With a raft of defenders leaving the club this summer, the rebuilding process has picked up pace. Dedryk Boyata, Filip Benkovic, Mikael Lustig, Emilio Izaguirre and Cristian Gamboa all departed. Confirmation arrived yesterday evening of the signing of Rapid Vienna’s Belgian left back, Boli Mbombo, 24, on a four-year contract.
He joins central defender Christopher Jullien, 26, so as it stands, left back and central defence are looking appropriate for the impending challenge of Sarajevo, but with only Anthony Ralston at right back, more work needs to be done.
The first deadline for the Sarajevo tie is at 11pm tonight, although Uefa allow one late addition to be made to the squad one day before the first leg.
Mbombo should be a lower risk signing. He has played for two years in Austria, a comparable European league to the Scottish Premiership, and being Belgian, he will have excellent English and will have no problem adjusting to life in Scotland. He has also played over 150 games, far more than most of our signings in recent years, so we will have good scouting reports on him.
Depending on the fitness of Boli and Kieran Tierney, Jonny Hayes may yet be utilised at left back on Tuesday, but the Irishman will hopefully be deployed in more familiar midfield positions going forward.
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BILLY BHOY on 4TH JULY 2019 5:35 PM
IVEHADTOCHANGEMYMIND
….and anyone else looking for a great read:
Forever Young – the story of Adrian Doherty is possibly the best football biography I’ve ever read. He was a lad from Strabane and part of the Man Utd Golden Generation – until disaster struck. He actually made his debut before Giggs
I’ll not give any more away but I read it in one day as it was simply unputdownable!
I couldn’t recommend it more.
—————————
I thought I had bookmarked something that Brian McClair had said about this lads talent, and the sadness around his story and then the music stuff and the busking, but now I cant find it,
I do however have this bumper read,
and for the record i was always a choccy eclair man more than mo jo.
Interview: Brian McClair on his new life in a New Town
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/interview-brian-mcclair-on-his-new-life-in-a-new-town-1-4723785
Ron67,
And we should also repeat Celtic contracts come with secrecy clauses, so honoring his contract means keeping stump about club business.
IMO stage managed because of who it is….
Anyways other people …ahem no better
HH
Why would KT say anything ?
Hard to like Nik Kyrgios
Glad Rafa whooped his ass
Hot Smoked
The author was Sandrone Dazieri. Available on Amazon (if that’s your thing).
Terrible choice if KT chooses Arsenal.
He can get better and Arsenal are shoite
D. :)
The ole CQN bookclub makes a welcome return?
Any Human Heart – William Boyd
David66- you never know ??
If MARSPAPA is looking in my 45 was a 44 at Dalziel today ?
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 4TH JULY 2019 10:24 AM
Who’d have thought a dyed in the wool Celtic w supporter living the dream would have been chase out the club he loves
*like Tommy McInally the Charles Patrick of his day who it is said that apart from being a genius on the park could also belt out a good rebel song.
Wullie Maley has been recorded when asked who his best player was in his 53 years of involvement with the club replied without hesitation “Why that was Tom McInally!” didnae stop him getting rid of him twice and eating humble pie in bringing him back for a second term.
That was the same Wullie Maley we like tae sing about that also tried tae flog our greatest ever goalscorer and possibly player tae pay for a new stand, when the great mhan turned them down saying Jimmy McGrory of Celtic sounds better than Jimmy McGrory of Arsenal they docked his wages.
Then there was Willie Buchan said to be a player before his time, although not born a Celt he like others came tae love the club and was devastated when he walked intae the Bank Restaurant to be met not only by Wullie but the Blackpool manager, this was just after scoring the winning goal in the hunden record breaking crowd final, what team sells their cup winner hmmm, he was being sold for a record transfer for a Scottish club.
Or could it be Bobby Collins and Willie Fernie both sold to pay for the floodlights or even club captain Bobby Evans, all 3 starred in hunden in the sun.
Or mibbees it’s Paddy Crerand who when told after coming out of Mass that he had been sold started greetin.
2 Lisbon Lions now come to mind, off tae Crystal Palace, even though they didnae want tae leave, both hounded out of the club, not by the board, but the greatest manager, Celtic or otherwise, in my lifetime.
