Two players arrived during this transfer window: Rami Gershon and Tom Rogic, with no first team players leaving the club. I don’t know what Neil has planned for Rami but his loan deal and stats at Standard Liege suggests he is here as cover. I expect to see as much of him as we saw of Pawel Brozek last season.
20-year-old Tom Rogic is different. He joins the club on the same runway as Victor Wanyama, Beram Kayal, Adam Matthews, Mikael Lustig and Emilio Izaguirre. I’ve refused to watch his YouTube clips but there is every reason to hope he will be as successful a recruit as our other recent acquisitions of a similar profile.
I’ve been banging on about Asset Management for years. The mantra being – they all have their price and if any club fails to grasp this reality they will underachieve. Against this backdrop, Gary Hooper will either sign a new contract in the coming weeks or there is a good chance he will leave for nothing when his contract expires in June 2014.
A fundamental problem prevented a deal being done for Gary last month. His value to Celtic, not necessarily in this season’s Champions League, but in the same tournament’s qualifiers in July and August, is far greater than his value to any suitor. In other words, his value as an asset is not measured by transfer fee alone. This squad should have enough to reach the Champions League group stages next season, worth the best part of £20m to Celtic. Any deals have to be measured against this target.
The kind of transfer decision Celtic made yesterday, a profitable club holding onto a player and at the risk of losing him leaving for free, is so much healthier than the scenario we previously faced, in an arms race with a rival who was prepared to spend money they could not afford in order to beat us. What a mistake that whole ‘Old Firm’ thing was. Glad to see the back of it.
The ‘big clubs’ in England didn’t come looking for Gary. Instead, a well-run club made several attempts to acquire a good player on a price appropriate for their income. No harm in that, you have to give Norwich the respect any yokel deserves trying to hook up with a beauty queen (nothing implied about people from Norwich, or Gary as a queen!).
There is no guarantee the same club will be playing top-flight football when he becomes available, or that a club with a greater income, or with a more flamboyant approach to spending, will move for him, so there is every chance that Gary and his new agent will figure out that an extra year on his Celtic contract for a hefty wage rise is a decent option.
There is an interesting side plot to the Hooper non-transfer. Victor Wanyama is sitting on an offer of a substantial wage increase to extend his contract from 2015 to 2016. Unless someone comes in with an offer greater than his value to Celtic in Champions League campaigns he’ll be here until 2015.
Chances of both players signing new contracts in the coming months has to be a wee bit higher today. All those meaningless scripts about Celtic being a selling club floating around various places will have to be shelved for another time. We are a selling club, but only at the right price and the right time, just as it should be.
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This African mob must have been at sane journo school as oor MSM.
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/Wanyama-still-at-Celtic/-/434750/1682518/-/p0sqfez/-/index.html?
The lad McKay-Steven looks a prospect and has a good 1st touch, trouble is its his last touch that needs attention. I’m glad we didnt sign Russell, purely so he could do what he did today.
Sheils should have saw a straight red aswell.
I wonder what the score would have been on a level playing field and Utd had bothered to get out of second gear…
Favorite Uncle, I hope not. Mrs ACGR is there getting my dinner sorted out. Hopefully it wont be pre-cooked:-)
I told her to be careful as there will be circa 500 marauding angry huns spoiling for trouble.
Maybe they’ll just take it on the chin like they normally do…….. Oh Oh!!!.
football coaching & management – the right way –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21298037
What a cup manager Super Ally is
2011/2012 Champions League qualifier Malmo——Lost
2011/2012 Europa League qualifier Maribor———–Lost
2011/2012 Scotish League Cup, Falkirk—————-Lost
2011/2012 Scottish Cup Dundee United—————-Lost
2012/2013 Scottish Ramsdens Cup QOS—————Lost
2012/2013 Scottish League Cup ICT——————Lost
2012/2013 Scottish Cup Dundee United—————Lost
Dundee United first home win in ten
Ally Must stay, Ally must stay
We’RE Back!!!!!! That was very long adverts there. Anyway, That was very funny, Black chuck something at the crowd? Had snide on, sick fm. still Alli not touched.
KLV
In the main glad we will not face them this season………
but you have too wonder.
Anyone answer why ref did not add on the usual injury time. Remember wee Collum did same at Easter Road when we were humping them 4-0 a season or so ago.
KLV, fat boy mccoist is getting it tight on rm and it’s causing a bitch fest among their right wing posters.
Smashing……………………….so it is:-)
Might be that the ref was getting worried about a riot…lol
George G having a swipe. funny. JR will be a Hoop when Hooper leaves. Great player. Utd never out 2nd gear all game and could have been worse. 5 yellows red 3 goals and no extra time. strange. 3 mins announced and not played.
KLV
C’mon Bonnie Scotland
twomacaroons,
That was my fear, that Utd. would have transferred those players this week, to anybody.
However, I don’t think Mc.Namara would have taken the job if they had.
Best scenario is to leave them where they are and see if J.Mc.N can develop them further.
If so, he will get better money for them and, I imagine,will try and cherry pick some of his old Thistle players.
1992th
Tbj.
Spring on my step tomorrow morning.
How good can it get:-))))
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
well done for going on there mate, you are 1 tough hombre, Its there for everyone to see its him. even his pals must be struggling to defend him after today, 6 players from the SPL last season in the squad and some where in POTY short lists.
KLV
Acgr
Hope there’s steak on the wedding menu.. Cool the Mrs zombies eye down a bit
Zombie wedding
http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30900000/Beetlejuice-beetlejuice-the-movie-30941860-2560-1719.jpg
I honestly have never saw a ref give ET and then not play it. EVER! He Threw the towel in for his team almost. Hurtin tonight and keep the rm updates coming should be funny
KLV
Good to see the Blog discussing its favourite subject
FFS some on here could tell you more about a certain other team than they could tell you about Celtic
Ole Steakbakes’s aversion to silverware is getting right funny.
An excellent start to the day.
Congrats to Jackie and all you bhoys that had bets on.
Rangers version 2.00 are still in beta I believe.
They don’t quite work yet.
2,000?
Bookies taking a wee tanking today methinks
Not been on blog since 4pm yesterday as i was at Gullem Balague and gaizka mendieta talk in walkabout last night , og rafferty had posted he was hearing of
trouble for deadco ( before todays drubbing ha ha ha ) can anybody update me bout og’s post
If Black had been dealt with correctly for his earlier fouls he’d ave been sent off after an hour
Oooops the top Celtic fan has spoken…
Got dragged shopping to East Kilbride, * Aarrghhh*
Enjoyed the mismatch, not only are they rotten, they’re also indisciplined.
Happy Days no huns on the horizon only football can win.
Offt jinky Bhoy, Bad taste mate, I know your joking but it is pretty common the ER and Causalties will be busy tonight because of that game,
; (
KLV
Todays average ages. The Rangers 26. Dundee Utd 25…
Mickbhoy
Only an eejit or a Hun wouldnt find the Hun game today entertaining and worth comment
It was nothing Raven, he said it wasnt his story to break, It could have been stock market related. Who knows.
KLV
Scott Brown right after the final whistle
@ ScottBrown8
No Celtic v rangers games this season then
some bloke broke blog
HH
Would the cheatin zombie sypathicing referree have blown at ninety minutes if the rangers were chasing an equaliser. Jackie isn’t the sort to raise the question but if I was a its fan I would be raging at that.
….Pumped by a younger team……And from a younger manager, who’s only just stepped in the door.
ALLY demands to know where Chuckles is after another cup hiding…
new article posted.
2000, posts. Is that a world record