One of the things you hope for when a player leaves for a richer league is that they perform well. It reflects on whatever value you will get the next time someone leaves. Joe Ledley has gotten off to a flier with Crystal Palace, although there is still a long way to go there, but our two big summer sales are finding it tough.
Gary Hooper hadn’t scored in his last nine starts for Norwich. His season tally stands at five league goals and two assists, which is still four goals more than Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who cost more than twice Hooper’s price but has scored only once in the league. Norwich other two strikers have yet to get off the blocks.
Bizarrely, Norwich are flooded with expensive strikers but their fans will bemoan the fact that they don’t have a goal-scorer, which Hooper was at Celtic and van Wolfswinkel was at Utrecht, where he scored a hat-trick against Celtic, and at Sporting. There is a good chance they will be relegated as a consequence, which will probably have them back on the hunt for a Leigh Griffiths-type striker.
Gary had his dips in form at Celtic, which included a meagre last four months of his final season, Cup Final apart, but Victor Wanyama is one of the best central midfielders we have seen at Celtic in a considerable time. He was a solid performer for Southampton before injury side-lined him for two months. Now back, he has a seat alongside Jos Hooiveld on the bench, due to the form of Jack Cork, one of Southampton’s many current stars.
Hooper and Wanyama were among the stars of the Celtic team last season but I suspect their new clubs’ fans are wondering what all the fuss is about. Form is fickle. It’s hard to tell when a career is about to turn all Liam Miller on a bright young prospect (and let’s be honest, Miller was every bit as lauded here as Hooper or Wanyama), or what consequences the new club, the move, or other distractions are having on performance.
There are also a couple of ex-Celtic goalkeepers doing a star turn in the FA Premier League, David Marshall at Cardiff and Artur Boruc at Southampon. After dazzling in his early months Marshall sipped well down the pecking order at Celtic, who eventually offloaded him. He was replaced as first choice by Boruc, who could claim to be the top rated keeper in Europe 8 years ago but completely lost ‘it’, before finding it again, recently.
My prediction is that Hooper, Wanyama, Balde, Boerrigter and Pukki will not fulfil their potential at their current clubs, although I considered Wanyama’s place on the list for a while. This does not make them bad players, ‘it’ just doesn’t always happen when it should. By contrast, some players look born to play for Celtic, including Kris Commons, who does not fit the profile of top-flight English clubs but is a rare gem in the Champions League for Celtic.
Really enjoyed reading the questions to and comments about Tommy Gemmell yesterday, as did Tommy, who spent the afternoon reading CQN and was “delighted” at the response. He’s not got a login yet but we’ll get him sorted and do a live event on the blog after we have the book out of the way.
I’m attending a meeting next Wednesday with Supporters’ Liaison Officer, John Paul Taylor. Let me know if there are any questions you’d like raised.
If you would like to read the new CQN Magazine, GO HERE to read properly, and for FREE, the graphic below is just a taster.
[calameo code=0003901710a55b5798f06 lang=en page=1 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
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Winning Captains
Ye left oot my question :O(
Burghbhoy
One thing that myself and my cousin were talking about on my long drive home, was what is the difference between attendances say in Martin Oneill’s day when the ground was more or less full no matter who we played to now?
Is it the product on the park? as many people say
the competition or lack of it we have?
the board?
the quality of players we have now compared to then?
The cost to go?
The draw of other leagues?
Personally I don’t think many of those points have changed, and we couldn’t agree on what was causing it, as we both didn’t think much had changed. whats your thoughts on this? and others?
VP- OK I’ll sign it……
winning captains .
WAS MY ATTEMPT AT HUMOUR JUST TO HONOUR MY FAV.POSTER ON HERE!!
Bada Bing
You could have wrote many a book the amount of time ye spent in your cot whilst
supposed to be working.
Voguepunter – yes I did.
I can tell you that so far we have received around 80,000 words from Tommy and the standard is very high. It is very well written and I am sure he will answer all these questions in an entertaining way.
Geordie Monroe , what I have noticed and many other fans too ,is you can tell within 5 minutes if samaras is interested . I can’t mind when last this guy gave us a game , stokes for me is the same to inconsistent for me . And to be honest against a team with their sleeves rolled up , we can’t carry passengers . I’m sure you agree , we need everyone playing .
Jimtim
Sad to hear that the Belfast Celtic centre forward Jimmy Jones has passed away. I had the good fortune to meet him and a number of the last Belfast Celtic team in the Holiday Inn, Stockwell Street before a game in the early 2000’s. They had been invited over by Martin O’Neill as guests of Celtic. Padraig Coyle the author of one of the best football books I have read, ‘Paradise Lost, Paradise Found’ was also among the party. They had a gift, a picture of the last Belfast Celtic team to hand over. They then brought it out and unwrapped it to show me the gift, then re-wrapped it !!
