I’ve heard a lot about Patrick Roberts. He’s burdened by enormous expectations, compared to the greats since shortly after his 17th birthday. Manchester City moved 2 starts and 17 substitute appearances into his Fulham career – £12m on the basis of 399 minutes football.
He’s here to force his way into the team between now and the end of the season, and be ready for the European challenges ahead. I think we’re going to enjoy watching this lad.
We saw around 80 minutes of Erik Sviatchenko on Sunday. As I said yesterday, he’s probably our best defender, not that that is taking enormous liberties. In Virgin van Dijk we managed to recruit a dependable defender who wasn’t scared of the ball, and was first to organise those around him. If Erik’s near that standard, he’ll do well.
Ryan Christie (20) is a No. 10. We need a No. 10. He’s 12 years younger than Kris Commons, the only comparable player in the first team squad. Kris has been our MVP for more seasons than anyone else currently on the books, but we’ve been far too dependent on him, which has become acutely evident recently, when he’s out injured.
There’s an argument that we could have done with another No. 10 during our European campaign but it’s far from clear Ryan would have got his chance. We’ll see a good bit of him before the end of the season.
Many of the things I could say about Colin Kazim-Richards I alluded about Carlton Cole when he signed. He’s a physical presence, not easily intimidated, should be an effective foil for Leigh Griffiths.
Colin joins with an actual rap sheet. Online comments yesterday recalled the reaction the day Griffiths signed. At the time I wrote that it’s important for Celtic to affirm positive values in Leigh’s life. The player hasn’t looked back, he’s every inch a positive role model. It’s now important the club and Colin work to ensure a similar result.
Aidan Nesbitt (18) is also a No. 10. He’s the player you’re most likely to hear development and youth coaches talk about. The next stage of his development required him to play against men. Four months in the Premiership playing for Partick will achieve this.
Farewall Nadir Ciftci, who is off to Turkey until the end of the season. I described Nadir as less like a Ronny Deila player than any other I’ve watched and known Celtic to be interested in. He has a touch and is a better player than we’ve seen, but he was built from different material than practically all other Deila signings.
Last month’s business will hopefully mean we have a settled and secure defence for the qualifiers, something missing at the beginning of this season, something missing on Sunday afternoon. The Kazim-Richards signing could go a number of different ways. The player will get his chance to live up to his own expectations.
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PeterLatchfordsBelly on 3rd February 2016 12:14 am
Auldheid
So we’re costed out of the ECL now? What, like Malmo? Or Gent? Or BATE? Or Zagreb? Or etc? The kind of mechanistic, soulless, voodoo economic excuses for the dross being served up by the Celtic boardroom to excuse failure and stark lack of ambition.
Always the rest of Scottish football’s fault. Wonder how the Scottish football context compare’s to Sweden’s, Belgium’s, Belarus’s, Croatia’s or Greece’s? Kind of argument that Lawwell seizes on to manage expectations downwards. If all we can aspire to is the occasional run in the boreathon of the EL it’s hard sell for the business genius. Only aspect of Celtic’s operation that remains at premium European levels is the CEO’s salary. Funny how that survives this economic winter…
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/january-transfer-window-2016/comment-page-17/#comments
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Well at least the author didn’t try to avoid that PL wage question although i doubt the saving would do more than remove a cause for complaint without changing the economics.
My point is that the policy is driven by the economics and whatever is done has to be done within those constraints and whoever is in charge CEO or manager will be as governed by them as the current incumbents.
We are not costed out as much as risked out, the more that is paid to minimise the risk, the less the risk but the less the return. I asked Swiss Rambler if he could put a figure on it.
My main point though is that the pursuit of CL geld as a way out of the dilemma might reward the winner but it kills off domestic competition.
If that is not to happen again the reward should be distributed on a more equitable basis or, as I have suggested we recognise that being in Europe after Xmas is the target not the CL as an absolute and the Europa League gives more than one Scottish club that opportunity or is the aim to kill off the opposition and have no one to play through total domination?
Aberdeen will win tonights game – why? – because they will want it more, just as Ross County did on Sunday.
Seems to me that all the Celtic players want, is to be uncoupled from this management team.
Ronny is now totally unconvincing – we seem to go into every game ‘wide-eyed’ and playing ‘off the cuff’- sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t – it appears there is no plan B and no tactical adaptation to different types of opposition.
If Leicester can possibly win the EPL, then Aberdeen can win our title – unless we grasp this, and soon, we will deserve to lose out.
Mr Pastry on 3rd February 2016 2:22 am
This league is far from over.
A nine point lead tomorrow would be a huge relief.
Mr Pastry
Wishful thinking?
Have you spoken to any Celtic players?
Did they confide their feelings for Ronny to you?
Does Aberdeen’s recent league form fill you with fear?
