The No. 1 rule of the transfer window is: get your first choices, and there is no doubt that Ronny Deila wanted Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven. We’ve tracked them for months, Ronny will have watched both players many times, John Collins will have watched them more often, and the entire scouting team will have watched them dozens of times, so on that basis alone, I’m happy.
I spoke to someone at the club early last month and there was some concern that some of our key players would ‘Do a Kelvin’, and present as not in the right frame of mind to play, unless we agreed to a transfer. While we are still competing in four competitions this was a major worry, but those players who were wanted elsewhere were happy to get their heads down and work to the spirit as well as the letter of their contracts. Happy at this too.
Stuart Armstrong is every inch a Ronny Deila player. He can run all day, gets into the box to support – or go beyond – strikers, and closes space in front of the defence. He will allow us to play to plan a lot oftener.
Last summer’s window was characterised by the signing of wingers. Wakaso, Inge Berget and Tonev all arrived on loan, while Callum McGregor emerged as a first team contender on his return from loan, and during the early season outshone all of them. None of these players are now considered as first choice, nor is Derk Boerrigter, who was recruited from Ajax 18 months ago and has proven every adage that ever existed for oft-injured players.
So we’re not short of wingers, but we need good ones, and Gary Mackay-Steven is another known quantity. He is fast, skilful, and will lend a creative hand to Kris Commons, who had shouldered those duties alone for years.
I’ve no proper information on Michael Duffy, who joined the development squad from Derry City.
To paraphrase Neil Lennon, this is only the beginning. Of the 10 outfield players who started at Hampden on Sunday, only one was a Ronny Deila signing, the rest were recruited by one of his predecessors. The summer transfer window was overwhelmingly misconceived, as the regime change cast a shadow over processes. As well as the wasteful wingers, two strikers were signed, neither of whom could dislodge last January’s late stocking filler, Leigh Griffiths.
Mackay-Steven and Armstrong will both make an impact at Celtic, but it will take more than a couple of players to craft the squad into the image of Ronny. More work will be needed in the summer.
Hibs, Hearts, Queen of the South, Ross County, St Mirren, Motherwell, and the SFA will all be alarmed at the flagrant influence Mike Ashley exercised at newco Rangers yesterday, despite his written agreement not to get involved. While the SFA must react accordingly, I’m not sure five players whose appearances are measured in minutes, not games, are ready for a promotion fight. It can take good player months to settle into a new team, and the potential for disruption, especially if the ‘manager’ didn’t play an active role in the process, is considerable.
The upside for newco is that these players settle quickly, take a Premiership place off Hibs, Queens, Motherwell or St Mirren, and leave a lot of clubs wondering what the point of having rules in the first place is. The only appropriate sanction the SFA can levy is a player registration ban, which would be the club’s second in their short history. Clearly a one year ban is not long enough to teach them a lesson.
Whatever you think of Ashley, you have to admire him:
On the last day of the window, he has 5 unwanted Newcastle players he is unable to loan to anyone else.
Realising he had no takers, he sends them to Ibrox, easing the Newcastle payroll.
Newco pay the players with Ashley’s loan, which they still have to pay back. If his men are kicked out at an EGM, these loans mean the new regime have even more money to find. It’s almost as though he wants to burn through the entire £10m loan before the EGM, leaving a new regime with an empty bank account and crippling debt.
It is a thing of Machiavellian beauty. Hibs and the rest are right to be upset, and Stewart Regan will feel humiliated, but I find the whole episode hilarious.
Welcome to Celtic, Gary, Stuart and Michael.
Well done Celtic on a productive transfer window. As always, it’s too early to tell how well we’ve done, but the perennial adage of leaving the window stronger than we went into it seems assured. Well done Mike too, keep up the good work.
Start your League Cup final weekend at the CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner, at the Kerrydale Suite, Celtic Park, on Friday 11 March. Email me for details, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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Expect bringing in the famous five is designed to upset the dressing room and let them know their time is up
HT,
Seen a few cowardly acts on Sunday, it wasn’t nice,
most of the media stories seem to be Timmy bashing ( again )
I just get a bit fed up with it,
and when will Robertressell be releasing his sequel! !
Have to go ghuys,
Catch up later,
Happy Celticing
The Famous Five – wasn’t one of them “Timmy” the dog?
Cue Sevconian conspiracy theories…
Canamalar @19.04 hrs
“What’s transpireing ?
————————————
That’s easy : Its instantaneously moving people from one location to another. As in “Beam me up Scotty.”
Drat, sorry that’s transporting. Silly me.
HH and taxi.
…the unseen fenian paw
Greenpinata,
Is that no an Irvine Welsh book? :)
Watched the whole game again last night and I honestly cant remember a more vile repertoire from the Mount Florida end. Do they have one single song in their hymnsheet of hate, that doesnt refer to fb’s, pope, etc.? It was always awful but at least there was no paedo or Savile stuff in the old days. New club new songs I suppose.
Blinkin phone…..
hamiltontim
18:57 on 3 February, 2015
sunny calmachie
In 2007 after a game against the huns at Parkhead I’d gone for a drink in Lynn’s Bar, which is now the chip shop on the Gallowgate just up from Barrowfield, to meet a couple of folk who were over for the game.
About 10pm I left and tried to get a taxi back to Bar67. I stood outside for about 15 minutes but with no luck I decided to walk.
Up ahead I noticed a crowd of boisterous youngsters so diverted down onto Crownpoint Rd to avoid any sort of confrontation.
