A recurring gripe I have had about our transfer business last season was the lack of players bought with development scope ahead of them. £26m was spent on Auston Trusty, Adam Idah and Arne Engels. Arne might be able to nudge his £11m price tag up a shade, but I doubt we will see our money back on the other two.
Viljami Sinisalo and Paulo Bernardo (who signed permanently in August 2024) are the exceptions. Viljami featured when Kasper Schmeichel was injured and Paulo featured less-often than during his loan season. They came in with the right profile, but have yet to be properly developed.
With Callum Osmand, who joined yesterday from Fulham as a free agent, we have orientated back to plan. Osmand (19) is exactly the kind of player we should be looking for. Like Moussa Dembele and Matt O’Riley, he has come through the development system at Fulham, but believes he will see better opportunities at Celtic than waiting around looking for a gap to open up which will not be filled by a big money signing.
Time will tell if the scouting was good, if Callum will get the chances he has clearly been suggested are open to him, and if he can kick on. A high percentage of all signings fail, but at least we appear to be working to a coherent plan.
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Celtic40me @ 2:07 pm,
Could you clarify – whose job?
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy on 1st July 2025 2:03 pm
This is worth a read – https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6447682/2025/06/27/premier-league-academy-players-released/
Our transfer business needs to occupy what could be called grey area.
A bit of developable yoof and a dod of reliable experience.
Why the zealous attachment to the either/or ?
Welcome to Celtic FC, Callum.
My favourite Osmonds song was always ‘Crazy Horses’.
QUADROPHENIAN
Paper Woses ?
Burnley78 @ 2:03 pm,
“I notice Feyenoord had a £9m bid for Oh rejected yesterday by Genk. Maybe we will get a kick back on whatever he goes for.
Another Lawwell dud eh. They just keep making us money and giving some bitter folk a chance to moan.
Well, many of us had said the fault with Celtic’s Moneyball dogma is that it is unfair on the players.
We brought Oh all the way from South Korea in January 2025 and the lad is still not ready, two and a half years later to be first choice striker for Celtic or Genk.
That’s the reality.
We hope the lad makes it, he has all the attributes, yet he was no replacement for Giakoumakis.
On top of that he was impatient, he felt he was goid enough to be a starter in Celtic’s first team – his parents actually came over a talked to BR&CO about it.
It was Oh’s choice to leave…
He [Oh] said: [Glasgow Times] “I had lost my place in my national team because I was no longer playing for Celtic.
“It was then I knew I had to get a transfer.
“Now I am in a good place here.
“I scored 12 goals in total for Celtic, but I hardly played in the last six months.
“They had brought in a new striker, someone with a different profile – a big, strong boy – and they had to find a solution for me.
“I thought that was a shame at first because I really loved Celtic. It’s a great club. ”
But when Genk came calling, I didn’t hesitate.
“I had a few options in the English Championship, but I just wanted to come here.
“When you see all the players who came through here – Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Leandro Trossard and more. That’s impressive, isn’t it?”
Hail Hail
Celtic By Numbers @ 2:13 pm,
Thanks? I’ll give it a perusal.
Hail Hail
BSR
Pay-per-roses – the Marie Osmond sung anthem of Killie as I understand.
Meanwhile in Australia; rumours are my adopted team – Western United (who wanted Broony as their inaugural captain) are on the verge of financial collapse. Yikes !
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JULY 2025
“Yet howany of the 100 players between VvD and Matt made it?”
A different argument.
The development strategy includes a contribution to the first team from the player, otherwise it doesn’t work.
Sometimes it really works, like Nic Kuhn and we gets contribution from a champions league quality player then a decent fee, more often not so well.
But never just signed as assets just to sell at a profit.
justshatered on 1st July 2025 12:41 pm
“While we all recognise having a healthy bank balance is prudent, how much is enough and what is the long term plan ?”
%
This healthy bank balance has been the case over the last wee while because of the lack of domestic quality opposition, or naive opposition.
But the Huns are part of that naive opposition yet they racked up a considerable amount of coefficient points which we have been lucky to benefit from saving us from CL qualifiers.
If that dries up then we better be streetwise enough to get through the CLQ as there will likely be more of these rounds in future if we fk it up.
If we are drawn against the Isreal team then we will quickly realise that, taking part in European football which has been rigged to suit these people, ie: putting money before integrity, is most certainly NOT the Celtic Way.
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JULY 2025 2:10 PM
Celtic40me @ 2:07 pm,
Could you clarify – whose job?
