Maeda return and Bernardo’s low price

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Brendan Rodgers will hopefully see Daizen Maeda at Lennoxtown earlier than planned, as Japan’s World Cup qualifier in North Korea has been cancelled by the hosts due to “unforeseen circumstances”.   Fifa have yet to decide if the game can go ahead at a neutral venue but that is currently considered unlikely.

Reports in Japan suggest the cancellation is due to the outbreak of an infectious disease in the country, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which is deadly and makes international travel unnecessarily risky.

Daizen is a nailed-on starter for the important games after the international break, so having him back early and focussed on the priorities ahead is important.

I’m not having any “a bit steep” chat about Paulo Bernardo’s reported €7.5m asking price from Benfica.  The player only recently turned 22 and has the core ability we should be looking to turn into a top player – just as we did with Matt O’Riley.  This is the going rate, anything less than that and you’re not taking a talent out of Portugal.

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382 Comments

  1. We should be doing a deal now for Lennon Miller from Motherwell, he’s only player in Scottish football I would sign right now

  2. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Celtic are not going to pay that money for Bernardo for him to sit on the bench.

     

     

    I’ll be very surprised if Matt O’Reilly is still here next season so IMHO if we sign Bernardo he will be viewed as O’Reilly’s replacement. It’s then a question of: is Bernardo an adequate replacement for Matt O’Reilly and is a midfield 3 of McGregor, Hatate and Bernardo good enough for Europe?

  3. Majestic Hartson on

    Right poll time –

     

     

    If we could only have either CCV or Calmac fit for the Rangers game who would you want?

     

     

    I’d generally go for Calmac – I think he can drag us through games sometimes especially against that lot. There was a game a few years ago at Ibrox where his will to win helped him win the ball and charge down the wing/channel to help us equalise after having a terrible start to the game. I’m not saying he wasn’t showing skill but it was his sheer determination that made that goal.

     

     

    However our defence is so ropey without CCV that I’d have to go with him on this occasion.

     

     

    Thoughts?

  4. Maestro

     

    If coming in from west end Eusebi Deli at kelvinbridge

     

    Other wise SFTBs choice

     

    Enjoy your evening

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. Bada , I agree and posted the same thing a few weeks ago. Why waste money on punts when you have real prospect on your doorstep.

  6. Majestic Hartson

     

     

    Get thro the livi game at concrete park first.injuries etc

     

    Our dropped points have been against lesser teams,we have not dropped anythin versus der hun.game at a time mate,see whats available,and confidence BR snuffs them out then

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. MH, I love calmac but going to that shitehole CCV is key to us maintaining a clean sheet. I think we’ll need to do that to get either 1 or 3 points.

  8. I would buy Paolo Bernardo too- even at the reported price, which is a bit variable in some reports anyway.

     

     

    Some people talk down Paolo because he has not been imposing in certain games and he has played in a fairly downbeat season so far.

     

     

    I would praise him because he has broken into the team/squad when others have failed to impress the manager. AND because he has managed to do so in a downbeat season when other players’ form has not made it easy to blood new players.

     

     

    I would not however say that he will be as good as Matt O’Riley has been. Matt hit the ground running fairly early and, even after his recent downturn in form, he still makes more telling passes and runs than many other midfielders have done.

     

     

    I also would not predict that he will be a better player than Thiago Holm as he is just a few years older and more ready currently.

     

     

    All of these players could have had a more successful introduction to the team if the senior players had been more secure and forceful and fit & healthy to allow newer players to do their thing in greater comfort.

  9. Majestic Hartson on

    The Blogger…

     

     

    that’s a good shout. I’d say at the minute, no that’s not a good enough midfield for Europe.

     

     

    How much money is being suggested for MOR? Is there a chance we buy a better player than Bernardo with some of that money? Surely we’d need to buy another midfielder, especially having already lost Turnbull.

  10. Prestonpans bhoys on

    MH

     

     

    My choice would be CCV, without him that defence is a totally different unit!

  11. Majestic Hartson on

    AT,

     

     

    I’ll take that as CCV vote too 👍

     

    😂

     

     

     

    I know a game at a time and all that, but I’m just trying to amuse myself in between the lost if tasks I’ve been given my other half.

     

     

    And yes the windows are (mostly) done. 🫣

  12. Majestic Hartson on

    Timmy7,

     

     

    I was going to call it Snake Mountain but I think your choice is better 😂👍

  13. Hope all those going to the Tommy Burns supper tonight have a great night.

     

     

    Well done all attending in New York last night,400k not to be sniffed at.

     

     

    HH

  14. MH

     

     

    Nah,Ccv is not that fixed shelf,windaes,bin oot….fook youl be lucky to make livi game :-)))

     

     

    HH

  15. As far as international breaks go has this been the slowest dullest week ever.

     

     

    Celtic no news.

     

     

    I have struggled with what benefits there are to the league with full weeks without games scheduled.

     

     

    If teams have no players called up then why not let them rejig fixtures.

     

     

    Baffles me.

     

     

    Assets sitting idle. Monies going out nothing coming in.

  16. Cheers for the tips bhoys.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I’ve went and booked the Amber regent.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I shall try Chakoo Bombay ,St Vincent when my non Indian eaten family members are not with me.

  17. If Paulo Bernardo is a €7.5mn bargain then guess we have our benchmark.

     

     

    Our £75mn in the bank won’t be going far in our summer rebuild, yet first team players must be our priority.

     

     

    My feeling is the Lennoxtown staff know where we are with the squad and know exactly what the summer’s requirement will be.

