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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quonno
Hibs are directly affected. They were knocked out of the cup by a club who can;t afford to pay their players.
LB
Sydneytim
Its a gravy train.
Downsize the team. ..but not their own salaries.
Brass necks galore.
Perks and bonus culture…while the team goes backwards.
Im amazed what the plc get away with.
Zero responsibility for failure.
What a bit of graft that is eh.
HH
Is it a 5 year LOAN deal withan option to buy?
MWD says AYE
Sorry CQNers, just nipped in before having to nip back out to ask if any of you can tell me what time the Europa draw is made?
Jungle Jim
11:19 on 29 August, 2014
“Communication is key in everything we do. Celtic are attrocious at this critical task.”
Apart from the spelling of `atrocious` , this is the negative with which I most agree.
JJ
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I blame the sticky keyboard and Peter “The Wolf of Janefield Street” Lawwell. :-)
Mildouwolf67
11:18 on 29 August, 2014
Well done to Celtic in rewarding Callum McGregor with a new 5 year contract. Great news.
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Good news indeed.
Larsson80
Can’t even remember the post now so need to apologise but fair play to you. Very decent of you.
Hail hail
NatKnow
“If we had a team like that now the pain would be less. N’est-ce pas, chief?”
This is a genuine question ( I was away from Scotland for many years and had less interest in Celtic than I do now). Did that team fail to qualify from the CL Group? Were they really as good as many seem to `remember`?
JJ
Natknow
wee bit worrying that comment there.
:-)
MWD says AYE
‘ we are all in this together’
‘Ronny was the only man we offered the job to…’
‘The Celtic Way is nice…’
‘the fans deserve answers..(sic)…’
‘the Board are Celtic fans too’
‘we don’t have EPL TV money….’
‘the laon system works,McGregor went to Notts County,new contract here….’
‘the Commonwealth Games were nice’
‘we will give Ronny all the support he needs to succeed’
‘look what happened to other teams who spent what they didn’t have’
‘the Celtic Way is nice’
‘we are a Champions League Club’
‘we will work up til the last minute of the window…….to get Commons and VVD out the door’
‘we are a stand alone entity’
‘The Celtic Way is nice’
‘every penny we take in will be reinvested in the team’
‘investing heavily in new pies ‘
‘ Craig Gordon cost nothing’
‘Roy Keane and Henrik were never offered the job’
‘The Celtic Way is nice”
‘stick to the questions i gave you….’
Nat Know
Agreed.
As you know, signing policy is not the great issue for me or one that Celtic, operating in Scotland, have a lot of freedom within which to adjust its parameters. Even the critics are saying they only want a “little more” spending. A little more or a little less rarely has much influence on outcomes, unless you are Mr. Creosote or a mythical camel faced with just one more straw. I started attending Celtic matches before Lisbon, when Celtic were not in the top 2 and as low as 8th. My Father’s generation had to cope with the post WW2 era where success was very intermittent. If they had not stuck through poor results and poor signings, who would have taken me to CP to see my first games?
I agree that the more worrying disconnect is over the fan relations issue, the harassment of the GB, their failure to organise in defence of fans interests, and what seems like pettiness and knee-jerk thinking in their response to Motherwell and Dens Park publicity last season.
Mubarak and Scepovic might be great signings but that will not alter the disconnect. Still I don’t think the Scottish Press talking to PL is going to fix any of that either.
Interview with Peter Lawwell on free view Celtic Tv now.
HH
The group stage draw will be streamed live in UEFA.com’s DrawCentre from 13.00CET today
12 noon in these parts.
2005 all over again.
Money being spent but too late.
Beyond shambolic.
Was PL not interested in the CL and its £20mill net cash?
Useless is only the half of it.
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2137734.html EUROPA CUP DRAW
itsabouttim-midday
Many thanks beamish. And to any others that may respond after I’ve had to shoot off.
Ditto bb
SydneyTim
keep an eye on this place an old friend of mine may be in charge of the fayre
http://www.theoldclarehotel.com.au/
PL talking about our CL players” van Dijk,at the moment……..”
Jungle Jim
11:27 on 29 August, 2014
NatKnow
“If we had a team like that now the pain would be less. N’est-ce pas, chief?”
