When the players arrived at Lennoxtown for training yesterday morning, Brendan Rodgers had no intention of allowing Moussa Dembele to leave the club. Such was the player’s behaviour over the following two hours, the manager’s view changed to “Get him out of here.”
Yet again, the days ahead of an important game were clouded by distraction, but this time it took the form of insubordination against the manager. Brendan’s view changed from not wanting to be left with only two strikers, to insisting the player was shipped out of the club.
One photographer, there for the press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game, told the manager, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years and never seen behaviour like that.”
You and I have seen many come and go over the years, so losing one is nothing new. Receiving £20m also breaks a barrier in what we can ask for our players in the future, but the manner which this came about is a source of regret. Moussa is a great player, one who delivered for us when it mattered most. His goals and swagger were a joy to watch. Now, the memory of his achievements have been violated by his behaviour. Having a go at the manager on Twitter, where he talked about being lied to (utter rubbish) and ‘Liked’ a comment from Chris Sutton saying he was targeting Brendan, all while playing to “Bhoys and Ghirls” is deplorable. I’ll get over it and applaud politely when you do the Paradise Windfall 15 years from now, but we’re not buying it, Moussa.
Lots to say on the transfer window, but I’ll pick up on it more next week. We have a game tomorrow against an outfit who think they can win the league. This is a day for Brendan and Scott Brown, Dedryck, Kieran, Callum, Tom and the others to do what they do so often against Newco. It’s a day for you and me to lift the team and paint Glasgow green and white.
Last month was traumatic, but it was also cathartic. We are a united club with a bit of an edge right now. Do your thing, Celtic. Spank this lot one more time.
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BT
My first thought on reading Paul67’s article, was Rodgers v Sterling. Glad Brendan showed the same strong management towards Moussa.
Let’s pump these sewer rat cheats tomorrow
YNWA
DENIABHOY
I think it will only be tight if our tactics allow.
The Calmac,Nt’cham and Brown formation struggles to impose itself at both ends of the pitch.
They have to play in a more cohesive and compact manner and not leave the acres of space they’re prone to.
Not a criticism of the individual players who are all excellent but of a lack of clarity in their roles.
Hearts showed the huns the template to rough us up and signing Lafferty was confirmation.
Our full backs also seem a little unsure of their role and stopping crosses is not our forte.
Hopefully Benkovic will be used to counter their shitebag battering ram.
We have to get back to the high pressing game of Brendan’s first season and their players limited ability will be exposed.
I’m sorry but regardless of the rights (or more accurately) wrongs of Dembele’s behavious he *was* lied to. It’s been said in public never mind behind closed doors or during signing talks that players will come in, improve and be sold to bigger leagues when offers come in, that players wouldn’t be held back. It might not be contractual but let’s not vilify a player for being upset at what he sees (quite rightly) as a broken promise.
Do you really think when Dembele moved from Fulham he didn’t do so on the plan that he’d move to a top English club, a PSG or Lyon, Dortmund or Munich, Bareclona or Madrid once an offer came in?
*It’s not his fault we weren’t prepared!*
The Hands- not denying we are weaker, just stating a fact
Oglach posted a few quotes from Lawwell on the last thread, those who are supporting him obviously didn’t read them, here are a couple, our CEO an lie through his teeth and the cap doffers will still accept anything, I am reminded of supporters of another club that behave in this way.
From 2018. Asked about the impact of not getting through to the CL group stages, Lawwell told the Celtic Underground podcast:
‘I don’t think we’ve ever been stronger…………A matter of opinion.
‘At the moment, I’m looking at two or three years out and understanding where we can be and where we want to be………..Losing the manager and having to rebuild the team next year, was that in your plans ?
‘We’ve got resources that will enable us to have a long runway and enable us to look at any things that don’t go to plan………..Great, so the money in the bank will, what will it do then ?
‘We do plan for the unexpected so I think we’re very robust. We have good resources and we have pretty ambitious plans in regards to the football team and around Celtic Park.’…………….Great planing, selling your best striker with no back up, amaturish at best, dereliction of duty at worst, you decide Peter.
Malone
Do you think that Brendan lied to him – that was the implication with his tweets
I am gonnae try to erase Moussa Hunskelper fae my head. Looking forward to supporting the new Bhoys Mulumbu and Bekovic and their teammates too.
YNWA
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2018 12:48 PM
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Usually enjoy your pieces, but I do not understand this tub thumping rabble rousing response to what has been a poor window.
Where is the merit in castigating all and sundry,”The consequences of this window haven’t even STARTED to reverberate yet.” are you trying to cause disruption with the loonies who light flares and continually expose us with IRA ditties etc.
We have had a poor planning experience AGAIN, I have commented often about the economics we apply so I am not naive with regard to strengthening from a position of strength,I understand it as I handled budgets far in excess of Celtic in my time.
