England, or Israel, or Sweden, or Iceland, striker search goes on

743

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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  1. I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)

     

     

     

     

    14:17 on

     

     

    4 December, 2013

     

     

     

     

    Folks still claiming WGS cut the costs while at CP. if you think thats true then check

     

    a) the annual wage bill when he arrived

     

    b) the annual wage bill when he left

     

     

    And after that if you think he didnt have transfer funds available, then check

     

    the cost of his 40 signings in 4 seasons compared to MON 15 signings in 5 seasons

     

     

    You might be surprised

     

    ++++++++++++++++++++

     

    Not being picky but does the comparison allow for player wage inflation over the 5 or 6 years?

  2. I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)

     

    14:17 on

     

    4 December, 2013

     

     

    True the figures will match up or may even look worse for WGS. What was the average loss per season under MON and under WGS?

  3. northerncelt67 on

    My brother bought me a copy of the latest CQN annual at the recent Ac Milan game. Its a fantastic read, congrats to all who were involved with this. Real opinions from real fans!!!

     

    I see we are linked with the Partick Thistle left back today , I am happy with this as Izzy needs the competition for this position.

     

    I’m not as convinced with the Gavin Gunning link, I still want to see a playmaker brought on board.

  4. antipodean red on

    dontbrattbakkinanger,

     

     

    Then he won’t be pushing a watchtower through his letterbox anytime soon!

     

     

    AR

  5. Green Oak Tree

     

     

    14:20 on 4 December, 2013

     

     

    Big Nan…

     

     

    Petition signed……

     

    ………………………………..

     

    Cheers G O T

  6. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    auldheid

     

     

    14:37 on4 December, 2013

     

     

    And cumulative debts from previous regimes.

     

     

    HH

  7. I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)

     

    14:17 on

     

    4 December, 2013

     

     

    To answer my own question MON’s era racked up £40M losses or £8M/season. WGS racked up £17M profit or approx £4M/season.

     

     

    Side by side the figures might match up but WGS was relatively much more prudent than MON.

  8. charles kickham

     

    14:47 on

     

    4 December, 2013

     

     

    RIFC are heading down the toilet allowing us unrestricted access to the CL monies, an invite to the EPL and the future European Super League.

  9. traditionalist88 on

    Northerncelt: ‘I’m not as convinced with the Gavin Gunning link, I still want to see a playmaker brought on board.’

     

     

    I can assure you Gavin Gunning will not be the ‘playmaker’:)

     

     

    HH

  10. South Of Tunis on

    DBBIA @ 14 35 .

     

     

    Imagine the boring predictability of a JW Advent Calender

     

     

    Every time you opened a door,,there would be 2 of them standing there

  11. Big Nan

     

     

    11:34 on 4 December, 2013

     

     

    Big Nan

     

     

    11:26 on 4 December, 2013

     

     

    Done.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Gerry

  12. I'm Neil Lennon (tamrabam) on

    Auldheid

     

    i think ye are! but in those 4 years you and i both know that the wage bill when WGS left was the same as when he arrived. I say that because we have discussed it before! so for avoidance of any doubt no inflation correction or amortisation type factors included. Only pound for pound comparison 4 seasons later

     

     

    and with regards to the transfer budget. WGS decided to spend his on 40 players and MON decided to spend his on a lesser number of players. Thats why mon could sign players at a higher price. A strategy that many on here even today would agree with when we look at our strikers for example

     

     

    Wee minger

     

    my response in terms of how much the 2 managers had to spend

     

    its not taking into account income. In WGS first season for example he had to play a single CL qualifier and even though we lost we were still a seeded side (on the back of our seville run and MONs team European coefficient). WGS inherited that co efficient and the club were still getting CL progress on the back of that co efficient season later

     

     

    But i have a question for you then. What was our European Co efficient when

     

    a) MON arrived

     

    b) WGS arrived

     

    c) WGS left

  13. charles kickham on

    weeminger

     

     

    14:51 on 4 December, 2013

     

     

    I knew that bit – who never :-)

     

     

    just seems that after a long period of inactivity in the market – our shares have taken a wee jump recently – happy days

  14. As if I didn’t cause enough arguments on here yesterday, I am now going to have to put my tin hat on again with this admission.

     

     

    I tipped Gavin Gunning as a possible signing for us when he played with Motherwell. He has almost 3 years SPL experience behind him now and is still only 22. He is a ROI under-21 international and would be a good back up to the first choice pairing of VVD and Efe. We also have to be aware of the potential for one of those to be headhunted by a bigger team next summer.

