We seem to have a lot of forwards. Stokes, Pukki, Balde, new recruit Fridjonsson, and on-loan, Atajic and Watt, while Georgios may yet stay beyond the summer. That’s six under contract for the Champions League qualifiers, not counting Sweden’s ‘next Henrik Larsson’, who is likely to move on soon.
Quantity is one thing but cost is just as important, only Samaras and Pukki are likely to be on wages competitive with some of the richer leagues in Europe, so the actual spend on forwards is likely to be considerably less than on defence or midfield. The manager is likely to be operating within budget for this area of the team.
What we’re missing is an on-form striker who is capable of embarrassing St Johnstone and Inverness’s finest with their goals-to-games ratio, not to mention our own free-wheeling creative-mid. Gone are the days Celtic strikers stats are dismissed as a mere by-product of the sheer volume of chances they are presented with. Without a class act up front, the squad is unbalanced.
There was a note of disappointment in Neil Lennon’s voice when he spoke of missing a potential signing last week. I’m almost certain we’ll sign a striker this week but if he’s more of a hunch than a certified target we’re wasting our money. Hunch signings are fine but you can only give space to so many in any one season. We’ve made our low-cost gambles up front, and there is never a time for a high-cost uncertified gamble.
Celtic have a bit of money burning a hole in their pocket earning 15% interest from the Co-op Bank at the moment. The desire to spend it, from chief exec, to manager, to scouts and all other influencers will be practically unstoppable, which is why I’m so sure we’ll sign someone. Time will tell if we experience buyers regret.
Reminder to everyone who booked tickets for the CQteN St Patrick’s Day Dinner that they have to be paid by 31 January. Let me know if you can’t find details, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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No the Calton but played in Balornock circa 66 with the office team.
TG was the year below me at school.
justafan
Here Here Mate, I’m onboard if Neil is.
KLV
Being sent to Lierse appears to be the severest punishment that Neil can hand out.
But its not a bad option really . Of course this club is a massive step down from Celtic but against that the Belgium top league must be a much higher standard than here.
He should come back a far better and more grounded player but – in the meantime will he have been p***ed off and want to move on. I hope not .
steinreignedsupreme/Auldheid
I just find the words the guy used to be reprehensible and it doesn’t matter if he’s scoring 40 goals a season at his current club, we shouldn’t touch him.
I’m not talking about loutish behaviour or drunkenness or petulance or poor attitude. As many of our support are descendants of refugees I find his particular choice of words to be the very antithesis of our ethos.
I’m aware that many here and elsewhere will be of the opinion that if he’s good enough then we should go and sign him. I understand that.
I always believed that our standards were more than just what a man can do with a football.
HT
I am not sure of the context of what he tweeted…but I am willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt plus give him a chance. I would even been the same with Sevco if they had shown some contrition and accepted what they did, alas it didn’t happen. I have seen far worse things written here in haste and can understand that emotion on certain things run high. What separates us is the ability to forgive and allow people a chance unlike newclub.
If he comes I think he can score goals, my only concern is he plays in KC role as far as I can see, behind Doyle at Wolves and the same at Hibs.
Kikinthenakas
hamiltontim…
Totally respect that view.
I’m prepared to give some leeway because of the context which, if you’ll pardon the irony was very ugly.
We’ve all said things we’ve regretted especially when severely provoked and in the heat of the moment.
Neil was talking about Griffiths today at the press conference,sounds like it will happen when we find a makeweight for the deal.
I agree with you. Whilst I believe he will score loads of goals for us, I fear the SMSM will dig up the dirt on him and fear he will not be able to handle life in the Gold Fish Bowl. That said I will support him if and when he signs but he will take a lot of handling.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
I have just watched Griffiths 28 Goals from last season now if he was called Franco Biscony and came with a huge transfer amount from Italy we would be saying brilliant the fact it is Leigh Griffiths some are down in the mouth about it but the guy scores goals.Lennie says he wants the player that is good enough for me. H.H.
