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Loans in signings out on loan, what is the plan?

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  1. GFTB on

    Am retiring to probably the couch

     

     

    16 roads ….

     

     

    Celtic is Celtic don’t let the vermin ever get you down

     

     

    Fellow Celtic fans good night n god bless

     

     

    Michael Lustig man of the match today in Perth … over the years we used to think we had bad years the cheating is more prevalent these days, am sure I was told “cheaters never win”

     

     

    Hail Hail ?

  2. Dbhoy on

    100 TROPHYIES

     

    I agree that it wouldn’t stop them cheating but I think VAR would make there job of cheating a lot more difficult and we would see a reduction of it.

     

     

    I think there will be resistance to VAR technology because of that and also the costs involved.

     

     

    It would be a step in the right direction imo.

     

     

    HH

  8. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Teuchter ár lá, Mick Lustig is on ze lizt.

     

     

    So are you. I know I am…………………….:_)

  10. 100 trophyies on

    DBHOY on 3RD FEBRUARY 2019 1:07 AM

     

    100 TROPHYIES

     

    I agree that it wouldn’t stop them cheating but I think VAR would make there job of cheating a lot more difficult and we would see a reduction of it.

     

    DBHOY.

     

    I wish I could believe that, I’ve been watching the tic for so many years, nothing but nothing will change the mindset of those cheating gits.

     

    (WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE WORD GIT FOR ANOTHER FEW WORDS, BUT I ENJOY LURKING ON HERE, ??)

     

    Hail hail,

     

    C’mon the hoops,

     

    ???

  14. Teuchter ár lá on

    MacJay

     

    Depends what is deemed questionable by a bunch of corrupt bassas referring it to another corrupt bassa who is working for the corrupt governing body, which is full of corrupt bassas.

     

    But we’ve got to stay positive ?

  15. Henry Joy on

    Agree with der Macjay on this, VAR isn’t just an absolute necessity, it’s a must. Celtic should be going all out guns, make it happen.

  18. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Macjay, I think that’s a first. We agree on var.

     

     

    How are you ya auld tory nutter?

     

     

    I’m considering retiring and doing a mega trip with Mrs acgr that would include Aus and a bit of shark / barramundi fishing. How you fixed for putting me up for a bit in yer back garden?

     

     

    I’m going to get back into drugs once the testing stops so would need you to get me some hash / grass, and maybe a bit of Charlie? Do you think this is a goer?

     

     

    HH bruv and thanksin advance.

  19. Dbhoy on

    100 trophyies, ACGR

     

     

    It’s ( cheating ) the worst it’s been since they had a campaign to stop Lenny winning a cup . It never goes away.

     

    Shameless shower the lotta them.

     

     

    I take solace in the fact we keep winning everything and how much it must scunner them in doing so. I try not to revel in folks misery but they peepul make that difficult .

     

     

    HH

  22. Dbhoy on

    TEUCHTER ÁR LÁ

     

    Pc Lustig played 3 one two’s with three different teammates taking him from his right flank to the left side of the box when he crossed with the rabona pass.

     

     

    Absolutely brilliant play by him.

     

     

    Here’s a longer link with all the build up…

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2aQ1Od5_4

     

     

    HH

  26. petec on

    So the Hun get 4 penalties, 3 dubious.

     

     

    Goal difference is in the mind of the LRA SCUM.

     

     

    Dallas should never Referee a game again after that Laughable bullsh!t, Like yadayada take yer pick of these scumbags.

     

     

    Blatant Cheating – No other Word to describe it.

     

     

    The Blatant Penalty not given on Wednesday. LMFAO

     

     

    I know we have the very best possible Manager right here and right now.

     

     

    John Fleming resign – if you have any dignity.

  27. petec on

    Just Do it Celtic.

     

     

    Win Every game – obviously @ the Hate Factory the utter vermin will do anything to win.

     

     

    Make the newco Liquidate again please. ;))

     

     

    I know that as we get nearer the end the Dark One gets more and more Powerful. I hope Celtic Destroys the Secret wans Scottish Club.

  30. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Dbhoy. the internet stole ma D.

     

     

    Ma legs, ma legs I cant feel ma legs…………………………………………………………..:_)

     

     

     

    HH bruv and don’t stop laughing at the DOBs.

  33. petec on

    Mikael has been mega overplayed, Sweden in the World Cup was great for him but not so good for Celtic.

     

     

    I’d definitely give him another year but he will naturally be playing a lot less – If he is Coolio with that well that would be Magnificent for Celtic.

     

     

    As with the Broonie – Mikael might have Big Money offers eleswhere where he will play All the Time and have a very enhanced pay compared to Celtics offer.

     

     

    These guys are Mega in the Celtic dressing room. I dinnae ken a thing but you just know they are.

  36. petec on

    I hope the Logical song gets sung a lot mair Again over the coming weeks – because of Stellar performances. There are signs of it coming back.

     

     

    We need wee Jamesie to start being an experienced player and doing the damage, those Scotland games have, IMO, went to his head. Sort it out Jamesie Bhoy.

     

     

    One thing about Today and especially as St Johnstone are @ home – Celtic just Attack Attack Attack because if a Learned dude like TT is saying this will be a mega achievement like no other – then lets Just Do it.

  37. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    St Mirren manager Oran Kearney: “I had a good conversation with Andrew Dallas. There was no histrionics, I just asked his opinion. He hadn’t watched the penalties back.

     

     

    “We just kept getting things thrown at us. I suppose it is human nature to think, ‘god, how are we ever going to get something out of this?’ But there is one definite penalty, the first, and three that aren’t.”

     

     

    ===========================================================================

     

     

    Course he would say that , but he`s not the only one .

  38. petec on

    I know this place is Good.

     

     

    I’d like to ask for Prayers for a Cracking dude in my work – A genuine heart of gold guy – Totally off his rocker but in a really good way.

     

     

    Gary has Ocular Melanoma (I had to google it to) he just complained last week about his eye annoying him.

     

     

    He is my age and that is what is scarey.

     

     

    Gary has never been a big Fitba fan but he definitely likes the Celtic.

     

     

    We have spoken about so many things in work that is really spooky.

     

     

    He has 2 wee yins that he adores.

  40. petec on

    So when Hugh Keevins says what about the League Cup Final Penalty that never was………

     

     

    Dallas has no interest in cups or finals.

     

     

    Stopping the 10 is always the thinking in the LRA SCUM.

     

     

    So very sad.

     

     

    Like muddying the waters so they can get away with Anything – saying its not just any team getting bad decisions by constantly making bad decisions EVERYwhere.

     

     

    These are Educated Cheats. I hope you apologise before you Leave this Earth because Hell is Eternal.

     

     

    GOALS GOALS GOALS CELTIC.

  41. petec on

    I’m Delighted the Scottish Masons are exposing so much. Truly Magical.

     

     

    Draw them out into the Light.

     

     

    George Bush comes out of a Coffin in an initiation ceremony.

     

     

    Aye the Hate for The Truth is palpable.

     

     

    The New Testament is Incredible and It is Freeing people All around the World.

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