Just past Crownpoint Sports Centre I could hear someone singing a well known Irish rebel song and then saw a youngish guy in a Celtic top approach me on the opposite side of the road. Almost simultaneously I saw 5 men come out from the other side of the road, from one of the roads that would lead to Bridgeton. They too were walking towards me like the Celtic supporter but were about 30 yards behind him.
As the Tim reached me I warned him about the group behind him. He looked around but continued singing. I walked on and saw a bottle sail over my head and land closeby to him.
The group started shouting sectarian abuse at him and another bottle was thrown. At this point the Celtic supporter turned around and shouted some abuse back at the group.
By now I had reached them and pointed out that the guy was pished and meant no harm.
I wasn’t confrontational and I had nothing that would identify me as a Tim.
The next thing I knew I was struck on the head by something heavy and almost right away I was blinded by the blood from the wound flowing into my eyes.
I’m not sure how long it lasted but what followed next could best be described as a frenzy. I didn’t go down, which possibly saved my life.
Eventually I staggered away and finally collapsed on the road where a girl passing in her car had to swerve to avoid me. Thankfully she pulled over, got me into her car and took me to the Royal.
I was off work for around 3 months as a result of my injuries with my only comfort being that the doctor said my broken hand was consistent with punching someone :-)
I’ve no doubt that there have been numerous incidents since that date that like mine werent reported in the press. ‘
Geordie Munro
touché.
call_of_juarez
18:57 on 3 February, 2015
Don’t think I have heard a Celtic player say “transpired” during a presser before. Looks to me that SA is too intelligent for our team:-)
—————-
Think Charlie Nicholas might have said it after a training session in really hot weather…..
HT’s tantalising unfinished tale reminds me of graffiti I once saw in a toilet somewhere or other.
It read: ‘I’m so unlucky I even get caught writing on bog wa ‘
VIP
Sorry HT: I didn’t realise you had posted the whole, disturbing story.
I remember you telling us about this incident (soon after the event, from your hospital bed?) and it still sends a shiver down my spine …
VIP
jungle vip
Not all mate it was a long time ago now.
Ps I’ve no mentioned it on here before :-)
HT
A very harrowing story and sadly an all to frequent take of that verminous lot
ht,
Did the incident change you ?
My friends in Celtic,
Listening to snyde for the first time in three weeks. ( I know, I know )
However ref the Hampdump pitch : A caller asked why don’t they just turn it into a plastic pitch. Jim Duffy replied that because international games had to be on grass,
I thought Andorra had a plastic pitch of a poor quality.
Then again I may be hallucinating.
HH.
So, HT, that explains a lot. (mostly about your looks) ;-)
Greenpinta,
Is that no because it’s easier to clean out their hutches ?
HT
You had space between your eyebrows…..they knew.
Someone being hardjudgemental on the radio
? I don’t know either ?
Saw this interesting snippet on TSFM:
Olivier Bernard states in that DR article that these five players, who have signed until the end of the season, will guarantee that TRFC are promoted, at least via the play-offs.
What he seems to have missed is that the play-offs start AFTER the season has ended, so poor KMcD will not have access to these five for the play-offs and will have to rely on players who have not played for months.
I’m sure the SFA will grant them another extension to the season…
HT, I think the wee bro has got me a brief for saturday.
Will sort you out with a wee donation for your suicide slide next weekend in Belfast.
HH
Jim Duffy is talkin keech, Russia play football at the luzhniki stadium, which is an artificial surface.
Good evening CQN, a happy house tonight?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
When I was about 10 I went on the Lizzy bus from the Elizabethan pub in the Gorbals to a game at CP. It was the 1970s and 10 year olds were allowed to do that on their own then. The driver must have had a death wish, as he took a wrong turn in Bridgeton, ending up in a cul de sac. I remember watching a young mother come out of her house carrying a small baby and a milk bottle. She came up to the bus and holding the bottle and the baby’s arm she threw the bottle at our bus from a distance of no more than 5 feet. They taught them young there.
call_of_juarez
18:57 on 3 February, 2015
Don’t think I have heard a Celtic player say “transpired” during a presser before. Looks to me that SA is too intelligent for our team:-)
———
Johannsen pure beelin’ about the signing of Armstrong. Has fired in a transfer request and stormed out of lennoxtown.
Big bust up cos Stokesie pointed out that armstrong’s arrival meant he (johanssen, not Stokesie!) was now only the second best english speaker in the squad…….
HH jamesgang
PS
Some of that wasn’t true.
HH jamesgang
canamalar
Na I’d always hated them even before that :-)
I was very self conscious about the scars for a while but my hair covers most of it and they’ve daded well over time mate.
jamesgang
19:52 on 3 February, 2015
What part…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
It has transpired that Charlie Nicholas is sitting there thinking.
HH!!
Bobby R
That’s why I’m on the tele all the time :-)
ACGR
No worries and thanks pal. Let me know for sure about the ticket.
James
Aye SA is a very articulate Invernessian. The best speakers in the country. Eh James? ;)
hamiltontim
19:54 on 3 February, 2015:
added, easy for you to say…you thinking about your fringe resembling a dado rail…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
hamiltontim
19:54 on 3 February, 2015
I’m as bad as you….bloody predictive text…:)
God getting me back!
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Hamiltontim
19:14 on
3 February, 2015
====================
That story, of you trying to do the decent thing,will have one beneficial consequence,and that is, as a fellow away fan you can bet there will have been times where you will have anticipated potential situations and avoided them,having already made the mistake previously that not everyone acts in a decent manner.
Lennybhoy
Hell mend ye bhoyo :-)
hamiltontim
20:02 on 3 February, 2015
Did Sipsini get you, he asked me for your number?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!