This is a genuine question ( I was away from Scotland for many years and had less interest in Celtic than I do now). Did that team fail to qualify from the CL Group? Were they really as good as many seem to `remember`?
JJ
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Went out of the CL and into the UEFA, innit? Was that team as good as we remember? Well, I can;t speak for everyone but I can speak for myself. I’ll give you 2 answers –
1. The subjective answer – from my perspective absolutely. They provided excitement, goals, dig, flair at times. This is the only answer that really matters to me. However…
2. The objective answer – they made it to the final of a European competition for the first time in over 30 years.
So in my view, yes.
Jungle Jim posted:
A little help here, please:
a) Seville was one of the truly great Celtic supporting experiences;
b) The Europa League is singularly uninspiring.
Am I the only one excited waiting for the Europa League draw?
PL talking to the fans! I’m in a SPIN!
Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan.
11:27 on 29 August, 2014
Natknow
wee bit worrying that comment there.
:-)
MWD says AYE
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Whit wan?! :-)
I was looking forward to the EL draw but now that I have been educated in how beneath us this competition is, I will go out shopping. Haddock and asparagus on the menu.Is that downsizing?
Cheerio,
JJ
Celtic supporters will support Celtic in the Europa League.
Celtic supporters whose attendance depends on the identity of the opposition are big game hunters and are not Celtic supporters in any meaningful sense.
Bring it on.
HH
Nat
Thanks for the reply. I note that CL exit was , it would seem, more readily accepted then.
Definite Cheerio,
JJ
What’s Peter Lawwell saying?
Anyone watching?
LB
Jungle Jim
11:41 on 29 August, 2014
Nat
Thanks for the reply. I note that CL exit was , it would seem, more readily accepted then.
Definite Cheerio,
JJ
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Yes – I would posit that expectations then were lower.
MON THE HOOPS!!!!!
ST @ 1112hrs,
yep they started school, but same class. I feel sorry for their teacher :-)
Feb for your wee one? take a breath and enjoy it whilst you can mate. Be here before we know it.
As for Indonesia, some of the places I have visited/passed through have been real eye openers mate.
Like you, theres been a few times I couldnt wait to leave.
Other places, although 3rd world by our standards, are really nice….although the food less so :-)
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Welxome Mubarak Wakaso and Stefan Scepovic and congratulations to Callum McGregor on your new contract.
.
Can anyone tell me; is it in Bundesliga where a club has to lodge a bond/guarantee to ensure fixtures are fulfilled and wages paid?
HH
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox but saying no to CQN racists
11:30 on 29 August, 2014
Nat Know
“Mubarak and Scepovic might be great signings but that will not alter the disconnect. Still I don’t think the Scottish Press talking to PL is going to fix any of that either.”
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You’re right – it won’t. I’m not sure it’s intended to – but I’m unable to view the interview at the moment – will catch it later. This can only be fixed by regular 2-way communication.
Peter Lawwell’s interview on Celtic TV was very low key and the script could have been written by any one of us. Answers to prepared questions from a friendly interviewer not exactly taxing.
Kept on about our investment in players and squad over the last 10 or 15 years. More interested in the last 24 months myself.
Very bland and predictable.
Lawells interview is fair and reasonable, admits to Gary hooper not being replaced.
JJ
I’ll never understand fans who belittle the EL. Its only portrayed as an ‘Egg Cup’ by some because of the ‘greed is good’ CL, which by the way, is becoming tedious.
If playing the likes of Inter, Spurs and Feyenoord doesnt do it, then how can the same people get up for Hamilton or Ross County? I’m looking forward to it anyway.
NatKnow
Just on the point of expectations I think that what is unique to the current situation is that it has been preceded by 2 years of CL money and player sales that have generated £11 million plus this window. In that context signing nobody and consequently having to go with a striker who doesn’t fit the managers’s plans/style and who doesn’t score in Europe has left people angry and bemused. The team might not have qualified for the CL but the least the fans could expect under the current circumstances is that the manager would be given some support (as his predecessors had been).
HH
Inter Milan, Everton, Spurs, Napoli, Seville, Feyenoord, Villarreal, Wolfsburg, PSV,
Some of the teams we could get
B-)