physically light we were, so the addition of a 6’ 3” traditional target man is welcome. It is somewhat regretful that this is not a strategic acquisition; there is no option to buy and if the player is a success, Norwich will use this to prime his resale value.
We seem to have talked ourselves out of a left back. From what I hear, that’s not as much of a stress as it sounds, as latterly we were shopping distinctly off-piste in the ‘clearly for backup purposes’ lane.
The only permanent and strategic signature was that of Nicolas Kuhn (24), from Rapid Vienna. Nicolas arrived in the middle of the month and has already made his debut. He is every inch the data driven dream: creates chances, is useful in possession and after an injured season, has been fit since the summer. They are out there, if we are prepared to commit to the system.
A few eyebrows were raised at the reported £2m Cardiff City paid for the signature of David Turnbull, a player who has been on the fringes of the Celtic first team since his arrival from Motherwell four years ago. We paid £3m to Motherwell for David amid high hopes he would become a mainstay of the midfield for years to come. He is a player with great technique and was the best finisher at Celtic Park. With only six months left on his contract I expected a fee of around £400k, so happy with £2m.
Our winger population was thinned out a bit yesterday. Mikey Johnston (24) went to West Brom on loan and Marco Tilio (22) returned to his former club, Melbourne City, both are set to return to Celtic in the summer.
Not one of you wants to hear this, but playing on the wings is a really tough gig, especially at Celtic. Mikey has talent, he reminds me of one of those five-a-side players you can never get the ball off. Decision making and a good final ball is never an issue at fives, Mikey needs to improve on both if he is to reach his potential.
The window shut with Brendan Rodgers words reverberating, “Obviously, statistics will give you a lot, but I’m not driven by it.”. So we’re off-piste now.
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Early doors kick off tomorrow gives us the chance to go eight points clear in Ol’ Aberdeen.
Think the Dons will still be without a manager after sacking Barry Robson, the man who got them into Europe this season. Hell mend them.
We’ll need to find somebody to play at left back, Liam Scales maybe, other than than should be able to field a half decent team. First of three games in a week, and hopefully first of three away victories.
Norwich supporting friend of mine says Adam needs to toughen up, SPL the place to do exactly that.
Celts to win and stay top.
CELTIC MAC on 2ND FEBRUARY 2024 10:21 PM
Early doors kick off tomorrow gives us the chance to go eight points clear in Ol’ Aberdeen.
Think the Dons will still be without a manager after sacking Barry Robson, the man who got them into Europe this season. Hell mend them.
We’ll need to find somebody to play at left back, Liam Scales maybe, other than than should be able to field a half decent team. First of three games in a week, and hopefully first of three away victories.
Norwich supporting friend of mine says Adam needs to toughen up, SPL the place to do exactly that.
Celts to win and stay top.
Imagine he toughens up to become a top player.
We’re only making him a top player for Norwich as we don’t have an option to buy
CELTIC MAC – I think we will win tomorrow no problem.
We play better, usually away from home. It’s been a pretty poor window and for anyone to say otherwise is a 🤡
Basketball player playing in the AT & T pro am…..he’s 7’ 1”
Works part time as a bulb replacer
….does a bit of ceiling painting on the side
….cleans gutters on bungalows in 15 minutes
….says he’s not a snob….he never looks down on people
….knows when the bus is full upstairs without going….you know the rest
….doesn’t trust anyone cos they never look him in the eye when they’re talking
31003
If Adam makes a positive contribution for Celtic between now and the end of the season I’ll be happy with that.
…..takes him an hour to bend down and tie his laces
CELTIC MAC on 2ND FEBRUARY 2024 10:41 PM
31003
If Adam makes a positive contribution for Celtic between now and the end of the season I’ll be happy with that.
Given the chance he might just….we should try a different approach when things don’t appear to be working
Fairhill Bhoy
Away form has been, for the most part, pretty good.
As is our record up in Aberdeen.
Bhoys to give us all a boost.
Are ALL the kids in bed?
Celtic transfer strategy is bonkers and Brendan Rodgers is culpable as plan for summer fix may be too late
The blame game is up and running at Celtic after a transfer window that promised much but failed to deliver.
Brendan Rodgers is right about one thing. There is no use in finger-pointing at Parkhead – because everyone is at fault. But there are some other parts of Rodgers’s reasoning I can’t get my head around. He said perhaps Celtic should have been braver in the transfer market. I would ask why weren’t they then? He also says it’s his job to fix it. That’s one I really don’t get. The system wasn’t broken in the first place.
We never heard a peep about struggling to bring in signings in the last couple of seasons under Ange Postecoglou. There was no talk about how hard it was improving the quality or recruiting first. Team ready players. Celtic just went and did it, whether it was Joe Hart, Kyogo, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Josip Juranovic, Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley or any other of the results starters. But somehow now it’s become Mission Impossible. It just doesn’t make sense.
And it’s no wonder the supporters are losing patience. If they thought the booing was bad after beating Ross County, just wait for what is in store if results start to go wrong in the next couple of weeks.
There is anger in the stands building. But even worse than that – there is also apathy due to what they feel is a lack of ambition. If the supporters begin to wonder what is the point, we might as well be back to the Ronny Deila days when Celtic had to shut the top tier.
I just can’t fathom how they have got to this point. Make no mistake, they are gambling with the title here, regardless of how you look at the business Rangers have done.
