Celtic’s January transfer window saw seven new players sign deals, although only four will be at the club for the remainder of this season, and only one of those, Vakoun Issouf Bayo, is on a permanent deal.
Bayo is a classic centre forward-target man, unlike Leigh Griffiths or Odsonne Edouard, who like to play in the channels. He has not played for two months, so it is likely to be a couple of weeks before we see him. He is here because of our Ivorian Connection through Kolo Toure, who is a coach at both Celtic and Ivory Coast. That being the case, the club should know more about him than most new signings, which should mitigate the risk inherent in any signing.
Since the resumption of action after the winter break, we have seen Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah fulfil the striker role, each on loan, from West Brom and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. Neither player is here to play the striker role long-term; expect them to supplement the wide positions after we return to a more normal compliment up front.
With minutes to spare, Jeremy Toljan signed on loan from Borussia Dortmund. This is a player who great things were expected from when he left Hoffenhiem 18 months ago, but Dortmund is a different beast and he did not find the move easy.
That’s not dissuaded many of his talent, which means Celtic’s chances of securing his services on a permanent basis are slim. I also believe the player is on pretty decent (cough) contract. He will not be here beyond May.
Maryann Shved, 21, arrived this week from Karpaty Lviv in Ukraine, where he has returned to stay until the summer. We moved early for Maryann, interest in the player was generated in only 38 competitive games. Players grow up on the football field and Maryann needs as many opportunities as he can get right now. With the manager having so many wide options for the remainder of the season, loaning him back to Karpaty was an easy decision.
Two American full backs were signed yesterday, Andrew Gutman (22) and Manny Perez (19), both loaned back to US clubs.
So all these loans arrivals, signings-only-to-be-loaned out, what’s the plan?
The top-level plan is to win the league, do our best to win the two cups and to give us the best chance of qualifying for the Champions League. Everything else is a consequence of this. Two decades ago, when Martin O’Neill set his mind to the same task, he signed talent who were at the peak of their physical capabilities. Many of those who arrived not only had experience in the English Premiership, they were top performers there.
By the time Gordon Strachan took over, signing strikers who were recently top scorers in England was no longer possible. Gordon took to Poland (as well as Easter Road), as we searched for talent in value markets.
Neil Lennon’s term saw the transitioning to where we are now. Neil found African talent, and successfully raided the lower leagues in England, but under his tenure we embarked on what would become one of the mainstays of our recruitment planning – loaning young players (Fraser Forster) who were not getting a sniff at wealthier clubs.
Many doors have closed to us in the last 20 years. There will be no more Chris Suttons, while competition for players across Eastern Europe is vastly greater than it was when we signed Artur Boruc.
The news is not all bad, in fact, significant things are much better than they were 20 years ago, most specifically, the development of young talent. Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney and James Forrest are more successful than any player Paul McStay and Aiden McGeady – and both of them were notable as exceptions for their eras.
The ‘Fraser Forster strategy’ – scout teams too distracted elsewhere to give opportunities to players, has been very productive. Olivier Ntcham, Odsonne Edouard and Dedryck Boyata all fall into this category (we’ll reserve comment on Daniel Arzani). We managed to get Odsonne on a try-before-you-buy loan first. During his loan he did enough to convince Brendan Rodgers to beak our transfer record on him. Celtic think this will continue to be a productive furrow for them.
Not all signings are Development Projects
Not all loans fall into this category. Some, like Jeremy Toljan, are here to do a job for a specific period. Development Projects are not the only game in town, sometimes you just have to plug a hole to strengthen the team.
There were choices for the right back role. Lech Poznan’s Robert Gumny was looked at and liked, but the player failed a medical a year ago and has not played enough football since a subsequent operation to convince anyone he would be fitter than Jozo Simunovic. Or we could have tried to find a nugget elsewhere, but Jeremy got the nod.
We sign a lot of players
Two American full backs on the same day we sign a German full back, “millions of wingers”. This has been going on for a while. You, me, Celtic and the players know, not all of them are going to make it. Football, for a century, has harvested talent, picked the cherries and cast the darnel aside.
I remember Martin O’Neill, flush with the success of his early signings and before his Ulrik Laursen and David Fernandez period, told us that every signing a football club makes needs to be a success. Yes, if you have the wisdom and insight, the luck and the money, maybe you can be so bold. But there is a real world out there full of scouts and managers who each carry the weight of experience of players who just didn’t work out.
There are formulas, some better than others, but we should know that just putting a Celtic jersey onto a player will not, and has never, made him a certain success. Martin would have been more accurate by saying ;You have to kiss a lot of frogs in this business’, just do your best to get some handsome frogs in the first place.
We have exceptional domestic talent: Scott Brown, Kieran Tierney, James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie – better than any Scottish team in 30 years, and we have done very well to retain them.