Every Celtic manager. Brendan even said the same thing himself when he joined
Aug 2023
“I know where the club is at, I know the model that’s in place and we hope that we can maximise that and then develop the players on the field.
“It has to fit in with the model of the club which is important, it always is that.
CELTIC40ME – God Bless
Celtic By Numbers @ 2:13 pm,
Yes, very interesting.
It is really pretty sad to think these lads are so conditioned.
A while back I went through a spate of being told by parents and grandparents their “little Johnny” was with Chelsea.
Doing a course at Amersham College I noticed why.
Chelsea sponsored the football academy at the college (and several others in the region).
They hoovered up all the talented lads and gave them great expectations, few actually even made it to the Chelsea academy proper.
Literally hundreds of kids per year were taking part…
Hail Hail
Haven’t lost a minutes sleep over the sale of Oh and never will no matter how much he is sold on for.
In no way do I mean any disrespect to the boy and wish him every success.
Celtic40me @ 2:32, 2:40 pm,
Right…
My question was really based on Brendan Rodgers or Shaun Maloney?
Celtic quite rightly have a plethora of specialists and coaches outside the first team responsible for player development.
They dont depend on the manager for that, and I’m sure Manager’s take an interest but it’s not part of their role and responsibilities.
BR&CO’s job in that respect is taking top quality professional Celtic first team players and making them better.
Brendan Rodgers has the perfect CV for this role having covered literally every aspect of player development.
Neil Lennon on the other hand had little or no interest in player development.
If Celtic had truly found a packet of magic beans that develop youth and project players into top-class first team professionals, we would have seen it at work by now.
Hail Hail
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JULY 2025 2:58 PM
Celtic40me @ 2:32, 2:40 pm,
Right…
My question was really based on Brendan Rodgers or Shaun Maloney?
That makes no sense.
https://x.com/theryanmcginlay/status/1940040502273085847?s=48
Wee Greg giving it to Boyd
Simply put, it’s every Celtic manager’s job to develop players while also bringing success on the pitch. Brendan accepted it when he came.
It’s not easy, but no job that pays 3m a year is.
January 2021 will go down as a players/fans turning point in Celtic’s history. One of the few times that the Celtic hierarchy failed to read the room properly.
Many Celtic supporters would consider jetting off to Dubai for a break at that time as being not too far-fetched but fans in Castlemilk (13,000 punters and no supermarket) would have been less understanding. Peter Lawwell later called the trip a mistake and apologised. What all this was covering up however was a football implosion for a team who were on to win 10 titles in a row. That disappointment, coupled with not being able to go to games and the rise of the Timternet has changed the interface with the old media even losing ground to them. If we are to have fan power at Celtic it has to be less politically charged because football is for taking your kids to the game in peace, noisy but non-violent, like the kids who get taken through Parkhead´s gates by the Kano Foundation. And Kano was a great fan.
Neil Lennon on the other hand had little or no interest in player development.
——————-
not true.
any number of former players share stories about neils encouragement and development of their game.
have heard several in the liive (lol) at the greenock celtic says so,
Forrest, mcgeady, mcmanus, mulgrew,
watch the simon ferry open goal interview with nfl. he was gushing in praise to him.
Good afternoon all.
Burnley78 @ 1:59 pm,
Yes, 25 mn is a lot of money, yet we got more from Matt’s sale.
Yet let’s park that for a moment, take off your business hat and put on your football hat.
At the end of 2022 (December) Ange and Mark Lawwell brought in two very good footballers – Alistair Johnston and Tomoki Iwata.
In 2023 all the players we brought in were development players.
We lost Jenz, Juranovic, Giakoumakis, Mooy, Jota, Starfelt, Turnbull.
That’s seven first team players.
There were ten development players brought in, in 2023.
We started our League Cup and UCL campaigns with a hugely depleted squad because of that.
The summer of 2024 window was not a time to nickel & dime, it was a time to strengthen some key squad positions ready for the new format UCL.
That is why football professionals and not business dogma needs to have key input into recruitment.
Hail Hail
Saint Stivs @ 3:13 pm,
This is not a dig at Neil Lennon, whose first coaching job at Celtic was youth…
Lenny is a football man through and through.
My point was, he did not see himself as a development manager when he was first team manager at Celtic twice.
He played what he felt was the best players he had available – period.
From Teemu Pukki to Mikey Johnston his patience with development guys was limited, in fact it was one of the reasons he gave for leaving his first tenure.
Hail Hail
Thanks for sterling service and a fond farewell to Greg Taylor wishing you every success in the future 🇮🇪
Celtic40me @ 3:10 pm,
Despite what others may say, Brendan Rodgers doesn’t not get 3 mn for being head of development, that’s another ghuys role.
