I wrote in May that Jota (23) was more important to retain than Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent contract. At that point, the profile of both players was high after a successful term in Glasgow, we would not have been the only potential destination. It is a huge credit to chief exec Michael Nicolson and the club that they have delivered both.
Cameron was our best defender, a potential Celtic captain, but still, I wanted Jota more. Opponents fear him. He can take a ball when marked tightly and the defender will not lunge in to attempt a steal, knowing Jota has the ability to move ball and body before they have formulated a thought.
If an opposition team leave him one-on-one, they better not lose possession. He is Celtic’s most effective out-ball; left with only one defender to beat, he can turn defence into an opportunity to score faster than Usain Bolt could track back.
When Aiden McGeady signed for Hibs this week, my thoughts went back to so many great memories. Prominent among them, was watching him as an 18-year-old, bring his instant control to a 2004 Celtic-Milan Champions League game. No one else in the Celtic team had that ball control.
Jota has the same effortless control.
So what about the Magic Window, where Celtic have seen enough of the player to make their move, before wealthier clubs get involved?
Incredibly, Jota had only played an entire 90 minutes of a game only twice before joining Celtic, both cup games for Benfica against lower league opposition. The season before arriving in Glasgow was mostly spent on the bench, watching his Real Valladolid side fail to ward off relegation. He made 8 starts there and was hooked each time, adding 10 appearances from the bench.
Across his career, before joining Celtic on loan last year, he made 9 starts and 29 sub appearances in senior football. Magic window? More a magic letterbox. He had hardly put studs on grass.
Valladolid was clearly a wrong move. As we have discussed previously about Patrick Roberts, he is a creative talent and needs to be with a team that spends lots of time attacking, sides fighting relegation would be unable to get the ball to him enough to see the benefit of giving him a shirt. It was the classic square peg/round hole problem – one we should be on the lookout for again.
To know the value of the player, Celtic would have to uncover knowledge only visible at Portuguese and Spanish reserve level games. The resources required to cover this much ground is unfathomable through traditional means. You are looking at the result of very effective analytics.
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Best of luck to Ron & Rhonetta, Onwards & upwards,
EMERALDBEE \O/ A DOUBLE NINER!!
That’s a good enlightening day for sure.
We have a few butterfly farms lose to our house and a couple of nice wee nature reserves with great viewing spots. Last time my folks were here we had a 10 point stay literally 2 foot away from us in the hide. Was incredible.
So many people doing great work that many don’t know about.
Barkas after tonight’s game:
“I wouldn’t suggest Utrecht to any goalkeeper”
🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷
😂👍🏻
Copied shamelessly
Hh.
Apparently Celtic has agree £150k per week with Ronaldo – well we could do with the money and he can afford it 🤭
SAINT STIVS on 2ND JULY 2022 3:32 PM
crawford allan, head of refereeing on radio scotland just now,
he couldnt be any more chinless wonder “blazer”.
sounding like a posher but weaker pat nevin intellectual boys brigader.
SAINT STIVS, I think I am right in saying the ONLY time Allan left his cosy SFA office and raised his ugly coupon to comment on anything to do with referees last season was to say that in the game where we beat Hearts 1 – 0 at Paradise that Kyogo’s goal was ‘probably’ offside. Never a cheap about dodgy penalties, offsides, sending offs, etc that favoured another Glasgow team!!
As my now departed dad, who introduced me to the wonderful life of Glasgow Celtic, said “Never trust a guy with two surnames”. (Except Scot Brown, of course).
Ron and Rhonetta a wee nod to Wayne and Waynetta ?😜
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt1Dsf_ALH0😜
Of maybe ?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBys5TLxCI
StB @ 6.55
Who is talking about spending £80mill on our training estate?
Don’t recognise that figure as being either current or even credible.
Even LFC could only manage to spend £50mill on their new “prairie” facility.
With an Rubb indoor training arena very much in single figure millions I would have hoped that since we have two training facilities’ we would have had the vision to build two indoor pitches — even if only one of them had the space for some seats.
