January strategy and short-term cover

1488

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.
[calameo code=00039017168219582ffc8 lang=en page=84 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

1,488 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. ...
  10. 40

  1. Bennybhoy, no promises but I believe there is a decent chance we’ll do business today.

     

     

    TTTT, I don’t see Hooper being a make or break player against Juventus. I don’t think there is one, or we will recruit one. The team will not improve or decline much today. More important to get strategy right.

  2. From BBC

     

     

    Rumour in Dundee that Hooper is off, Russell will replace him and United will get cash plus Stokes on loan.

  3. Scottish Football: watch out for a 12-12-10-10 to accoimadate Sevco, then next season change again. Voila, Sevco back in the top league.

     

     

    @MTH

  4. Paul67

     

     

    SFL clubs meeting today regarding reconstruction for next season.

     

     

    The death knell about to ring for the Sevco Circus?

  5. I am Neil Lennon e El Juarez Bravo on

    I’m reading that as Hooper for the off.

     

     

    He’s been a good player for us but if he wants to go to Norwich then he must believe he’s reached his peak.

     

     

    Few players these days leave Celtic and go on to better things.

  6. Mark Daly’s reply to that clown Graham on twitter….

     

     

    @ChrisGraham76 which of the facts from the tax case that I published were wrong, Chris? Do enlighten me.

  7. Roberto Baggio spotted having a latte with PL and Stevie Fulton in the Celtic cafe’ at the ‘Celtic triangle’.

     

     

    Must be rubbish because there is no Celtic cafe’!

     

     

    There might be one day ‘tho!

     

     

    HH!!

  8. googybhoy ♥ celtic

     

     

    12:18 on

     

    31 January, 2013

     

     

    Why do we not have a similar Irish centre in Glasgow ?

     

    Any reasons , apart from it annoying the zombies.

  9. TwoMacaroons

     

     

    12:35 on 31 January, 2013

     

     

    But he was manager of a club/team which could rightly

     

    claim to be amongst the top 5 in Europe.

  10. tommytwiststommyturns on

    P67/TT – I understand the strategy, but why can’t we use the next 4 or 5 months to scout Hooper’s replacement and make the right deal at the start of the summer transfer window?

     

     

    Are we saying that every deal in the summer will be dragged out to the end of August?

     

    The gate from the home game against Juve will ensure that we have no liquid cash issues at this point, so do we have to sell before buying?

     

     

    We want circa £8M for Gary, but at the same time we’re saying that he’s not a “make or break player against Juventus”?

     

    The rest of the squad must be worth a bloody fortune! :-)

     

     

    T4

  11. Valentine's Day on

    ASonOfDan

     

    12:37 on

     

    31 January, 2013

     

    From BBC

     

     

    Rumour in Dundee that Hooper is off, Russell will replace him and United will get cash plus Stokes on loan.

     

     

     

     

    sorry pal………..I’m no having that one.

  12. January transfer window deadline day – dont you just love it?!

     

     

    Completely bonkers so it is!

     

     

    Nigeria v Ivory Coast in the AFCON qf – Efe v Drogba!

     

     

    When’s the final?

     

     

    Will Efe be back for the Juve game?!

     

     

    HH!!

  13. ArranmoreBhoyLXV11

     

    11:49 on

     

    31 January, 2013

     

     

     

    Chas bhoy 11.37 re Wilson in the Herald.. Are you sure? Did he not spin any Sevco angle…? His bias is apparent and not professional…IMO…

     

    ——————————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    Actually, he did mention Michael Doughty, a signing from Queens Park Rangers, so maybe just writing ‘Rangers’ gave him his fix.

  14. Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly on

    Plus a Victor Wanyama / John Daly player swop perhaps?

  15. Kriss Commons partner Lisa Hague confirms on twitter that Gary Hooper and his lady are coming round for dinner tonight and that she will be locking Hoops in the toilet.

     

     

    Skål

  16. I would not be surprised if someone put a cheeky bid in for Tony Watt today.

     

     

    I don’t believe the Dundee rumour either.

  17. Reports reaching me here in Italia –

     

     

    Big Fraser and Victor off to Barca for a combined £40 million plus Victor Valdes and Alex Song in part-exchange!

     

     

    Never!

     

     

    HH!!

  18. I hate the whole moneygrubbin’ frenetic transfer mania on the closing day. (It’s like a cattle auction) Undignified.

     

    I’m glad though, that CQN is here to keep us up to date with the most important aspect of it, the only one that matters to me: how it affects Celtic F.C.

  19. FourGreenFields

     

     

    12:43 on 31 January, 2013

     

     

    googybhoy ♥ celtic

     

     

    12:18 on

     

    31 January, 2013

     

     

    ‘Why do we not have a similar Irish centre in Glasgow ?

     

    Any reasons , apart from it annoying the zombies.’

     

     

     

     

    I remember being in Manchester for a game and asking a taxi driver for directions to the Irish Centre and he replied ‘Which one?’.

     

     

    It was a reminder that Scotland is different, and not in a good way.

  20. @TenMenWonThe League

     

     

    If QPR get relegated they will get ~£48m relegation payment over the next 4 years – so it maybe worth it to gamble on a bounce back.

     

     

    Last season 3/4 of the play-off clubs were in receipt of such payments.

  21. I can exclusively reveal that Celtic have not contacted me with a view to either a loan or permanent signing. I wll provide more breaking news as and when it doesn’t happen.

     

     

    madeupcrapnewsnetworkCSC

  22. Mulgrew, Forrest, Commons & Brown named in Strachan’s first Scotland squad

     

     

    Squad

     

     

    Goalkeepers: Matt Gilks, David Marshall, Allan McGregor

     

     

    Defenders: Phil Bardsley, Christophe Berra, Gary Caldwell, Grant Hanley, Alan Hutton, Russell Martin, Charlie Mulgrew, Lee Wallace, Andy Webster.

     

     

    Midfielders: Charlie Adam, Scott Brown, Chris Burke, Kris Commons, James Forrest, James McArthur, James Morrison, Matt Phillips, Robert Snodgrass.

     

     

    Forwards: Steven Fletcher, Ross McCormack, Jamie Mackie, Shaun Maloney, Kenny Miller, Steven Naismith, Jordan Rhodes.

  23. Hopefully we can get some of our youngsters out on loan for the rest of the season.

     

    If McGeouch isn’t even getting on the bench then he should be loaned out, wonder if Jackie Mac could use him at DU??

  24. Big G

     

    12:58 on 31 January, 2013

     

     

    Lee Wallace?? 4th tier players now deemed good enough for the national team. Not the best start Gordon, very Levein-esque!!

  25. @ScottishFA

     

    @splofficial

     

    @OFFICIAL_SFL

     

     

    Will there be newly created FULL memberships for all 44 teams in new bodies/league set-ups?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. ...
  10. 40