It’s probably rash to suggest Neil Lennon dismisses the inflated English market when trying to sign a striker in preference for the Continent. Europe has plenty of quality leagues, and gifted players, but it also has plenty of scouts.
The tops leagues enjoy blanket analysis, which has consequences. Our experience of Lassad and Miku suggests that if we can tempt a striker to move from the likes of Spain to Scotland there’s maybe a reason why. Even the secondary leagues, such as Slovakia and Poland, are scouted extensively by German clubs, who are the most desired destination for most East European players. The success rate in bringing targeted strikers to the club from Europe has been low, which had real consequences for this season.
So where does that leave us? Second tier teams in second tier (but still good) leagues, like Vitoria Guimaraes, who we bought Amido Balde from (strikers at top Portuguese clubs are aiming for the sky), go back to the English Championship, or maybe a peripheral league, like Sweden or Israel, again, or Iceland.
Celtic proposition is not without merit, we will now be touting Champions League football under the noses of every prospect, but finding a player capable of delivering the talent for that stage is the central challenge to the club.
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natknow – supporting wee oscar
10:25 on 5 December, 2013
Trains off due to trampolices and haystacks on the line according to Herald website. Now normally I’d be chortling at that, but since my trampoline is a broken wreck at my back door I’m taking the issue extremely seriously.
……………..
Nae bouncy bouncy for you.
HUN SKELPER
Mohsni?
The go-to guy when rent-a-gub is shut.
You’d get more sense out of one of their fans,not kidding!
googybhoy ♥ Celtic
10:37 on 5 December, 2013
natknow – supporting wee oscar
10:25 on 5 December, 2013
Trains off due to trampolices and haystacks on the line according to Herald website. Now normally I’d be chortling at that, but since my trampoline is a broken wreck at my back door I’m taking the issue extremely seriously.
……………..
Nae bouncy bouncy for you.
Never mate! Trampoline or no!!!
Quite enjoyed Jackie McNamara calmly putting Stuart Dougal in his place on Shortbread last night.
natknow – supporting wee oscar
10:25 on 5 December, 2013
Took the trampoline down 3 weeks ago as it smashed through the garden fence last winter, won’t make that mistake again HH
Learnbyyourmistakes csc
RobinBhoy
10:19 on
5 December, 2013
Why on earth do we have a link to the “Light Hearted Dig at the Holy Goalie” on a Celtic blog?
Light Hearted my arse……..they still hate Artur for his days as a Celtic player, should be removed.
——————
Robinbhoy
Calmers.
It’s the Guardian , not the DR or ET, having a go at him for his recent absurd stuff in England.
Lets pick our battles. This isn’t one of them.
HH
Tlwio
Wee bit of snow in EK
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hun skelper
09:57 on
5 December, 2013
Rangers ace Bilel Mohsni: We can match Arsenal’s Invincibles by finishing this season’s campaign unbeaten
5 Dec 2013 08:17
Are these clowns for real, with the resources they have compared to the part time teams there playing that’s the minimum requirement I would imagine. Comparing what arsenal done to what there trying to do is embarrassing.
———————
It’s beyond desperate.
Its like a bunch of Primary Seven’s turning out against the Primary One’s and proclaiming themselves the bestest , bestest team ever in the whole school…
Children.
the long wait is over
10:46 on 5 December, 2013
Correct mate, the media are feeding there thoughts of grandeur while the rest of Scotland laugh. Totally embarrassing HH
Over on FF the penny was dropping last night re the stunning retail deal that Green has signed with Ashley. Apparently the “club” gets a mere 8p per shirt sold and Chuck has tied them in to this stunning deal for 7 years. The good news though is that Chuck himself is on a nice earner with this deal.
From The Record.
NEVILLE SOUTHALL reckons it would be bonkers to let Joe Ledley walk away for free.
Because if he goes Southall swears Neil Lennon would need £10million to replace him.
And if he stays the Welsh goalkeeping great would become Celtic’s own Ryan Giggs.
Southall is staggered the Scottish champions could lose his countryman for nothing with no agreement yet reached on a new deal.
Ledley and the champions have made no progress on a contract extension and the 50-cap star can sign an agreement with a new club next month.
Southall reckons it’s false economy not to find the money to keep a player who is rated highly by his manager and is coming into his peak.
He told Record Sport: “Ask yourself this? How much would it cost to replace Joe right now?
“I’d be looking at £10million. You are not going to get someone of his experience and quality for less.
“Selling your best player is false economy. Letting a 26-year-old who is coming into their peak leave for free is madness.
“If you’re trying to tell fans you’re building a team, why would you let someone like that leave? For me, it would be simply bonkers and the manager can’t possibly want to lose him.
“I wouldn’t let him near the door. I’d board up the door and not let him leave until he’d signed or do a Brian Clough and go round his house.
