Celtic delayed announcing the arrival of Sebastian Tounekti (23) from Hammarby until the moment the transfer window closed. This felt like a tacit acceptance that supporter expectation would not be satisfied if the announcement came earlier in the day, and no others arrived in the evening.
Brendan Rodgers let us know he had a veto on the departure of Adam Idah and would not agree to his move to Swansea until a replacement arrived. You and I could reasonably expect Adam’s move was confirmation a replacement was on his way. We were wrong (and I am not prepared to get enthusiastic about out of contract players).
Let’s look at the substance. Celtic signed 10 players in the summer transfer window, eight on permanent contracts and two defenders on loans. Tounekti was the most expensive at £5.2m. The Norway-born Tunisia international spent only six months at Hammarby, in which time his transfer fee quadrupled. Our fee feels high.
Sebastian joins Michel-Ange Balikwisha (24), who arrived for £5m from Royal Antwerp. Thrown in at the deep end on Sunday, Michel-Ange did well enough for a player who hardly knew anyone on the field.
Our most important signing so far is Benjamin Nygren (23). Benji has already scored three league goals, times runs into the box and shows real purpose defending and on attack. He is clearly not a winger and will hopefully only be seen wide in emergency circumstances, or when we are trying to close a game out.
Kieran Tierney (28) returned to great fanfare. KT is the best player to emerge from the Celtic youth setup in 15 years. His engine allows him to get up and down the field and he is the best crosser at the club (that we know about). He has yet to reach full fitness and will continue to improve as he gets there.
We signed a striker!!! Shin Yamada (25) arrived from Kawasaki Frontale for £1.4m. I expect Shin was recruited as a player we could develop over the season. That plan may now be reconsidered, post Idah departure. Callum Osmand (19) joins the front-line options from Fulham, but we have yet to see him in competitive action.
Left-sided defender Hayato Inamura (23) came in from Albirex Niigata. Last month Brendan Rodgers suggested the player was not ready for Celtic action and may be sent out on loan. Plans change, I suppose. Ross Doohan (27) arrived back at the club to fill the role as third choice goalkeeper.
Two defenders came in on loan: left back Marcelo Saracchi (27), the Uruguayan international, who joins from Boca Juniors, and central defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (19), who came in from Manchester City.
Out of the building went Nicolas Kuhn (25) to Como for £15m. This departure so early in the window was inexplicable. Greg Taylor (27) left on a free and is already missed by many in the support.
Braga paid £2.4m for Gus Lagerbielke (25), Rapid Vienna paid £1.2m for Marco Tilio (24), while Ligue 1 side Nantes took Hyeok-kyu Kwon (24) for £200k. The development of Kwon, like Gus and Marco, will be interesting to watch in the season ahead. I’m thinking Oh, but we will discuss that particular player later this week.
As well as the aforementioned Idah (24) leaving for £7m to Swansea, Scott Bain left for Falkirk. Luis Palma (Lech Poznan) and Maik Nawrocki (Hannover 96) went out on loan.
I have seen new Celtic arrivals mistakenly written off too many times to fall into that trap, but we are on safe ground to say this transfer window was poorly conceived and terribly executed (the former resulted in the latter). The possible arrival of an out of contract striker will change this, I would rather we did nothing and develop Shin and Johnny Kenny instead.
Lots to say about the Kasper Dolberg fiasco tomorrow. He encapsulates our poorly conceived window and why we ended up as we did.
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I’m not convinced on Nygren.
He’s no pace and very little body strength from what I’ve seen in a Celtic shirt.
He loses possession far too much for me.
He’s a goal scorer and we’ve precious few of them left following the board’s clear out, so there is that.
Big Jimmy on 2nd September 2025 3:00 pm
“I predict that Adam Idah will NOT be missed”
…………
Rodgers could have Larsson as a striker if Dr Who gave us a loan of his time machine, and, UNDER RODGERS MANAGEMENT, Larsson, playing as a lone striker with ZERO service…..would look like a Slow Lane useless project, even worse than useless Idah, who also got ZERO service from the sussed and blocked wingers with Khun crabbit, torn, lantern jawed, tripping them faces.
And then Tims would blame the board?!
Eye they would!
Timdom is not even as credible as an “Only An Excuse” comedy sketch these days, especially after getting 13 years of pub team level opposition.
AND, then wee Barry Fergie appears and puts Rodgers lights out at the Parkhead library, as the Green Brigade were “kettled” by the sleekit krankie controlled impartial police force!