Dembele has been a disgrace,so off with him, and any others that think they can take the Club or the emotions of supporters for granted.
I have never met Paul 67 I have occasionally communicated for password help,I enjoy CQN,and my view is your caustic comments are uncalled for.
Watching LEI v LIV – at our best BR’s Celtic play an identical shape to JK’s Liverpool. At our worst we defend the same way as Puel’s Leicester. But despite the negative hype, we’re still the best in the land.
Malone Bhoy you missed out a significant part in your accusation that BR is a liar and that’s the bit where it works for both sides.
BR is not above criticism but don’t do the double treble winning manager a disservice by editing, in the smsm style, salient points and or quotes
The Dembele issue is a complete sideshow.
Celtic were in full negotiating mode and Lyon blinked first or so the media portrayal has pictured. Easy to imagine further dereliction by Celtic and carefully managing the time-frame in all this.
The loan signing pre-recorded loan signing interview adds grist to the mill.
They have previous after all. a great many transfer windows prove it.
As an aside look to Lyon’s conduct in replacing the outgoing player ?
In hindsight Dembele’s performance against the Accies was telling. Seldom seen him so animated.
This transfer window has been a shocker that has cost the club money and esteem. Since January we have done nothing to improve the team immediately. In fact some of the projects (Hendry) have been thrown to the wolves and given the Ambrose/Boyatta treatment.
January – nothing – since. It has cost us big time. I’ll not go onto the manager’s position, other than to say he has made some unguarded declarations. He is an astute and passionate Celtic supporter. Read his words, just the quotes will suffice. He tells us frankly what has transpired.
I don’t understand how or why Celtic have been so derelict. Tomorrow will show the full extent of it. Sevco have paid money, quietly (lol) and efficiently. They have confidence, some built in the press added some reasonable players. We have stood still, at best.
Why ?
Another view from Twitter
Tony McKelvie
Current status: More money than sense
Auldheid
The core business is football and if you can bring in £20m that should be a welcome bonus but not the frigging aim of the business. When u have a manager who adds as much value via player development as the CEO directly & indirectly the processes need to support him not the CEO
Timposter
Absolutely bang on the money.
Auldheid
That is where the dynamic has changed. RD wasn’t adding the same value as PL, but BR can argue that he has. It’s the replenishment arrangement that needs reexamination, but that does mean accepting buying big is the last resort not the 1st, because of the price of an already developed player (who by defintion comes with experience)
Timposter
And someone doesn’t like it.
=======================
A bit of re-calibration needed that recognises that a good manager is worth his weight in gold .
Mind you I would say that having made the same point on here a good while back.
Its not everything going well that teaches you , its the clusterfupps and how you recover from them.
One lesson would be that when signing a player with development potential the contract recognizes that if if a player wishes to break that contract (as Dembele did) then a percentage of his new salary that he only commands because of the help in developing, is paid each month to Celtic for the length of that new contract elsewhere.
We might not be able to compete with big spenders but if we are supplying them with players we should get a cut of the big wages they are willing to pay.
It acts as a disincentive for players to break contracts but if it happens, provides ongoing value to Celtic and might even go to help wage the replacement player nearer the quality of the player leaving.
There are people at Celtic Park who, if they had any integrity, would have followed Dembele out of the door. Come what may, this window and its ultimate consequences are their legacy. This is what they will be remembered for long after they do go.
https://thecelticblog.com/2018/09/blogs/this-car-crash-transfer-window-should-leave-more-than-just-players-fighting-for-their-celtic-futures/
fan-a-tic – fair points, high pressing key to comfortable win. Do you really think Benkovic will go straight into the team? Can’t see it when he has only played one game since last May, against Fleetwood on the 28th August.
EXCATHEDRA44 :
I know Paul very well. The comment won’t surprise him in the slightest. I love the guy. I just can’t understand how he can continue defending the indefensible. We have argued this one back and forth for many years between us. I really do think the world of him, but I hate seeing this site, the most important of all the Celtic sites, by far, continue to give one side of the argument.
BCW
My only concern this transfer window, was not signing John McGinn.
Delighted we got Mulumbu though.
YNWA
More talk of us being “not prepared” for Moussa leaving. Again – hands up those quality replacements that were waiting about for brendan’s call……
Nope still can’t see anyone.
Some on here using hun tactics. Talk push enough and eventually it becomes fact!
I suppose now we will start to look at free agents like Ben Arfa?
Anyway. If I was to think any take on this transfer debacle in terms of events was on the money it would be Phils.
The problems took root in January with the Compper signing. Why and what happened?
The running theme had been the fans identification of need for a Centre back. Laterally we also identified need for a right back given the problems there. But centre back was a runing theme.
Regardless of anyone else’s opinion on Boyata though- why was he not given a deal when I assume the manager asked for that to happen?