Despite what others may say, Brendan Rodgers doesn’t not get 3 mn for being head of recruitment, that’s another ghuys role.
Is Brendan Rodgers getting paid 3 mn to have his expertise utilised by the Club, yes.
In project management we had a term for the responsibilities that BURNLEY78, your good self and others want to foist on our manager.
We called it scope creep and every manager worth their salt was well aware of it and rigorously controlled it – focusing on deliverables rather than the Board and Executives whims…
Hail Hail
Bournesouprecipe @ 3:44 pm,
Hear! Hear!!
Good Luck Greg…
Hail Hail
The Truth is needed and Only One man will speak it what does that say about the landscape.
Corbyn can`t be trusted?
Who knew. lol
https://youtu.be/1cMls25fwWg
Prediction – The country is full of sheep who will not be savvy enough to see this….last chance of being saved from the evil doers!
No wonder this man and his party are 100% banned from any media coverage.
In: Benjamin Nygren, forward (Nordsjaelland, undisclosed); Kieran Tierney, defender (Arsenal); Ross Doohan, goalkeeper (Aberdeen); Callum Osmand, forward (Fulham, undisclosed); Isaac English, defender (Greenock Morton, undisclosed).
Out: Greg Taylor, defender (PAOK); Scott Bain, goalkeeper (Falkirk).
Loan ended: Jeffrey Schlupp, defender (Crystal Palace).
Celtic40me @ 3:06 pm,
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JULY 2025 2:58 PM
Celtic40me @ 2:32, 2:40 pm,
My question was really based on Brendan Rodgers or Shaun Maloney?
That makes no sense.
≈============≈===============≈
You were responding to my comment…
“Thought this was interesting..
…”And the pathway he has for me and the set out of what he wants for me, he’s told me what he wants for me, and it’s all really, really positive and I can’t wait to get going.”
Maybe a Shaun Maloney bhoy…
If it’s a success, let’s have a real conveyor belt.”
Yes?
You said it was his job
Right?
I thought does he mean Brendan Rodgers’ job, or does he mean Shaun Maloney’s job.!?
Not Science for Rockeeteers
Hail Hail
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JULY 2025 3:49 PM
Celtic40me @ 3:10 pm,
Despite what others may say, Brendan Rodgers doesn’t not get 3 mn for being head of development, that’s another ghuys role.
Who did? I didn’t , although I don’t think we have one do we?
Despite what others may say, Brendan Rodgers doesn’t not get 3 mn for being head of recruitment, that’s another ghuys role.
Who said that, I certainly didn’t, it’s definitely not his role.
In project management we had a term for the responsibilities that BURNLEY78, your good self and others want to foist on our manager.
I don’t know about Burnley78 but I’ve never done that.
Player development is a basic part of every Celtic managers job. The manager has more control over it than any other individual so it’s pretty obvious that it’s part of his responsibilities. Brendan has even said so himself. Why do you have such a problem acknowledging it?
I think you have a problem committing to anything that could be used to argue against
Brendan’s magnificence. No responsibility, no failure. Unfortunately real life isnt like that. A big salary and the Celtic managers job carries with it certain responsibilities that cant be argued out of.
Slightly disconcerting that the key theme around value assessment is …
“how much £ will he sell for?”
Clearly, a sustainable model requires someone who was bought cheap and developed leaving for big bucks, say, every 18 months?
What about value on the park?
Trophies domestically, CL qualification then yielding significant performance based financial rewards.
Maybe one to consider.
If Daizen signs a new deal,
For the next three years we’ll have, under contract, a comprehensive range and blend of striker skills, provided by 3 guys whose combined transfer fees …
… are less than £12m
That’s a good deal, IMHO.
CHAIRBHOY
Simple question. Do you think the Celtic manager has a responsibility for the development of footballers at the club?
Well done Greg Taylor.
Putting boyd back in his box
Saint Stivs on 1st July 2025 4:06 pm
%
No matter how many wingers we bring in, opposition teams are wising up by, parking the bus, low block, long out ball, on the break.
Why do you think Khun`s face was always tripping him, like big isolated Idah standing in the box waiting for a perfect through the eye of a needle pass?
Tippy-Tappy idealism is pish!
Pep Guardiola has been found out!
As Rambo said to the spoiled brat fat assed Hun ugly Police guy:
“LET IT GO…..”
The old saying: “We`re only as good as our last game” should have us engaging in reviewing our starting to fail approach, not doubling down and refusing to get over Rodgers ego.