Draws against against ICT and Partick Thisle must fill their fans with raging confidence.
What about their loss to Hearts in the Scottish cup?
I’m sure Aberdeen will want to win.
Do they have the players and will to beat us?
We have no reason to be less than confident on our trip later today.
GG – not “wishful thinking”, if it were it would be 6-0 to us – I just see the signs and I don’t like what I see – it worries me that we may leave it too late.
MacJay – yes nine points would be good and I agree that the league is far from over, and at three points we will be vulnerable.
If I believed that things were right, a six point lead at this stage would have me confident – but I feel that we need preventive maintenance NOW.
Mr Pastry on 3rd February 2016 3:50 am
“Now” ?
Yesterday.
:-)
Mr Pastry
What about this sign.
16 goals from 4 league games this year.
How many have Aberdeen scored?
McInnes recognizes the obvious.
His tactical nous will be brought to bear tonight.
by Taboola Sponsored Links
McInnes also let slip, probably by design, that he feels Celtic are more vulnerable than last season. Indeed, it is more than simply a suspicion. The Aberdeen manager had facts to back this up.
Celtic have already conceded two more goals (19) than was the case in the entirety of their last league campaign, something he attributes to the loss of the central defensive partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer.
“While they have found scoring goals to be fine this season, as they normally do, they have conceded far more than in previous seasons,” McInnes pointed out. “I think they have already conceded two more in the league than they did in the whole campaign last year. They have let in 40 goals in all competitions, so that would suggest there is an area there that they haven’t been as tight in.
“Denayer and Van Dijk was as strong a centre-half pairing as the SPL has seen for many years. The fact they have conceded more goals than they normally do may be a reason why they may seem a bit more vulnerable.
AULHEID 146
While I understand your cOomment about the importance of domestic competition,I have to disagree with you on it.
Domestic competition is vital to the well-being of the game overall,but not to the extent that we wilfully weaken ourselves in order to present a level playing field.
We see every season how poolyr Scottish teams perform in Europe. If we weaken ourselves to their standard,we might as well chuck Europe altogether.
That’s a bit of a Catch-22 situation,granted. We could well destroy the domestic game by trying to keep up in Europe.
STARRY PLOUGH on 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 9:46 PM
“Big” Mark McGhee’s free falling Motherwell is the perfect preparation for his soon to be legendary status as Celtic manager:)))
JungledreamsCSC
___________________
Hi fella.
Aye, this’ll be the same Big Mark McGhee that handed Ronny his erse on a plate at a hauf-empty Celtic Park not so long ago….and, Big McGhee did this with a team flung the gither, featuring, waifs, strays, Celtic-rejects, bosmans, frees, guys aff the broo etc…
…I would say that result ticks the box but, what do I know ?
Hail Hail
All the concern about Celtic in Europe ?
We’ve won 1 trophy in 128 years so…..
Ah mean, we’re p#sh in our ain midden!
Winning a one horse race, whilst emptying the park each season constitutes a slow car crash or, operating in the slow, down-sized lane that MO’N told us about 11 years ago on hearing the news that, PL was coming back to the club to – downsize.
MO’N rolled out the grenade and, was hit with the Michael Gray window.
Charlie Nicholas was correct all those years ago when he said that, Celtic FC was DD’s toy.
The same toy that he hawked across the pond to play Real Madrid and, renage on a promise that a ‘full’ strength Celtic team would play in a tribute game for Sean Fallon. The chance to make some bucks arose so….SF’s tribute game was attended by ‘fringe’ Celtic players.
Thing is….how much of the money that was made, found it’s way onto the pitch ?
It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if, the Ryan Giggs Celtic manager stories are true.
DD, intervened with BTM’s transfer window dealings when he wanted a CH and, DD appeared with Robbie Keane ?…..What for ?….Karma intervened and, we lost the league at Killie on Robbie’s debut.
Dermot Desmond’s Celtic will be ‘prostituted’….shamelessly and, all of the paying fans will dance to the music.
Apathy is coming to get you…….
KEVJUNGLE on 3rd February 2016 5:57 am
DD, intervened with BTM’s transfer window dealings when he wanted a CH and, DD appeared with Robbie Keane ?…..What for ?….Karma intervened and, we lost the league at Killie on Robbie’s debut. –
Evidence. Any forthcoming ?
Or just your speculation fuelled by your agenda.
Macjay
_______
Evidence ?
DD signed Robbie Keane = evidence.
Obtuse – CSC
POR CIERTO on 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 12:31 PM
KEVJUNGLE
I see you are propagating the lie again, can’t help yourself eh?
“…or, the died huns will be back tae put yeez in the pikchur….”
Again I’ll ask you. Do you know something about them paying ALL their creditors and applying to come of liqiudation. Keep posting this guff and I’ll keep asking por cierto.
