I know Leigh Griffiths has more experience behind him that road ahead. He may prove to be a challenge for Ange Postecoglou to manage (although I would not assume so) and I would hope he is not first choice striker for Celtic ever again. However, if we need a goal in the qualifiers, at McDiarmid, or in a Hampden cup final, and things just don’t seem to be happening, you know Leigh can change games and seasons.
His story is fundamental to our second nine-in-a-row, the last season in particular. His commercial value is significantly less than it was when his last contract was agreed; Celtic’s option to extend for one-year would have flattered him. The one-year deal announced today is almost certainly at a lower rate, but right for Leigh and for Celtic.
If athletes perform best with something to fight against, Leigh will have the words of Neil Lennon injecting his veins with adrenaline. He has a point to prove, watch him do it.
267 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- »
BOGNORBHOY on 1ST JULY 2021 12:32 PM
Excellent post – let me be the first to acknowledge your Nina Simone reference….
If Urhoghide rumour is true … we’re compiling a fair brood of young central defenders.
So, for that position ….
that’s four years from now taken care of.
What about four weeks from now?
Over the last 3 seasons Griff has a better goals to minutes played ratio than both Eddie and Fatty.
It’s a limited risk, that’s worth taking I’d say.
LG stats was on radio last night, his game minutes equated to just under 8 x 90 minutes equivalent.
In that time on the park , he scored 6 goals.
His problem is getting motivated enough to want that jersey, saying it and doing it being 2 different things.
Whenever he scores (if he scores) next season, someone is going to say he could have done it last year, maybe he should have moved on.
One mistake Lenny made last summer was placing too much importance on his partnership with Eddie. When he came back totally unfit we had no option but to revert back to a system that had failed in the previous season
Angry can’t possibly see him as an essential part of the team
SAINT STIVS @ 2:30 PM,
He said Lenny didn’t give him, his chance last season and I believe him.
Keep~on~keeping~on with the photies and titbit – has been a real oasis onn CQN in recent times…
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Angry! Ange
Over the last 3 seasons LG scored a goal every 133 minutes
Last season Ivan Toney scored a goal every 131 minutes
Take away penalties and Griff scored a goal every 133 minutes
Toney scored a goal every 189 minutes
No tribute to Lawwell? Guess he’s hanging about.
Griff doesn’t deserve the chance, but I agree on balance it’s in our mutual interest to give him the year. However, it is further evidence of how dire the club’s options are. They don’t deserve the SB renewals. Oh well.
Cannigia at Dundee,
https://twitter.com/74frankfurt/status/1410495097049911296/photo/1
Good luck to Peter Lawwell. If he doesn’t retire I hope he gets an easier job in future. I assume he will remain on ECA and UEFA representing Celtic as these are personal appointments.
Griff is a lucky man who doesn’t really deserve a contract extension. I hope he works hard to earn his salary.
QUAD the Cross Keys is long, long gone , now a private house. Good pub right enough so it was.
BURNLEY, next time I’m walking through Eaglesham I will sit and have a word with your mum. Maybe some of the Cross Keys mob moved over to the Swan because there is a definite ‘mix’ there now.
Em bee.
PL and mrs regularly popped into the Busby few years back
hh
Och man, this is some sad picture. I do think they look grief stricken.
———————–
PictureThis Scotland
@74frankfurt
·
7h
Jimmy McStay leads Celtic out at Celtic Park a week after the death of goalkeeper John Thomson. (1931)
https://twitter.com/74frankfurt/status/1410491881000144897/photo/1
To me LG acts like a wee boy,does not deserve a contract extension but the way our club is run we have no choice,what a state of affairs at the moment.
I wonder what LG will do after football, i hope he has invested well and not in the boozers.
Eddie Who?????
If you are RE-Building your house to make your dream house, as opposed to starting from scratch on a new plot, then you don’t demolish what you have and live in a tent for a few years… I imagine it will be a few years before we see Ange’s completed Celtic project and our dream team.