Look how that turned out at Leicester.
Or maybe its a sleekit keep the Old Firm games alive, underhand strategy?
Just like when Rodgers played Callum at leftback at Ibrox to keep Stevie G in a job.
To play with One striker in the SPL is about the Manager selling himself to any suitors as a Pep Guardiola clone.
Too many agenda freaks using Celtic FC as some halfway house.
All of it overlooked by One horse league era trophy haul blaggards.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 1ST JULY 2025 4:29 PM
The recruitment model isnt exclusively about signing development players
We have a team full of players we’ve signed with a good enough understanding of the market that we know we won’t sell for a profit. That doesn’t happen by accident.
A cornerstone of the argument against signing young and developing is that thats all we’ll do. The Summer of 2023 is cited as prof of the failure of the entire strategy. It isn’t, it was one window, where, as Brendan said at the time, in his own words, we signed a load of players identified to work with Ange.
“ Κλείσε την τρύπα σου, χοντρό αγόρι “
Greg Taylor CSC
just to pass the time, while doing my own admin i listened in again to todyas Trinity Tims,
apparantely we should be losing sleep about the state of the club.
In a superbly non-sensical observation JF rants that making profits is wasted if you dont spend the money,, having money and not spending it, well it is just the same as having no money. Reminded me of the Kevin Bridges “self asteem” joke.
While every business i worked in decalred cash is king, cash flow, and that ability to pay your bills for x number of quarters in itself gives the breathing space to make other strategic decisions, because simply the costs of the operating expenses is covered. You can get somethings wrong, which are performance related , if a big signing doesnt contribute much, or you dont qualify for the premium european competition, so far so sensible. Your bills are covered anyways.
Another simple one £80m in the bank at a probable 4% interest – £3.2m pays for all the academies and womens teams for that financial year.
Now, the other acquisation, the board, and executive are “risk adverse” and lawyers and accounts should not be running a busines, it should be businessmen. Whatever than means.
Other than family founded business, the vast majority of operational business people will be accountants, lawyers, academically qualified in a disciplne or an MBA.
Being risk adverse sees you go with adidas rather than castore, it means not paying dividens and avoiding venture capatalists. It means Desmond and Tarainor, real billionars rather than King or Whyte. It means Infrastructure spending, on the training grounds BECAUSE it complies with UEFA Football pathway for devloping the womens and youth levels.
The one operational crossover to risk is the staff, every player, manager, coach and backroom staff is a risk, they , in any position, might just not be the best or get distracted on real life and move on, or indeed just cant get to the level they wanted to perform.
Project players though, might just be the biggest opportunity on the risk/reward scales. Think Moussa and O’Riley.
The hysterical day by day over reaction to everything in Celtic I just find so immature and unrealistic.
I dont eblieve either that there is a faction in the boardroom brieifing against the manager.
So once again I am happy clapping with all we are brining in.
Celtic40me @ 4:35 pm,
With all due respect I’ve already stated my POV…
“…BR&CO’s job in that respect is taking top quality professional Celtic first team players and making them better
So let me give you an example, a player you have already mentioned.
In the summer of ’23 Celtic recruit a plethora of prospects and say develop these.
Brendan Rodgers makes clear what the situation is, in the January ’24 window where he rejects all the prospects pitched at him and picks out Nic Kuhn.
Kuhn had gone through a very good development path, he was playing at a good level and seemed a focused professional.
Brendan Rodgers looked at Nic, spoke to Nic and said, yes, we can work with this guy, we can improve this guy.
That’s his role.
Every player under Brendan Rodgers has a personal development plan but that is different to the role you are talking about.
If you give him Kwon and say could you develop him please, the next Scott Brown please.
Brendan says No!!
Hail Hail
Celtic40me @ 4:28 pm,
“I think you have a problem committing to anything that could be used to argue against
Brendan’s magnificence. No responsibility, no failure. Unfortunately real life isnt like that. A big salary and the Celtic managers job carries with it certain responsibilities that cant be argued out of.”
No, it’s the exact opposite of that.
Brendan Rodgers detailed what his aims are, be competitive domestically, win the League, challenge in the Cups, improve in Europe.
Right!?
And that’s what he’s delivered.
BURNLEY78, Paul67 and yourself want to foist a player development role on him, whereby the Board go and get a plethora of cheap players and ask Brendan Rodgers to make velvet purses.
He has made it abundantly clear that, that is not his role.
The Executive and Principal shareholder obviously agree with that as they sacked the recruitment guys and backed the manager.
Hail Hail