Occasionally an innocuous comment left here can stay with you for years. The day following the 2005 defeat in Bratislava someone wrote, “I suspect we’ll find an injury in Nakamura’s fitness test”. The player was scheduled to sign imminently, but with Champions League income looking unlikely, doubts emerged that Celtic would pay the money.
Soon others expressed doubts that Shunsuke would want to come, but within 48 hours of that defeat, he was sitting in front of the media at Celtic Park. I was there, among a gaggle of Japanese and Scottish journos, when one of the locals asked why the prospect of being without European football didn’t put him off.
Shunsuke handled the question perfectly, “I am not here for six games of football, I have signed for Celtic and hope to play here for many years.” Rumour has it that not everyone in the dressing room back then was equally as enthusiastic about life in Glasgow.
I’ve heard lots about Wakaso Mubarak in recent weeks, he appears to be a genuine talent, as well as being spirited. What is most appealing about him is that he wants to be here. This deal would not have happened if the player was not absolutely committed to coming to the club, and making his stay a success.
Back in August 2005 we didn’t know what we were getting with Naka, and I’m not going to burden Wakaso with a comparison to a player who turned out to be a transformational legend, but we need players with big personalities who can walk into the dressing room with the determination to be there, just as Naka did.
Welcome to Celtic, Wakaso. Be yourself and you’ll love Glasgow; Glasgow will love you too.
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The harder the group the day the better. Sevilla, Everton and Legia would do me nicely.
I said a few weeks ago that the board handled the Legia affair wrongly. I was shot down by some at the time, but looking back I stand by it. PL could have offered to forego the bye on the basis that the banned sub had no bearing on the result. He should have been smart enough to know that Uefa would have overruled him and Celtic as a club would have won the moral high ground.
Our board could also have foreseen the fallout that is now taking place. Legia have made a total pigs ear of the whole issue. They don’t have a leg to stand on but try telling that to their support. Last nights huge tifo, impressive as it was, will land the club in even more bother. I read the twitter posts underneath the photograph and fans of clubs all over Europe have come out in sympathy with the Poles, and having a go at Celtic. So that’s us in the firing line now in the eyes of many. Unjustified as it is, our reputation is taking a hit because of this. Even our own msm are right up for it, taking a pro LW stance against a Scottish club ffs?
This was all very avoidable and I fear that wherever we end up int the EL, we’ll be getting it tight from home fans, especially if its Eastern Europe. Some will come on and say we had a duty as a PLC to take the £20m ticket. But in a way the banner’s right. It’s all about money now, rather than scruples and principles. A bit rich however coming from the supporters of a club that lowered themselves trying every which way possible to get out of a mistake of their own doing, to get their hands on the same £20m.
hh
CELTIC have failed in an eleventh hour bid for Atletico Madrid left-back Emiliano Insua.
Ronny Deila wanted the 25-year-old Argentinian defender on a season-long loan, but it looks as though the former Liverpool player will remain in Spain.
For more on this: http://www.facebook.com/cqnmagazine
Turkeybhoy
Yes indeed…rangers are deid.
But their ancestors are still with us.
HH
Sorry…descendents
Token tim. Nearly went to mumbia last year Got out if it though :)
Was informed to eat crisps and sandwiches
The quality manger went with out me :) and went to a top top resturant
He asked to see kitchen
He then drunk bottled water and left
Good luck
Marrakesh Express
Also a bit rich from a club that was guilty of bribery in the 90s.
Peter Lawwell aint bothered with what any of us think.
Peter Lawwell is only bothered by what The Great Desmondo thinks.
Bhoylo83
10:24 on
29 August, 2014
Exactly how do the SFA keep Sevco from going bust?
If they have no money they have no money
What can the SFA do about that?
Dont let facts stop their nonsense.Some people saying they will not be allowed to go bust !!!!!! Their memories not able to go back to 2012.
winning captains
Ah! The old 11th hour bid scenario. Our speciality
Is ole Pete fighting back in the propoganda war?
Right
I am off oot to collect my glasses.
I am as blind as a parrot and my nose is sore from pressing it against the screen when typing as otherwise I cannot see a bloody thing that goes on here.
