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Michael, they have taken you away… from Ibrox

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If you aggregate the nods, winks and rumours around Celtic this week you might be inclined to think we’re in the market for a target-man striker with a few years’ experience under his belt.  I agree with the principle that we need a target man and I’m also of the view that short-term deals are not nearly as desirable as permanent contracts, but as we know, it’s too easy to load the club full of squad players who cumulatively cost a lot of money but scarcely trouble the first team.

Hooper, Stokes, Samaras, Bangura, Rasmussen and Murphy are all under contract for next season and we cannot be confident of attracting bids for any of those Neil Lennon might want to move on.  If we add a seventh striker, his name better be on the team sheet before Gary Hooper’s.  Signing an exotic version of Daryl Murphy would add spice to our week but would only consume scarce resources.  I’d rather not.

Co-opting a media partner works in theory.  It’s always better to have good relationships with the media than the kind of relationships Celtic perennially have, but what happens when your media partner plays with a straight bat?

Rangers media partner, STV, today report Nigerian trialist, Michael Uchebo, boarded a plane out of Glasgow a few hours after arriving (Michael, they have taken you away….) as the VVV-Venlo striker with 8 career goals to his name had “a poor first impression of” Rangers.

Michael, you clearly have a rubbish strike rate but you’re a remarkably perceptive individual.

Issue 6 of CQN Magazine is currently being prepared; drop me a line if you would like to advertise, celticquicknews@gmail.com.

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  3. danso_1888 on

    stephbhoy says:

     

    28 January, 2012 at 02:21

     

    danso_1888 says:

     

     

    is the polish bhoy coming to celtic then?

     

     

    well according to our very own polish scout Zbyszek it seems to be a done deal, and there is polish media saying it to.

  4. petec on

    TopCorner says:

     

    28 January, 2012 at 02:14

     

     

    It is a quality pass and totally Celtic.

     

     

    The Celtic centre midfield first half seemed to have so much time on the ball because of their skills. We have REAL quality coming through and a Big Thank You for getting these games uploaded m8.

  10. danso_1888 on

    what about this for a headline?

     

     

    They feared Messi would get a kicking at Ibrox

     

    Published: Today

     

    HOW Rangers tried to sign up Lionel Messi.

     

    It sounds like the first line of an elaborate joke. But it happened.

     

     

    And, for for the first time, former Gers manager Alex McLeish, his then first-team coach Jan Wouters and former Barcelona vice-president Ferran Soriano have unveiled sensational details of their attempts to pull off what would have been the Ibrox club’s greatest transfer. . .

     

     

    And also how close they came to landing World Cup Final match-winner Andres Iniesta when the Messi deal collapsed.

     

     

    Spain-based Scottish writer and broadcaster Graham Hunter reveals the top-secret plot in his new book — Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World.

     

     

    In the first part of SunSport’s exclusive two-day serialisation, we tell one of the most remarkable transfer stories in Scottish football history…

     

     

    ALEX McLEISH has always had an adventurous outlook on how to add quality to his squads.

     

     

    He has always loved European football and his early managerial success at Hibs centred around his imaginative recruitment of the former France defender Franck Sauzee and Russell Latapy, a magical midfielder who’d played for Porto — this when the Easter Road club had been relegated from the SPL in 1998.

     

     

    As Rangers manager, he succeeded with Mikel Arteta, a graduate on Barcelona’s acclaimed La Masia academy, Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Prso.

     

     

    However, during season 2003-04 he came closest to the greatest signing of them all — Messi.

     

     

    McLeish recalled: “Jan Wouters was my assistant at Ibrox at the time and I asked him whether or not he knew Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard and if he’d be willing to get in touch to check if there were some quality youngsters who might benefit us because of their talents, but who could gain experience in Scotland before returning to Barca.

     

     

    “Jan told me that he was slightly friendlier with Rijkaard’s assistant Henk ten Cate, and our scouts had already been aware of Leo Messi’s growing reputation at youth level.

     

     

    “We didn’t have much budget at the time and the previous season we’d taken some bigger-name players on free contracts or low transfer fees but higher wages.

     

     

    “This time, we thought that the fans might be a bit more understanding if we brought in younger or less experienced players, but who were of good quality.

     

     

    “Ten Cate and Jan had chats about us taking Messi on loan, but the guidance from Henk was that he was probably too young and possibly too slight to get benefit from Scottish football.