Could not believe that here I was in conversation with a true legend of a man. A true gent. Padraig’s book covers the time he was approached by the Linfield or Glentoran chairman about coming to play for them knowing that Belfast Celtic were interested. Jimmy being a protestant, the chairman then played the bigotry card and said’ why play with a bunch of Taigs’. Jimmy turned and left and went to join Belfast Celtic.
Undoubtedly the best striker in the league, he was a target for opposition fans which led to the game versus Linfield at Windsor Park in 1948 being abandoned as their fans came over the fence when their team went behind and the main target of their hate was Jimmy. He was pinned down why their fans set about breaking his kegs, which they did. This ultimately led to Belfast Celtic withdrawing from the league and folding.
A sad, sad story of yet another Lurgan man who wore the green and white hoops, this time a protestant, whose moral integrity and bravery makes him a true legend..
God rest your soul Jimmy,
A ten-year-old boy in Norway swiped his parents’ car for a joyride and when cops pulled him over, he made up the best excuse ever: that he is a dwarf who left his driver’s license at home.
The boy, who lives in the small town of Dokka, waited until his parents went to sleep then tried to drive with his 18-month old sister to his grandparents’ home 35 miles away at around 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
He made it about six miles before swerving off the road into a snowy ditch, where a snowplow driver found him and called police. That’s when the quick-thinking kid made up the tall tale.
“The boy told the snowplow driver that he was a dwarf and that he had forgotten his driver’s license at home,” said Baard Christiansen, a spokesman for the Vest Oppland police department.
“The parents woke up and discovered that the children were missing and that someone had taken off with their car. They were pretty upset, as you can imagine……We have talked to [the parents], and I’m pretty sure they’re going to pay very close attention both to their children and to their car keys in the future,” Christiansen said.
Police said the children were not injured and the car was not damaged. No charges were filed.
Celtfish
Sad to learn of Jimmy Jones’ passing. I remember reading about him in the old Book of Football from the early 70s. And of course in Padraig Coyle’s superb history of our brother club
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
Auldheid I read your earlier point about celtic operating in a hostile environment with interest and a bit of despair. That we operate in a hostile environment is without question. However there are two. Points I would take issue with.
Firstly celtic should therefore make an issue publicly of that hostile environment. We will never be in a stronger position in Scotland to do so. Why not openly confront it? My second point is related to that. It’s often said that if we do lives will be at risk. So what do we do? Give in to the school ground bully? I am sorry I don’t buy this argument at all. If Scotland is ever going to change it needs tackled head on.
If I was to give you an alternative view on why celtic behave as they do it’s simply because they want the Huns back for commercial reasons. It’s the only rationale explanation for their actions and inaction.
And of course we still have tonydonnely continuing his one man hate campaign against celtic supporters and anyone who shows any sign of intellectual thinking. Tell me tony where is the made up but real list. Or where you kidding on about being serious? Tony maybe in the next life you will graduate to a tadpoles brain.
A Youthful (Non-Irish!) Kojo Struggles To Acquire The Cut-Glass English Vowels That Would Wow All Holywood.
And Would See Him Acclaimed As The New ‘Wilfrid Hyde White’….
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dt9I6H0Oi40&desktop_uri=/watch?v=Dt9I6H0Oi40
~~~~
Wanyama Is The New Clarence Seedorf
Southampton Had The Meanest Defensive Record In EPL,Before He Was Injured (Only 7 Goals Conceded..Which Included Two Artur Bloomers)..
He Is Effective Just By Being On The Pitch….
Opponents Strive To Avoid Him…..
And Thereby Reduce Their Own Attacking Options…
Right..? Right….?
robert88
I think a lot of the support are disgusted at the lack of a voice from our board regards SFA/Deidco corruption .
That , I believe is a big factor in declining attendances.
The board seem to blooter our own support , then ask questions but are strangely silent in other things!!
Lot of talk here tonight about the club should/should not say this that or the other.
Probably the next pronouncement PL will make will be around SB renewal time and it will be of a rally round the flag boys nature.
Problem is rallying round the flag is a two way street.
Perhaps with club finances at their healthiest ever, PL might consider rallying to fans by not pushing the boat out, but pushing it out early in the next transfer window.]
Failure to do so, could cost CL qualification.
Burghbhoy
19:28 on
13 February, 2014
robert88
I think a lot of the support are disgusted at the lack of a voice from our board regards SFA/Deidco corruption .
That , I believe is a big factor in declining attendances.
The board seem to blooter our own support , then ask questions but are strangely silent in other things!!
Could it possibly be a Parkhead version of what musician James McMillan once described as ‘the Catholic cringe’.