Or what about Davie Hay who went on a yearlong campaign against the clubs wage structure, not just for him but also his team mates. He did win his case but a former miner, of all people who knew the value of comradeship, sold him for daring to take on the club, cost us not just a great player and future captain but also eventually the Fife Beckenbauer.
Oh did I mention Frank McGarvey sold for the paltry fee of 80 grand and yet 2 year later won another Scottish Cup.
The Celtic we all like tae think we support died 3 years after we were started when we assisted in the formulation of the SFL paving the way for professionalism, in fact it probably went 2 year earlier when James Kelly was enticed tae leave his native Renton by being offered a couple of pubs.
Brother Walfred was transferred tae the East End of London in 1893 by this time we were no longer a charitable company and in 1897 became a private limited company.
KT if sold will become one of many players, even during these Bosman era times, told he is surplus to requirements, that’s just the way it is, was and always will be.
David 66,
Let’s not underestimate Arsenal.
Revenue : 9th largest in the world.
Social media activity: 5th largest in the world.
Forbes report 2018.: The 3rd most valuable in England.
Renumeration: 10 players earning >£100k per week.
All in all, not many teams in the world bigger or play in one of the world’s most desirable cities.
HH.
GREENPINATA on 4TH JULY 2019 8:59 PM
They got to the final of the Europa League and missed out on fourth by a point
Chelsea have just appointed a manager with a years experience just lost their most important player and have a transfer ban in place.
They aren’t as far away from the next best after city and Liverpool as some think
Thanks bhoys, I’ll get on to Amazon
He’s not getting into the City or Liverpool teams, Chelsea can’t sign him , United have got Luke Young as their no 1 left back and Spurs aren’t looking for one at the moment
Arsenal’s the best option for him at the moment
Actually, spurs are looking at Sessignon for a load of cash
If KT has to go……anywhere but Leicester please.
CELTIC40ME on 4TH JULY 2019 9:12 PM
He’s not getting into the City or Liverpool teams, Chelsea can’t sign him , United have got Luke Young as their no 1 left back and Spurs aren’t looking for one at the moment
I think you mean Ashley Young, Jonny Hayes would be a better option than him never mind Kieran!
I would rate KT above both Man City full backs.
No idea why we are entertaining any bids. Money in the bank from Dembele / Rodgers plus likelihood of Ntcham & Sinclair to come. KT’s time will come, whether it is 1 or 2 years down the line.
Fairhillbhoy
Played with Marspapa a few weeks ago up at Colville Park n Mick just lives round the corner if u all fancy a game there let me know n I’ll organise it.
Kikinthenakas ?️♂️??️♂️
Luke Shaw, not Young. United gave him a ridiculous contract to him last season and seem to rate him.
City have Mendy coming back from injury who cost them 50m quid and if he’s ever fit again is a fantastic player. Zinchenko did very well for them last season. I don’t think Tierney is yet proven at the same level, and City just resigned a left back who had a season in the Netherlands and has come back as a bit of a project
One for the cqn book club…Pure by Andrew Miller.
We need a rightback to come in and play. he needs to be an upgrade on what we had or have. We have got to be active and get that sorted asap. No cheap options just get it done, simple.
Then its a case of buying to replace any players sold. If we are gonna let any of out most valuable guys go ntcham, rogic and/ or sincliar should go ahead before kt, mcgregor or eduard.
HH
???????
Aiden McGeady was sold against his will in 2010 to fund Neil Lennon’s first full season in charge.
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Thoroughly enjoyed that book and will read it again someday.
HH
https://in.reuters.com/article/argentina-poverty/argentine-soccer-giant-river-opens-stadium-to-homeless-as-winter-bites-idINKCN1TY2YH?rpc=401&
Great initiative by River Plate fc.
Haven’t read of any clubs in the UK doing this though I may have missed it.
HH
It gets some bad reviews, but I enjoyed “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman.
Each to their own…Hail Hail.
Also Buddha Da by Anne Donovan was very good imo.
Hail Hail…Night Bhoys.
This made me smile:
” Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you
have a motivated idiot. ”
JJ
emerald b @ 8:05 pm
Thank you.
JJ
PS The Library is more my thing than Amazon:-) I did look in the `D`s `in Arbroath Library yesterday but did not see anything by Sandrone Dazieri.
Good Morning – Warm In The Chilterns With A Gentle Summers Breeze…
Read an article by James Forrest regarding the speculation that MO’N could return to Celtic Park as DofF.