Just Read Kevin McKenna article in The Guardian. Oooft.
KLV
hendrix67 @14:19
fantastic, congratulations to you both
P
Griffiths might haveknown the guy he was tweeting or he might have had a few shandies in him. Who knows? There are otherwise quite normal, pleasant posters on here who can be a bit whiffy when squiffy.
I remember being at a game a few years ago when Di Canio, who was playing a blinder, fell on his bahooky trying to beat his man. The guy in front of me shouts out ‘ach get up ya tally B*******.,to the amusement of all around, who of course realised that it was never meant to be a racist comment.
It’s all a matter of context.
So we can spend 6 mil on a player if we want was the sound bite from the start of the window. Fast forward to now and we’re negotiations for Lee Griffiths……..Lee bloomin Griffiths!! Great to see the club showing such ambition. Europa League here we come & fingers crossed at even that.
HH!
Hamiltontim
I appreciate your concerns over LG’s prvious behaviour and the racist tweet is the worst to my mind.
The question would have to be has he shown remorse for that and sought to change his behaviour. I sincerely hope so as I hate racism in every form.
I have to say he always impressed me as a player. His work rate, touch and eye for goal is as good as any Scottish player I have seen in many a long year. From a football persepctive I think he would add to the quality we have. From the personal persepctive I hope he has changed. However I suppose we will not know that until he is here in the flesh.
Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar 17:33 on 27 January, 2014
“I always believed that our standards were more than just what a man can do with a football.”
I’m not sure these standards are applicable at Celtic anymore. In fact, I don’t think standards are particularly high or important at any football club.
Ability on the pitch is what matters most. Well, that and making money.
The sad realities of modern life. But going on to someone’s twitter page and calling them ugly is also pretty poor behaviour.
Nakas/justafan/glendaly
I’ve seen the tweet. He was responding to an Asian guy who called him ugly.
It’s unacceptable, intolerant and racist regardless of any context in which it is placed.
Lenny told that some people are saying LG is not good enough to play for Celtic.
“I beg to differ” was his reply, so there you go.
So, we’ve went from having the money for a £6 million striker to a player + cash deal for Leigh Griffiths. Reality is a bitch when it bites!
I, like others, have my reservations about his character and previous misdemeanours. But I’m certain that if he arrives and becomes the 30-goal a season striker we are crying out for I’ll be singing his praises with the rest.
Kayal33
Snodgrass and for that matter Dorrans may have both played for Livi but they have both progressed immeasurably since then. Snodgrass is a beast of a player and Celtic. If we get him I would be very happy.
Tim tanium
He’s impressed me as player also, I happen to rate him as a footballer; I don’t as a man judging by that tweet.
Steinreignedsupreme
I’m sure you’d agree there’s a huge difference between being called ugly and telling someone to ‘f off back to your own country’.
Off for a run but apologies for hogging the blog! :-)
Should have stated Snodgrass is a Celtic supporter and would be living our dreams.
Hamiltontim. Most of us will have said things in the heat of the moment which later we regretted.I dont think we should hold one outburst against anyone and say we shouldnt sign them for Celtic or we would never sign anyone. H.H.
If Griffiths is the height of our ambition then there will be even more empty seats at the park and it’s back to the biscuit tin days of old.Truly depressing…..
Non plussed the Leigh Griffiths stories, seem to have substance primarily because he can’t get a game for Wolves , and IMHO isn’t the right type of player we are looking for. Scoring for Hibs is one thing, as his exclusion from the Wolves side underlines.
He’d be playing for a big club and how many have failed to make the transition in Scotland? outwith the Bangura’s whom I wish we’d gone in for ‘much lower’.
As for lack of social skills and being found guilty of a racist remark, Celtic will have taken this into account, and it’s included in the equation of not being the right player, and causing another chasm with the support.
That being said, it all changes if he pulls on the Hoops, and his all embracing education will begin .