In the summer they failed to prepare properly for the Champions League and paid the price. Now they are risking even getting to the Champions League as they have left the door wide open for their rivals.
The work in January should have started on September 1. Instead they were scrambling around on the final day. He was the one who said this squad was lacking three or four quality players. Did he get them in January? We all know the answer.
Nicholas Kuhn came in and although he had a good grounding at youth level, he’s still has a lot to prove. I’ve been accused of filleting Adam Idah – but that is not the case. I do believe he has attributes but you have to be honest and he’s a striker who hasn’t been able to get into a bang average Norwich City side ahead of an ageing Ashley Barnes.
Adam Idah (Image: SNS Group)
The fact Celtic had to wait until they signed Sydney van Hooijdonk – who was linked with Celtic – until they got him just smacked of desperation. Look, I know what it’s like to be written off and having to prove people wrong. There have been plenty of others at Celtic who have done the same, guys like Ludo Moravcik, and I hope he can do the same.
I really hope he isn’t made a scapegoat for the frustrations of this window. But I understand those frustrations. You look back to last summer when Rodgers returned. It was Celtic making a serious statement after Postecoglou’s departure and looking to take the club to the next level.
Rodgers himself was cool on talk about record signings and whatever – but there has to be a middle ground. Look at his net spend in the two windows – if anything Celtic are in profit. In fact, got back to his first spell and he’s more than balanced the books across seven transfer windows. That’s not brave. It’s bonkers.
The recruitment department has a lot to answer for. Celtic has historically had a list of targets as long as your arm and if one doesn’t land they go to the next. Have they lost the list down the back of the couch?
You can’t seriously tell me in the six months since the summer window there isn’t a left back in the world that can come in and compete with or cover for Greg Taylor. You can’t claim Adah was a long term target and then bring him in on a deal just until the end of the season.
People are not daft. Fans will hammer Peter Lawwell and his son Mark as head of recruitment and maybe that’s fair game. Michael Nicholson took the plaudits under Ange and as CEO and will get flak now. But Rodgers is also culpable. He has the final say over transfers and the buck stops with the manager over comings and goings.
I just can’t see the strategy. It’s so muddled. Look at Gustaf Lagerbielke. He was on his way to Lecce but got called back with doubts over Cameron Carter-Vickers’ injury. That’s tough on the player but it’s the way it goes. But why then let David Turnbull go when Reo Hatate is going to be out for a number of weeks?
Celtic got money from Cardiff and it looked like he wanted to go. But Sometimes there are greater needs. I’m not saying Turnbull is a world-beater but he has an eye for goal. He is the club’s third top scorer this season and one of the few at the club who knows how to hit a penalty.
None of this makes much sense. Rodgers is now talking about fixing things in the summer – but by then it could be too late. And if the title is not delivered it will take plenty of bravery to answer to the fans.– Chris Sutton
In the cold light of day (or night as it is now) we STILL have the best starting 11 and bench in Scotland
The league is only ours to lose. Trust in Brendan
I’d rather him right now than anyone else
Right here we go……transfer window an absolute fek up!
lets change the subject…whats the the best western. I’m now in my late 60s and seen them all and for me the no1 is and has always been ‘Gunfight at OK Corral burt and kirk 1957
1. Gunfight at O.K. Corral
Internet has a great reliability record on rumours
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/24094742.rodgers-celtic-long-haul-despite-switzerland-rumours/
We need players with more strength
We have all the pace and skill required but not enough strength in the team
Idah, at 6’3” might be our missing link
Another brute in midfield would also help
FOURSTONECOPPI
There’s a few westerns based on modern times I’ve enjoyed but for the life of me I can’t remember their names.
One I watched recently had Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman in it.
I’d also say “No country for old men”
31003 on 2ND FEBRUARY 2024 11:15 PM
An Unfinished Life?
at the opening of the window [that’s handy] i did not expect any major signings
what i do expect is the best squad in the land led by the best manager
to win this league
beginning tomorrow but if we don’t i will still love Celtic and everything and everyone they have gave me
giveitabreakcfc
Fourstonecoppie
Bone Tomahawk
….and unfinished life
3:10 to Yuma
Appaloosa
Unforgiven
Best modern western, and its a TV show is
Yellowstone
And its spin offs
Which are more traditional
1883 and 1923
great series
Unforgiven is my movie choice
I phoned a hotel to book a room the other day …
They answered with … Hello Best Western …
I replied , gunfight at the ok coral …😁
====
Auld yins are the best 😉
1 Unforgiven
2 Tombstone
3 Hombre
FOURSTONECOPPI on 2ND FEBRUARY 2024 11:00 PM
*The Searchers ‘Sweets for my Sweet”
The great composer to ‘gunfight’..dimitri tiomkin…Frankie Laine ooft to die for!
Great stuff ghuys keep it comin
“No knives no guns no klllings”…to quote!
Bury my heart at Wounded Knee
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!
Well, he should have armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.
Now the windae is shut …
Am with Brendan (stuff any Celtic board they mean nothing to me and get far too much airtime) … only sign players who will improve the first team ✔️
Do you think we have the strongest squad in the Spl before the windae ?
Do you think we have the strongest squad in the Spl after the windae ?
Yes
Yes
100% behind Brendan 🍀
Roll on pittodrie …
Bad Day at Black Rock