Ange has been dealt a tough hand and time is not on his side, but I believe that Dom and Ange have the balls, intelligence and vision to know where we should be going, but also the Pragmatism, skill-set and leadership to make the most of our current resources! 😊 🍀
Ralston and Griffiths are good examples. Who is to say that Ange Postecoglou will not get the best out of Anthony Ralston? 🤔 I would think also that Leigh Griffiths Contract Extension would give him a fair basic wage but with the promise that 30 meaningful goals this season (friendlies don’t count) would see him meet or exceed his previous contract earnings. Such a Contract will be low-risk to Celtic, and also much cheaper than buying in a new 30-goals-a-season Striker! 😊 For me, definitely a pragmatic and intelligent use of resources! 😊 🍀
I’m just a Celtic Supporter with no info at all, but it seems to me that there is a stink of SMSM-ism about claims of a ‘50% PSG sell-on fee’ for Odsonne Edouard. This scenario means we sell, say, for £20M but only get £10M back… Compare and contrast with the much more sensible *quote I read this morning of ‘40% of the value over the original £9M we paid to PSG’. This scenario means we sell for, say, £20M but we recoup £15.6M!…
Minus £6.6M is a huge difference if your interest lies (sic) in undermining Celtic and its Supporters! 😊 🍀. It may well yet be that Odsonne Edouard is smart enough to consider that perhaps his best medium-term financial interests may in fact lie with him seeing out his current Celtic Contract?🤔 One more good year and the world is his oyster. Let’s see…
[*Apologies; I read this modified 40% quote from another Celtic-minded site this morning, but I can’t remember who so can’t give a reference to the source. 🙄]
The thought of a firing-on-all-cylinders Edouard/Griffiths partnership backed by Supporters in Paradise has this Celtic Supporter for one purring in anticipation! 😊 🍀
(And the SMSM keeking their blue reeks! 👍)
Take Care, Keep Safe, God Bless and Hail Hail,
Yours in Celtic,
TB&F. 😊 🍀
AngeTheBuilderNeedsTimeToBuildCSC
An Tearmann
Which wan in Busby? Hotel, Railway Inn, the ither wan in the Main St (cannae remember the name)?
Been away too long now, 49 years in September)!
HH
in ither news………….
I just knew that the Huns were due summit fur wee bullly………….as shortie’s PR campaign got off to a breathless start and just goat much, much more insistent,.
You can’t put a value on that kinda cover.
going over to paradise today, and having not been in the oatlands/dalmarock area in sometime, it is some amout of construction work going on, with some industrial achreology getting repurposed.
that big police station has a great view of rutherglen.
TRUTH_BEAUTY_AND_FREEDOM on 1ST JULY 2021 3:34 PM
Completely agree with you re the Odsonne sell on fee . We know that the MSSM will employ any angle to put an anti Celtic story out there but , above all , I cannot see Peter Lawwell agreeing to such a disadvantageous clause .
TRUTH. BEAUTY & FREEDOM
First rate post, enjoyed reading – would be churlish to disagree on any point really.
Re Peter Lawwell
I don’t know if he was intending to retire this year or last years debacle brought it on. But in fairness, had he retired LAST year he’d be a hero and icon to most of us……if you don’t count Res 12 n other stuff
CELTIC40ME on 1ST JULY 2021 2:27 PM
Over the last 3 seasons Griff has a better goals to minutes played ratio than both Eddie and Fatty.
Now that WAS funny
Sometimes the simplest nick name just hits the spot
SAINT STIVS on 1ST JULY 2021
That is a good post to read!
JHB on 1ST JULY 2021 3:45 PM
SAINT STIVS on 1ST JULY 2021
That is a good post to read!
About the season tickets!!!
TRUTH_BEAUTY_AND_FREEDOM on 1ST JULY 2021 3:34 PM
Keeping OE to see out his contract would be fine and dandy but two things.
Not if he’s gonny put in a shift like last season.
Secondly, as has been suggested earlier, when he signed the contract with the sell-on clause I don’t imagine the prospect of him waking away at the end for nothing was seriously considered.
Would we need to pay out more money to PSG in the absence of their sell-on fee?
WALKING away obv.
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 1ST JULY 2021 3:02 PM
No tribute to Lawwell? Guess he’s hanging about.
Griff doesn’t deserve the chance, but I agree on balance it’s in our mutual interest to give him the year. However, it is further evidence of how dire the club’s options are. They don’t deserve the SB renewals. Oh well.
—————-
” They” are not the club, they are only paid employees and custodians.
We, the supporters are the club and the SB renewals are for us not them.
HH.
Anyone who has been over at Parkhead recently will see the non used cycle lanes on London Rd that will cause chaos on match days.
The cost of these discriminatory white Elephants cannot be justified.
