One of the things I always look for in a player is ‘can he control the football’? A poor return in this respect does not necessarily mean he is a poor player, think Daizen, for example, but it is a quality I believe any successful team needs to an extent.
You will be able to run through the squad and tell me who brings the ball under control on reception, and those who need a bit of space and a couple of touches. We saw a lot of the latter last season.
Our anticipated new right winger Haissem Hassan can control the football. This buys him space and options. It means in transition, Celtic should be more productive. Only Jota, from the wingers currently at the club, possess the same calibre of first touch as Haissem.
This will not make Celtic a better team in itself (see Daizen), but it will help change the character of Celtic games.
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Good afternoon all. Celtic!!!!
Welcome to Celtic Haissem Hassan! 🍀
Welcome Haissem
HH
And a Hail Hail to HH.😉
Haven’t seen Hassan at all so have no idea about his first touch. But I think that James Forrest has a very good first touch, not just Jota?
OK Back to Basics – Glass Half Full, let’s be havin’ you.
Hassan on the right, Jota on the left and Hoch through the middle.
Canny wait.
THE BLOGGER
With Duran playing in behind Hogh
Hassan has pace that most players can’t touch. Making space to cross is toffee for him. The real issue is how good he is at using the ball once he gets it.
A forward line of Duran and Hassan either side of Hogh is terrifying for any SPFL defence, but in Europe it probably spells big trouble for us in terms of closing down the opposition.
I think the coaching staff will be earning their wages this season.
Paul67
One first touch doesn’t make a summer
When Hassan plays who drops out ?
Does Duran move to the left wing ?
We will have 4 players none of whom really deserve to be bench players , Hogh, Duran , Hassan and Jota .
The problem won’t be immediate in Jota’s case and may not be a problem at all if he is not the Jota of old in terms of performance or durability.
McPhail Bhoy on 12th August 2026 12:07 pm
Haven’t seen Hassan at all so have no idea about his first touch. But I think that James Forrest has a very good first touch..
____
Yep. I was just going to mention James. He rarely loses the ball. Albeit, he is not often looking to take a touch and explode into a sprint nowadays.
Agree with comments on last thread about age profile. We are buying older at the moment but need younger too if we are to sell on for top dollar. One of the reasons that AJ’s quoted offer is low is presumably because whoever buys can’t sell on. But getting quality at 19-22 is hard, and there is not always patience with these players when the demand is to win every game. Osmand is one we really need to play and develop or similar talent out of contract in England (e.g. Dembele) simply won’t come here.
I thought Hassan was intended to be backup to JF until he scores for the 18th consecutive SPL season. 🤷
⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽
⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽(⚽)
League position in each of those seasons:
22111111111211111(1)
That’s 15 titles in 18 seasons where JF has scored (assuming those same outcomes this season!).
It took Celtic 45 seasons to win 15 titles prior to that, so clearly JF is the fairy dust! 🪄✨
BIGCHIPSUK
A second Testimonial for Wee Jamesie , ………..💨💨💨💨
Excellent spot Paul.
Hassan can control a ball quicker than R2ngers can sign an ordinary player that no one else is interested in.
TBB @ 12:07pm
🤣🤣🤣
Good signings by Celtic.
Thats me emptied my thimble of wisdom.
(It was a quarter full)
Is it official yet?
I think we are planning to sell AE in this window, but hoping to secure a fee closer to £30M than the £25M previously reported from Forest. It looks like we will be spending potentially in the region of £30-40M if we bring in Baur, a backup LB (Taylor?) and possibly Chaiwa, which is pretty much what we will expect to have received for Maeda and Engels.
There was a previous mention of Engels suitability as a future Celtic captain, and IMO that was what we had in mind when he was signed. But sadly we probably can’t hold on to players of that quality and stature long enough for them to grow into that particular role. KT might fit into that role post CalMac, but will likely only have at most a couple of years in him by that time. And CCV could probably do it, but I’m not sure he’ll be at the club long enough.
Back to the drawing board on that one…
Bournesouprecipe, perhaps a statue would be in order?! 🗿
Seems Baur has missed training to force a move….
BIGCHIPSUK
Top stats BTW – for a career unlikely to be repeated any time soon. He’s fair shrugged off ‘the invisible’ tag from these very pages.
£5M Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the other hand what a pure waste of time and money that was.👍
Just watching rerun of the #HunHibs tussle.
My God, Hibs are pants.
Ra buns have a bit more about them but are hopeless in the final 3rd.
Naderi is the German Ted McMinn.
Of their noo signings, the Japanese winger has very good control and the Makhanya defender is solid enough (and belligerent). That said, if we DO SIGN Haissem, his pace will tear all of them a series of new wans.
Cannae wait – ya belly dancer !!
Don’t get the Chaiwa stuff at all…bang bang average…
VINNIE – mind reader!! Was just about the PS the very same thought.
I just can’t see what he offers !
VTD
Likewise
Somebody will post that Chaiwa is pure click bait
Some links you fear are just paper talk , Others you hope are just paper talk . Like Chaiwa. He may be on a list with the Torino guy but several pages lower .
Vinniethedog
Totally agree. Bang average at best.
Baur soon and the Torino lad will be here once the CL Quals are finished. Engels can move on if right money comes in.
Only after CL qualifier re Engels moving.
Interesting results last night.
Beer Sheva beating Red Star
Sabah of Azerbaijan beating Danish champs
Bodo sneaking it v Union St G.
Celje and Slovan both getting through also.
Nothing official on Haissem yet. Perhaps we’re waiting on the eclipse and project an image on the dark side of the moon.
ziggydoc1 and BigChipsUK
Agreed he doesn’t have the pace but he was/is a player who seems to be faster with the ball than without, something to do with his running style? Same with CalMac.
We really are so fortunate to have these players not only for their ability but their conistnency and sticking power, very few examples of them in Scotland never mind in Europe, once (twice!) in a generation!
Smaller numbers of higher quality. So much better than the pile ’em high approach of previous windows. No guarantees with any signing but I have no complaints about the strategy this window – clear out the excess wage bill and replace with quality.
Gene on 12th August 2026 1:30 pm
Brilliant 👏👏😂
Tomas Gravesen
https://x.com/i/status/2087163876697624930
Hh