AND, then wee Jimmy Thileeny appears, and does a wee Barry Fergie to Rodgers in the SCF, and destroys Timdoms planned Treble parties!
AND, then Almaty, watching on from nearly China appear, and AGAIN, mug Rodgers ass off in 2 CL qualifying games!
Was it the board who got mugged by wee Barry, wee Jimmy, and, wee Almaty???
NO! It was Rodgers who got mugged.
Sacking the board means “sacking the manager” said Rodgers.
Well if the syoopid board brought in styoopid Rodgers, then they all need sacked!
BUT, who does the sacking, when Timdom is EVEN MORE incapable of learning from their muggings, than Rodgers is?
The board, Rodgers, useless dugoot, Captain Mcsleekit, ALL KNOW, that Timdom don’t have the balls to sack them.
So then what?
Sit back and watch the Apathy rebels emptying the seats?
Timdom is littered with insincere people everywhere you look.
Fall for this, fall for that, clap for this, kneel for that, mostly social engineered by the media narratives, and politicians who always answer a different question from the one they were asked, equals…..the end!
Trolls to blame for all of it.
Mistertaximan on 2nd September 2025 3:49 pm
After I posted earlier about the decline in standards of CQN, you suddenly post one with the quality of CQN of old !
boondock saint
…re what I said above, the same can be said of your post at 2:50 pm
Has Micky Mute packed his bags yet?
BSR
have spotted Joannie and friends make an appearance in Buccaneers?
JAMES FORREST on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2025 4:04 PM
…..
Perception and reality are 2 different things. It seems very unlikely that a group of blokes would enter into a conspiracy against another man ( who they are paying millions of pounds to succeed) and for everyone of them to be completely silent about this. This conspiracy would also have the effect of screwing over some of the conspirators KPIs and therefore affect the purchase of their next holiday home.
If the suits aren’t happy with Brendan then they’d just terminate (terminado) his contract , like everyone else they know Brendan is a good manager , he’ll be driving them potty with his ‘quality’ comments to the press but hey they probably knew that would happen when he came back.
As the company is a plc the suits would be acting against the shareholders interest , and Dermot if he had evidence would bin the lot of them.
The reality (rather than the perception) is that our manager has fired up the support over the summer ( terminado, quality etc) , he’s then had to row back on some of this by circling the wagons …. and our failure is due to a failed plan being executed poorly, so in short incompetence. The Lessons Learned will / should get to the bottom of this and a sacrificial lamb will be identified at senior management level , almost inevitably one rung below the board.
HH
Timbhoy163 on 2nd September 2025 11:46 am
Aston Villa introduced a 17 year old on Sunday plenty of pace ,looks as if he will be a very good winger ,Celtic signed a young Welsh striker with plenty of pace ,I forget his name,maybe Rodgers should give him a run in the first team ,this him being a project confined to the B team to be never seen again ,and this myth about being to young,doesn’t sit with me ,at least give him a few run outs before we judge him,I think he came from Fulham , incidentally I feel sorry for Yang I know he isn’t the greatest but to be subject of all the abuse he is getting, like he is getting it as the club messed up in this transfer window, give him a break it’s not fair.
*well said oul yin, dont often agree with you but we are where, “we are allegedly Celtic supporters faithful through and through
EKBhoy:
I’m the last person in this support who subscribes to conspiracy theories.
For years – years – I’ve pushed back on the idea that we have a board that actually WANTS a strong Ibrox challenge and would deliberately weaken us to get that. It’s nonsense.
But deliberately sabotaging Rodgers? I find that easy to believe.
And in case you think your “silence” theory holds up; people ARE talking about it. Even those involved in it have been caught making very negative statements about Rodgers around the media. Rodgers himself has hinted at it several times. I’m not pulling this out of thin air. I said that there’s circumstantial evidence around it and that’s the truth of it.
There are certain people who have been pushing narratives around Rodgers for a long time now who are very closely related to our club. The whole idea that he shouldn’t get more money because he’s wasted the money he’s already spent originates at Celtic Park, and I know that for a fact.
Clearly you’re a stranger to the term perception is reality. I’m well aware they are different things, but perception has a way of BECOMING reality for people … and everyone who ever worked in media, PR and politics is well aware of this which is where the idea that if you don’t define yourself then other people will define you comes from.
One of the most dangerous things a major organisation can do is play into a negative perception. If you started yesterday with the impression of a board that was determined to undermine the manager even at the cost of the team, what did you see that made you reconsider?
What I saw was the main striker leaving although Rodgers was adamant that he wouldn’t permit that without a replacement already being signed. So what does that do to perception?