I have duff knees, an arm I can’t straighten and is permanently weak,knackered eyesight, trapped nerves at the top of my neck, a slightly irregular heartbeat and sticky up hair.
But I still have a better first touch then half the Celtic midfield and that’s with my cowboy boots on!
Winning Captains. We have as much success in the transfer market as we have in playing in European football. H.H.
Should have said 11th hour FAILED bid scenario.
Don’t buy into the idea that clubs all over eastern Europe are pro-Legia. Just as many can’t stand Legia and were more than happy to see them feck up.
• Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
17:13 on 28 August, 2014
Tradionalist 88
“Influential Posters” — jeez I really hope that ain’t me!
That is almost as bad as the level headed jibe of last week.
For the sake of argument I think I would be against the championship notion and I will tell you why:
I was brought up with Celtic in Europe playing against the Milans, Benficas, Madrids, Ajax and so on.
If we went down the Championship route we would be mixing with the Sheffields, Queens Park Rangers and so on and with no disrespect to them we would instinctively look upon such teams as a stepping stone to the EPL.
Let’s say we won the championship or even just gained promotion to the EPL.
Is that really the Nirvana many think it might be?
To compete at the top of that league you have to become like the top of that league. Owned by the sugardaddy with masses of money to spend or waste on the club.
Any semblance of ownership by the fans will not get you anywhere near the top of that league. Manchester Utd have just spent the equivalent of a whole years bloated TV money for a low lying EPL team on one player — and they will not be in the Champions League next year.
Further, as I have said previously, the set up with Celtic PLC as a business is such that under such circumstances, Celtic would be ripe to be sold like a chattel to the highest sports bidder with the danger that the soul of the club could be dropped ( might that be further dropped ) and in that sense would we really know the club that we support just now?
Of course the standard may well be higher than the SPFL, but the EPL ( and that has to be the aim for any Championship style move ) is a bloated league of teams owned by fat cats where the fans really are customers and no more.
I refer you to Roy Keane’s Prawn sandwiches.
Fergus didn’t have the right to sell me my own Celtic dream and i still long for a structure different to the PLC .
I fear that any move to the championship may be the catalyst for the worst of all scenarios.
Of course I may be wrong.
======
Yes, I would share all of the concerns about the implications for us if we moved south.
That said could we do an Arsenal or an Everton who are well run clubs competing near the top?
We have the infrastructure and Arsenal were competing at the top before they had to build a new stadium. Goodison Park holds about 20k less than CP and they compete at the right end of the table.
I can see the tempetation.
In an ideal world we would remain in a stable and prosperous SPFL. For it to be so we need Aberdeen,Dundee Utd,Hearts and Hibs to maximise their potential and compete with us. And the Sevco situation has to be resolved one way or the other.
I certainly do believe that the Edinburgh clubs will sort themselves out and Aberdeen and Dundee Utd have shown they can call on massive supports who perhaps don’t realise their own potential.
The next couple of years will be interesting…
HH
The Green Man
Firstly I am verry annoyed at the board and how we have been downsizing, while I agree that we are financially constrained (realitively) we are absolutely not getting value from our board and PL with regards to player recruitment.
For you to say PL has engineered the sevco going bust (again) news as a somkescreen to fool fans of celtic is a little bit far fetched and sounds like some of my Sevco supporting colleagues (not calling you a hun)
You are better than that argument.
weeminger
10:16 on 29 August, 2014
Tamrabam
10:06 on
29 August, 2014
The problem being once again that what do we do? I’ve stated repeatedly in recent weeks that for the 1st time we could and should have spent properly as we could do so regardless of European income.
The fact remains though that even with the lack of quality in this squad we run at a multi-million pound loss without European football. I suspect we’ve not got too much room on the non-football side to trim that in order to put more into the football budget.
The squad though is too large. 39 players in the 1st team squad, with only 1 under 20. However I suspect that trimming that back to 25-26 would save us no more than a couple of million at the absolute max. If we hope to maintain the ‘quality’ we have.
