Greg Taylor was my man of the match on Saturday. He brought urgency and authority, two qualities which were absent elsewhere on the field. Despite being unable to agree a new contract with Celtic, I hear his attitude has been excellent, so much so, some were wondering what he had up his sleeve. With the season now over and talks ongoing, it appears nothing is up his sleeve, he is just a good professional.
The player will have options. The world is always looking for a left back and there are few with Champions League experience at their peak and available on a free. He is also Scottish, so helps with our European squad challenges. There are good reasons Celtic want to keep him.
What Greg does not want is to spend his peak years watching Kieran Tierney from the bench. Backfilling for Reo Hatate, another role mooted for him, might earn him more gametime, but it is not Greg’s core competency.
There is a flipside for Celtic too. If Celtic are to thrive, they must be a club which prioritises player development. Signing 27-year-olds with no resale value, like Kieran, runs counter to that. Signing 27-year-olds like Greg, to be understudy, even more so. Understudies should be on the upward career trajectory, preparing for a starting role.
Prioritising player development is not the only path. Michael Beale was a bad manager, but his 2023 signings were largely at the peak of their careers and Philippe Clement came close to delivering a title with them, as Celtic stuck to their development model. It is a legitimate strategy.
Greg Taylor is the consummate professional and if he signs on again, will be welcomed by us all. Would it be better for us than signing a 21-year-old prospect? I’m not convinced.
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awoody on 28th May 2025 2:10 pm
Big Jimmy, re Telling Bones….
No need for 5g.
Practically non existent in UK and for high end use anyway. 4G will continue.
………………..
Cheers for that advice as I dont have a clue about Phones etc.
I was sent an Email a few weeks ago from TESCO MOBILE advising that my Phone will be more or less out of date by July ( I think ? ), and that I should buy a 4G or 5G Phone very soon ?
I will try and buy a 4G Phone in the next couple of days.
HH Mate.
I kind of disagree. I think Greg Taylor was our defensive weakness and other teams used to target Greg as the point of their attack. These was numerous teams from several countries whose coaches all identified the issue. With Kieran in the team I dont expect the Left Back position to be targeted.
Greg has had his time and whilst he has been in good form recently he should move on.
We should be bringing in our own home raised players as back up for Kieran. Scales can play left back in an emergency as well. Is Adam Montgomery to be released.?
Generally, the key to recruitment is multi faceted and what is right for Bournemouth is not right for Celtic. We are a global brand and our income from television is a fraction of Bournemouths. They can buy our top players like Christie but we cant buy their top players. Centre Back Dean Huijsen is valued at £42 million with Centre back partner Ilya Zabarnyi valued at £40m.. They have 11 more players valued at higher than our incoming transfer record according to Transfermarkt
yorkbhoy on 28th May 2025 2:27 pm
I share that concern . It’s important to keep a balance between the development/sell on process and having a reasonably settled team on the park . It seems that we no sooner have a promising development player on our hands , than the stories and rumours of interest from other clubs start to appear …..often within the first season.
Como Tournament-chiefs have also struck a deal with Celtic with Rodgers’ side playing games v Como and Ajax,on July 24th and July 26th before flying home for the start of their title defence.
nothing good comes from playing ajax .
their hooligans will have another field day
BIGBHOY
It’s often said that those three clubs don’t have the pressure to win things, but the pressure theyre under is bigger – drop out of the EPL and they’ll face an existential threat. All three have either been in or been saved from administration in the last thirty years. But face a similar challenge in the EPL that we do in the CL. Establish yourself amongst teams with bigger grounds, bigger resources.
They have a formula that has them punching up in what’s become the most competitive league ever. We finished 21st in the champions league groups last season, we need to consistently do better.
Dean Huijsen signed for Bournemouth last Summer for £15m he’s going to Real Madrid for £50m
Kerkez signed two seasons ago for £15m, he is going to Liverpool for £45
They finished 9th, those two were standouts but Bournemouth play a way that means the team should be able to handle losing them
Theres a risk in the strategy but the rewards are pretty obvious
Bada Bing- thanks for update.
Works for me.
Training camp in central Europe I assume?
Newcastle at home on 19 July.
Then out to Lake Como for a further week to sharpen up with 2 games in quick succession.
Newcastle, Ajax, Como.
Each as good as or better than any unseeded opponent in the Play Off.