If an offer was made and Boyata said no I’ll wait until after the work cup the writing should have been on the wall then for him to go. But did Rodgers trust that a replacement would come in that he wanted?
This has been our problem for 15 years at least.
Norrie
If there were truth in advertising, Celtic and CQN would remove any reference to Big Jock’s statement about our Jersey or lazy journalism, and instead replace them with pictures of King Desmond, along with our new slogan, “[Rangers are] needed for Scottish football because of their following, the size of the club and especially their history. We certainly would like to contest with them every week.”
It all comes down to whether Benkovic is any good!!!! Hear me out !
If Benkovic is good and Boyata and him are good, that gives us a very good spine (in spfl terms). CG (even Bain’s thought highly of) Broonie/Ntcham OE/LG.
If we win tomorrow and put clean sheets together in Sept, nobody will give a flying lafferty about MD ! Getting back to consistent form is about our defence not about MD – he’s hardly played ! That form will be reliant on BR being able to rotate central defenders and swith from 3 to 4 at the back without having to rely solely on jozo and a hendry. That all comes down to Benkovic. Skelp the liars filip.
Epic fail by the £85mil sweeper keeper from Liverpool
Celtic have a large healthy squad with depth.
No excuses. Just destroy the vermin tomorrow. Job done.
YNWA
Read Moussa’s comments..
The club were prepared to let him move in January (planning) because of the late timing of the bid but he forced us to “cave in” with his behaviour.
That would seem to be why permission to talk was given – to negotiate for a january move.
Team leaked
Gordon
Lustig
Boyata
Ajer
Tierney
Brown
Ntcham
Rogic
Forrest
McGregor
Edouard
How much was that Liverpool goalie
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2018 1:39 PM
There are people at Celtic Park who, if they had any integrity, would have followed Dembele out of the door. Come what may, this window and its ultimate consequences are their legacy. This is what they will be remembered for long after they do go.
2 things instantly come to mind
1, if we win the league this season and go on to more then this will not be their legacy. It won’t be completely forgotten but in time the results on the pitch that matter
2. in what is , relatively for celtic, recent history we have examples of people at celtic who have been vilified and yet later we remember them for their overall contribution. Fergus Mccann is the prime example
MIT
Thank you kindly for your veiled support the other day.
You are a great dude.
Wish you returned to Paradise though;)
JAMES FORREST
And if you really do love Paul67 I’d hate to see how you behave towards someone you hate! :)
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2018 1:42 PM
Thanks for replying.I know we are all on the same side,so lets consolidate.
I’d say Moussa’s insubordination yesterday was a natural consequence of more than a month long whispering campaign against the manager from the boardroom (leaks to mclaughlin), sponsors (burnley78’s gossip) and influential bloggers (you wrote ’em paul67? You own’em). Good luck to him but I don’t believe he’ll reach 100 games for Lyon.
Happy enough with how we are now at the back and in the middle, so long as Dedryck remains a willing worker. After Griff and Eddy, it’s make’n’mend up top and that leaves us skating on thin ice for four months, 20+ games. We’re left to hope Morgan emerges from rehab as the real deal.
A shocker from our recruitment structure who were blindsided by Villa’s change of owner and Real Madrid taking Lyon’s striker last week.
My biggest complaint over the last month or so is NOT the transfer window in’s and outs.
My concern is our pace of passing.
I want us to get back to a quicker game.Far too passive especially against teams that park the bus.
Which I imagine will probably be the case tomorrow.
Any thoughts folks?
DD
Cheers mate. There are lots of good lads, like yourself, on here. Truthfully, you guys are the reason I still haunt this place.
But, as for returning to Celtic? Honestly, I can’t ever see it happening. If I’m being honest, I probably hate the zombies more than I care for Celtic now. Which is sad.
CELTIC40ME:
He knows it too. Been too long since me and the man himself had a beer.
Need to remedy that soon.
EXCATHEDRA44:
Better believe it, and come tomorrow the big Green Machine will be fully behind the team on the park as we turn Gerrard’s pretenders into nothing but nail shavings.
Farewell, Moussa. You did some great stuff in the last two seasons then sullied that in the last couple of days. We move on. Hopefully Lee Congerton does too.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Looking at both defences there will be goals. Set pieces will be important at both ends so hopefully we get some good deliveries in for a change. And I want us to get bodies into the box. Get to the byeline, cause them problems. If we do our slow build-up and play in front of them it’ll play into their hands.
MIT
That’s sad – when the current custodians of the club are gone Glasgow Celtic will still be in our heart
Lazydynamite
Agree. The first part of your moniker Lazy, sums up a lot of our passing and forward play so far this season. Saw signs of change on Thursday 2nd half. Keep that going and we destroy that Sooside vermin tomorrow.
YNWA
At least we know where to come to see squirrels