Quonno we have seen this script loads of times now. We will be told we are in. The. Arlen for a big name striker only for it to prove too hard in the end. It’s the same old fallacy every season. Book time. The problem for PL is that no one now believes him.
Burghbhoy
I have to say that surprises me, even if Celtic voiced the obvious in corruption and rule changes, what would change? Buggerall is the answer and we’d look bitter. Hence the silence. As I’ve said previously we have risen above it all.
I also think with that, there’s a big conspiracy amongst many supporters that Celtic are in on the act.
With regards to our own fans, I don’t think any of the fans can shout innocence in many of the things that have happened. In many cases the individuals concerned have brought it on themselves.
I like many fans am disgusted at the SFA’s inability to do the correct thing, however thats not for our club to act on. Fans chucking dummies out of prams will achieve nothing.
I like to think that many Celtic fans had or have a siege mentality and would always say, no matter what you do or throw our way, we will stay strong and show the middle finger and carry on about our business.
It seems from many they aren’t like that and run for the hills.
Steinreignedsupreme @17-22
We do have an attacking system but its ponderous and one dimensional .
Agreed that our sell anyone who has value policy hampers the coaches long term thinking.
But Neil’s use of the talent in our pool and a poorly implemented playing system does not help.
Could not care less which system is chosen as long as its properly implemented.
Look at our spacing on the field that constantly leaves huge spaces for our opponents to exploit.
The lack of movement has the player in possession struggling to make anything other than a sideways and backwards pass due to no options ahead of him.
We then revert to plan b which is hoof and hope.
When you consider the talented ball players in our squad then something is not right.
I think Neil has some good ideas but lacks the ability to implement them properly.
He would be a better assistant coach.”
Djynwa67 @17-54
You have a lot of valid points but I think Neil is the problem.
The youth system is vital if we are to try and compete and Neil’s cautious approach has stagnated our young talent.
I also think he lacks the ability to transform his ideas into a cohesive system.
We have a lot of talent but are rarely a team.’
burghbhoy
19:28 on 13 February, 2014
This is a rarified world we inhabit in CQN.
How many of our support do you think still get their info from the DR and the MSM??!
I certainly know many Tims down here who take the DR everyday.
Most would want the Huns back in SPL and love the Derby matches.
quonno-I think PL must know this time,we need a box office signing.We are fed up signing projects,we need at least 1 quality signing to even get same number of STs as this season.HH
!!Bada Bing!!
19:41 on
13 February, 2014
quonno-I think PL must know this time,we need a box office signing.We are fed up signing projects,we need at least 1 quality signing to even get same number of STs as this season.HH
He knew it in January and did nothing about it.
Extremely ominous that in boasting about balance sheet at weekend, he was also talking about dipping out of CL for one season would not be disastrous. Was it recognising that team is weaker now than last year, he was thinking of next season?
googybhoy
Yeah , it’s absolute madness. Forced fed garbage in the DR every day and paying for the privilege.
robert88
Hear what your saying but I know the board have seriously hacked me off with their silence.
I would rather they said it how it is and to hell with the consequences.
I will always give 100% to the cause but I’ve been seriously tested of late.
And it has nothing to do with on the park stuff!
Paul
Re your invitation to ask questions of JPT at your meeting.
Has JPT any suggestion as to how Scottish football fans can effect change in personnel at SFA and SPFL as I believe the fans are not quite satisfied with the status quo which the clubs appear to be quite content with. ?
Neganon, Big Nan.
I agree with you entirely.
Stockholm syndrome is mannah from heaven for this board.
Cheated out of 22 cups and we accept it.
We accept it because we are Old Firm.
That is what is being concealed.
That is why we will not vote against Campbell Ogilvie.
That is why we express surprise at Lord Nimmo and his two FFP QC cronies.
That is why Resolution 12 was blanked.
Resolution 12 a small photon of light will be stage managed.
I think a high percentage of the 30% that no longer turn up are aware of this.
How many neo liberal billionaires do we have on our board ? …and they are scared ? Or worried that we might get a kicking? How many cabinet ministers ?
This plc needs removed and only bankrupting them will make them sit up,and take note.
And before the forelock tugging 11+ failures and the upwardly modern mobile vested plc interested fans raise the spectre of the huns … I will tell you thats exactly what we are doing as I have suspected ever since my first CQN post.
HH
Robert88 I find your points bizarre and all over the place.
You say nothing would change if we complained. Well I will tell you what nothing will change if we stay silent. Are we really afraid of losing face by tackling these issues? We will never be in a more powerful position. Now is the time to come out fighting. But we won’t because the board hanker for the bigot pound to come back.
You say our fans deserve their comeuppance. Please explain what celtic fans have done wrong?????