Hey all the board had to do to defeat that perception was do a professional job and bring in a player for the guy. You’re telling me that there was NO striker anywhere in Europe we could have gotten to come in here and strengthen a squad which as it stands doesn’t have a recognised experienced striker?
If you WANTED to sabotage the manager that’s how you’d behave. I’m just telling you what it looked like last night. I was already almost certain that they were determined to do it anyway, and I’ve said it on podcasts and written it in blogs. Last night was exactly what I would have expected to see … I was under no illusions about us doing proper business yesterday, I never thought we would.
But to so nakedly and brazenly act counter to the manager’s wishes? Whether by accident or design, that looks like shit. It stinks. It feeds into every negative point of view, and that’s their fault, I didn’t do that and you didn’t do that and Rodgers didn’t do that. They did it.
DeniaBhoy on 2nd September 2025 1:01 pm
Everton told rangers the fee for Chermiti is 8 million plus adds on (approx 10 million). They pay it. Likewise they pay Girona the asking fee for Miovski.
*according to the beeb both were undisclosed so whose telling porkies then, it widnae by sky wid it.
Unfortunately we can’t get rid of this board as long as DD calls the shots. I don’t care whether the owner, the directors or even the manager are Celtic supporters. I want competence. (Though a Celtic man in charge of PR/Communications is desirable.) Let’s hope DD sells up before we are overtaken by the Huns, who won’t trouble us this season but could easily do so in the longer term since they are no longer run by chancers and bigots.
BR is far from blameless too but now is the time to get behind the team. Boycotts will only harm the team. The AGM will be the place to protest against the board, though we know how that usually turns out.
“the reality is that our manager has fired up the support over the summer”
I totally disagree with this and I suspect a large number of others will too.
It is therefore not reality, and in fact another perception, which is different to mine.
It seems to me that is the board’s inaction, incompetence and arrogance which has fired up the support over the summer.
Another perception, but as much of a reality as the original claim.
JAMES FORREST on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2025 5:03 PM
EKBhoy:
….
I’d ignore the title tattle , gossip around who said what to who , these are not facts. I’m sure there’s plenty of that circulating around all clubs , probably all the time.
The shitfest around a CF replacement has all the characteristics of a cock up rather than conspiracy , the problem with this shitfest , we should never have arrived at that particular destination.
My original point is that there is no evidence of conspiracy plenty of ineptitude to go around.
Teatimecfc
Surely no one on here is arrogant enough to believe they can dictate to the rest of us what is reality, except in the sense of something demonstrably true, e.g Celtic is top of the league on goal difference, Celtic is out of the Champions’ League etc.
Everything else is merely perception.
The absent moustache making all the footballing decisions is hilarious in a gallows humour sort of way.
RAY WINSTONE’S BIG DISEMBODIED HEID on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2025 5:18 PM
“the reality is that our manager has fired up the support over the summer”
I totally disagree with this and I suspect a large number of others will too.
……
I see where you’re coming from , my take on this is that Brendan has 2 options with his communications. Firstly , keep it all in-house , big up the squad , we’re in the market for the right targets etc etc . Or alternatively, pressure the suits to buy players , he took it a step further with his terminado(2) chat. What did Brendan think his preferred approach would achieve? A bunch of players arrive , everyone happy Brendan’s gets the credit for pushing the board. I suspect he didn’t think for a moment that we’d execute a less than perfect / poor window but he should have considered all the implications of his comments.
In summary , for me he should have kept a better council.
HH
PeterLatchfordsBelly on 2nd September 2025 5:24 pm
The absent moustache making all the footballing decisions is hilarious in a gallows humour sort of way.
—
And also unlawful.
As pointed out by Harry Brady – a non exec making executive decisions is against company law -unless that authority as been delegated to him by the board, as in made an interim executive.
Such a move hasn’t been reported to the exchange so Desmond has no authority to act as he reportedly does.
Celtic’s complete lack of lawful corporate governance needs to be challenged.
I wonder what sir Bob Desmond’s team selection will be for our next game ? He seems to have a hand in most other football matters that shouldn’t concern him ,so why not team selection too?
Our ‘significant’ shareholder has some pretty incompetent underlings in this particular branch of his business empire , why doesn’t he do the decent thing for once and sack them like he would in one of his other businesses?
If this is his and his pals idea of running a football club , maybe he would be happy for , let’s say , a plumber to carry out heart surgery on him , or a joiner to remove his cateracts .
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry .
AN DÚN on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2025 12:52 PM
I’m convinced we’ll be told we had a gentleman’s agreement with Dolberg – similar to Howe & Forster.
Keep the schoolboy excuses and resign. We need a higher degree of competence in executing these deals.
…………….. ………….
An Dun
A verbal contract is not worth the paper it’s written on.
shit show of a summer from us (us being the board)
Last 3 games have been terrible from us (us being Brendan)
We are still top of the league but it looks like we will really struggle as the season progresses and games/injuries take their toll
We had the chance to backfill and didnt do it
Will be a long and painfull season
Could we bribe Micky with some sign language lessons and Pedro with a year’s supply of mounjaro to exit stage left?
ziggydoc1 on 2nd September 2025 2:03 pm
Saint Stivs on 2nd September 2025 12:54 pm
timo nails it.
great rational blogger.
https://youtu.be/xiNtSOsRGZI
_____
Yep. The boy speaks really well, as always. Some of our other bloggers are similar, Paul John Dyce, Alan Morrison and a few others. Would love to see these guys unite the support and come up with some innovative ideas for how to force through the change that is required. Those in ‘charge’ need to remember, we have the power. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again 🎵
——————–
caught up today with acsom interview with Duncan Smiley who is running with David Low to become the keaders of the Celtic Trust,
very interesting, joined up thinking, you could say using Lows strategy from the 90s in a modern way – trace the voiceless shareholders, reunite them with the shares, activate the voting rights by proxy, set a membership scheme to allow new participation, and get to 55 to allow to have a voice.
However, Duncan does says something I found interesting, he believes, with a gut feeling Celtic will have new ownership in the next few years, and he wants the trust to be ready to participate.
Low in his book back in the 90s, and repeated often on blogs today – his overall strategy was simply Machievelian, hiding in plain sight, saying one thing will acting in another, and go hoover up the small shareholdings.
However, one thing annoyed me slightly, this thought that how dermot has “control” while not being the defacto owner, that isnt legally wrong, a pricipal shareholder as he is at 34.75 can demand the most from the board as he has most influence on appointing them. While 705 of the shareholders support his action he is not going to be removed by the trust.
They in turn have 0.17% of the 94 million shares.
It is a start, the agm of the celtic trust is in graces tonight.
If anyone attends can you report back please.
————-
Duncan Smillie with ACSOM How The Celtic Trust can drive change in Paradise / A Celtic State of Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33joS9mlAhE
those numbers are percentages %%%%%%%
The Celtic board are wedded to the ‘Old Firm’ model. They’re terrified that we get too big for our boots and become a team that can compete in Europe meaning we’d become a team too good for anyone in Scotland and leaving the huns in our wake. They needed hunted when they conspired with the SFA not to wipe out the old huns dodgy titles and trophies and they need hunted now that they’re deliberately sabotaging our chances of being a proper modern football club
We’ve gone from “Pay them what they want Fergus” to “Why are we overpaying for players?”
.
Patrick Bamford linked on a free 🤦♂️
Players need to be registered by tonight for the Europa league games, no? 11 pm again.
The free agent dust bin is a distraction. It will in no way change what we’re facing up to over the next few months – and probably the season given as how January is a very difficult window to do business in 🙄
Bamford is injury prone and washed up. Best days long gone.
now we are dicking about with bamford
We would be as well getting ian wright and fecking robbie keane in
whilst we are at it, lets get roy keane in too
What a pickle we are in ,surely we should have been in the transfer market in either July or early August, instead we wait till the first of September to try and sign players, honestly we need to be rid of this old board ,if there is any good Celtic men who have a few quid ,gather round and hopefully we can buy the present shareholders out ,the present lot have took us to the cleaners for to long,Billionaires and .millionaires make there money by shafting the ordinary fans,but thankfully the fans are really on to this lot ,as for them being Torys could be true ,but the present Government are Torys the only difference is they were a red tie ,rather than blue .
Disaster of a window, easy.
Why don’t the seson ticket holders just unite, and don’t turn up for the next home game ????
Another thing. Greig Taylor was hounded out, hate to say it, but KT has not impressed for me.
Just don’t get me stared on Engels !! Why Bernardo does not get a game is baffling in the extreme.
KING lubo
Zero accountability.
https://x.com/RonnieJM67/status/1962785155178770832?t=mO6DVnWyxtJnoPheUKanFA&s=08
KL- only a small gesture, but I’ve boycotted the EL Package
Dele Alli, available as free agent after contract terminated with immediate effect at Como.
Might as well…..