There is room for others to follow. The opportunity is there for Scott Bain and Tony Ralston.
As well as developing our own talent, we have cooperated with two of the world’s richest, Manchester City and PSG, to foster young players who are not getting a chance at their parent club. This is affordable, enhances the squad, and has helped achieve our football objectives.
We have five young players out on loan: Lewis Morgan, Calvin Miller, Andrew Gutman and Manny Perez, and Maryann Shved. The hope is some develop into first-team regulars, like Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie did.
That’s the strategy. Is it better than signing the best permanent players we can? Like you, I prefer the good ones to be tied down to long-term contracts at Celtic, but despite this, the answer is a clear yes. We need to work angles with PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Man City. We need to take risks on players with only a few dozen games under their belt. When an opportunity to sign a Ntcham or Boyata arises, take it. And we need to continue to do what we are doing with youth development.
Will it deliver 8-in-a-row? You bet your bum it will.
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JIMMYNOTPAUL. hi pal you ghuys cherish your mothers while they are here. I lost my mum in 2005 she was 75 ,but 2 years before we saw the signs, and me and my brothers and sister just realised we wont have mum much longer, and its a horrible feeling, when you are in trouble you go to your mum, if you have a problem you go to your mum, and suddenly you wake up to the fact she wont be there anymore, so you ghuys cherish the moments.hh.
Do you notice the usual posters are missing so far tonight
B.P.
I will do thanks.
Hail Hail
FAIRHILL BHOY, yes I did how are you, hope your sister is well.hh.
BP1 -I don’t have that memory,I would honestly walk by my ‘mum’ in the street if given the chance ?
Fairhill Bhoy 8.20pm
Not far behind you 18th July for me
1970 kids :-)
FAIRHILL BHOY, as long as you are ok that’s what matters, love your posts.hh.
Surely there has to be a limit to this type of refereeing.
There is, it’s 4
T
Now I know why Stevie G rejected a 10 million bid from China for Dallas!
Apparently Tav got booked in the tunnel
For missing the penalty.
GFTB-so you’re younger,better start acting your age then ?
Given the 4 pens today by a the rangers supporter, and John Beaton out celebrating in a the rangers pub after last glasgow derby whats the thoughts on Celtic and the rangers games being reffed by refs from outwith Scotland?
Fairhill Bhoy 8.51pm
Exactly … we should both start acting like 48yr olds
fff that :-)
Brendan mentioned the penalty we should have got on Wednesday….not like him,but he knows the deal….
4 penalties against St Mirren
Seethin Gerrard (copyright BSR) after 1-1 draw at Pittidorie stated his team don’t get decisions … straight from the manager with No Surname when he warned the refs that “we” have a small squad and can’t afford any suspensions so very few Huns got booked that season
I agree with the posters who want our custodians to do “more” but also think why should we do “more” … we buried the first entity let’s keep collecting trophies in spite of everything
Michael Lustig man of the match tomorrow … you read here earlier
Meanwhile in a betting syndicate in China a wee number cruncher analyst is telling his bosses.
Told yeese they would get 4 penalties some day kerching.
We keep being told, no other team will support Celtic in challenging FtSFA
So let’s see some other challenge FtSFA referees
Levien, Lennon, Clark
Aleardy called them out this season
So it’s the knuckle crunching directors who are not prepared to challenge their brotherhood ???
this league win will be so sweet
NorrieM on 2nd February 2019 9:09 pm
We keep being told, no other team will support Celtic in challenging FtSFA
So let’s see some other challenge FtSFA referees
Levien, Lennon, Clark
Already called them out this season
So it’s the knuckle crunching directors who are not prepared to challenge their brotherhood ???
——————-
Didn’t Levein and Lenny drag us into it when criticising the refs? Clarke was the only one to really go to town on them. Something Brendan should’ve been doing since his first season.
Ron67 @ 6.08
My thoughts from earlier on the cheating refs.
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The removal of Lenny from Hibs came after an unusual appointment as spokesperson for managers to liaise with referees – Not quite the summit that Celtic had asked for. If we can only suspect what these people are capable of, it should be no surprise to us with that Petrie was involved in that decision. Lenny would be a farmer with his gun watching the foxes look after the chicken coop…….No?
come on you ghuys, Im from the tiny Wharton jim mcluskey era, nothings changed in 50 years of watching celtic, we are always gonna be up against the men in black, they hate us with a passion because of our religion ,and where we come from ,remember that so called chant the famine is over go home, it sickens me to my stomach, im as much Scottish as they are, but im the wrong type of Scottish, im a Scottish catholic and they don’t like that, so to all watching huns, go forth and multiply.hh. sorry about the rant.
