You and I have been doing this long enough to remember this place in meltdown at the prospect of Celtic signing a player from another SPL club. Domestically sourced talent was regarded as unimaginative, cheap, even. Contrast this with the utter joy when we signed Koki Mizuno, who was full-on exotic, but built for finer things then competitive football.
At 29, Aberdeen’s Irish international midfielder, Jonny Hayes is certainly unimaginative, and may be comparatively cheap, but he’s also a low-risk option for Celtic, who will know what they could get (and what they will not get) from the player.
With Patrick Roberts due to report to Manchester City on his return from holiday, Celtic are short of options for right-mid, with the first Champions League qualifier only five weeks away. The manager will view this gap in his squad as an unnecessary risk to next season’s objectives.
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Dreadful signing if true. If PR is signing then just a bench warmer..if PR is not signing then a MASSIVE step back. Christie is a far better player, also Hayes will not improve and will be a drain on wages for the 3 years he is here.
Some nonsense on here today
Why get upset about who we may or may not sign
We cant influence it..
What happens happens
Lets see what sort of a team we have when we play our first competitve match.
Forest is as good as him.
SANDMAN:
And what did I say?
I said I am NOT talking about the manager. If the manager has been told – IF – the manager has been told there’s a limited budget, as in “you’re not even getting the Van Dijk money” then this IS a no-frills, no-risk option and his judgement would be SOUND.
Who is criticising the manager? You are the one jumping at shadows now.
Celtic have NEVER strengthened when we have had a good team.. Always shocking. Daviue Hay wanted to strengthen after 86 win.. was told to buy players himself. After centenary double we signed No one.
Come on folks
We follow a football club not a cult.
Anything wrong with a bit of discourse and disappointment without the cries of ‘burn the witches’ ?
The assumption that Hayes is coming in to replace Paddy is flawed. In fact it’s ludicrous.
We played about 60 games last season. All being well we will play even more next season.
You need a strong core of quality players, and a good strong set of others. Hayes will be an excellent squad player. He will play a big part in the drive to 7.
He won’t I suspect play in many CL group stage games. ( being presumptuous of course on more than one front)
The CL quality players will follow soon. At least 2 and probably 3.
I think we can all agree Brendan knows what he’s doing. Let’s give him the window to do his stuff.
I remember when Di Canio left and all we signed was that cheap Feyenoord dud Larsson to replace him. How the Huns mocked us…
good afternoon all.
In Brendan I trust.
….and it could’ve been worse. We could’ve signed a worse player from Aberdeen . Ryan Jack for example. Now there’s a dud. Who’d buy that guy?
TWISTS N TURNS:
And if that happens I will write a symphony of joy to the board.
Because your point is an EXCELLENT one. As a squad player, this is a good piece of business. For SPL games Hayes will do a job. But read the lead article again. If this is the answer to trying to crack the door of the Champions League groups open – Paul is suggesting exactly that – then, with the lead-time we’ve had to source and sign an ADEQUATE replacement for Patrick then something is wrong.
If we’re relying on Jonny Hayes to get us through six qualifying ties … not good.
James, shadows?
Any signing is the manager’s choice.
You cannot criticise Hayes without pointing the finger at the man who sought his ability for a hooped shirt.
JAMES FORREST
Oh I know, i was just citing that for the purposes of the hypothesis that we can’t “afford” more impressive signings.
Of course…we could all be in a frenzy for nothing. Even Paul67 gets it wrong…
I mean, look at this prospective transfer – how many times have Celtic given SMSM even a sniff of their transfer dealings until a few days before the deal is done? I still have my doubts about whether this will actually happen.
Aye Johnny Hayes is the new Henke :-) and the Huns will mock the crap out of us if the limit of our signing ambition is a 29 year old Aberdeen player.
Prove me wrong Celtic
Hayes will improve training with better coaches and players.
Brendan is superior to McInnes.
And Brown and Armstrong are on a different level to Jack and McLean.
If w e do not make sound financial investment after our cash windfall this season then the team coming first myth is over.
We have a good squad but there are areas that need improving.
Brendan knows this and hopefully the board releases the cash for him to address.
CHAIRBHOY:
Mate, Citci was double lard in a Celtic strip. Maybe you rated him, you might have seen him do things that I didn’t see him doing. But mate I just didn’t see a good player in him.