Given what you have said about who does what and where — I was hoping that we would have done it the other way round — B/field for the first team and L/town for the youths / Academy.
Positive would be the tradition — EC win came from B/field.
Negative of this would be the associated travel aspect — seemingly L/town is not liked by parents because it can be difficult to get to from the south / west / east of the city. In fact just about everywhere apart from St N’s in Kirky.
One thing where we really need to up our game is the volume and breadth of our support facilities and the poundshop design vibe that we seem to employ all too easily.
L/town just does have the accommodation / space that we need — it has a great setting and is crying out for more indoor facilities. DD has some expertise in hotels so maybe he could get involved?
As I mentioned earlier — we might not be able to pay EPL wages but we should be able to afford to have EPL support facilities — I think that the LFC beach volleyball court is beyond us for the moment but we would appear to be seriously short in other areas.
Poundshop design vibe — the new changing rooms / gym at B/field looks as if it came of the back of a lorry from the Portakabin factory. Looks cheap / nasty / too small — gives the impression that we are trying to hide away from the rest of the world. We can and should do bigger and better.
My thoughts are that indoor training grounds are crucial.
You mention weeks away in Jan — unfortunately the weather can cause issues year round — especially from November to March or would that be October to April — not sure?
Indoor facilities would attract youth players and we could always rent them out to other teams / organisations.
Plus the SFA spec indoor arenas are engineering / technical marvels at a cost that will sink SportScotland and we should show leadership by delivering a cost effective alternative.
At least PL seems out of the equation — his value system was always a bit suspect.
£5mill spare cash — what are you going to do with it?
Build a new indoor training arena or phone up your agent pal looking for reinforcements?
Reinforcements just in case our star striker takes the huff after being told his planned move was off — something badly wrong with that level of analysis but it was par for the course over the 18 years PL had a say at the club.
The last time he did that we ended up with a WHU reject who was so far down the team pecking order that DM did not even know he was on the premises / in his first team squad — the joys of giving a limited guy too much money.
Prairie — very flat / very windy.
With tumbleweed
BOGNORBHOY
Brilliant,
But I will not become Rhon.
I have been Ron since the 70’s when I adopted it for social purposes and would sign leaving cards, birthday cards etc at work as Ron Bacardi. Plus when I moved on from workplaces many of the entries on my leaving card had best wishes to Ron.
RON BACARDI on 2ND JULY 2022 6:50
thumbs up.
VB — never given a proper chance / came across as a bit of a grafter.
BR had his mind on other things and NL didn’t have the management / coaching bandwidth in 2019.
Bit of a waste / showed our lack of engagement / development capabilities — in the EPL in two years?
If he turns out to be the next IT — at P/head but not made full use of — then surely questions have to be asked and hopefully lessons learned.
OB in an AP team — well he has the pace …
Plus he would have the support on the park for his style of game.
TW was another that NL couldn’t cope with — some of the pettiness on show was a disgrace to the club. He seemed to have a mission to shove the guy out the door as quickly as possible.
Not sure if he was following orders or he couldn’t cope with his public profile?
Last time we parked up near Barrowfield there was a scrap heap right next to it….
Might even been a few of Neil Lennon’s players out there an aw…..
Ron
As I have previously stated, you have the best monicker on the blog in my humble opinion.
Great to read that you are doing well.
I first chose Ron Bacardi as my pseudonym on betting slips.
hello mrs s, see that bhoy of your living in the port, he is quite a good player, and we would like to offer him a place at our academy.
och i dont think i will bother, you dont have an indoor pitch and lennoxtown is nearly 35 minutes away.
Michael Stewart
@mstewart_23
·
2h
Isn’t it incredible how many politicians and commentators have spoken about people potentially getting to vote on their future as being divisive. Yet are silent about the Orange marches going on in Glasgow.
E-Tims Retweeted
Davie McLaughlin
@McLaughlin_1888
·
2h
Got a young gentleman who’s supported Celtic for over 65 years to lead everyone down the tunnel, this afternoon. As I brought him forward, he burst into tears. That’s set me off crying too!