     

     

    “Our view was that Barca were probably hedging their bets at the time. Even then, they knew how good he was and they must have thought that letting him go to British football might be a risk because of the tough tackling.

     

     

    “But they were also obviously unsure about how quickly he might actually make the Barca first team.

     

     

    “We caught them just in the middle of that process of working out what they wanted to do with Messi.

     

     

    “But during the discussions Henk said to Jan that we should do ourselves a favour and take Iniesta on loan instead.

     

     

    “I think his exact words were, ‘This boy is going to be a world beater’ — which he proved for Spain against Holland in South Africa in the 2010 World Cup Final.

     

     

    “Henk told us that Iniesta ‘sees the picture in front of him’ earlier than anyone and that he’s got a great pass and an ability to beat people.

     

     

    “Eventually we made a formal enquiry. I think it would have been towards the end of season 2004-5.

     

     

    “But Messi played brilliantly in the Youth World Cup and Barcelona were sure that they wouldn’t loan him. Then Iniesta scored in a big pre-season game which meant that the club couldn’t really loan him out without losing face.

     

     

    “It was a pity nothing worked out because I’d been excited at the idea of one or other of them coming for a season.”

     

     

    Ferran Soriano was one of Barca’s two-vice presidents at the time and well recalls the fierce debate that raged inside the Nou Camp about letting Messi or Iniesta go to Ibrox.

     

     

    He said: “At the time of the Rangers interest there were lots of discussions about Iniesta.

     

     

     

     

    “I remember Henk defending his logic saying, ‘The guy’s small, he doesn’t have the strength, maybe we send him elsewhere for a couple of years and then we’ll see’.

     

     

    “He liked Marc van Bommel, for example, and this was apparent in the Champions League Final in 2006, where they — Rijkaard and ten Cate — started with van Bommel and the game changed when Iniesta came on for him.

     

     

    “In those discussions about whether to loan to Rangers, history and tradition played a role.

     

     

    “I remember Txiki Begiristain, Joan Laporta, the old guys, the local guys among the directors at Barcelona, defending Iniesta very, very strongly.

     

     

    “They were saying, ‘No, this guy has talent, he has to stay’ — and they were proved right.

     

     

    “It wasn’t easy to argue because the guy is small and at the time our rivalry was with Chelsea in the Champions League.

     

     

    “He was playing against guys like Michael Essien, who is three times bigger than him. So, it was a tough debate. Now it wouldn’t be an issue, but it was tough then.”

     

     

    Wouters also recalls how close Rangers came to pulling off the Iniesta deal.

     

     

    The former Ajax and Holland hero said: “The idea was that Alex and I wanted Rangers to play good football.

     

     

    “We had some Spanish and Dutch and Italian players and what it seemed was that Scotland wasn’t producing too many technical players at the time.

     

     

    “I recognise that it’s a problem if you bring in too many foreigners because it can stop local guys coming through.

     

     

    “But if you bring quality then the idea is that your home-developed players learn from them and improve.

     

     

    “When I spoke to Henk he was very open to the idea. Iniesta needed game time and, although there was a debate about the physical side of the game in Scotland, Henk knew that Rangers were intent on playing good football.

     

     

    “It’s also true that the players who have the gift of one-touch, two-touch football tend to be able to avoid the physical intensity of the Premier League.

     

     

    “Iniesta would have been a great success but when there was an opportunity at Barca he took his chance — and the project to take him on loan disappeared.

     

     

    “He would have loved the atmosphere at Ibrox. I know that because I still miss Scotland and Scottish football.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

    yes i give you the scottish sun, truly astounding never mind all the trialists walking out they could have had messi and Iniesta.

  16. Margaret McGill on

    Forgive me guys there is a word that I have typed that is causing concern somewhere. Cant figure out which one it is.

  18. Margaret McGill on

    BABASONICOS71 has some taste eh? Love it.

     

     

    I almost had a psychic boyfriend but he left me before we met.

     

     

    Friday. Take it easy.

     

     

    Ghost of the Girl in the well

     

    Johnny Cash

     

    A brighter Beat

     

    4 cigarettes

     

    And one day the curia murdered you

     

    Gilt complex

     

    Computer love

     

     

    HH

  19. petec on

    kitalba says:

     

    28 January, 2012 at 03:02

     

     

    Incredulous stuff that is not surprising to an awakened populace.

