January strategy and short-term cover

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I know what you’re thinking, let’s hope we get more exciting January signings like Pawel Brozek, Rabiu Ibrahim and Freddie Ljungberg.

It’s slightly unfair to mock our January transfer business. Kris Commons arrived two years ago and constituted a one man title challenge for a few months (and still delights).  Georgios Samaras and Barry Robson arrived in 2008 and went a long way to ensuring the title came to Celtic.  We went signing crazy in January (and 1st Feb) 2010 when Robbie Keane, Diomansy Kamara and soon-to-be World Cup final legend…. Edson Braafheid arrived.  Robbie proved his class but it was all in vain, alas.

Most of our worries seem to be focussed on protecting those already in the squad.  I’m not too concerned one way or another for the Juventus tie, which will take care of itself, but decisions made today will need to consider the Champions League qualifier challenges we will face in August.  If we sell Gary Hooper today there is no guarantee we will be able to recruit his replacement until the final gasp of the August window.

So far this month we have addressed long-term strategy and short-term cover, if we do any more business I’d be happy with more of the same.

Contrary to career expectations 29-year-old Edson Braafheid is not now a delivery driver for Argos but he’s not playing a lot of football these days either.

If the server overheats later I’m on Twitter, @CQN, and I’ll do my best to figure out Facebook, CQN Magazine, too.
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  1. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KEV

     

     

    A simple copy and paste from your favourite column in your favourite rag,which was already in the public domain.

     

     

    Frankly,old boy,the club can do without “fans” like you-as,by your own admission,we have had to do for some time now.

  2. ernie lynch

     

    12:16 on 31 January, 2013

     

    Say what you like about Martin O’Neill but transfer deadline was never boring.

     

     

    But it didn’t get exciting until the final day. Usually late in the final day.

  3. On 15th/16th of March 100 cyclist will set off from 5 locations in the UK & Ireland for Belfast to raise funds that will go towards helping Wee Oscar Knox (check out the wee man himself – http://youtu.be/oVyxi7ypT4Y) fund the Immunotherapy treatment he so desperately requires. We will be leaving from:

     

     

    Celtic Park – 32 Cyclists

     

    Leeds – 7 Cyclists

     

    Duleek – 25 Cyclists

     

    Roscommon – 10 Cyclists

     

    Dublin – 26 Cyclist

     

     

    We will be supported by 16 support team members over the 2 days also.

     

     

    Our team is made up of CQN’ers, KDS’ers, friends and family members and non Celtic supporters.

     

     

    You can support our cyclists and support team by making a donation to this event by clicking here (remember to leave your blog name for us to thank you):

     

     

    Wee Oscar 4 Life Cycle’s To Belfast March 2013

     

     

    or by texting BELF88 to 70070 followed by amount (between £1 to £10) you wish to donate:

     

     

    eg.

     

    To: 70070

     

    BELF88

     

    £10

     

     

    We would like to thank Morrisons Facility Mngt, Gardiner & Theobald Surveyors and ProAir Conditioning for their sponsorship of the WeeOscar4Life cycle’s to Belfast. If your company would like to sponsor this event please drop an email to weeoscar4life@gmail.com

     

     

    Big Wee Oscar Thumbs up to following TIMternet bampots

     

     

    MurdochAuldandHay

     

    leftclicktic

     

    Mhark67

     

    Cowiebhoy

     

    FourGreenFields

     

    Murdochbhoy

     

    Philbhoy

     

    Richie

     

    The Token Tim

     

    Bradbhoy

     

    Davy Bhoy

     

    TimsinOhio

     

    Doc

     

    Kaiser Soze

     

    GourockEmeraldBhoy

     

    Timsrgr8

     

    TheCelt45

     

    67Heaven

     

    Normanstreet49

     

    Spirit Of Arthur Lee

     

    Baybhoy63

     

    GL2

     

    DavieL

     

    Farney Bhoy

     

    A Ceiler Gonof Rust

     

    Kerry CFC

     

    ohits

     

    MJ X

     

    The Little Gentleman In The Black Velvet Waistcoat

     

    Greengray1967

     

    The Cat

     

    ChannelIslandCelt

     

    Cavansam

     

    Dougc

     

    Jimbob71

     

    asonofadan

     

    embramike

     

     

    for donations to WeeOscarLife Cycle’s to Belfast St Patricks weekend March 2013 and helping take total to £974.50 of £2K target.