Playing the one up front… Gudetti?
And the question that springs to my mind, why would Celtic, in ‘domestic’ competition, fear fear to the extent of resorting to one up front?
I know RD.
Sandman
Ive no problem with JH as such, good player etc.
However, im concerned that this shows a severe lack of ambition.
Celtic fans back the club wonderfully….is this how they are going to repay us…..the usual biscuit tin mentality?
If we want to qualify and do well in the CL….we need to add some quality.
HH
OGLACH:
He will be 30 in 6 weeks time.
SANDMAN:
What did I Just write? Are you just not getting it?
If the manager has been told the budget is limited this might be as good as it gets.
I can’t blame the manager for taking a no-risk, cheap, option when the only options he has are low risk cheap options. In those circumstances this is a good signing.
If we’re recalibrating our ambitions to merely winning seven in a row then it’s a VERY good signing.
What’s Brendan supposed to do if he’s been told this is the best he can do until we know those Group stage millions are tied up? Sign nobody? Where have I criticised him?
If Jonny Hayes is being signed to do that job – and the article suggests that EXACTLY what he’s being signed to do – then forget a hefty transfer kitty for the manager, and this is as good as it’s gonna get.
I don’t blame Brendan at all for that.
Hayes – Smokescreen anyone?
Or have I been out in the Suffolk sun too long?
That reminds me…sunscreen!!!
Hope Brendan looks in here,would hate him signing players based on his own judgement.
SANDMAN on 2ND JUNE 2017 12:55 PM
James, shadows?
Any signing is the manager’s choice.
Do you honestly believe that to be always the case.
James
Good afternoon. Hope you are well. Enjoying your blog. Excellent. Better than excellent.
I believe Brendan when he stated he would need ” 2 players of CL quality, perhaps 3″
I believe he signed a long term contract with Celtic ( the first to break the 12 month rolling contract ) because he has been told he will get those players.
I do not believe Brendan thinks Johnny Hayes is a CL quality player, and therefore I’m entirely comfortable with Hayes, if indeed BR signs him.
Only last week BR praised the support he has from DD, another reason I will be surprised if JH plays a major role in CL.
Hail hail James… keep up the good work.
SANDMAN;
When we signed the King of Kings he was an unknown entity to the vast majority of Celtic Supporters… Jonny Hayes is an known entity.
Johnny Hayes scored 9 goals in the league this season and made 12 assists. He was involved in 21 goals total.
Paddy Roberts score 9 and made 10 assists (in significantly fewer minutes)
Outside of the hoops, nobody else has had a hand in as many goals apart from Liam Boyce (who did score 5 penalties)
1) He’s the best player outside the hoops in the league.
2) We know what we are getting
3) We only have 3 senior wingers available (one of which is GMS who we are trying to punt)
4) Qualifiers start in 5 weeks
5) Paddy is almost certainly the main target but will probably remain at City until the end of the window
6) The relatively small fee paid will not hinder Celtic in signing their top target
7) Brendan Rodgers already has a relationship with the player and trusts him. In Brendan we trust
8) He caused us a lot of problems in the final
James Forrest (the hooped one) dominated the wing position in the first half of the season.
Paddy couldn’t get a game; He only lit up the last few months.
There’s plenty room for talent in BR’s squad. To suggest Hayes would be a stop-gap desperate signing is bollocks. We know Celtic are thorough now in scouting targets.
Hayes happens to have two good feet – can fill in right or left. Has been a consistent thorn in our side. BR sees him capable of fitting right in – becasue we’re on CL duty in WEEKS, not months – fine by me.
Might distress some, but BR probably thinks JH a very good option right now to get the job done.
Will have his back, because I suspect we’d be getting total committment and understanding of the cause and system. No need to bed him in or wait for him to adjust to a new country/ social environment. He knows our players well and should be capable of hitting the ground running.
I want Celtic to push forward.
I hope this isnt a false dawn.
Brendan wants a couple of QUALITY players, i agree.
And thats what should be done….end of.
HH
James F
Normally you are a very level headed bloke, but on the JH issue you, imo have lost your head mi amigo, far too many assumptions on your part, the main one being that we are replacing Paddy with JH.
IMO he will, if we sign him be a back up for Scott Sinclair, at the end of the season you could see a marked drop in SS game, he was blowing out of his arse at times, he badly needed, imo a rest and BR didn’t trust GMS, it’s all about opinions and I think you are wrong this time.