     

     

    I’m guessing that is why they will Die very soon.

  20. Margaret McGill on

    ..aaaahhhh must be the new spam filter on html tags

     

     

    ok it was

     

     

    Willard Grant Conspiracy

     

    Sons and daughters

     

    Malcom Middleton x2

     

    The Fall

     

    Sons and daughters

     

    Kraftwerk

     

     

    all beauties at pablo level

  22. Margaret McGill on

    Kitalba…one more thing before I go..remember Mark Twains quote…

     

    “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”

  23. petec on

    Margaret McGill

     

     

    The new filters have made all youtube links in a persons name redundant once they post a youtube link AFAIK.

     

     

    It happened to me earlier, so I just changed my link to a blog I read rather than a youtube link I had.

     

     

    I like having the green idented name as much as anything else and I’m sure most on here feel the same.

  24. kitalba on

    Margaret McGill:

     

     

    I watch them, that is not to say I believe or profess it.

     

     

    Anyway enough of the heavy stuff for me today, off to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. Now that is believable.

  26. Margaret McGill on

    petec says:

     

    28 January, 2012 at 03:27

     

     

    Good to know. thank you!

     

     

    Kitalba No worries mate..

     

     

    ..so no more youtube links? Is that the new rules?

  27. petec on

    Margaret McGill says:

     

    28 January, 2012 at 03:33

     

     

    Youtube links in your name seem to flag up a security thing when you post youtube stuff. I know this because I was posting stuff without any problem before I dropped the Jimmy Sanderson to notthebus.

     

     

    Were you at the game caller?

     

     

    Strange thing is that I could still post after for a short period.

     

     

    This is why I said that BJmac may have the same problemo.

  30. petec on

    PJBhoynyc says:

     

    28 January, 2012 at 03:50

     

     

    You already know the answer, you have always said what you have said about DD.

  32. PJBhoynyc on

    One for you petec….

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrLozRR7xh8&feature=related

     

     

    I cannot help but look at the last few years, Alex Salmond, and at poor old Super Swally as a Pawn in a much. much bigger Prawn Sandwich Game. Bless him and his mooth.

     

     

    And Neil too Alas…..

     

    Albeit with much more Class…

     

    As Sacrificial Lambs

     

    There is no much too pass….

     

     

    The phrase ‘Nest of Vipers’ comes to mind…

     

    Or perhaps sim[ly ‘The Cost of Living’

     

     

    If they get a pass into the SPL conglomerate….

     

    Game Over.

     

     

    Roll on the Revolution/

  33. petec on

    PJBhoynyc

     

     

    All I do know is you don’t post nearly enough, I know it makes your posts more important when you post less.

     

     

    This War is Spiritual, unfortunately. :/ no amount of Big strong man will beat this evil m8.

     

     

    The Mystery Schools have always brought about their plans amid Chaos and Revolutions.

     

     

    order out of chaos.

     

     

    You know DD is ahead of the game in financies, You must surely realise that these revolutions are controlled.

     

     

    I am sure you will have watched the Riddles in Stone – Secret Architecture of Washington DC. ;)

  36. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Ozzies

     

    A.B.C.Now.

     

    Womens` A league final in Canberra. v Brisbane

     

    Hoops conspicuous by their presence.

  38. murdochbhoy on

    I must admit that I haven’t read back as much as I usually do so I’m not sure if anyone has picked up on the possibility of the chilly blast from Siberia (forecast to last a month) might just knacker Craig Whyte’s carefully planned cash flows for the next month.

  40. fergus slayed the blues on

    Morning bhoys/ghirls

     

    Has any murky park trialist left on the night bus ,I am struggling to keep up .

     

    Although I am sure the LL will let us all know with big back page stories today .

     

    Oh silly me ,they will probably lead with

     

    LENNY CAN’T SPEND A PENNY headlines .and stories of how ragers were goin to buy MESSI and INEiSTA .Naw even they wouldn’t be that stupid surely

     

    hail hail

  42. Allgreen on

    I’m not surprised that the Huns haven’t lost important players during the window yet. I am surprised that we haven’t been able to move on some of our fringe players.

     

     

    I would like to see some of the better young players go out on loan for games but hope we can shift some of our right back and centre back surplus.

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