It was quite a fascinating weekend in the Scottish Premiership. Celtic started the action by labouring before taking the lead and moving into cruise control against Ross County. St Mirren bookended the action by scoring a 95th minute winner at Easter Road. Motherwell rode their luck to earn a point at Dundee, St Johnstone continued to concern their fans by going down 0-2 to Hearts, while Aberdeen failed to make a single attempt on target in a 0-0 at Livingston. Oh, and Kilmarnock failed to read the script by beating Newco.
The excitement Kyogo generated two years ago, on his first league start for Celtic, against Dundee, was palpable. He scored a hattrick, causing us all to hope we had signed the real deal. Two years on and the evidence is overwhelming. His performance on Saturday was just as impressive.
Twice he dropped deep to create a chasm of space behind that he filled with two inch-perfect passes. David Turnbull should have scored with the first, Matt O’Riley made no mistake with the second. His goal was not an easy strike; placing a bouncing ball from 12 yards with enough control to keep it on target, but still managing to beat the keeper. Turnbull’s head-flick and Liel Abada’s early cross both contributed to an excellent move. He is without doubt in the top two Celtic players of this century.
Maik Nawrocki showed enough to indicate why we spent so much money bringing him to Glasgow. His first involvement was a choice to concede a corner within 15 seconds of the start. It’s what we would expect in a Champions League encounter, less so against County, but the player was right to take no chances.
For two years I have lamented the infrequency our central defenders break the lines and carry the ball forward – as Kris Ajer did. Maik took one opportunity to do this, hopefully we’ll see it again.
We are a few weeks shy of two years since Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers teamed up in central defence. In that time, they have not lost a single game over 90 minutes to Scottish opposition. Carl took the more difficult left-sided role, despite being right footed. If, as likely, he moves on this week, he leaves a big jersey to fill.
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Servette manager playing mind games, watched the game against Killie and said ” with Rangers facing us, it will be two notches above what we experienced with Genk.”
Pish take two was :”It’s going to be a more vertical game than Genk’s, with a lot of attacking drive; a well-organised team, stronger than the Belgians”
Tom McL
Re your agent point
Do you mean good for Celtic, or good for the agent, or maybe both ?
It could be a win win win !
Tiny Tim / An Dun
Who would you be buying as a 3rd CB for £5m-10m then ?
HOT SMOKED on 8TH AUGUST 2023 9:50 AM
Thanks, that’s very kind of you to say. Saying the same applies to your posts will sound like empty words now but it is the case.
BURNLEY78
I meant good for the agent financially. Kinda like an estate agent acting for the seller AND the buyer.
It’s good for Celtic too I suppose as it cuts a lot of corners and the deal should be completed fairly quickly.
Celtic40me
Thanks for sharing the actual stats re Carls European involvement. As with Mooy as soon as these guys leave we seem to value them more.
With the polish / German left footer and our American rock and then this lad developing as back up it gives us a decent foundation.
Good to see the changed days with replacements lined up at Celtic before, not after. Ask for a move for whatever reason and if there’s a suitor, you get it, nobody that doesn’t want to play for Celtic gets to.
That’s the way it should be, Carl Starfelt won five out of six trophies then left, his worth is what the buying club are willing to pay. Ironic, that despite being maligned by the internet the same posters will want a massive profit.
Great job if we sign the Swede, managing to convince a young highly rated player to come to Parkhead with three weeks of the window still left. Players can sit tight waiting for a better league and a better contract right up till deadline day.
Four competing Centre Backs Brendan said CCV, Nawrocki, Lagerbielke, plus one other sounds pretty good to me.
Tom McLaughlin
Yes, I was thinking like a recruiter getting a move for one guy / girl to one company and then getting the job for the vacancy created.
Either way it works and hopefully win win win. I am more comfortable now with our defensive options. A fully fit and sharp CCV with the Pole / German and then the Swedish lad can acclimatise. Although he will also be mid season and so could get involved early also.
I realise it is not popular or indeed normal for players to be given a decent chance but the big Japanese central defender played 4 meaningful games when we conceded only 1 goal last season. Many were actually raving about him after the Kilmarnock game at rugby park. He then played in 2 really makeshift teams in end of season games where we now know our managers mind was elsewhere and when CCV was missing / AJ also out and it was not really a surprise that it didn’t work out well for the guy.
I do wonder if there is still a player in this guy who did perform very well in j league and was an NT age player for Japan. Given a chance can he provide further back up or is he a right off based on 2 poor performances in scratch teams.
Replace Carl with Carl and we stand still, which we’re all agreed won’t do
If we’re forced to sell our older players after 2 years for the same money we paid we’re better looking for better younger with more of a resale value
BSR
same money we paid for him if the reports are right
Power, height and pace. Nawrocki & Lagerbielke appear to have both, with the Swede being good in the air and a quarterback range of passing. Wonder who number 4 CH will be from Welsh, Scales & Kobyashi. Could make a case for all 3 to go, for thier sakes as much as ours.
Onto the others please – LB, CM & LW. Power and pace please. Our midfield 3 from Saturday are too one-paced as a combo at the elite level. Good players though.
Of course, the more sobering fact is that from a first team squad last season we’ll likely leave the window with Jota, Mooy, Starfelt & Hatate all gone. That’s the model though. Could raise our incoming fees to circa £50m.
HH
BURNLEY78 on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:19 AM
I like him as a footballer but he struggled with the agricultural nature of Scotland, none more so that Soutar’s goal for them.
Going back to Japan would signal that it’s being chalked off. Loaning him out to a top 6 SPFL team to get beefed up would suggest we are doing an Ajer on him. Might be down to him too. Not for everyone.
