I’ve seen nothing of Stefan Johansen but I’m delighted we have signed a central midfield player. Deficiencies up front are glaring, especially in the Premiership, but in Europe, the critical area is central mid, where we need to control more than we did this season.
Central midfield protects your defence and provides the foundations strikers stand on, it has been an important area for Celtic to strengthen since losing our top man last summer.
Conversely, Scott Brown is playing his best football since joining Celtic in 2007 but, as his European adventures were nullified by disciplinary action, the gap was unbridgeable. Honourable mentions should go to Charlie Mulgrew, Beram Kayal and Joe Ledley, but in the case of Charlie and Joe, they were asked to play secondary, or tertiary roles, while Beram was promoted from well down the pecking order to a Champions League starter.
Please observe the usual caveats when a new player arrives. New club, new city, new tactics, team mates, match officials and game atmosphere, Stefan has a lot to assimilate in the coming weeks. It took six months for Victor to settle and at least as long before Mikael, Scott and Joe looked their best.
For Stefan and Holmbert Fridjonsson the primary objective of the next six months is to prepare for Champions League qualifiers, closely followed by a Scottish Cup tie against Aberdeen in three weeks.
Welcome to Celtic, Stefan. You have a fantastic opportunity ahead.
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An Tearmann
14:47 on 15 January, 2014
The bottom line is that proper banking practice was only applied to the huns once control of their account was transferred from Scotland to England.
They had a charmed existence under Scottish management.
Anyone not blinded by nationalist stupidity should be asking themselves why.
Stefan’s press conference on Sky now
An tearman and jimbo
See my earlier post. Im sure mcdougall broke his leg that night just as we got in.
David Meikle @cllrdmeikle 2m
GCC advises “all land transactions were for market value & were independently verified”. GCC has provided info to EC, awaits their decision.
Stefan says the same things as already quoted- likes to pass the ball on the deck, spoke to peers all who spoke highly of club and fans are amazing etc etc.
He says he’s here to create assists and score goals:-) HH
ernie lynch
15:13 on
15 January, 2014
You know as well as I do that it could have as much to do with David Murray and Gavin Masterson simply being ‘business friends’ as it does with anything else.
You come across as suggesting that the handshake banking Murray enjoyed is the sole preserve of the Scottish establishment and unique to this environment.
Blantyretim
You are right re Frank McDougall breaking his leg. Game kicked off late and there were still thousands queuing to get in. Amazing as I say that the exact capacity of the stadium turned up.
Oh and Welcome to Stefan. Here’s hoping you get a proper chance .
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
weeminger
15:21 on 15 January, 2014
If you believe that you’re an utter fool.
Re. previous mentions of Lee Wallace, I think we should offer our friends over Govan way, £2,000,000 for said player………………… and then offer him £200 a week! Watch their wee faces when that deal falls through!
Jonnythe sick b@£$%rd CSC
HH
Richie-“However 10 of those players have contracts that guarantee £650,000 per year,” are you saying these 10 are on around 13k a week? HH
Winning Captains
Big Jan V H last minute winner v deadco that led onto Tommy Burns helicopter Thurs.
I shed so many tears in April & May but it brings joy to me when I look back on it.:))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy5XsLLIb0U
Ps the huns reacted the we they always did when we scudded them:))
——–
We welcome Stefan to the Hoops!
If he does start or come on against Murderwell, I hope he gets the word on that THUG Lasley. In fact, I would hope that Broonie gies him hauners right up front ;-)))
j67
14:33 on
15 January, 2014
welcome stefan
did anybody see the report on stv sports news
last night where the reporter was shoving the
microphone under stefans nose and demanding
to know if there was a problem on signing.
3 times he asked him
the boy had just came from his medical and looked
at the guy as if he was an idiot.
i suppose it gives him an idea of the type of reporting
that we are all used to
__
To be fair, they’ve nothing to report in this transfer window. A problem would give the MSM a story to run for a few weeks while nothing is happening anywhere.
I also heard Tam English the other day talking about how Stefan has been compared in Norway with established good players, and was bemoaning the hype of their local journalists. I could only think of the Gould as new Messi stuff spewed by our own MSM.
Pot Kettle.
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
hello my friend good points, but power lies where it does and that is with Gordon and Alistair following the free capital consensus initiated by
1.Thatcher-The lifting of restrictions on the import and export of Capital in her first budget in 1979.
augmented by
2.Tonys dereg of the Bank of England,again first budget.
econ policy after 1 meant people/councils/governments where at the hands the Capital markets,and we very much still are.hence the wilful neglect of the poor by our politicians,and the resultant food banks etc
My Team on Saturday
1 Fraser
2 Emilio
3 Adam
4 Virgil
5 Efe
6 Scott
7 Charlie
8 Stefan(hopefully)if not Nir
9 Amido
10. Kris
11. James F
a 2 -3- 5 subbuteo line out with Scotty keepin an eye on Lasley
I admire you guys who pick a team,it is hard,hence my trust in Neil.