I know the speculate to accumulate argument, but there are no guarantees in football, and I definitely don’t want to be in the position where even the Europa League puts in a situation of large losses.
———————————————————-
I don’t neccessarily disagree, but wonder if a squad of 26 players would provide enought scope for the kind of squad rotation that RD appears to favour?
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
10:38 on 29 August, 2014
Right
I am off oot to collect my glasses.
I am as blind as a parrot and my nose is sore from pressing it against the screen when typing as otherwise I cannot see a bloody thing that goes on here.
I have duff knees, an arm I can’t straighten and is permanently weak,knackered eyesight, trapped nerves at the top of my neck, a slightly irregular heartbeat and sticky up hair.
But I still have a better first touch then half the Celtic midfield and that’s with my cowboy boots on!
=============================================================
You could be our next signing target
Turkeybhoy
If sevco do go bust….I will be the first to say…you were right.
But they will be here cheating us…next season
HH
weeminger
the downsizing is out of control. When folk like your good self are shouting for money to be spent, then its a sure sign that the worm is turning
Ronny is one of Big Peters biggest gambles and Ronny may turn out to the straw that breaks the camels back, unless he comes good in the EL
It has been said that many tic fhans get more enjoyment from the huns demise than from Celtic prospering, i thought that once the huns died we would secure CL fitba and ram home our growth and secure our future.
In reality we sold our best players every season and for some weird reason still expected to qualify for the CL.
How to turn it around? Well big Pete gets just shy of a million quid a year I hope he has a plan otherwise he is out! If you want my own opinion about how to get bums on seats, which will be the first step to turning the huge ship Celtic around, then howabout
stop banning the GB
stop overpolicing CP
introduce standing areas
get a pint at the match
improve catering rip off
stop the lucky midgie signing policy
sign 2 first team players every season instead of 8 squad players
prepare early for CL qualifiers
stop transatlantic tours in preparation for CL qualifiers
urge SFA to reconfigure the dead duck league cup into a preseaon tournie with euro place for winners
give away tickets to supporters clubs and encourage supporters buses and not cars
stop live coverage of league games
stop sunday noon kick offs
just a few points for starters, from the top of my head.
failure to change will result in failure
The Green Man
10:30 on
29 August, 2014
Big Peter….your smokescreen has worked fantastically well.
Mass distraction tactic….nice move.
But not quite.
Im sure the Celtic fans will let you know what they think…stuffing your ears with cotton wool….wont work.
Peter….take some responsibility for your failures.
Its the right thing to do.
Sack the board
No sevco at CP
HH
Sadly,as much as I agree with all of this,it was a waste of your time hammering those keys.Nothing will change.Our Clappers hands will be red raw in a matter of days.Such is life.
ernie lynch
10:36 on
29 August, 2014
Exactly, and this is my worry about replacing PL. His replacement will still have to follow DD’s plan but what if he’s not as good at the commercial side as PL seems to be. If sponsorship etc falls what then?
I’m critical of them board not releasing the purse strings, when we can and I maintain that this is the first season when it’s really been a viable option even for our risk averse board but at the same time, I do have a bit of better the devil you know.
Some great Celtic supporters will be waiting anxiously to see the Europa league draw before deciding whether or not they will support Celtic on those occasions.
Have we always been this fickle?
Or should we just go and support our team whether its vs Barcelona or Partick Thistle?
There were empty seats last time we were in the Europa and at home to Athletico Madrid, all because it wasn’t the Champions League.
Some people need to learn to think for themselves. Sky might tell you the CL is everything, but actually, no it isn’t. That Europa campaign was good for Lennon and his team. And the same coefficient points can be won I believe.
HH
Thats two pro-PL mates of mine who have now come out in criticism of his running fo CFC.
Morning Bhoys
Feckin miserable here in Dunblane, wonder what Pistol Pete will come up with later on?????? Good draw in the Europa needed BUT IS there a good draw??? I’ve got a charity golf competition this afternoon so hopefully it gonna brighten up!!!! :-(….