__________________________________________________________________
Fella, the huns don’t pay by rules just like they don’t play by rules.
If, they were liquidated….who is using the asset of ibrokes stadium etc.
Were they liquidated or, like when they sacked Manchester….
…ye see…NOBODY has the b#lls to put the stake through the huns hearts…NOBODY!
Only a board of rebellious Celtic supporters would have gotten rid of the huns.
But, that won’t happen coz….there arent any rebels left amongst the supporter base anymore….they’ve been replaced by snobs.
The died(LOL) huns will be back – cheating, befouling, rioting etc…next season and…Celtic’s board will do what the snobby supporters let them away with….looking away….washing their hands but, only after they have taken the snobs SB-money from them.
The huns know that there isny the desire at celtic Park to break away from the O## F###….only. a group of supporters who put a ‘statement’ into an, anti-Celtic newspaper to dispute the same club issue….showed any resistance.
But, those supporters and their ‘statement’….aimed at the wrong target.
Celtic FC should have shot down the issue as soon as it kicked-off….they showed their, sleekit, spineless selves to the world when, they sat at the back of the bus and watched on old, ill man from Raith Rovers take the public fight to the huns. Why ?
Ah mean, how many £millions were stolen from RR’s by the huns ?
How many trophy’s were stolen-cheated from RR’s by the huns ?
Celtic supporters were the biggest victims and, Celtic’s hierarchy hid beind the – Social unrest smoke-screen.
What a load of Sh#te
Turnbull Hutton (LEGEND) RIP.
Good luck to the Celtic tonight
…..zzzzzzzzzzzz……..
Good morning from a damp, calm-ish and just slightly above freezing East Kilbride. And welcome to yet anotehr MatchDay – here we go again, we’re on the road again…. ;-)
Morning
Have a missed much…!
Sunday, what a dissapointment every generation of the Celtic support now knows that the league cup is a competition we don’t like to win.
It was a wonderful start and we waited for more goals to flow, but the red card and resultant penalty totally changed it. Efe was caught wrong footed and then, well I thought it was a penalty the players didn’t complain much. The weather conditions didn’t help we had ten men the heavy pitch sapping their strength, at two then three you just knew it was over.
But well now just slightly dissapointed, I’m up for it tonight against Aberdeen, this will be the most watched game in Scotland tonight, everyone hoping we slip up and “reporters” gleefully writing the headlines of doom. We need to go out here tonight and put on a show, it’s a must the players yet again owe us, but like so any times they fail us. Tonight they must not fail for a few reasons, particularly for my stomach, I can’t stomach the glee and comments made against Celtic every other week. I thought we’d turned the Christmas corner, slipping up on Sunday brought me back down, Celtic must and will win tonight, they bloody have to.
Ayrshire is Green and White
KEVJUNGLE on 3RD FEBRUARY 2016 6:39 AM
Macjay
_______
Evidence ?
DD signed Robbie Keane = evidence.
Obtuse – CSC
===============================================================
Back up your assertion with evidence other than ………………………………
I said so,therefore it is true.
Please.
Not really an unreasonable request.
Cantreallyabideunsubstantiatedallegations C.S.C.
Canny sleep wi awe the excitement about tonight…..
macjay
________
How can I prove it ?
DD signed Roy Keane as well…how can I prove that ?
I post something….you don’t believe it…so ?
But, ye know what else….see if it’s folk like you who represent the Celtic shareholder base….no wonder the club is a rudderless ship heading for the rocks.
How much debt did we end up with after we spent all that money on Sutton, Lenny Hartson etc?
How close to liquidation did we come?
Those nights of CL football in front of packed houses held within the best atmosphere in football, and a UEFA cup final, just how close did we get to going out of business?
Aberdeen are six points behind us, they need a win, so do we, should be a good game, I’m looking forward to it, only a matter of time before the doom and gloom brigade come in, ripping into the team, management , the transfer market, the board, the living wage, the minimum wage, Efe, all the good positive stuff you like to read as a player or a Celtic supporter before a big game, some of the stuff posted on here yesterday about the new lad Richards as far as I’m concerned was bang out of order und Hunnish behaviour I had to leave, it was Discusting , if Aberdeen get anything out of this game tonight it’ll be because of a phallic symbol in a black outfit with a whistle called McClean, who will in ten years time be at Masonic stag dinners as the guest speaker, boasting of how he sorted out Timmy.
How do you like that post lurking Huns, (and your pals) and GIRFUYs.
Ooops, just missed liquidation again, lucky for us the board saved the day again
Canamalar
Indeed. Good job Ian McLeod left when he did after foolishly sanctioning all that investment into the FOOTBALL side of the club that led us to Seville, and the biggest airlift of football fans in the history of the game. Record turnovers and packed houses watching entertaining football against Europe’s finest. Fool.