Hail Hail (our most trusty soundbite)
An T
ernie lynch
15:27 on
15 January, 2014
So you are saying that what David Murray was allowed to do could only have happen in Scotland, is that correct? I’m talking about his companies as a whole, not just the Rangers part of his ’empire’. I can’t see any other reason for bringing nationalism into it.
corkcelt- SUPPORTING THE DAM 5
13:19 on
15 January, 2014
Winning Captains April 2008 Celtic 2 DeadCo 1. Jan the Man .
Jumped in before I saw your post sir :))
!!Bada Bing!!
15:28 on
15 January, 2014
Richie-”However 10 of those players have contracts that guarantee £650,000 per year,” are you saying these 10 are on around 13k a week? HH
———————————————–
Not my words mate…just like TD67, I copied it from the Scotsman.
Whoever the guy is may have got his sums wrong, but it all looked damn impressive!!
borgo67
No idea,but it is a view shared by many coaches.
It is the same with central defenders…coaches do not like two left-sided players but are happy with two right-sided.
Richie #TeamOscar-aye,we will go with that mate :}
weeminger
15:32 on 15 January, 2014
Small clique of good ol’ boys, similar backgrounds, similar ideologies. Powerful. No one to hold them to account. Found out when management and control moved out of hands of clique.
ernie lynch
15:27 on
15 January, 2014
By the way when I say ‘business friends’ I’m just being careful with my language.
ernie lynch
15:38 on
15 January, 2014
That’s exactly my point. That can (and does) happen anywhere. That’s why I was a querying the nationalist slant.
weeminger
15:41 on 15 January, 2014
In Scotland it wouldn’t have happened with us.
That’s my point.
I know it’s not a surprise, but I’m geting mixed messages from my MSM. Just the other week I heard Cosgrove on the radio say that it would be wrong for Celtic to buy any of the Dundee United youngsters. I’m already seeing why don’t Celtic buy Scottish headlines.
Just me?
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
15:15 on
15 January, 2014
An tearman and jimbo
See my earlier post. Im sure mcdougall broke his leg that night just as we got in.
I recall the game,jam packed it was,sending off,good game good memories my friend thanks for igniting that memory
Well have a good evening Celts,back to reading thro my ancient nokia
Hail hail
ernie lynch
15:38 on 15 January, 2014
weeminger
“and you can take that to the Bank” …….!!!!
justafan @ 14:23 on 15 January, 2014
Wasn’t Morton 1969 the match played couple of days after the 4-0 George Connelly SC final against the huns? We paraded all three domestic trophies before the match started, the players waved triumphantly to the tens of thousands of adoring fans then promptly got gubbed 4-2 by a very good Morton side who obviously felt they had something to prove.
m6bhoy…
D’oh…a typo on my part!
Leftclick @ 1530
The game with the big Jan late winner is well up there in my recent favourite games.
Good shout.
eddieinkirkmichael-David Meikle is a Tory Councillor fae Pollokshields.
Here we go again.
Van Dijk flattered by??????
Happy here… AYE! ….Not flattered… Hardly had time to settle. Love it here and no wish to go anywhere else!
Hail hail
Schweco Nominees is an anagram of “Newco Scheme Is On”
Just saying like!
lertclick / Corkcelt
This is my favourite view of that particular goal
http://youtu.be/hvd4VeGi-LY
Quietly excited about our new signing. Our ball retention in Europe this year was embarrassing at times, as was our chronic lack of creativity, so hopefully Johansen improves both areas. Apparently his work rate is exceptional which is also an added bonus.
25 was Lubo’s number was it not? New signings must be warned off that number 7 jersey. Hopefully they have it tailor made for a new striker.
Our best performances this season were unquestionably when we switched to a diamond formation, with Mulgrew at quarterback spreading the ball to the full backs bombing forwards, with the extra numbers inside able to able to interchange and play some terrific football.
So in that formation
————————————Forster
Lustig / Matthews……Ambrose……Van Dyke……Izaguirre
——————————-Mulgrew / Biton
——————-Brown / Biton————Johansen
———————————Commons / (Gauld?) / Forrest
————————–New striker——–Commons / Stokes / pukki
Assuming Ledley and Sammi go, we’d still have Kayal and Rogic as back up in midfield. Thought Henderson looked very good in Turkey so would like to see him blooded. Options available to switch formation and bring Forrest and Derk in out wide when required.
There is going to come a time, probably in the summer when he have to choose between Lusting and Matthews. I’d say both would be valued around the £5m mark and it just doesn’t make sense for us to have players of that value as 2nd choice.
If we can get the striker right, we could have the best team since 03 / 04
Stefan Johansen giving an interview on SSN in a few minutes
Hail Hail!
Welcome to CQO…
previously known as CQN
:-)
djynwa67
I hope he explains his lack of goals and motm performances since he signed. ;p