HH
Big Wavy
I haven’t seen Hatate has gone ?
Are you sure ?
Big Wavy
Fair assessment re Kobyashi
Celtic40me
That’s tidy, we can’t expect to top up the bank account every time, especially for our ‘bombscares’
Keeping players to original contracts is so yesterday, AP said at the very start get used to players moving on. That’s life in a game where there is too much money sloshing about, and why we’ve improved contracts for Kyogo Maeda and McGregor.
Hatate?
Have I missed something?
Celtic40me
Fair deal re Carl.
A good two year service for wages paid.
Decent result. We can’t have upside every time but limiting the downside is fine.
big wavy
Could raise our incoming fees to circa £50m.
—
Does that actually matter though ? If that money is left in an account to gain interest and not used to upscale and move us up the european food chain, then 15 million for Hatate or 5 million for Hatate doesn’t really matter. In the sense that we won’t see the difference on the pitch.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:30 AM
Carl will have been in Sweden, Russia, Scotland and Spain in 4 years
Jura Croatia, Poland, Scotland and Germany
Giacko Greece, Poland, the Netherlands Scotland and the USA
We can’t really expect these guys to hang around forever. A couple of years decent service and a profit from the sale works very well for the club
The remaining 4th Centre half spot
For me young Yuki is a standard above the others , anytime I have seen him live he has been comfortable, good in the air and distributed the ball well.
Seems more than harsh for the young fella to carry the can for the gubbing at Ibrox.
Compilation may be that injury is preventing Brendan get a first hand look at the bhoy in action.
Young Scales no ball control and slow , Young Welsh better ball control but slower than scales , both maybe OK for a short run of games but we’d be hiding behind the sofa shortly after
Reo Hatate signed by Celtic for £1.4 Million….. A punt
Now we want £15M minimum.
AN DÚN on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:41 AM
We spend more on development players now than we have in the past because of the profit we’ve made on transfer fees
If we sign big Gustaf we’ll have spent over €17m this summer on young players we’re looking to bring on
We’ve certainly scaled up player trading
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:44 AM
It would be interesting to work out what the sweet spot is for incoming transfer fees. I’d say about a Kyogo but possibly more a Hatate.
No doubt some clever clogs at Celtic could tell you without consulting a spreadsheet
BURNLEY78 on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:29 AM
I did caveat ‘likely’ and as a body language expert, form observing guru, being dropped and the pattern of Ange taking old friends, I’m putting my mortgage on him leaving.
HH
AN DÚN on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:41 AM
With first team ready signings filtering through now, and wages up lifted for 3 starters, I’d suggest we\ll move from £15m to circa £30m by the end of the month. Making circa £20m in net spend.
Buy low/potential : sell high/top 5 potential is the model. We just need to do more.
I think we will. 3 x £6/7m in the CCV & Kyogo talent bracket would transform us.
HH
EKBHOY on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:43 AM
Seems more than harsh for the young fella to carry the can for the gubbing at Ibrox.
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Woo compadre. You took that one fact (outmuscled by Soutar at the goal) and ran a bit with it (no way was he the only reason that day).
HH
Big Wavy
I think / Hope that his physicality might count against him going to Premiership.
I thought maybe Brendan was sending a wee signal to him. When he come he was definitely up for it.
As I said maybe wrong and it could be ‘your house is safe’.
Celtic40me
So my idea of scaling up is bringing in higher grade players, not necessarily more players.
If we spend 17 Million this summer then we’ll likely have a negative net spend, in a season with guaranteed CL football and a fair chance of CL football again next season.
The Club has never been better positioned financially to spend more on players, quality over quantity.
Add in the fact we’ve currently got a world class manager who specialises in developing players then there’s never been a better time to push the boat out.
Anthony Joseph
@AnthonyRJoseph
Celtic have made enquiries for two centre-backs as they look to replace Carl Starfelt.
It’s understood enquiries have been made for Elfsborg’s Gustaf Lagerbielke and Volendam’s Xavier Mbuyamba.
Reports in Sweden suggest Celtic are further down the line with Lagerbielke.
I would hope the GK position is the main fix now that we have our Swede swap sorted.
Possibly also a back up RB and LB ?
If Hatate goes then we have a decision to make as we have the Jap and Nor Potys to step in. Maybe neither are good enough.
new article posted.
AN DÚN on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:56 AM
Rodgers has said we are looking to add to the squad. Think we are far from being done, both ins and outs.
I think we are also back to deadline day mania as we hope a sought after talent with options chooses us at the death.
HH
Burnley78
I’m not a football scout ,or member of our management team ,or even a friendly agent incentivised to bring players to our club .
Someone that is paid to spend their whole working hours,weeks,and months searching for new signing targets .
Someone who is provided with software that collates all the players and their personal stats .
Therefore I have little information that would allow me to make a suitable recommendation.
None of that alters the fact fact that we are trading a seasoned international player .
A player who has become a double champion and treble winner .
A player who has build an undefeated domestic partnership with CCV.
A player who is a tried and tested winner in our domestic league .
Our priority is to win our domestic league .
CL improvement is a “ would like “ not a “ must happen “ for me .
We are replacing that player with a younger ,less experienced ,untested ( in the SPFL) with potential .
That is without question .
He may end up being a better player in the longer term .
Who know’s .
But it is without question our strategy ,at times .
Leaves us swapping experience for potential .
It’s about getting the balance right .
TT
AN DÚN on 8TH AUGUST 2023 11:56 AM
So my idea of scaling up is bringing in higher grade players, not necessarily more players.
We are spending more on each player. If price is any guide the players are higher grade. We’ve scaled up the operation financially.
New post up 👍