They cause driver frustration, traffic jams and increase emissions. They discriminate against the infirm and anybody not able to ride a bike.
Rant over.
PS : I am a driver and cyclist.
We have had a long protracted run of bad news & circumstance since the start of last season – maybe Forster saying no was the start of it. Surely we must be in line for some good tidings soon……wonder what they’ll be?🤞
GREENPINATA on 1ST JULY 2021 3:58
As far as I can see all bike-riders want to be on the pavement anyway.😅
Griffiths hasn’t been fit for the last 3 seas.
Waste of a wage .
I’m sure Ange will find him out
As today seems to be a day for signing free transfers, here’s a few in key positions we might have an outside chance of securing.
Defender
Martin Caceres (34), Uruguay international, leaving Fiorentina after 2 years. Something of a journeyman career at some very impressive clubs, he’s been a regular at every top team he’s played for (Juventus, Lazio, Sevilla) and has amassed 106 caps in an excellent Uruguay team. Quite an old player but very fit and with bags of experience.
Mamadou Sakho (31) is out of contract after 4 years at Crystal Palace. Once of PSG and Liverpool, and with 29 French caps, however wasn’t fancied much at Palace especially in the latter years. An energetic and athletic player but often capable of “doing an Efe”.
Miha Mevlja (31), a relative unknown, out of contract at Russian club Sochi. Spent his early career at some unfashionable eastern European leagues before getting his breakthrough move to Russia where he was later bought by Zenit for £7m. Didn’t see much game time at Zenit and was moved on to Sochi where he played regularly, all the while collecting 38 Slovenia caps.
Left back
Jetro Willems (27) – Dutch international (22 caps) due to leave Eintracht Frankfurt. Has also played for PSV and Newcastle, winning two titles with the former, and the latter on loan last season where he played every game until an injury in January ended his season, Newcastle declined to activate an option to buy.
Right back
Jonas Svensson (28), spent his career at Rosenborg where he replaced Christian Gamboa, and then AZ where he is due to leave after 4 years. Was named Norwegian defender of the year twice, and has 23 caps for Norway.
Left winger
Jose Izquierdo (28) recently left Brighton where he was signed in 2017 for £13m from Club Brugge. With Brugge he won the league, two cups, and footballer of the year, has 6 caps for Colombia. His time at Brighton was peppered with injuries to the point where it was suggested his career may be over. A very good player, but would be a big gamble.
Robbie Brady (29) due to leave Burnley after 4 years. A very pacey and effective player, comes with the benefit of being capable of playing anywhere down the left flank but can be quite injury prone, latterly averaging around 18 games per season. 57 caps and 8 goals for the Republic.
Striker
Rafael Santos Borre (25), highly fancied early in his career which earned his a move to Athletica Madrid for £4.5m. Didn’t work out for him and he returned to South America with River Plate where he’s taken off with 31 goals in 80 games and earned an international call up, currently with the Colombia team at the Copa America. Back on the radar of European clubs.
Stefan Jovetic (31), once a £23m player for Man City and now leaving Monaco. Never really been a prolific goalscorer but definitely a dangerous striker, a lot of top clubs have signed him for big money. Also has 61 caps for Montenegro where he’s scored 31 goals.
Most of these players will probably end up in Turkey (where they won’t get paid) or China (where they’ll leave after one season).
………Tav (pen) attracting attention from Arsenal and Manchester United………………Ladies.
Aye.
Ddd
eee
Bankie 3.38 – is that right?
To think some on here gave you flak for smelling a rat at 50 paces.
It was the the most blatant piece of hype since ‘succulent lamb’.
Unfortunately it suggests to me that even after all these years a great many Celtic supporters still do not understand how the SMSM operate.
SONSOFERIN on 1ST JULY 2021 4:06 PM
——
Lot of well-researched info – be good to imagine we could attract one, or, two. However for many players…and managers the world over, it is not coming to Celtic that is the bugbear, it’s coming to Scotland. We are being left further behind in the pecking-order. Scandinavia, the Baltic states and the Eastern Europeans have all made progress.
If the two ‘big beasts’ in Scotland hold their end up in Europe, we can, as next season and the one after will show, possibly dine in the CL groups. This could be a pull for players & managers.
I know there will be consternation amongst a few on here that anyone deems to suggest that Scotland needs the ‘big two’ to survive. Of course stating this obvious fact does NOT in anyway condone, or, forget, the years of wilful wrongdoing at Ibrox.