     

     

    PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR GIFT AID

     

     

    WeeOscar4Life Team

  4. googybhoy ♥ celtic

     

     

    12:15 on

     

    31 January, 2013

     

    Off topic

     

     

    Have a look at the new Irish Centre here in North Manchester. It has sports facilities for Gaelic football and Hurling.

     

    Fantastic new building.

     

    Will be in there for the Juventus match.

     

     

    http://www.iwhc.com/

  5. Kayal33

     

     

    12:18 on 31 January, 2013

     

     

    ernie lynch

     

    12:16 on 31 January, 2013

     

    Say what you like about Martin O’Neill but transfer deadline was never boring.

     

     

    But it didn’t get exciting until the final day. Usually late in the final day.

     

     

    ###

     

     

    Yeah, but you always knew something was going to happen.

     

     

    Not necessarily something good, just something.

  6. greenyinfurrafenian on

    Just stated on talksport that on this day 1965, big jock became celtic manager. IMO the best thing that happened to our club. Thank you mr kelly for making that appointment.

     

    Greenyin

  7. Gorbalstam @ 11.39

     

     

    Where have you been hiding lately? Dont you know we’re boycotting Bentley?

     

     

    I despair sometimes at the lack of solidarity between our support!!!

     

     

    HH

  8. This deserves a repost every day for 125 days (may 5th)

     

    10p a day £12:50, 20p a day £25:00.

     

    A fantastic gesture I’M IN :)).

     

    Vmhan

     

    10:48 on

     

    6 January, 2013

     

    While its quiet I’ll repost Kitalba’s message from the KANO 125 CFC fundraiser:

     

     

    kitalba

     

     

    11:15 on

     

    28 December, 2012

     

    Kano got sick one night, very sick. If it was not for so many Celtic Supporters, from so many places, then Kano would be an ornament in a sterile hospital room. That is not nice because Kano still breathes and he still thinks and he is still a Celtic Supporter to his very core.

     

     

    A lot of money, by a lot of people, was raised to take Kano home. He can’t ever balance the books, but he’d love to.

     

     

    None of us gets more than one go on the roundabout of life.

     

     

    Celtic is celebrating their 125th Birthday and indelibly stamping it into their history by encouraging all to embrace the simple ethos of the clubs founding… let’s try and help those who just don’t have more than the air that they breathe.

     

     

    A lot of Celtic Supporters are doing a lot of different things to raise money for to help those less fortunate than ourselves. To a lot of people that is no big deal.

     

     

    I’m determined to help Kano pay back the kindness shown to him by the Celtic Support by supporting my club to help unfortunates. No big deal.

     

     

    There are some from here who have said they will help me to help Kano to help Celtic to help others.

     

     

    I give up the bevie for 125 days and I give up posting on here for 125 days as of the 1st Jan.. No big deal really, Kano has done both for the best part of four years.

     

     

    I ‘m going to put a wee bit aside for each day that I don’t drink or post and forward it to Celtic to hopefully fill a belly that needs a feed or to make an unfortunate hope where only darkness is their dawn.(but maybe I can have St. Pat’s day off so I can share a day with some good Tims)

     

     

    I’ve only one life and when I’m gone I soon be forgotten but if I’ve ever managed to feed one hungry person, if only for one day, then my life was worth something.

     

     

    No big deal to me or you but the person I fed, he/she will never know where the food came from and they won’t ever be visiting my grave to put some pretty flowers at the base of a head-stone, they’ll be too busy worrying about tomorrow.

     

     

    I can live with that and like Kano, once I’m gone, I’ll know that I never changed the world, hardly left a mark, but still I took to Celtic and I did something to try and ease the pain of others… sort of the Celtic way.

  9. If and when we sell Hooper we need to loo for a quality replacement.

     

     

    Russell is a good prospect but if we bring him in he should be to replace Stokes or Samaras not Hooper.

     

    We can’t afford to sell Hooper and be sitting in August with no proven replacement as the CL qualifiers are being played.