There is a whole month till the window opens FFS.
Also again IMO, this squad is well capable of seeing us through the qualifiers, what will be happening is that we will wait till we qualify and then spend, a failed stategy imo, but one that BR will have to cope with.
HH
quonno on 2nd June 2017 1:00 pm
SANDMAN on 2ND JUNE 2017 12:55 PM
James, shadows?
Any signing is the manager’s choice.
Do you honestly believe that to be always the case.
=============================================
In Brendan Rodges’ case. With all evidence we’ve seen.
You think otherwise?
James
I think the initial qualifying round we play is a gimme. ( based on the teams we can face)
It may well be that whilst Brendan sorts out the squad for the later rounds, JH can be relied upon to do us a turn in that round and perhaps the next one.
We have players who need a break. Brown, Armstrong have Scotland commitment. KT too. The close season will be a short one.
BR knows what Hayes can offer if needed in those early stages.
Brendan managed the rotation supremely well this season. Hayes addition would allow him to maintain that type of strategy. ( as opposed to the likes ok Bitton)
TWISTS N TURNS:
Thanks for that brother, and yep, I think you’ve nailed it.
Brendan Rodgers KNOWS Jonny Hayes is not a Champions League player. And there is no way he would sign him believing otherwise. As I said, I do not question the manager’s judgement at all.
And Dermot Desmond was in the press just a week ago saying that our ambition is nothing less than qualifying for the last 16. Not even the Groups or getting out of the Groups … the last 16.
It is INCONCEIVABLE that Hayes is being signed with that goal in mind.
If the other signings come I will be thrilled … it means there’s a level of ambition and intent at Celtic that there hasn’t been in the time I’ve been on the planet.
If we’re going into Champions League qualifiers with Jonny Hayes wide-right, then there’s a profound disconnect SOMEWHERE between what the manager wants, what Desmond says the club wants, and all the bits that are supposed to join up in between.
This signing doesn’t fit the picture AT ALL … which is why a lot of us are extremely confused by it.
THE EXILED TIM:
Level headed? Me? Not in this lifetime amigo.
I have at least one major meltdown every transfer window :)
They might be doing us all a favour and getting this one in early :)
JAMES FORREST on 2ND JUNE 2017 12:51 PM
SANDMAN:
And what did I say?
I said I am NOT talking about the manager. If the manager has been told – IF – the manager has been told there’s a limited budget, as in “you’re not even getting the Van Dijk money” then this IS a no-frills, no-risk option and his judgement would be SOUND.
Who is criticising the manager? You are the one jumping at shadows now.
_____
The manager will already know what his budget is. PL and the board will have already informed him.
It’s between Brendan Rodgers and Lee Congerton how that budget will be spent. PL will negotiate any deal.
If Brendan has signed Johnny Hayes it’s because he thinks he will make a positive contribution to the squad. The relatively small fee is value for money considering he’s the best player in the league outside of Celtic. He might even be wage neutral if GMS or Ciftci are shown the door.
JAMESFORREST 1249
No offence,but suggest-somewhat strongly-you did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JAMES FORREST on 2ND JUNE 2017 12:34 PM
And if the manager’s been told the budget is £5 million Hayes is the best we’re gonna get.
TET
Wait another two weeks, we will all be going doolally:)
I want football now.
Close season…cant stand it.
HH
BR made amazingly few mistakes this year. DDV perhaps, Barca away, possibly KE. If he thinks Hayes is the right man so be it.
It is a low risk buy as he knows the player well he has performed well in the SPFL and will not cost much.
More importantly Celtic will end up with a faster, fitter, leaner player who with better coaching, tactics and playing along with better teammates will be a far superior version of the player at Aberdeen.
The case for saying that Hayes will be a good squad player is a decent one.
I guess the concerning thing is that he appears to be the first transaction of a summer where we should be adding quality, not depth.
Every player to wear the hoops will have my backing…but only once they are actually a Celtic player :)
James
For what it’s worth, my kids are reacting similarly to your good self. I’m not bothered though….they’re simply eager to get to European final and are assuming Johnny isn’t going to get us there:-)
They’ll be checking out flights to the 2018 final as soon as the next two signings arrive:-)
I’ll see you there…..