Not huge fan of Johnny Russell but he would have been a better option last summer than signing Lee Griffiths now. No idea what you call this as it can’t be classified as a panic buy. Okay so we can’t attract a quality forward this window, I think we’d all have accepted that far more easily than a third rate reprobate. Tony Watt has far more about him than this guy. Different if he was real quality but to bump Watt even further down the pecking order for Griffiths is quite sickening.
time for change
17:10 on
27 January, 2014
Natknow….cheers for comment…have watched him closely over a period of time I think he is the same as other people on our books….personally feel we need another Van Hessellink of Venegor tyoe of striker.
Hooper had played well before coming to us and I think we got him as other teams were tempted with the six foot plus option…
in my view Mac Donald should never have come anywhere near our team….
Hail Hail
———————————————————
No worries mate. To be honest you will know more about LG than me – I’m only going on the scoring stats. Not sure how those compare with Anto. I seem to remember that AS had a good scoring record with Falkirk and with Hibs before we got him?
Interesting comments you make about other strikers we’ve had. I remember seeing footage of Harold scoring a peach in Europe before we signed him and thinking “There’s no WAY we’ll get him. He’s too good!”. Although he was far from being the worst striker we ever signed, my own view was that he just didn’t fit into the style of play at our club. I think that finding a player who fits the style of play is important.
Ah Bhoys Geez peace about his attitude and he swore on twitter as long as he scores Goals for us i’ll back the boy 100% he’s not here yet so why people getting their nickers in a twist over a Maybe, Neil rates him so do I, so i will be happy if he signs.
KLV
KLV – no luck for both of us then :)
Which article from McKenna ?
Tim Tanium
Agree re. Snodgrass. Hoping that the cheaper striker option of Griffiths is because we will spend the bulk of our money on a creative player like Snodgrass.
Just quickly.
If he’d said “the famine is over F off back to your own country”
Would you still want to sign him? Or is it because it wasn’t Irish racism that it’s acceptable?
Racism is racism whatever form it takes.
Right definitely off for that run/fastish walk :-)
kevinlasvegas
He didn’t just swear on twitter, do keep up.
Here it is embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/26/anti-irish-hatred-modern-scotland
KLV
Ellboy . in 18 months Griffiths has scored I believe 41 Goals I dont think Johnny Russell can come near that ? The fact that our manager rates the boy as a striker he would like to sign.He is 23 years of age so fits Celtic signing model as if he has two good goal scoring seasons he would have a good sell on value.In Lennie I trust.H.H.
I am staggered that we even considered signing Griffiths. 3 arrests in 2013 alone, for violence, for shoplifting and for racist abuse.
We looked on with contempt when Rangers signed Diouf. Quite rightly so, the guy was a disgraceful individual. Griffiths is cut from the same cloth.
Very very sad day for us that we are prepared to sign an individual of such loathsome character
bournesouprecipe
Did he kill someone?
We are all saints aye?
KLV
what I’ve notice about griffiths in the games I’ve watched him is this – he leads the line well , full of running , hold the ball up well, links up well and is a great striker of the football. Kinda like chris commons on steroids!
Is he better than we have on our books – watt , pukki etc… i don’t think so , therefore i can only imagine we want him for back up to allow us to play same systems when players get injured.
We should have ambitions beyond SPL , this is why all fans are looking for a guy who will make number 9 his own!
Good news bad news day.
Bad news looks as if we are about to get Willogate 2, Leigh Griffifths FFS really is that the height of the PLCs ambition! I’d rather we kept the cash and waited until the summer and buy a proper striker to partner Anto. Lenny says LG is good as he is in the Scotland squad ‘big whoop – so what’ its a bit like saying he plays for Azerbaijan.
Good ,nay brilliant news, an old family friend has gifted me a 1916 Easter rising medal, awarded by the Eire government to the Volunteers and ICA members who participated in the rising. An extremely rare and valuable medal. A remarkably generous gift from my fathers old friend.
kevinlasvegas
Not that I’m aware of, but he still can’t get a game for Wolves.