     

     

    I hope we are after a Bosman or two for the summer.

     

     

    Last point is on Beckham. A pathetic attention seeker of a man. If he cared about sport in the UK the way he says he does should he not have gone to a team where he could have helped bring supporters and the curious through the gates?

  10. tommytwiststommyturns on

    P67 : “I’m not too concerned one way or another for the Juventus tie, which will take care of itself, but decisions made today will need to consider the Champions League qualifier challenges we will face in August. If we sell Gary Hooper today there is no guarantee we will be able to recruit his replacement until the final gasp of the August window.”

     

     

    I hope that’s not you managing our expectations, Paul?!

     

    Asset management has been discussed on this blog before, but I really can’t see the sense in selling a player who could score the goal(s) that could take the club through to the cash/kudos of the CL last eight.

     

    A goal against Juve and an England call-up (even for a friendly) will put a few million on Hooper’s asking price.

     

     

    If the player really wants to go to Norwich instead of signing a new deal, then I would also question his judgement. Hopefully we will reject Norwich’s 4th bid and we sell the player in the summer for a price that suits us.

     

     

    T4

  11. Selling Hooper in the summer gives us less time to find a replacement next seasons CL qualifiers.

     

     

    No matter when we sell him.

     

     

    We should have his replacement lined up NOW.

     

     

    TT

  12. can i have raspberry on that champions league ice cream:09:21 on31 January, 2013=

     

    Who tickets booked, what a week in June. The Who, Stone Roses, Primal Scream and The Boss all in the one week.

     

    >>>>>>>

     

    That does sound awesome……got yer ear plugs? Y’know, the ergonomic kind for those who cannae handle it? (only joking!) Primal Scream pride themselves on being the loudest band on the planet, and having heard Mani crank up that bass……

     

    Gigs for us between now and June:

     

    Calexico

     

    Eels

     

    Neil Young

     

    I’m just praying I can get to them. Got tickets, rooms booked etc.,. but it all depends on the gods.

     

    Already had to cancel coming to Glasgow for the Juve game, even though we’d have just been joining in the revelries in the fan zone. Getting an actual ticket was impossible, even with my bro’ being a season book holder. I was really looking forward to coming up, though, and was hoping I might even meet up with ‘shady’ (one of the good guys) who’s off to Oz soon. I could’ve bought him that drink I owe him!

     

    (FlyBe have been really good though……let us use our plane ticket costs for future flights until year’s end.)

     

    Saw this lot (Vintage Trouble) in a small club last year….nearly melted my eardrums…..old school mania….great fun.

     

    HH!

     

    can i have raspberry on that champions league ice cream:09:21 on31 January, 2013=

     

    Who tickets booked, what a week in June. The Who, Stone Roses, Primal Scream and The Boss all in the one week.

     

    >>>>>>>

     

    That does sound awesome……got yer ear plugs? Y’know, the ergonomic kind for those who cannae handle it? (only joking!) Primal Scream pride themselves on being the loudest band on the planet, and having heard Mani crank up that bass……

     

    Gigs for us between now and June:

     

    Calexico

     

    Eels

     

    Neil Young

     

    I’m just praying I can get to them. Got tickets, rooms booked etc.,. but it all depends on the gods.

     

    Already had to cancel coming to Glasgow for the Juve game, even though we’d have just been joining in the revelries in the fan zone. Getting an actual ticket was impossible, even with my bro’ being a season book holder. I was really looking forward to coming up, though, and was hoping I might even meet up with ‘shady’ (one of the good guys) who’s off to Oz soon. I could’ve bought him that drink I owe him!

     

    (FlyBe have been really good though……let us use our plane ticket costs for future flights until year’s end.)

     

    Saw this lot (Vintage Trouble) in a small club last year….nearly melted my eardrums…..old school mania….great fun.

     

    HH!

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsw4ipHcMvY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  13. Big jock would probably have said to hooper, ‘if ye’d rather play for Norwich than Celtic, I’ll pack yer bags masel’.

  14. How did I do that?

     

    Apologies for posting all that wind and gas twice.

     

    Blame the meds….

     

    ….I do.

     

    Seriously, sorry.

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