     

     

    Yes, Gavin is a big bruiser who has kicked one of our players badly, so did Paul Hartley before we bought him and Barry Robson was none too delicate with our lot when he played for ICT.

     

     

    I am not a great fan of buying SPL because I see few who would improve our team, but either Gunning or Shaun Hutchison, out of contract at Well next summer, would be good SPL cover for the CB position at low cost.

     

     

    I don’t see any of our development squad CBs being near ready though I hope one may surprise us. I don’t favour using Mikel as cover as he is heading to be a top class right back but only an adequate centre back as his athletic running is less of an asset there. We do have Charlie Mulgrew as cover but Charlie too is a utility player who is an adequate Centre Back, no more, but a top class dead ball specialist , and he can do that from any position on the field.

     

     

    I feel like I may be the only one who rates him here as a reasonable player.

  15. charles kickham

     

     

    14:47 on 4 December, 2013

     

     

    ‘Celtic shares up to 74 – what’s going on ?’

     

     

     

    Santa’s buying up shares to give out at Xmas.

  16. !!bada bing!!

     

     

    14:26 on 4 December, 2013

     

    More chance of the Herald burying the huns story than printing it.

     

     

    __________________________________________________________________________

     

     

    Had to read that again, as at first I thought you said “buying” the huns.

     

     

    Who knows, mibbee?

     

     

    HH

  17. south of tunis

     

     

    14:52 on 4 December, 2013

     

    DBBIA @ 14 35 .

     

     

    Imagine the boring predictability of a JW Advent Calender

     

     

    Every time you opened a door,,there would be 2 of them standing there

     

     

    __________________________________________________________________________

     

     

    Excellent! PMSL!

     

     

    HH

  18. I'm Neil Lennon (tamrabam) on

    weeminger

     

    if they both paid the same in wages

     

    and they both paid out the same in transfer fees

     

     

    how do you conclude that WGS was more prudent?

     

    If the club got more income it made a profit

     

    if we got more income then (like Celtic nowadays) we got it frpom CL

     

    MON didnt have a CL coefficient, he spent 5 years building one up for us though

     

    WGS inherited a decent CL and as such had en easier run

     

     

    As you can imagine if Lenny had inherited a decent CL coefficient for example we wouldnt have to play in the types of groups that he has faced and group stage qualifying would also be easier too.

     

     

    Another point is that MON faced a huns side that had just sent an absolute fortune under Wee Dick in an effort to get Euro success. Failure to keep track at that time might have meant we never ever got a CL bounty (and just as importantly we took the CL bounty out of the hands of the huns in those days) IMO this was the period that was critical to the huns survival and when they failed to beat MON and henrik and co they were doomed going forward

  19. Papa John supports Wee Oscar plus The Dam 5 on

    Big Nan

     

    Petition signed,btw a belated pat on the back, for your presentation,to the Great and the Good ( Tongue In Cheek ),at Holyrood.By God you earned your corn, got the point across Bigtime,you had one or two covering there work as best they could, so obvious where there allegiance lay.

     

    Keep up the good work’ awerabest PJ.

  20. I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)

     

    14:56 on

     

    4 December, 2013

     

     

    Yes, but you can’t take the figures in isolation. It renders them meaningless.

     

     

    Even if our income had done no more than rise with inflation it would have meant WGS was spending a significantly lower % than MON.

  21. Papa John supports Wee Oscar plus The Dam 5

     

    &

     

    mcgrory1888

     

     

    Thanks for signing and kind words.

  22. Afternoon hope all well

     

     

    Dont suppose anyone can give is a clue as to the Herald story. Am just a right nosey sod.

     

     

    Ayrshire is Green and White

     

     

    HH

  23. Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar on

    Houl yer wheest

     

     

     

    13:09 on 4 December, 2013

     

     

     

    Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar

     

    Yea McManus and Caldwell were better

     

    I know this because WGS said so

     

    PS He also said Paul telfer was a good player

     

     

     

    ——————————-

     

     

    Don’t recall him saying that.

     

     

    He did describe him as a good professional though. Possibly you’re confused with that?

  24. charles kickham

     

    14:47 on

     

    4 December, 2013

     

    Celtic shares up to 74 – what’s going on ?.

     

     

    Celtic Park is expanding in every way, they’ve started to put new buildings up,that’s called investment,if you want to invest in Celtic do it soon, they’ll be in 3 figures (shares I’m talking about) after the new year,another fillip for Peter Lawell.

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