Expensive lesson for football

669

The success rate of Celtic’s player recruitment strategy in recent years has been exceptional; pound-for–pound better than any period in our history.  Forster, Mulgrew, Lustig, Matthews, Izaguirre, Wilson, Ledley, Wanyama, Commons, Kayal and Hooper have arrived for limited outlay and have propelled the club into the latter stages of the Champions League.

By contrast, Mo Bangura failed to impress on any occasion tested.  At another time it would be easy to write him off but it seems unusual that the current system for scouting and assessing footballers has led to a striker who only yesterday recorded his first goal for the club.

In all honesty I suspect Mo will not get a chance to turn things around at Celtic, there are several strikers ahead of him in the squad and our scouts will forever be working on fresh recruits, but this doesn’t mean he is a bad player.  It’s more likely that his induction into Scottish life missed a crucial step.

Did you see the story and photograph about Michael Johnson yesterday?  The 24-year-old was paid-off by Manchester City near the end of his £40k per week contract.  He was unfortunate with injuries but there is a lesson for football to learn in his demise.

The day anyone, young or old, clever or stupid, signs a £10m contract life can become one long party.  ‘You don’t like my attitude/weight/blood test/friends?  I’m on a multi-million pound contract, deal with it.’ How can football deal with this issue?

For the record, there is absolutely no connection between Mo, whose attitude has been first class, and Michael Johnson’s demise.
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  1. Paul67 – I suspect you are right about Mo – however having witnessed the re-birth of Samaras anything is possible.

     

     

    I wish him well, oh and that he would get a decent haircut.

  2. 79caps

     

     

    Did you happen to read the Italian press comments on Bangura…

     

     

    I have seen about every min of his CFC playing career…he is not my idea of a CFC player

     

     

    I did also see him last night …utterly woeful in the first half …did score a good goal and contributed better in the second…..all in a friendly and hardly stellar

     

     

    Hardly a football player never mind good enough for CFC

  3. ‘There Will Be Blood’…..fierce and angry.

     

    >>>>>>

     

    Wish I’d kept my big mouth shut re. M. Johnson. Need an editor in my head.

     

    Apologies if I’ve offended anyone.

     

    FootInMouthDisease.

  4. South Of Tunis on

    Bangura .

     

     

    Mmm —–scored a beauty against PSV but was otherwise dire .

     

     

    I watched him playing for AIK against Napoli —–he looked like an amateur who ‘d been given a jersey in an emergency . Napoli tv guy wondered aloud if he was always this bad . .

     

     

    I’d be delighted if he comes good -but at the moment I have no idea where the good can possibly be hiding [ famous last words -would love to be wrong ]

  5. PF Ayr

     

    Did you also write off Kelvin Wilson after one season?

     

    Capitalising a word for emphasis is not silly.Not AT ALL.

  6. Paul 67

     

    I have to disagree on “The success rate of Celtic’s player recruitment strategy in recent years has been exceptional; pound-for–pound better than any period in our history ”

     

     

    It’s all about opinions, and, whilst we have done well recently, the best period in recent memory imho is under the much maligned Dr Jo , when we signed Lubo, Riseth, Viduka , and Mjalby.

     

    From memory, I also think the Petrov deal was set up by Dr Jo, and , given his player recruitment success – except Viduka, these guys were all unknown to most of us – I would still like to see us use Dr Jo to unearth a few more diamonds of this calibre

  7. I thought Henrik was going to be useless for Celtic after that pass to Chic ‘The Tim’ Charnley at Easter Road.

     

     

    LB

  8. Where is DBBIA? CQN cannot possibly have a discussion about Mo Bangura scoring a goal without his input. It’s unthinkable.

  9. mo links in with your article about systems of last week (I think)Paul – in other systems he would be gone long ago

  10. Steinreignedsupreme on

    On the subject of last night’s match – The Merry Slough Bhoys banner was brilliant.

  11. South Of Tunis on

    ASonOfDan .

     

     

    I’ve seen at least 3 deadlines [all expired ].

     

     

    There was stuff on the radio earlier claiming that Bilbao know that Juve are desperate and are playing hardball. Financial hard times mean financial hard times for Fiat which means less money for Juve to throw about .

     

     

    Still smiling after hearing a Lazio supporter call Juve ——-Rubentus —– on the radio earlier .

     

     

    From the Italian verb ——rubare ——to steal.

     

     

    Maybe a wee project for the Green Brigade !

