Losing players on your own terms

894

A quick straw poll suggests we’re happy with £2m for Adam Matthews, although Sunderland will be happier, having signed what is likely to be a first team player for what is a bargain fee in the English league.  For Celtic, the player had only a year left on his contract, and was not first choice when Mikael Lustig was available.  On other occasions we would struggle to get £500k.

A few factors supported Adam’s marketability and price.  He is part of a successful Wales team who are likely to reach Euro 2016.  Scouts from all over Europe watch Wales and it’s unlikely you’d be able to sign any of that team for less than £2m.

There’s also the Joe Ledley and Victor Wanyama effect.  Joe and Victor were Celtic contemporaries of Adam and both are solid performers for EPL clubs.  Don’t even ask me about what’s going on with Daryl Murphy at the moment, as it beats any rational explanation I can come up with.

Having 20 hugely wealthy neighbours comes with lots of problems, but if we are going to lose players to England, it’s better to lose them on our own terms – when we are in a position to start a fresh building process, than have events overtake us, as appears to be happening at Tannadice this year.

Enjoy events this afternoon at New St Mirren Celtic Park.

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894 Comments

  1. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Losing players and games on our own terms. Well done,Celtic.

     

     

    HH

  2. Clashcitybhoy on

    Mixed views on today’s result.

     

    From memory, good results in pre season tend to equate to poor results when the real stuff starts – I seem to recall us winning the Wembley Cup under Tony Mowbray !

     

     

    On other hand I really worry about our ability to defend against European teams under RD.

     

    Our goals conceded in competitive and friendly games is worrying, and the stats suggest the manager isn’t learning.

     

     

    If we are goung to concentrate on one thing in pre- season games ( except fitness) , I would like it to be practising our ‘ away from home’ in Europe game, where we have a regimented defence, midfield and look to score at set pieces or counter attacks.

  3. chrisvancoupon on

    Clashcityboy

     

     

    The defence needs to stop making mistakes. Izaguirre & Ambrose are liabilities against euro teams and have been sussed by most domestically. The defence can be as organised as it likes but daft mistakes are what cost Celtic.

  4. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    Can’t believe the usual negatonians are out in force following a pre-season friendly, before the season even begins………sorry, but it really is pathetic….

  5. bournesouprecipe on

    excath

     

     

    Fair do’s.

     

     

    I think when you throw away the rule book the friendly is devalued further when it’s initially about fitness, anyway.

     

     

    That said I also agree it’s never pretty to see the Celtic net, getting bulged.

     

     

    Not at all sure if Tom Rogic will make the grade especially if we have Stefan Johansen with such a similar left sided game.

     

     

    Izzaguire is made to look poorer defensively in the RD system, where he’s asked to play as an extra winger. The better the standard of opposition the more it shows up, and in most SPL games, it’s not as noticeable. I don’t reckon RD or Celtic are considering spending serious cash on another LB, despite supporters thinking we need cover.

     

     

    James Forrest didn’t play well today, and remains a difference of opinion in the Celtic support, where even 10million pound men like Aiden McGeady can cause debate.

     

     

    HH

  6. Bhoys

     

     

    Clogher or Almore etc

     

     

    What is the actual weekend/date for the Easter Gathering of CQNrs in Dublin ?

     

    Has this been decided,

     

    Whife and Ghirls looking to go to New York next Easter, so looking to try and tie in weekends ( they go to NY I go to Dublin)

     

     

    Thanks in Advance

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    67Heaven

     

     

    Nonsense……we have to take these friendlies as serious……what would we have to moan about if we didn’t.

     

     

    You clearly have a short memory………remember Sevastapol last pre-season or Arsenal before the centenary year ?

     

     

    Those two games spoilt the double last year and in 1988 for me ;~)

  8. Dexter says PAY THE LIVING WAGE CELTIC PLC on

    Don’t think we should be too down about today, although it was a pretty rank effort defensively speaking. Having said that, we didn’t have Bitton or Janko.

     

     

    They looked dangerous every time they came forward and had the freedom of the edge of our box. Button would’ve made a difference.

     

     

    I am hoping that was Izzy getting rid of a bad performance, as he was very poor.

     

     

    Forrest looked ok, as did GMS. Broony was Broony. LG had a couple of decent efforts but was quiet generally.

     

     

    Stokes and Scepovic contributed nothing when they came on.

     

     

    Boyata messed up for their second goal, but these things happen. He will come good.

     

     

    RD needs to get settled on a back 4 and drill them into shape. Should be;

     

     

    Janko-Boyata-VVD-Izzy (or new signing)

     

     

    Lustig can provide cover at RB and/or can compete with Boyata for CB.

  9. graffiti on the wall on

    Cheers WITS …… Had Farquhar as a EW,, also in an EW double way the other horse …. Bet covered already. ….HH

  10. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    big-cup-winners

     

     

    16:01 on 4 July, 2015

     

     

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA……HH

  11. What is the Stars on

    Graffiti

     

     

    Did both each way and the each way double,so even if Erlkonig gets placed I will have a nice profit.