Now, short of one of Paul67’s abstract nods t’uther day, I knew nothing of this.
Maybe it’s a thing because of that and someone asked Lenny what he thought – Lenny poo-poo’d it.
So that’s that, or is it.!?
https://thecelticblog.com/2019/07/blogs/lenny-is-right-martin-oneill-had-his-time-at-celtic-i-am-happy-to-remember-him-as-he-was/
Now a few interesting things in that blog piece.
The first is Martin’s undoubted credentials; a very smart ghuy with a law degree, been in football man and boy, learned under Brian Clough & Peter Taylor, maybe not done the DofF role specifically but done everything else. I don’t buy MO’N the touchline fanatic, of course this quiet reflective Irishman came alive then. But there’s so much more to him than that.
The next thing that caught me was the ascertion that Celtic’s manager was “the Captain of the ship”, with his hand on the wheel. Really!? Thought James Forrest paid attention to such stuff…
There’s only one hand on the Celtic tiller – Admiral Rodgers had the crazy idea that he could steer the good ship Celtica – it didn’t end well.
Of course we have Lenny saying it’s not going to happen. Why?
Could be he called Martin to commiserate on the loss of his position at Nottingham Forrest, had heard the rumours, asked the question and got a fullsome answer.
My theory is this though; maybe the open secret that their is no love lost between PL and MO’N is true and that Lenny knows it’s impossible for the two to work together.
It’s also generally regarded as true though that DD is an great admirer of Martin’s.
Now when we think back to the days pre- Big Pedro, long time ago I know, we had a guy called Ian McLeod in charge. Now who was his Director of Football… no one, Kenny had gone.
But between him and Martin O’Neil, they did a great job. Of course steering a course that was eventually going to bankrupt the Club was a hitch, but none the less what a Football Squad.
Anyways, I’ve got a feeling if this DofF suggestion was put to the Chief the reply might be – over my dead body…
Interesting – metophorically speaking of course…
Hail Hail
DBHOY on 5TH JULY 2019 12:19 AM
Celtic do a great deal for the poor and homeless; and rightly so. Initiatives like utilising football grounds should be explored. ( But after evaluation of the City Chambers)
However, I’ve got a better initiative to help the poorest and most vulnerable in our society and it’s not rocket science.
Spend some of the Scottish government underspend. In these times of austerity it’s obscene that we don’t spend our allocated money.
£7 billion underspend since 2007 is not prudence its disgusting and immoral.
HH to all
DBHOY 12:19 am
Crystal Palace are already doing it – and so should Celtic.
The scale of homelessness is a disgrace – a hideous legacy from the baby boomer generation who embraced Thatcherism.
If Celtic ever get round to building Almores Cafe – it should be on the same lines as Social Bite.
http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2019/01/crystal-palace-shelter-the-homeless/
Social Bite web site…
https://social-bite.co.uk/
Can someone run round to GARNGAD and wake them up.
Fav U – I am here, a long lie in bed today as I’m off today. Off to Rhodes mañana, what’s Greek for mañana? 😂
So Good morning CQN from an overcast Garngad
I suppose it doesn’t matter which financially doped team KT goes to, as long as the bhoy milks them for every penny as he deserves it.
D. :)
ZIGGYDOC1 on 4TH JULY 2019 4:53 PM
The old memory cells ain’t what they used to be. Maloney would have come into similar category. Kenny Miller was certainly one that I feel was punted out the door for an ok price at the time (albeit he was a good player (no natural finisher but work rate second to none)).
I’m sorry to say I think that if someone comes in for KT with a bid of over £20M, then we will sell him. It’s one thing saying the boy doesn’t want to go but another when we go to him and say … have made a bid that matches our valuation. That said, as we are conditioned to be a ‘selling club’ like Ajax, then we need to get used to it. We really need to do something to bridge the gulf in TV revenue that exists between us and England
======
Agreed.
I struggle to think of ways we can bridge the gap any time soon in any significant way.
We done well to get ourselves involved in ‘glamour’ pre-season games/Int Champions Cup, then they throw us in a round earlier in the CL reducing the opportunites to even do that.
We’re going in the right direction. Its progress we’re in a position to knock back £20m.
HH
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 4TH JULY 2019 6:08 PM
Don’t disagree with any of that.
Its not even beyond the realms of possibility that Boli and Perraud could come in and make us forget all about KT.
HH