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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Hamiltontim
17:44 on 3 February, 2015
‘Shockingly, I actually thought he was dead.’
####
That’s not as shocking as thinking she is a he.
Ernie
Ha indeed :-)
Genuine iPhone error in typing!
http://www.celticfc.tv/freeview?video=2365
Two new recruits from Utd on celtictv
I’m sure Harper Lee is a lady
sunny calmachie
17:51 on 3 February, 2015
I’m sure Harper Lee is a lady
—–
He is :-)
So Armstrong has one eye on giving the game up ?
We really should be trying for some starlets from Newcastle.
The Magpie lads have experience of playing the young Hoops too.
Harper Lee brings it all on himself/herself.
Paul 67
So you find the Newcastle loans hilarious. So it’s ok, if it’s not us being cheated, is that the attitude. The reputation of our game is in the gutter, this is only making it worse. Now call me paranoid, is this the reason, Ashley’s undue influence charges were postponed, to allow TRFC to strengthen their squad. Anyone, who does not think these players are an improvement on the dross at Ibrox is deluded. Additionally it’s not the point anyway, SFA, shove your corrupt game up your ass.
Remember all these stories about dressing room discontents earlier in the season? I don’t think I have seen a Celtic team with more comradery. The celebrations on Sunday were a wee bit over the top in the context of the game but great to see all the same and I’m not complaining. I love Ronnie’s Roar lol !!
“beside my bed along with another couple of favourites that I revisit on occasions.”
HT
:)
Tim malone will tell
I agree there are not many politicians of conviction in our Parliament.i cant seem to think of any of the top of my head.
The situation among our young is of grave concern I agree.it truly is saddening.i read recently this generation of young people are going to be poorer than the generation who gave birth to them.That is an indictment on us all and especially the me; myself& I attitude intro’d by Thatcher and her monetarist policies.
The state will clamp down on any attempt at dissent, look at the stupidity of the OBact!!your right tho mhate lots of *anti terror’laws will impede our freedoms even more, all cos ‘we need it’ to stop terrorism.
All baloney of course business will boom time for a select few,Br.aerospace etc and all the other makers of all tyoes of ‘security apparel’!! More money for the terrorist apparatus whilst we cant get an ambulance to go to hospital for example..v.sad.
HH
dontbrattbakkinanger
17:31 on 3 February, 2015
Ha ha superb that’s getting used tonight at my pool match.
BGX
17:42 on
3 February, 2015
Hun fans saying that 3 of the newcastle 5 are injured and will be out for 3-5 weeks….better and better…
======
As Paul has pretty much put it in the leader , seems Thems have just become the football equivalent of a Toxic Bank for Big Mike to dump unwanted salaries in.
The big guy’s a genius – is it too much to hope he’ll be given a knighthood ..?
GM
Tut tut, at least my choice of literature has chapters :-)
Right chores time.
sid
17:58 on
Additionally it’s not the point anyway, SFA, shove your corrupt game up your ass.
————
I’m not sure how you can pin this on the SFA. The rules allow it, it wasn’t created for Sevco.
Hearts did it with Kaunas
Watford with Udinese
Chelsea with Vitesse Arnhem
The rules should definitely be looked at, but the leadership for that should come from UEFA / FIFA.
Sid, I’m not sure that the SFA are in on MA’s latest actions. They like to keep to the bowling club illusion that there are rules. MA is plowing ahead with no pretence of adhering to rules. The danger here is that this exposes the routine SFA cheating. My guess is that they would have been banking on what they see as Rangers men taking over Sevco and fitting in with the SFA way of managing the big cheat
HT,
Ah but does yours keep you warm on these long cold dark nights? ;)
Harper Lee Mcculloch ‘To Elbow a Mockingbird’
Lhads,
Thanks for the IT help last night, able to login, nightshift was a bit more bearable….
Bma
Naeworkdonecsc
By lonely Geordie walls,
I heard a young man calling,
Michael you have taken me away….
Aye interesting articles I’m sure :)
Great start to the year for the club getting the two young lads from Dundee Utd. but it’s understandably tough on their supporters, but it’s money into the club and that’s the way of the football world. Must admit i don’t know much about the two guys but the opinion on here is that they’re good. Also rumours about an interest in Wes Holohan from Norwich – an excellent footballer.
Roddy Forsyth did an excellent preview last Friday night on Irish radio of Sunday’s game. In the following slot a guy with a high-pitched effeminate voice aptly called Moose who they tell me works for Talksport wondered what all the fuss was about describing the SPFL as a Pub League. Moose usually gets himself into a state of hyper -ventilation every Friday evening describing the delights the weekends EPL fixtures has in store for us. I watched the much hyped Chelsea – Man City game last Saturday and it was probably the most boring, sterile sports non-event I’ve seen for quite some time.
Not unusual I might add.
JohnyRambo 67
I fully understand it’s not against loan rules, it is the undue influence.
Shamelessly stolen from Twitter:
Another 3 hostages taken by cruel regime:
http://twitter.com/TomSelleckCSC/status/562653391185530880/photo/1
#freethe 3
HH
That’s eleven Celtic stories we’ve put up today, one in particular will make the papers tomorrow…
http://www.cqnmagazine.com
am sure that lee harper is a guy
HT
LOL.
Onto a different matter I see STV are still spinning a half story about that poor wee boy being hit with the bottle, very sad, but
why was the bus door open?
And how many people does it take to surround a bus in Cathcart Rd,
and was it not a Bridgeton supporters bus which comes from area of Glasgow renowned for physically and verbally abusing Celtic supporters,
and why did the police allow a bus to be surrounded by opposing fans just before the kick off, in a area full of Orcs travelling to the game,
I could go on, but to me something doesn’t add up,
Wc,
Dj applauding our new signings? ;)
HT,
that “a couple of favorites by the bedside ” came across as all the drunken lord from the fast show
Reading a bit about Stuart Armstrong, must have been some school team he played for in Aberdeen. Him, Ryan Jack & Fraser Fyvie, not a bad midfield.
delighted with the new signings. both speak very well. hope they play as good too.
I loved Scott Browns ‘fair’ tackle on that wee niaff Black
It sent the message to the niaff and to the whole lot of them that any time they ever think they are big enough bad things are gonna happen to them
Showed them what a proper enforcer can do and showed up their sneaky behind the back , off-the-ball plastic hard men
Any comment from the review panel (or the polis) on elbows cowardly assault?
Great news about ole Harper Lee releasing her second novel…whit a day alongside our new arrivals.
I thought she was SOAL’s granny…
HH
sunny calmachie
18:20 on 3 February, 2015
HT
LOL.
Onto a different matter I see STV are still spinning a half story about that poor wee boy being hit with the bottle, very sad, but
why was the bus door open?
And how many people does it take to surround a bus in Cathcart Rd,
and was it not a Bridgeton supporters bus which comes from area of Glasgow renowned for physically and verbally abusing Celtic supporters,
and why did the police allow a bus to be surrounded by opposing fans just before the kick off, in a area full of Orcs travelling to the game,
I could go on, but to me something doesn’t add up,
—————
I agree something isn’t quite right about it. I thought it was just me.
Just watched the boy at 10 who got injured.
Just dont get people on here sometimes….
.
Is there about to be a wee bit more rule bending to suit the newest club in Scotland, the guy streete has already played for 2 clubs this season. Don’t think you can play for a 3rd ?? Anybody clarify that for me ??
With the Newcastle influx, would it be appropriate to now all them the Loony Toons?
Lhads – the bottling incident may stink but some Pr1ck.took the bait.
A thug not worthy of the name Celtic.