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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Are our new No.16 and 14 eligible for ALL our remaining fixtures – apart from the League Cup Final? Hail Hail Hebcelt
canamalar .
I didn’ t watch Sunday’ s game. My elderly Inter mad neighbour did.He said he was unable to arrive at an assessment of Celtic in consequence of the opposition being less than Lega Pro standard.
‘
Canamalar
15:12 on
3 February, 2015
Masty,
You serious about our pace compared to theirs ?
————————————————————————–
I don’t know anything about them, hence my asking about them..we do have a bit of pace in the team…SJ has pace, as does Mathews, lustig and forrest,griffiths is no slouch either,you sound surprised I said we had a bit of pace in the team,do you disagree?
Heb,
Nope,
Them both be Scottish cup tied
HH
SoT,
No surprised, did he call it the old firm game ?
I’m also a Labour Party member and will be helping (starting Thursday) locally to get the Tory’s out at the General Election.
Supporting another political party would be akin to walking away from Celtic and supporting another football team.
I’ll be putting my input to the Labour Party to help it reflect my politics, that’s how it works.
Masty,
I don’t think we have any more pace than they do, in fact probably considerably less.
Geordie cheers thought so but OK for Europa.H H Hebcelt
canamalar
I did say I knew nought about them…there seems to be a bit of a revolving door there at the moment..
Hebcelt,
They’ll be fine neebs.
Someone posted earlier that we can register 3 more for Europe.
Them 2 and Guidetti I’m guessing
HH
Bawsman,
Can you ask them when they intend doing something about the vile scandal they are currently covering up with their conservative brothers?
in fact without googling, I don’t think I could name 1 inter player..i know santon and podolski have came in along with 1/2 others but apart from that nought.
Gooooooooooooooooood afternoon
From last atricle
wee bit of help needed
___________________
Barrach Obampot
12:15 on 3 February, 2015
HH CQN
stroll in the park on Sunday through sights and sounds I have not missed or really want to see or hear ever again.
Sevco’s football; agricultural, their fans; Neanderthal.
I’m wondering if anyone kept any newspaper articles as sounveniers when Rangers 1872 died? Like the Daily Records “Rangers R.I.P.” for instance. If so, would it be possible to get photocopies of them?
HH
My own copies have disappeared “prob in loft with some old LPs” says wife ,Cue bewildered look on grandsons face as I try to explain what an LP is :))))))
Masty,
Like you I don’t know too much about them but I know what we consider pace and who we measure it against is different to the competition in Italy, most likely wouldn’t be considered pace in Italy. Then again, I’ll shut my gub and let someone who does know answer :)
Can DU request the new bhoys are not played in the final – or does the money cancel that?
philbhoy
Hard question ..I don’ t have an answer.Serie A is a 2 horse race and 1 of those horses ( Rube ) is much mentally stronger than the other ( Roma )
All the teams in Serie A are way better than all of Celtic’ s SPL.opponents. .
Short answer – got to go – plane to catch.
PS :((
Barrach Obampot
12:16 on 3 February, 2015
ps I’m away back to painting the ceiling. If anyone has any, can you give to leftclicktic, Lennybhoy or CRC
Masty
Apparently they have a right back called ‘Dodo’
We’ll have played against two Dodos in the same month…
B-)
canamalar .
No – he doesn’ t have a scooby re the O** F***.
Ulysses..,
Money cancelled, but they are cup tied so can’t play anyway.
Even if they were only on loan and not cup tied I expect it would require a contractual clause to give the lender any say over who they can and can’t play against.
Canamalar
15:26 on
3 February, 2015
Masty,
Like you I don’t know too much about them but I know what we consider pace and who we measure it against is different to the competition in Italy, most likely wouldn’t be considered pace in Italy. Then again, I’ll shut my gub and let someone who does know answer :)
——————————————————————
it’s a blog mo chara…you obviously know more than I do about them.dont think the Italian league is played with much pace,
Goodluck way that Bawsman.
I’m sure there are many like you, but not enough, to influence your party.
Red Tory CSC
MWD said AYE
SoT
Safe trip!
“Can DU request the new bhoys are not played in the final – or does the money cancel that?”
Ulysses,
No. But league rules say they can’t play.
HH
Canamalar
15:22 on
3 February, 2015
==============================
If there’s question’s that I think need asked, then i’ll ask them.
Canamalar
Shhhhhhh! You shall not speak of Westminster coverups.
MWD said AYE
Bawsman,
Have you asked ?
MWD
Goodluck way that Bawsman.
I’m sure there are many like you, but not enough, to influence your party.
=========================================
There’s thousands like me, we’ll see……………can but try, and never stop trying.
Looking good bhoys
SA & GMS
https://twitter.com/celticfc
Canamalar
15:34 on
3 February, 2015
=================
Asked what?
So with GMS and Armstrong gone and Cifci suspended( i think )…Deila has a great chance to put a cup in the trophy room…looking forward to it already….
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/562618490365173760
Bawsman,
How Tom Watson’s campaign is getting on.
It’s only the biggest scandal in British politics. Westminster paedo ring.
Bawsman,
See link
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=orknH8A5AAg
Celtic Football Club@celticfc · 1 hr1 hour ago
SA: “It’s a different kind of football here. It’s an enormous club and support. It will be a big difference.”
—
GMS: “The club is world-renowned and it’s an unbelievable arena to play your football in.”
——–
GMS: “There’s the European football aspect too and there are just a number of things. They play football the right way here.”
—
GMS: “I want to improve every aspect of my game. I think I can and I will just need to work hard and see where it takes me.”
———-
SA: “I’m still doing my law degree. I’ve got an essay due tomorrow. I’ll see that through. It’s a nice thing to have.”
leftclicktic@15:26
if you could find them they could come in useful
I’ll DM you on twitter
btw why haven’t you got them framed?
:-)
I was too busy pissing myself laughing at the time to even think of keeping any of these rag headlines as mementos.
HH
backtothepaintingcsc
Canamalar
15:40 on
3 February, 2015
Bawsman,
How Tom Watson’s campaign is getting on.
It’s only the biggest scandal in British politics. Westminster paedo ring.
===========================
It stinks to the high heavens and really needs sorted out but the Home Secretary has twice tried (and failed) to massage the establishment into the Chair. The HS has (I think) booted it into the long grass until next Parliament, can’t have dirty laundry being washed around election time.
It’s disgusting but politics is dirty.
Canamalar
15:43 on
3 February, 2015
====================
I don’t click the links in work mate, no idea what it is therefore.