“The manager will have a valuation of him and sometimes those in higher places don’t understand how good players are. There are players who get glory once a month and there are boys who do it every week for you.
“Ask any manager which one they want. Ask Neil what he wants. At this time of year, do you want a car that you know will start every morning or one that’s super-fast but starts once every few days?
“Joe is a Volvo footballer. Safe, reliable and although unspectacular, he’ll get the job done all of the time. You pay for value for money.
“He’s not the type who lies down when he gets a headache. He gets on with it. Why would you let someone like that go?
“In a few years, he’ll be at his peak. Then at 30 and 31-years-old, he’ll be phenomenal at bringing players on. The kids will see someone who has been there, seen it and won it.
“Joe would become the Ryan Giggs of Celtic and I could pay him no bigger compliment.”
Southall believes that Ledley’s quiet approach does him a disservice in these situations.
Off the park, there are no lurid headlines. There is no ranting when left out of the team.
On it, he does the dirty jobs without fuss to let others take the limelight.
Southall, who had Ledley as coach with Wales at youth level, is adamant the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale wouldn’t shine so brightly without the likes of the Celt.
He added: “Let’s be honest, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if Joe had sco red 20 goals, yet he’s just as important as a goalscorer.
“Joe is one of those lads you don’t have to think about. He tries his b*****ks off every game, he’s a good lad and he’ll do whatever you want on the park.
“Sometimes, lads like that get overlooked because they don’t kick up a fuss, or shout from the rooftops
about how good they are, they get taken for granted.
“But Joe’s a manager’s dream. He does what he’s told and does it every single week.
“Joe’s similar to Gareth Barry, in many ways. He’s changed the way Everton play.
“He just gets it, moves it and keeps it simple. He’s a players’ player.
“You can’t build a house without a bricklayer. Someone has to lay the foundation and Joe does that for us.
“It’s because of him, that the likes of Aaron and Gareth can shine.
“Joe would be someone every top manager would love to have in their side.
“Real Madrid have players like Joe. Barcelona have players like Joe. Players who get it, move it and work hard for the team.
“They do the simple things exceptionally well and leave it open for others to shine.
“Joe’s a proper footballer. He’s box-to-box and if there is a ball to be won, he goes there.
“I see midfielders these days who don’t make a tackle. Joe will.
“He reminds me slightly of Gary Speed. Lots of positions, good in the air, can tackle, keeps it nice and
simple and knows what he can and can’t do.”
Southall is hoping the matter is resolved for the benefit of his country but has confessed that only a mega offer from south of the border should tempt him to quit the Hoops.
He said: “If I was Joe, I’d stay at Celtic. He gets Europe every year and that won’t be guaranteed in England.
“Look at the English Premier League from the top six down. Is there a club to touch Celtic? I’d say no.
“Wherever you go in the world, you see a Celtic shirt.
“He’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. If he’s going to move, then he should only go for a nailed-on and guaranteed club who are playing European football, yet he’s got that just now.
“It’s not as if he’s playing in front of 3000 people.
“Scotland is a great place to live, he’s playing for one of the world’s top clubs and has Europe every year. What else do you need?
”Sometimes you just need to realise how good a certain place is for you.
“Joe might be more high profile down in England but is he that type of guy? I don’t think he is.
“He’s in a great place with a great manager in Neil Lennon. Go to the Premier League and within six months, your manager might have changed.
“Joe has got everything going for him at Celtic and, unless he goes to a Man United or Arsenal, then he’s not going to better things for himself.”
!!bada bing!!
10:45 on 5 December, 2013
You get snow in June up there HH
Jeez oh now snow,hail and blizzard conditions here,just waiting for the plagues of locusts and frogs.Hail Hail Hebcelt
WINNING CAPTAINS
8p per shirt?
For seven years?
Unbelievable. Of course,if they last that long,I will be surprised,but that must surely be one of the funniest things to come out of all this.
And there is some strong competition for that accolade.
natknow,
Made the same mistake with the trampoline years ago, left the safety netting up and it became a twelve foot kite, luckily it hit the garden brick wall, so no damage done.
Wdh,
Lovely gesture from your friends.
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers ………fc not plc
10:50 on 5 December, 2013
Not much we can do if he doesn’t want to sign/stay, hope he does right enough one of our better players HH
Am about to set out for Glasgow. Sun is trying to break through. Hope for uneventful journey.
HUN SKELPER
I agree with that,and we got him for free for much the same reasons someone else might.
For me,he is as valuable as Broonie was when his contract came up. The club should push the boat out.
Sadly,my feeling is that he will move on.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
Apparently the worst of it is over in Ayrshire.
So good timing. Just don’t go by train,I think they are still off.