Despite holding out for the best part of an hour on Wednesday, I got the feeling St Johnstone didn’t enjoy their visit one bit. Celtic park has a huge aura this season particularly but i think the thought of facing us 3 times in 11 days was already in their heads. In their own midden tomorrow they will kick anything that moves, but is a big pitch and one we enjoy. I fancy us to take a few off them.
Hi Ghuys
Sevco will now be sponsored by rock group Crowded House
” four penalties in one day.”
HH
Phil
PHILCOOL on 2ND FEBRUARY 2019 9:46 PM
Had to google that one.
:-)
PHILCOOL on 2ND FEBRUARY 2019 9:46 PM
Hi Ghuys
Sevco will now be sponsored by rock group Crowded House
” four penalties in one day.”
HH
Phil
—————————————————————————-
PC,
Something tells me that Neil and Tim Finn wouldn’t be too keen on sponsoring the huns ? ☘️☘️
Evening All…
Twice this week Steve Clarke has called the Refs out, he knows his team will be cheated out of an Historic Season… tragic…
CHAIRBHOY on 17TH JANUARY 2019 5:52 AM,
Not only will Defoe be protected but he’ll be given free kicks round the box and penalties as soon as a defender comes near him
Prescience, body language or stating the bleedin’ obvious!?
Hail Hail
Just awoke to find they’d been awarded 4 overnight.
When they claim they’re going for 55, mibby it refers to penalties awarded in one season??
That’s doable ;)
Hello again all you young rebels.
BIG PACKY 1
I can go back further than you regarding the mibs, and it
was always blatent against the bhoys, but this season it’s
so obvious and they don’t need to hide it.
Not many people about down the local yesterday, so for
the first time ever i watched basketball on the telly,
granted it was the CELTICS v’s a NY team who had orange
numbers and blue trimmings, no prizes for guessing who
i was cheering, anyway the bhoys won, it kept me happy.
Must admit though i spent the time watching the crowd
looking for a hoops top, but no luck, i know they would be
there and as the late great Tommy Burns said.
There’re always there .
H.H Mick
Morning MICK – get into the Peninsula water this morning before it gets too toasty!
HH
QUDROPHENIAN
Think the water will be boiling as well, 40’s expected today.
Are you coming to our golf day on the 17th feb?
H.H Mick
Embarrass the refs into playing fair.. am sure Chris Sutton called out the original Rangers creditor Craigy Thomson… Chris put the focus on the ref and more or less dared him to ref the game fairly… with BTs cameras on him “the ref” actually reffed the game fairly ,.. I know it’s not Brendan’s style but when Sneaky Gee is using every trick in the book I think asking for parity is fair enough … cmon Brendan call the cheats out :-)
MICK – I’ll check the FB page for details, and try to get along.
I’m off for a dip at Elwood now – stay cool pal.
Predict 3-1 for us v St J.
HH
GFTB on 2ND FEBRUARY 2019 10:16 PM
Chris Sutton.
Fearless . Calls it as he sees it . Even when the call is against Celtic .
Frequently hilarious at the expense of his mealy mouthed co – commentators .
Love his commentary.
Surprised he`s still got the job .
PHILCOOL- correctafknmundo, good to see you posting
Macjay 10.25pm
Chris Sutton annoyed me a bit with Ronny Delia… but I sort of suppose he wasn’t incorrect :-)
I like him for one reason he does call it as he sees it and that’s what we ask for ….
Plus he isn’t scared to call out the Huns, loved him as a player, one of the best “chesters” of a ball I have ever saw, he had more control in his chest than some footballers have in their feet
MacJay
Sensed a bit of friction after Killie V Hearts between Sutton and Michael Stewart. Big Chris played it right by keeping quiet and letting the former Hearts man sound like the unreasonable one
A lesson for us all :-)
HH
GFTB on 2ND FEBRUARY 2019 10:16 PM
———–——————–
VAR would cost that zombie club between 15-20 points a season, minimum.
Hence the reason why they rejected the BT off out of hand.
I’m sure the blood drained from them when the offer was made, particularly in this season of all seasons.
HH. ?
GFTB on 2ND FEBRUARY 2019 10:32 PM
Macjay 10.25pm
Chris Sutton annoyed me a bit with Ronny Delia… but I sort of suppose he wasn’t incorrect :-)
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I can understand that completely.
Ronny was obviously a decent man . Never nice to see him being targeted in the way he was . As you know , I felt the job was too big for him and probably too soon for him.
I felt he may have been promoted sideways .
However , I sense we both feel that the correct decision was made .
Chris. As I said . Fearless .
16 roads 10.34pm
Depends who is in the VAR hot seat, look at the ex-refs (zero culpability) who thought Morelos is just a bit silly .. Dougie Dougie, Andy Dallas or ex ref Willie Young might be the Video Assistant Ranger … technology will never change bias… call them out at every opportunity… but more importantly keep collecting trophies ?