Shortly after Elfsborg cracked one against the crossbar last night I quickly scanned the Celtic team and had a thought. For the second season in a row we are taking on the Swedish champions but we’re missing two of last season’s big performers and none of this season’s new signings were ready for action. In short, this was Celtic 2012 minus Wanyama and Hooper. No wonder we looked unstructured.
Joe Ledley brought some vision to central midfield when he arrived, hopefully banishing the Brown-Kayal partnership to hidden corners of our mind once and for all. Anthony Stokes playing at the front of a wide diamond was equally effective. With the signing of Amido Balde, bids in for Kevin Doyle, and the addition of a wide-delivery-expert Derk Boerrigter, clearly Neil Lennon has a different plan for the months to come….. so there’s no real need for me to state the obvious.
Defensively we looked solid after a shaky opening few minutes. I’m not the only one who was a bit nervous about Efe Ambrose after he was (again) caught underneath a long ball, but he settled quickly. As we know to our cost, being great for 87 minutes is not how Champions League reputations are made, you are judged on your how vulnerable you become in your weak moments.
I said yesterday that Samaras and Commons were the two players who could cope at this level, which became plainly obvious during the game. Georgios was the one player who frightened Elfsborg, they either swamped him with four defenders or fouled him before he got near goal.
Kris is simply the most intelligent footballer we have. He is not the fastest, will never have the best stats, but he understands how games are won and is able to act accordingly. Without these two players Celtic would be distinctly vanilla.
Thanks to those who sent over their 1254125 Great Scottish Run details, I’ll have them on the page later.
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Neg Anon2,well I think you were one of the few pleased with his signing,
plenty people asked why we were signing a striker from Scunthorpe
Has virgil van dijk got a broken bone in his foot? Anyone know when he’s due to be fit again?
Madmitch@23.03
Good points – I think we have a problem attracting ” chosen ones” as at this tags we can only offer spl football within a certain wage structure .
Like you I would love to sign established players, first team picks but until we guarantee cl football we are hampered.
Theres is now a call from what i can see a desire to sign less ” projects” because we as a support are now very aware about the money the club (us) has ( have) generated
Within of course a stable financial model for the club . . The coming weeks will I feel determine our signing policy hh
No sell-on fee for the 29yo Kevin Doyle?
Tell that to this fella,who is widely reported to have cost £3m as a 32yo.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Holt
Sell-on or not,Doyle would demolish Scottish defences. And he could do it for 4 or 5 years.
Sign him,please.
Neganon- I have suggested Doyle – named him – please suggest another or other names – not just ” somebody else ” – its a debate that’s all hh
Rubicon
Thank’s.
I don’t finish work until 15.00 , so it’s a no go for me.
TT
Nite nite bampots :))
parkheadcumsalford
22:37 on 1 August, 2013
So should we only sign typical Celtic signings? Wouldn’t that mean letting Commons go, never having had lubo, out of the Seville team only having petrov & agathe?
Celtic are not only buying young players looking to get a profit on resale. They bought Kris Commons, fact!
They are looking for value in the market, a la Moneyball. This value comes in different shapes and sizes. If the club think they can get doyle for a song, I’d imagine they would see value in having an international class striker at an age which is normally classed as his peak years. Or then again maybe they won’t.
maleys bhoy
23:11 on 1 August, 2013
three weeks I believe
GM @ 23.05
It all looks like bad planning to me.
Bad luck with the injury but we are in a poor shape two survive these 2 qualifying rounds.
To penny pinch and gamble on CL qualification is criminal to me.
It is almost as if PL and the Irish Raj don’t want us to grow.
The money was there — have we spent all of the Ki money yet?
The plans to sell for big money this summer we’re well advanced.
Plus the team structure was poor.
JF / KC / AS / GS all in the same team — accident waiting to happen.
Add in BK in anti – stealth mode — you can see him but he does nothing.
We are now paying the price for denuding the MF with no experienced replacements.
Bobby,
I’m sitting on the fence regarding Doyle but what I will say is whilst we all appear to know the sellic signing model, anybody who thinks we will never buy a player again with little sell on value is quite frankly barking.
Starry
Good artical
Thanks
HH
Cowiebhoy @ 23:10
‘Highly Temperamental and Oversexed Huberta’ was causing my posts to be moderated.
This is a screen-name I’ve used on other forums for years. It comes from a Morrissey lyric mocking royal successions. ‘George the 23rd (don’t you find this absurd?)’ I was mocking people who pretended to be Morrissey on-line. It stuck.
JM
We could have signed both Leigh Griffiths and Johnny Russell for around what we spent on Balde.
Both were proven SPL goalscorers .
Wolves appear to fancy Griffiths over Doyle.
TT
TinyTim
Aye, and look where Wolves are now >}
Mitch, time will tell but it’s a small price we are paying so far, if any.