HH
Bit o wind & country takes a holiday…
Geez, what chance have we.. Kids , agree, keep em off & safe..
Mobile net works down.?
People stuck on planes..
Dearie me.
I love the wind ..
Life affirming..
Stay safe
HH
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers ………fc not plc
10:57 on 5 December, 2013
Yeah he left the team he supports (Cardiff) on a free, wouldn’t worry him doing it to Celtic but I would wish him well was a good Celtic player and a good hun skelper HH
winning captains
10:50 on 5 December, 2013
Over on FF the penny was dropping last night re the stunning retail deal that Green has signed with Ashley. Apparently the “club” gets a mere 8p per shirt sold and Chuck has tied them in to this stunning deal for 7 years. The good news though is that Chuck himself is on a nice earner with this deal.
—————-
Surely not ;-))))))
Wind has died down to nowt on Troon. Neighbours recycling bin all over his garden. Luckily it was well weighted down with empty beer bottles!
neighbourlikeadrink
Neville Southall gets Celtic by the sound of it.
8p to the new club for every XXXXL troglodyte shirt sold? Much as I would love that to be the case, it surely cannot be right. Not even Chuckles and Ashley are that shameless. Are they???
PeteTheBeat
I was at Neville’s testimonial. I am sure he said he was a big fan of Celtic.
Didn’t look much of an athlete but was a tremendous goalkeeper.
LB
The long wait is over
i have heard sevco being compared to someone been thrown out of university and being sent back to Pimary one, where they now sit on a wee tiny stool while boating loudly that they are the best fighter in the class
Hunbelievable
How times change. Back in the days when he could still suck his way into a job the Legless Loon was employed by The People.
This was one of his p1sh-poor efforts:
Byline: David Leggat
THE days of Rangers being sitting ducks for their many and obvious enemies are over.
No more will anyone be allowed to pop up on television and get away with comparing the pre-match entertainment at Ibrox to a Nuremberg Rally.
This column has claimed for some time that the way forward for Rangers is to call in reinforcements in the shape of a heavy-hitting spin doctor.
Now that’s just what they’ve eventually done by the appointment of former tabloid editor Jack Irvine.
Even in such a rough trade as this old game, Irvine is known as a tough cookie.
So it will be interesting to see how the corduroy-wearing chin-strokers respond to his Alistair Campbell-style tactics. Celtic have long had a PR consultant – Alex Barr – who it is believed pulls the strings from from the shadows.
Now Rangers have finally plunged into the world of spin – a decision by chairman David Murray which some may think has only been taken with the club’s back to the wall, and at a time when image may be important to Murray’s plans to sell up.
Whatever other reasons may have played a part in Murray’s decision, it is one which will please Rangers supporters, who have long insisted their club was too much of a pushover for its enemies.
Now, in Irvine, Rangers have a man with access to the very top of the Scottish Establishment.
And a below is recent effort from the man Jack Irvine described as “Mad David Leggat. The Rangers equivalent of Phill Mac Giolla Bhain”:
AS he finds it harder and harder to get his rubbish published in the mainstream media, highly paid, but poorly performing spin doctor Jack Irvine is being forced to resort to the outer fringes of lunacy inhabited by such as those who think they are the Scottish reincarnation of Merlin.
I can’t wait for this Sevco AGM to come round. It will be like having two Christmases in one week.
ipaddy mccourt supports wee oscar
11:09 on 5 December, 2013
Sevco would still rake it in though if every supporter (500,000,000) bought one …… :-) HH
Snowing in dundee now HH
Just in to say…….
______________________
Kojo
16:01 on 4 December, 2013
_______________________
Thanks again for yer ‘crystal-clarity’ perspective
re: The Cellic midfield.
Viva le Kojo
Hail Hail
So, is Sevco’s latest share fall to 39p a good or a bad thing?
Marrakesh Express
16:04 on 4 December, 2013
‘But the brutal reality right now is that year on year Celtic are getting weaker while Rangers are getting stronger.’ – Bill McMurdo (Today)
__________________________________________________________________
Ah think he’s right.
8p for every shirt is too much…
up_over_goal
11:21 on 5 December, 2013
Depends if you have shares mate HH
KevJungle
I hope you are joking!
LB
hun skelper
I meant whether it was a good thing for Celtic – if there are ‘Rangers men’ waiting in the wings to buy back the club from the spivs, a low share price would help them. Then again, the spivs may well be in for the long haul.
Well done to a certain Mr Gerry McNee
and his never to be forgotten – ‘Nuremberg Rally’ quote.
Gerry McNee hunshelper extraordinaire – CSC
BMCUWP
I fear I must agree, Bobby. Joe has honoured his contract with Celtic, gained some terrific experience, and if he feels it’s time to move on, then good luck to him. He leaves with my good wishes. He was a good hun skelper.