Afterwards, he said it was one of his proudest moments. And then we both started again!😀
Stx2 @ 8.01
I am only passing on comments I have heard.
Local boy so the location is great for — if I could play / see.
Lots of comments on KDS on this with specifics that parents in Glasgow / South Lanarkshire found it a bit remote.
Not sure on the ages of the youth players.
Don.t shoot the messenger.
Ron.
My faithers nom de plume on his betting slip was ‘punch 7’..
And he could anaw…
☘
GENE @ 7:20
“Apparently Celtic has agree £150k per week with Ronaldo – well we could do with the money and he can afford it 🤭”
———————————————-
Hi GENE, Witty, but not all that daft. Ronaldo does not wish to demean himself by playing in the Europa League for the very first time, or Heaven forfend, in the Petrovac Conference League if Man U drop down to it. He only wants to play in the Champions League, as befits his World Superstar status. So why not a wee cheeky loan bid, backed up by a personal phone call from countryman Jota? Nothing like flying the occasional kite to see what comes of it. Over to you, Mr. Lawwell Jr. 😊
Hickey to Brentford for £17M ( includes add ons ).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuRk0T5Wsgw
Exquisite disnae even come close to explaining how good this wiz.
Well Done the Celtic Hierachy for backing Ange in getting Alexandro, CCV & Jota signed, sealed, delivered – Early Doors.
Can you tell I’m over the Moon about Jota signing!!!!!!!
My Dad’s nom de plume, on his betting slips, was Kel Nagle, the American golfer :)) por cierto
Why don’t we go for Dylan Levitt from Man U? The Welsh international midfielder was hugely impressive for Dundee Utd when he was at Tannadice on loan last season. Brilliant player.
Buzzing!!!!
Are you ready for the DJ TOP BUZZ!!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02JnWmXrqoE
Rinsingoottheoldestyle.CSC
Why didn’t Wimbledon figure out a way of addressing fading light in good weather, in their main courts short of closing the roof? Some kind of independent lighting system? No?
por cierto
Kel was Australian, won the Open at St Andrews in 1960, and finished runner up to the mighty Arnold Palmer at Troon (not sure if it was Royal back then) to years later.
Rhonetta, how ye doing girly? 😜
We bid twice for Hickey about 15 months ago…..£14 million …ffs
SAINT STIVS
RE tunnel experience.
I first experienced it with a visit by our boys guild. Was late 50’s or early 60’s. Met by Jimmy McGrory then
shown around the now basic dressing rooms followed by the walk down the tunnel to the pitch. They had the floodlights to come on when we stepped on to the pitch. To the left we could see some players running up and down the stairways of the Celtic end.
GT has got to go.
The team is the living embodiment of the Scottish cringe.
No spark / no plan / no energy — just planning their next escape to the dancin.
INIQUITOUSIV
That’ll be £14m add ons
Iniquitous,
Very good shout on Levitt.
RON BACARDI on 2ND JULY 2022 6:50 PM
Many thanks to all of you who posted well wishes and support for me in this stage of my cancer fight. I am overwhelmed by your kindness, but that is the nature of the true Celtic family, even if we have never met. Although I think I may have been to St Pat’s Dumbarton at same time as some of you from 1961 to 1967.Mrs Bacardi is so impressed with all of you and asks me to send her thanks too.
*aye me Ron as we have discussed, been on and off for a bit but off tae the vigil shortly so a candle in thanks on its way for you.
Tradamus Lampada
RON BACARDI on 2ND JULY 2022 8:56 PM
SAINT STIVS
RE tunnel experience.
I first experienced it with a visit by our boys guild. Was late 50’s or early 60’s. Met by Jimmy McGrory then
*whit boys guild was that Ron
I thought Adam done very well early Doors.
He didnae deserve the moans and groans frae the North Stand. He messed up a few passes fair Scooby Scooby Doos.
High Hopes.
Callum oor Capitano is a MASSIVE inspiration to all the young wans out on Loan.
TONTINE TIM
Was St Eunanans Clydebank.