     

     

    MAJESTIC HARTSON @ 11:49 AM,

     

     

    Yes, you have a point, the Alistair Johnston goal is not the hill to die on:))

     

     

    !!BADA BING!! @ 10:28 AM,

     

     

    Sounds like a great event, great to know we are helping our communities in USofA, it’s a tough, tough existence out there.

     

     

    Hopefully DD is saying to BR, will the NY2025 Gala clash will our UCL fixtures.!?

     

     

    Hail Hail

  18. The Biscuit tin is well and truly still being used by the dinosaurs and I am afraid this is also the case with the new training facilities I was asked to provide a quote for some materials last week and I was told the club had spent loose change on inferior products instead.

     

    .

  19. MAESTRO on 22ND MARCH 2024 3:05 PM

     

    THAT INTUGIES ME, WHAT PRODUCT WAS IT ?

     

     

    WHAT LINE OF WORK ARE YOU IN ?

  20. Prestonpans bhoys on

    If you want a good laugh popping into Ibrox noise is fun they are talking about a Saudi bid for Tavpen….

     

     

    “They are also aware of what Tavernier would set them back which we believe would be close to £20M, despite his age being well north of 30 nowadays.”😅🤣😂

  21. MAJESTIC HARTSON @ 12:13 PM,

     

     

    Normally I’d agree and go with Calmac yet our defense is a lot more vulnerable than our midfield at the moment – so CCV it is…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  22. Folks as its quiet i would like to forward on a general health message given on by an ex cqn’r now working with British Heart Foundation

     

     

    💔What would *you* do if you were alone and had a heart attack?💔

     

    1. Take a 2 minute break and read this:

     

    Let’s say it’s 5:25 pm and you’re driving home after an unusually hard day’s work.

     

    2. You are really tired and frustrated.

     

    All of a sudden you have chest pains. They are starting to radiate in your arm and jaw. It feels like you’re being stabbed in the chest and heart. You’re only a few miles away from the nearest hospital or home.

     

    3. Unfortunately you don’t know if you can make it..

     

    4. Maybe you’ve taken CPR training, but the person running the course hasn’t told you how to help yourself.

     

    5. How do you survive a heart attack when you’re alone when it happens? A person who is feeling weak and whose heart is beating hard has only about 10 SECONDS!! before losing consciousness.

     

    6. But you can help yourself by coughing repeatedly and very strongly! Deep breaths before every cough. Coughing should be repeated every second until you arrive at the hospital or until your heart starts to beat normally.

     

    7. Deep breathing gives oxygen to your lungs, and coughing movements boost the heart and blood circulation. Heart pressure also helps to restore a normal heartbeat. This is how cardiac arrest victims can make it to the hospital for the right treatment.

     

    8. Cardiologists say if someone gets this message and passes it on to 10 people, we can expect to save at least one life.

     

    9. Instead of posting memes, you’re helping save lives by spreading this message.

     

    ♥️ COPY (hold your finger down on the screen over this message, click on the text until it’s all highlighted, then select copy, go to your own page and where you normally want to write, hold your finger down again and then select paste)♥️IT♥️SAVES♥️LIVES

     

     

    Thanks Celts for reading,in advance.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. I’m not having any “a bit steep” chat about Paulo Bernardo’s reported €7.5m asking price from Benfica. The player only recently turned 22 and has the core ability we should be looking to turn into a top player – just as we did with Matt O’Riley. This is the going rate, anything less than that and you’re not taking a talent out of Portugal.

     

    —————

     

    We wouldn’t be close to season ticket renewals would we?

     

     

    Talk of Celtic spending €7.5m on one player.

     

    Hmmmmm! 🤔

  24. Majestic Hartson

     

     

    Good question. We are weaker without either Calmac or CCV, however I believe we can cope better without the former.

     

    Has to be CCV for me. Really can’t see us keeping a clean sheet without him on the field.

     

    The 2 goals we lost to Livi being an example

  25. Of course if we pay the going rate for Paulo he CAN sit on the bench, didn’t Jota do just that, which also made the bench, with him and others on it, a much more beneficial way to change games that are not going to plan.

     

     

    One of the problems this season, of which there have been many :(( , is that we don’t have players to come on and change games. We need to add to the first team squad ready made guys, to increase the quality of the first team pool and have as many of them occupying the sub benches, along with our developing youths, to be better prepared to make changes when it matters, por cierto

  26. It should be Brendans call if he wants to spend a substantial fee and future wages on Bernardo,he knows what he is watching in training and games, for me he hasn’t done anything that would persuade me to sign him long term.

  27. When the cry was” sign quality players”,I did ask on here,what that really meant.What quality could we get for our money.The number seemingly required was 4.How much does real quality cost.10 million,15 or 20 million?.That would not be classed as excessive in a few leagues,EPL,Germanmaybe Spain,but not many more.The majority would be somwhere in the middle.

     

    So we come to Bernardo.A product of the Benfica academy,probably the best in the world.Like Jota,we have an option to buy for around same money.Already the majority I have read,are saying,” Too expensive”” Not good enough”,”We could sign better”.For the amount of game time,he has had,his age,his pedigree,and his potential,I find this incredible.I have no inkling what type of player,the loudest shouters class as quality.Anyone watching MOR lately,would not be raving about him,but we have seen how good he can be.Bernardo,to me,is the type of quality we can afford.Just on the edge of becoming a great player.Ready made greatness,way out of our spending.Something a lot seem to have trouble realising.