What on earth was he thinking about! Good job PL stepped in following Seville and sorted things out.
Looking forward to tonight’s game. It has the potential to be a cracker.
Hopefully no controversial referee decisions to spoil it.
Win and the league is over, draw would be a satisfactory result and even a defeat leaves us 3 clear with a goal difference advantage on top of that.
No pressure on celtic, all on Aberdeen.
No matter what the result it will have no bearing on ronnys future, he is here until the season ends but hopefully it will be good bye and thanks. .
Relax and enjoy the game. ..its only football
Tonydonnelly67 on 3rd February 2016 7:56 am
_________________________________________________
Hail Hail fella, hope yer wee Mammy’s keeping well…U2.
Now for the glooooooom…..
Yeah, the ole mibs….could’ve been sorted when, Celtic’s hierarchy were presented with an open-goal….after, the shame-game.
Ye see, had Celtic’s hierarchy not kowtowed like wee meek sheep and attended the govt-summit…..and, instead held a media-conference to announce why they ‘wouldn’t’ be attending on the basis of having 3 players booked, Celtic’s hierarchy could have turned Scottish Football on it’s head and….who knows ?….maybe we would have found a hand reaching us from England to get us out of here….a little bit of courage or, if ye like….rebellion from the Celtic hierarchy could have changed Scotland as a country…forever….imho.
But, The Celtic hierarchy…being who they are…sh#t their troosers at this, open goal.
Who knows, this little show of weakness might just have consigned Celtic to the back of the bus….for evermore ?
Mibbery….etc would have been a thing of the past and, the huns would be left to play up here….
HH
Stars
This is the Dons final throw of the dice tonight. Let’s make em throw a one and finish them off.
Mon the hoops
TnT,
You said it pal, lucky for us we’ve not had to suffer that crazy ambitious stuff since, it nearly drove us to the wall. Liquidation was just around the corner if we’d have got to any more Euro finals. Exactly the same as happened to rangers because that’s the only way you can end up, if you have ambition to compete in the best competitions.
It was a lucky escape I can tell you.
Twists
Yes it would be great to bounce back with a good win.
But I would settle for a good performance and a draw.
I wonder will we see any new boys. Maybe the centre half I suppose
KEVJUNGLE on 3RD FEBRUARY 2016 7:42 AM
Canny sleep wi awe the excitement about tonight…..
macjay
________
How can I prove it ?
DD signed Roy Keane as well…how can I prove that ?
I post something….you don’t believe it…so ?
But, ye know what else….see if it’s folk like you who represent the Celtic shareholder base….no wonder the club is a rudderless ship heading for the rocks.
===========================================================================
So.
Bottom line.
You make an assertion and then you say this……………”DD signed Roy Keane as well…how can I prove that ?”
You have no proof. You just make unsubstantiated accusations to back up your agenda.
Then you revert to the tried , tested and utterly predictable personal criticism………..”folk like you”………..A representative indeed ?
You flatter me.
Hail Hail
WITS
I’ve got a problem when people think the league is wrapped up with a 9 point advantage, that is only 3 games and as we’ve seen throughout history 3 games can be a long time.
macjay1
________
Aye…..whatever….
Canamalar
If celtic come out of tonight’s game with a 9 point lead ( effectively 10 with the goal difference) the league is won.
Would you bet against them with a 9 point lead
I wouldn’t bet against them with a 3 point lead.
kevj..,
I wouldn’t waste your time with the resident fascist, he makes claims all the time he can’t and wont back up, he continually refuses to answer question on subjects and fascist propaganda he introduces as facts, its only other people who need to provide evidence for their assertions.
I’ve got him blocked and don’t read his drivel or lies anymore but I can guess he has demanded proof of your claims, knowing full well proof would make you party to PL or DD’s thoughts.
Ever the optimist I can only see a victory tonight unless the MIB intervenes.
i predict a come from behind victory. 3-1.
Widny be surprised if, Celtic don’t win anything this season….hope I’m wrong but….
The team on the pitch are p#sh!
The team in the dugout are p#sh!
The team in the directors box are p#sh!
The fans are too, snobby, conceited, easily kidded-on by the swivel-eyed-yins that run the club….tae suit themselves.
There are millions of brilliant, super, handsome, charitable, faithful Celtic supporters oot there and….my heart goes out to you….bless.
WITS,
first off, I never bet against my team.
but I would never celebrate the title was won until the flag is flying over Celtic Park, there are too many things that can go wrong and I would not be surprised if we lost points this season through non football punishments.
Oh and 1 point is better than a million positive goal difference.
Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on 3rd February 2016 8:28 am
________________________________________________________________________
Hail Hail fella.
Do you mean that, you’ve no got me blocked ?
Oh, you’ll pay for that…..:)
HH