You say the SFAs inaction is nothing to do with us. Bollocks. We have an obligation to face up to the corruption but we don’t.
You the talk about a siege mentality. It’s a weird siege when we don’t talk about being under siege.
As I say bizarre.
Paul my question for JPL is simply, why are celtic allowing open corruption in the scottish game. Look forward to the answer.
Good news, bad news day @ Ross Hall.
Good news. A 6’4″ Celtic-daft strapping Bhoy was there today and would love to play for the Hoops some say soon.
Bad news. He’s 44, has a gammy knee and he’s me!!!
DreamOnMhateCSC
Awe naw, when all is said and done our collusion with the Hun is the only rationale explanation I see for our action and inaction.
Burghbhoy
There is a part of me that wants them to say that as you do, but its not a sensible approach, however we are Celtic, we dont do that kind of thing, and our reputation proceeds us and long may it continue, we do not want the tag sevco has and will never shake.
!!Bada Bing!!
19:41 on
13 February, 2014
quonno-I think PL must know this time,we need a box office signing.We are fed up signing projects,we need at least 1 quality signing to even get same number of STs as this season.HH
Oddly enough I was reading today that some Scottish rugby fans are getting fed up with the project syndrome.
Celtic, by their inaction in regard to the questionable actions of SFA/SPFL appear to be asking football fans to accept a corrupt sport.
NegAnon2
19:51 on
13 February, 2014
Paul my question for JPL is simply, why are celtic allowing open corruption in the scottish game. Look forward to the answer.
Don’t ask the question if there is even a chance you might not like the answer.
Robert88 I find your points bizarre and all over the place.
You say nothing would change if we complained. Well I will tell you what nothing will change if we stay silent. Are we really afraid of losing face by tackling these issues? We will never be in a more powerful position. Now is the time to come out fighting. But we won’t because the board hanker for the bigot pound to come back.
You say our fans deserve their comeuppance. Please explain what celtic fans have done wrong?????
You say the SFAs inaction is nothing to do with us. Bollocks. We have an obligation to face up to the corruption but we don’t.
You the talk about a siege mentality. It’s a weird siege when we don’t talk about being under siege.
As I say bizarre.
NegAnon2…
Fir park is an example…I havent said as a whole but individuals or groups the GB another exmaple.
Bizarre my arse, that’s your interpretation, similar to your response of tonydonnellys posts.He’s spot on about the GB.
Its simple really, if the SFA can do all they have done, how can Celtic FC change that? Maybe you have an explanation? the reality is that no matter how influential we may be, we cant change their decisions.
I’m all for justice, but the SFA with the people running it will not be changed, no matter what we do.
maybe i have mis placed the phrase, however we need to continue with what we are doing and not join in with the circus. Our efforts need to be placed strengthening Celtic not trying to change the SFA, it will never happen.
Neganon,
When it is revealed that we mmmmhhh DD gave his tacit approval to the 6 way agreement…it will be too late.
But that would be a good first step
HH
Quanno we might not like the answer but I think we deserve the truth. We can then make up our own minds.
Robert 88 ah you are another Celtic supporter hater. Your argument suggests we re simply cowards
Even the board must know they are in the last chance saloon with a huge proportion of the support if they don’t start standing up for fans.ajax fans come to our place and do as they please.The sheep behave in a hunnic fashion last week,didn’t break seats as far as I know,but this sleepwalking through the season we’ve seen from the board this year is soul destroying when they want our money we all know the mantra ‘best fans in the world,more than a club blah blah where’s this bankier guy now with his go and behave yourselves pish when a bunch of hooligans who have been doing this sort of thing in holland for years run amok in Glasgow he’s not too fond of a microphone .couldnt be seen to say anything controversial,might upset uefa and we can’t have that now can we.maybe when the bonuses are in danger Pedro might get the finger out.or the checkbook .Itll take more than a standing section this summer welcome as it is
NegAnon2
19:22 on
13 February, 2014
My point is if it was me painting a target on my back or indeed another’s back how brave would I be?
It is easy to say what we would do if it was us, not so easy if it was us.
Your other point defies business logic. When was the last time we posted a real profit?
What league were Rangers in then?
Rangers are kaput, they were a straw man.
I would not be basing my business future on the return of a club as mad as a bunch of frogs.
Recently clubs became alarmed when their fans informed them that SFA/SPFL decisions were unacceptable and lo and behold the fans were listened to. These very same fans are aware that something is stinking in Denmark. And, for Celtic to virtually say “We smell nothing” is unacceptable. Integrity was a word bandied around a lot recently. The same word may be frequently used again but in this case in relation to Celtic. The tide is just starting Celtic. Its good that you have a few shekels in the bank. You better keep them there because there is a Tsunami coming.