     

     

    He would suit them

  12. SoT

     

    Bangura

     

     

     

    Like you I’d be delighted if he proves me wrong

     

     

    Last nights goal was very good and his second half performance was a significant improvement on the awful performances he has put in to date

     

     

    If their is a footballer within he is being well hidden

  13. Bada bing

     

     

    I never thought Riseth was that bad …MON clearly thought he was a donkey …

     

     

    Riseth went on to have a decent career elsewhere

  14. Rumour has it that HMV went into receivership after it was discovered

     

     

    that 29% of their Meatloaf CD’s were actually horse.

  15. South Of Tunis on

    Riseth ?

     

     

    I never rated Riseth but do thank him for his assist re Norway’s goal v Scotland in World Cup 98 .

     

     

    Big boost to the buying choons fund but not as good as the ridiculous odds on Morocco humping Scotland were. [ an absolute gift ]

  16. MadraRua

     

     

    14:58 on 16 January, 2013

     

     

    Rumour has it that HMV went into receivership after it was discovered

     

     

    that 29% of their Meatloaf CD’s were actually horse.

     

     

    ******

     

    Nearly, they were actually Horselips

  17. Yon Bang Bang Bagura sure bangs them in in bounce games.

     

     

    Lets tell him that Juve matches are just bounce games.

     

     

    Simples!

     

     

    This psychology stuff is dead easy.

  18. Riseth played a ball across his own box at McDermaid Park and McAnespie headed it into the net.

     

    That was the end of him for me.

     

    1st thing you learn in football is never play the ball across your own box. he played it at head height with a striker in the vicinity.

     

     

    LB

  19. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Always thought Vidar Riseth was a bit like our version of Paulo Vanoli.

     

     

    I could watch him on the pitch without quite being able to put my finger on why he was there and what he was supposed to be doing. Its all about opinions…

  20. saltires en sevilla on

    MadraRua

     

    14:58 on

     

    16 January, 2013

     

    Rumour has it that HMV went into receivership after it was discovered

     

     

    that 29% of their Meatloaf CD’s were actually horse.

     

     

    ——

     

    lol

     

     

    – the remainder comprised Horselips/Mustang Sally – not an inspiring combo

  21. BTW has there been a change in media policy at STV.

     

     

    They now show Celtic signing targets actually scoring goals. I

     

    ‘m sure they even showed Henrik sclaff one by the post.

     

     

    But no Tom Rogic banging one in is the highlight. You’d have thunk there was no Rangers in the SPL anymore.

  22. Bada Bing!

     

     

    Would that be the same Riseth that played in the 5-1 Demolition Derby back in 1998

     

     

    Dr. Jo? or Dr. No?

     

     

    That is the question.

  23. Livibhoy

     

     

    That is indeed what they coach in Scotland. Get the ball near your own box…panic…boot the ball aimlessly up the park…..safety first. That is what is coached and that is the reason Gordon Strachan’s job is as hard as it is.

     

     

    I exaggerate and it is improving at youth level but I still see it.

     

     

    However the first thing you should be taught is confidence in your own ability…head up…look for your options…choose the best option.

  24. I'm Neil Lennon (tamrabam) on

    I posted yesterday, that WGS signed 39 Players in 4 years. I also understand that MON signed 15 Players in 5 seasons. Our man NFL seems to have signed more than a few players too, over the past seasons.

     

    There is a train of thought that we have had good value for money recently and names such as Hooper and Big Vic would definitely bring a few quid to Celtic on the transfer market.

     

    Paul has mentioned some examples in his header about a few of Lennys successes, who have arrived but it got me thinking exactly how many players has Neilly Bhoy signed and at what transfer cost. So far I think I have around 25 players and I’m sure there are few more to be added, howabout cost? I have tried to gestimate a few transfer costs probably not a lot of change out of 20 million quid.

     

    Unless of course, you know better!

     

    1. Forster, 2 million

     

    2. Mulgrew, (free?)

     

    3. Lustig,

     

    4. Matthews, (free?)

     

    5. Izaguirre, 1 million

     

    6. Wilson, 2 million?

     

    7. Ledley, Free?

     

    8. Wanyama, 1 million?

     

    9. Commons, 2 million?

     

    10. Kayal 1million?

     

    11. Hooper 2.5million?

     

    12. Bangura 1 million?

     

    13. Miku (loan?)

     

    14. Lassad ?

     

    15. Badr El Kaddouri (loan)

     

    16. Stokes 1 million

     

    17. Big Dan M free?

     

    18. Freddie Lungberg free?

     

    19. Juarez 3 million?

     

    20. Cha? 1 million?

     

    21. Ambrose ?

     

    22. Twardzik ?

     

    23. Geshon free

     

    24. New Aussie Bhoy 0.5 million

     

    25. Murphy 1 million?

     

    Probably where NFL has the advantage over MON/WGS is that he might have something left to show for the money in another year or two, while the pool left behind by MON and WGS were not the strongest teams that we had seen under their stewardships.

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