  12. Neustadt-Braw on

    afternoon all from a very not Lower Saxony…42 degrees ootside ….braw is inside with a cool cool pils…Krombacher again today ….Jobo belated bday wishes …

     

     

    Burghbhoy Hoopy birthday to your good self …you share a Birthday with the oldest of my 5 brothers …Alexander….63 today …..Sandy took me to my very first Celtic match at Dens Park …am sure it was 1 to 7 for us …wee Jinky and Bobby Lennox in all there glory…..enthralled I was then and till this day I often wonder how that day in Dundee changed me forever …. have a braw day Sandy….Midi Pyrenees is Green and White today.

     

     

    braw

  13. excathedra44 on

    bournesouprecipe

     

    15:59 on

     

    4 July, 2015

     

     

    Yes agree, Izzy can get exposed in this system but you would think if we can see it then

     

    RD and Co. would devise a system to compensate.

     

     

    Against the coming qualifying games I think we need plenty of power and effort,so I would have Henderson in there from the start.,as my view is we will not see Commons.

  14. jmccormick :-))

     

     

    I haven’t yet seemed the date confirmed as the Easter Weekend

     

    Dates don’t match the date for celebration in Dublin

     

     

    Anyone know confirmed date for the gathering in Dublin ? Of CQNrs

  15. cowiebhoy

     

     

    Sorry, just being an arse.. I have to know that date as it is a work deadline for product delivery, enjoy your trip.

  16. ArranmoreBhoyLXV11 on

    HH

     

     

    Season ticket arrived! Happy Days.. Firmly placed in the “season ticket drawer”

     

     

    Let the fun begin..

     

     

    Team looking good …getting fit..

  17. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    Had a wee read back, eff me,wdnae like tae be in the

     

    trenches wae some on here,IT’S ALL ABOUT THE

     

    QUALIFIERS FFS,anyways we need a striker who

     

    can hold the ball up and find the net on a regular basis.

     

     

    Kevj…..get on here and rattle some cages,draw the fire,if

     

    you don’t they will all be telling one another that they will

     

    be scrolling on past each other’s post’s.

     

     

    I’m away fur a beer,have a great Saturday night cqn,if

     

    you know how.

  18. jmccormick

     

     

    No problems bhud, my Whife is looking at hotels in NY ( it is No1 daughters birthday early May,) so need dates so they can tie in with weekend in Dublin

     

     

    Hail Hail

  19. Weeron,

     

     

    Lawwell has pushed plenty of Celtic players out of the door. Balde, Ledley, Hooper are 3 that were happy to stay.

     

     

    Lawwell is de facto Director of Football at Celtic. His head must roll if he fails to deliver CL football which would have cost the club circa £50M in 2 seasons.

  20. antipodean red on

    Read plenty about today’s game, don’t get too fired up about pre-season games but the gulf in technical ability between the two sets of players was wide. Our troops could barely trap a bag of cement, theirs was crisp and clean and full of the fabled off the ball movement.

     

    Room for much improvement.

     

     

    AR

  21. jmccormick

     

    16:20 on

     

    4 July, 2015

     

    Chile v Argentine tonight at 9pm, could be a cracker. Anybody let me know which channel it may be on?

     

     

    setanta sport 1 on sky coverage starts 8:30pm

     

     

    HH

  22. What is the Stars on

    Live Copa America coverage starts 8.30 pm on Setanta Sports 1

     

     

    Thats in The Peoples Republic of Southern Eire

     

     

    Setanta schedules may be different over in the Royal Kingdom of Ingerland,Wales,Scotia and Occupied Teritorries

  23. Oh good ol BT is back :-)

     

     

    I did ya Roaster, are you hame to cool down :-))

     

    Hope you and family had a fab time

     

     

    not had it confirmed yet, or responded too

  24. squire danaher on

    Copper America final on Premier Sports sky 428

     

     

    Re: Easter 2016 when are commemorations planned?

     

     

    Easter 2016 time or actual dates of 1916 Easter which was late April ??

  25. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    So we are not supposed to discuss Celtic when we have a poor performance but we can discuss them when we win.What nonsense part of the game of football is the after match discussions wither we win lose or draw and today we were poor and even though it was a friendly and only our second game of the season we should be better defensively than we were. H.H.

  26. BT

     

     

    Had the joy of sitting behind yer oul da at today’s game. I’d give him a few hours to calm down :-)

  27. just back from the co-op at bishy.

     

     

    nice car pulls over, window down, woman leans out. pompous looking fella in the drivers seat. black suit, white shirt, black tie, red faced combo,

     

     

    “excuse me , i am looking for the railway station ?”

     

     

    sure,

     

     

    then i spies a nice looking bowler hat and a folded up jacket with a purple sash on the back seat.

     

     

    “see if you keep going in the direction your pointed, the station is doon the bottom of the hill”

     

     

    “thanks”

     

     

    i hope they like the port.

     

     

    allways happy to help.

  28. JFH

     

     

    I agree with you mate.

     

    I struggle with these friendlies.

     

    I try to tell myself that they are meaningless, but much as I try and tell myself that, any Celtic defeat pains.

     

     

    HH