T ‘N T or WITS Needing a horsey tip to brighten up my day PLEASE ;-) HH
*temptation
Tamrabam
10:44 on
29 August, 2014
I’ve always said to people that the accounts show where the money is going, and pointed out how quickly we could find ourselves in trouble. So if I’m being consistent, which I try to be, then with circa £25M surplus I see no reason why £10-15M spending can’t be sanctioned and we still maintain our CL buffer.
While i am a deep seated mineshafter i do still thoroughly enjoy the huns/sevco demise
long may that continue. Lord knows we are struggling to get some good news from our own camp so we often have to rely on bad news from the sevconians instead!
I have absolutely no expectations of any revelations arising from a Peter Lawwell interview with the Press and can only predict disappointment for anyone expecting fulsome apologies, refunds, resignations, or a detailed dissection of what has gone wrong in the past 6 months/ year/ decade / since he was born.
The Press interview is not a great conduit for getting information out from the club to the supporters. It is an expected ritual to be endured where PL will aim to say as little as possible whilst looking suitably disappointed in recent events, while the Press Pack waits for him to utter an indelicate word or phrase that they can pounce on and distort as proof that his aims are totally at odds with those of the fans.
Those that already believe that will go on believing it whether the Press backs their views or not, as will those who have alternative views. Anything PL says that is too upbeat or positive will find an unreceptive audience which was badly hurt by the Legia and Maribor experience. Anything too downbeat and defeatist will be met with the cry of “why don’t you take responsibility and resign!”. It is all, unfortunately, a bit of a game and a farce, which is why we will get several variants on “We must try and will do better in future and we will back the manager as seen by the recent signings”. If he says anything else he will be departing from the script and usurping the rules of the game.
We really do need a better medium that allows PL to be more forthcoming with the fans. We need a David Frost style interview rather than a Jeremy Paxman (odious man) type of interview. Lengthy, relaxed and exploratory rather than short, pugnacious and hostile.
I won’t be listening in to the interview but I can guarantee that people will be disappointed by what is not said. It will be the same as Paul67 gets for failing to write the article that the blog consumers demand- nothing PL says today can alter the fury we feel at what we witnessed in Europe this season. Only signs of improvement in the play of the Team, particularly in Europe, this season, can change that.
Oh! And not selling VVD or Commons
Thehoopedduke
There is a method in my madness.
The corruption in Scottish football. ..imo, makes any scenario possible.
Supporters should understand the extremes of underhand behaviour….in Scotland. …thats the way football has always been run..
So imo….thems and their partners in crime, are capable of anything.
Im not mad….im just aware.
HH
Tamrabam,
Great list.Everything on it would help greatly.Will he listen?.Not a hope.
Totally adrift from the fan is our Peter.
Lives in the same place as the team that wanted Jelavic come from.
I fear its too late for him to change.His mind is set.A bit like a mad Dictator.
But its not his fault,DD tells him to do it.
Oh my,the sheer innocence of some.
Going – off oot – as yon eejit says(only kiddin Kev:)
Only kiddin ?What? You are not really going oot?
From last night.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
19:36 on
28 August, 2014
quonno
Was I referring to you ?
If you were not referring to me why did you direct your post at me.
Sevco should be banned from signing players instantly.
They have been cheating since their inception spending money they don’t have.
Hibernian might just grow a pair and pull them on it.
They are abiding by the rules whilst Hearts and Sevco have bent and cheated financially and may cost Hibs again.
LB
The Green Man
Don’t think you are mad, clearly you love Celtic and are hurt by what is going on.
Hail Hail
SFTB
are you the CEO of Oracle.
You just seem to know everything!
I’m still going with A flying Casino and new stadium on The Dark Side of the Moon with regards Celtic’s SSDM succullent lamb selected sports blabberers back patting.
MWD says AYE and embdy that says no needs a labotomy of the frontal order.
ernie lynch
10:36 on 29 August, 2014
Peter Lawwell aint bothered with what any of us think.
Peter Lawwell is only bothered by what The Great Desmondo thinks.
The bottom line in all of this.
Celtic Football Club @celticfc 45s
@Callummcgregor8 signs new five-year contract with Celtic
http://www.celticfc.net/news/6551