Remember the window is only shut for this round. Plenty more weeks left to pick up a gem or two.
Signing players this early is no cake walk and I don’t think we’ve turned many superstars down.
Off into the depths of the cave.
Take care and god bless Timland
HH
KTF
TT @ 23.22
Oh yes the DU Duo.
They must have the wrong agent.
GEORDIE MUNRO
Actually,we’ve bought a few players quite recently who are unlikely to have a sell-on value.
One of them played against us last night….
parkheadcumsalford
22:37 on 1 August, 2013
That should have read fact! ;o)
Back like a moth to a flame !!
Tt hmmm Russell yes – griffiths too much baggage for the club ? Imagine he msm reporting his misdemeanours ” Celtic star….etc etc “
GM @ 23.25
Get real …
Small price …
No CL and we wave good bye to £25mill.
If we go out PL should resign.
Three wasted years was bad enough.
But to fail now would be criminal.
We did all the hard work last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvOCRrMf7Jk&sns=em
I canny help yese any mair
HH
Tiny
Doyle will probably still be on premiership wages I’d image. A lot for a 3rd tier team.
Kojo 23-09
Disappointed.
Had the impression you were a bit of song and dance man.
Yer 6th line disnae scan.
Should read:
“The things he damn well Aughta”
B minus.Must try harder.
15
Rubicon
23:01 on 1 August, 2013
I’m off to hear George Galloway speak about Scottish football at the Edinburgh Fringe tomorrow. Suspect he won’t sell many tickets to Sevconians
~~~~~~~~
Mind And Ask The Cream-Loving Member For Baghdad West….
In His Manly Scarlet Tutu….
Why He Hasn’t Lodged The Financial Accounts Of ‘Viva Palestrina’…..
With The Charities’ Commission….
Noo That The Generals Hiv Morsi & The MB All Locked Up…..
Ah Expect Sharm-El-Sheik Is Off The List Of Holiday Destinations For The Forseeable Future..
For Gorgeous George….
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/10581105.Probe_into_charity_linked_to_Bradford_MP_George_Galloway/
M-E-E-E-O-W…….!
Mad Mitch.
I said “so far”
Its not really fair to argue as you can obviously see into the future.
They are building up a real head of steam on FF – check this out…
On this day when the SFA yet again disgraced themselves and once more shone a torch on their own hatred of everything to do with Ibrox may I once again air the disgrace of 24 May 1972.
On the greatest night in our Club’s history, a night when those of us too young or unable to afford to travel should have been able to watch with our families the live spectacle, but the SFA banned the live broadcast and we had to wait for a delayed transmission at 10pm.
Why, because a meaningless British Championship game between Scotland and Wales was being played at Hampdump the same night, a game may I add that the FAW offered to move. There are countless other examples down through the years such as the Willie Woodburn sine die, but this one was personal for me as an 8 year old and I have never forgiven them.
For the young Bears, the SFA hatred of Rangers did not begin in 2011, don’t let the taigs tell you that we were the establishment club.
The transfer market like any staff recruitment is not an exact science . Despite the glowing cvs , references etc you never know just how your new recruit will perform until placed in the job .
Believe I know about this ! Some swim like Dolphins others need arm bands the whole time – others need a wee bit time in the toddlers pool before you drop them in the deep end to see them swim like seals !
Metaphorscsc
Guys….. It’s took a while but I know who cf is……. And more importantly why he’s doing what he is doing…..IT IS NOT A CELTIC FAN…….. It’s all true timelines are very different
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo @ 23:29
Cowiebhoy caught me in the street after the game. I offered him a smoke, which he politely declined. I should have left it there but then I offered it his …son? He also declined. Fortunately Cowiebhoy was cool with that. ;)
A disillusioned Doyle coming to Celtic …. His boyhood heros to resurrect his career will be very very hungry me thinks .
I disagree with some on here!
I honestly think he will be a hit!
Macjay
Hiya Pal.
Good Point,pal.. Ah see ye know ye onions.
Ah wull Pass that reproval oan tae collie, fur he wrote that wee Ditty.
How did ye know that Ah wiz a Wiz a Wee bit o’ A Soft Shoe Shuffler..?
Did You happen tae see Me And the Crampsey Brothers, Perform oor Dancin’…at the Lyric Theatre, in Glesca?
Na.. Ye ur too Young .
Let me tell you , Ye missed . quite a Sight,indeed.
Nice Chattin’
Kojo.
Still Laughin’
The elfs might pay us something Bobby ;)
.
Morrisey 23rd, Miss CowieBhoy doesn’t smoke.
It must have been dark, that’s your excuse.
We won’t pay Doyle EPL wages ,is he going to take a big drop in salary ? Football players don’t move for less money,at 29 this might be his last decent move.
Night bhoys.