B2B- Training Camp in Portugal
Any news about the feasibility study on the main stand,or was it fake news at the time.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes , I’m away for a nap ,being 70 is knackering…😁😋
BONGORBHOY Many happy birthday 🥳
Como Tournament-chiefs have also struck a deal with Celtic with Rodgers’ side playing games v Como…
—
doubt there will be too many Magic Moments in that tourney!
LADTH
😂😂
We can wipe the floor with Ajax
Ancelotti – next hun manager -bbc
ignominious
/ˌɪɡnə(ʊ)ˈmɪnɪəs/
adjective
deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
Off topic, and a quick hit and run from me this evening…
If anyone knows who publishes the 67hailhail.com content, please would you ask them to stop repeatedly mentioning that Celtic have won 14 of the last 15 league titles. I have tried emailing them but to no avail. Yet again today they are making the same claim in the article linked below. Clearly they don’t know their history. 🤷♂️
Sorry, but it winds me up! ⏰
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/celtics-younger-fans-sent-an-interesting-message-after-the-club-misses-out-on-the-treble/
that link and associated text has ‘paid click bait’ written all over it.
so wont be clicking on it
lets all do the huddle (6.32pm), it’s a Celtic fanzine/news type website that publishes several Celtic linked stories daily and is flagged through Celtic NewsNow. There are adverts on the site, obviously, but no more than any other than site.
why do you care what numbers of titles they publish?
just google it!
Evening all’
BOGNORBHOY many happy returns.
“The statement read: “Due to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap will no longer perform at TRNSMT on Friday, 11 July.
“We thank fans for their understanding.”
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genuinely a scandal.
we all knew the police would have the final say in this (they have no such concerns about the number of racist and sectarian marches taking place in glasgow this weekend tho)
but for the organisers to come out and say “we thank fans for their understanding” is the most ludicrous comment i have ever heard.
No, not a single one of the ‘fans’ that were planning on going to see them will buy that shite.
racist police deciding what thay allow and dont allow.
always been that way.
It’s just blatantly wrong. If we accept this then it’s only a matter of time before they are stating that the current Rangers FC have won 55 titles, and all hell will break loose!
and the TRNSMT bosses protecting their profits.
lap dogs
“It’s just blatantly wrong. If we accept this..”
—
im not accepting.
because im not even reading it!
they have their job to do – which is to make money.
we have had newspapers for decades that talk shite.
what did we do?
we stopped reading them!
Huns cheating 9 in a row trophy up for auction next month in McTears. Craigy White must have fallen on hard times. Let’s have a crowdfunder and put it in one of the lavvys in Parkhead.
Thanks for that lets all do the huddle. And, by the way, the police expressing concerns about an influential music band using concerts and festivals to promote political opinions and incite extreme violence against participants in our country’s democratic processes doesn’t make them racist. Next you’ll be demanding the right to express support for terrorist organisations in football stadia. Politics and religion should be kept out of sport, which should be a safe space for family entertainment, free of hatred, aggression and violence.
Let’s all do the huddle… Goodnight. 🤐
Cos there’s f all to clean
long before the parson lugged his bicycle, down beside the market square
villages and fields in perfect harmony, long before you came ’round here
i’ll take you back to a time, when our lives were so full and clear
we hung suspended in love, now each memory’s a souvenir
night night proud champions
Great atmosphere at the Euro Conference final.
I would take that, without a shadow of doubt.
HH.
PS : Happy birthday BB.🍻🍺🍾🍹🎊
“in our country’s democratic processes”
—-
😄😄😄
we have a sham democracy!
the current westminster government got voted in on a manifesto that they immediately threw in the bin.
and are now using our taxpayers money to help carry out a genocide and ending winter fuel payments for pensioners.
did any of us vote for that?
Betis take the lead.
bigchipsuk
utter pish
bury your head in the sand, up right wing arses, whatever
get yerself to the time capsule or the pictures
Real Betis fans demonstrating how to sing the Betis version of ynwa. Couldn’t see a single fans head just a wall full of green and white scarves. No poseurs with pixel phones looking up at a screen, just a shift put in for their excellent club.
Re. the Newcastle game on 19 July. Apparently there is a Cup up for grabs therefore if you are a member of the Home Cup Ticket Scheme will we be charged and have our own seats for this game?
Does anyone know?