We spoke about the prospect of two 27-year-old left backs next season: Kieran Tierney and Greg Taylor. Both excellent players but without development potential. Our right back options are similar; Alistair Johnston and Tony Ralston are both 26.
Alistair has been a revelation since he arrived in January 2023, replacing Josip Juranovic, who had just played in a World Cup semifinal. The Canada international will hopefully stay through the peak of his career, which would leave limited opportunity for Ralston, during his own peak period.
Tony came in from the cold and featured heavily during Ange Postecoglou’s first term in Scotland. The player has established himself in the Scotland squad but will forever play a bit part at Celtic.
Tony needs to move on; he should play regularly during his prime years. Celtic cannot abandon player development. Backup roles should be for young players with potential to grow into great assets. Player development should again be a crucial part of out strategic plan.
119 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- »
Hola
New phone, who dis?
This is the inevitable consequence of giving a manager (any manager) a fixed term contract.
Our manager in the final year of his contract will want a squad that can get the job done next season. That will be his sole focus.
What happens after that is on the new guy.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM
Hopefully the new guy will be the old guy .
Sold out Tannadice and the tedium of another £50!!! – Celtic treble chance.
SMSM still pines a new weak Celtic, safely in the final of the Scottish Cup, Tayside beckons where a Celtic side allegedly weary from winning, are set to stumble over the title line. The broadsheet Scottish ‘how dare you come back’ warnings to Brendan Rodgers after his surprise return, ring hollow but will resonate till after our May day in Kings Park
Apparently according to records there was a Hampden game which he drew, and only ‘won on penalties’ desperate stuff how petty, even for Sevco pedantry. Their new UEFA wealth always tantalisingly round another corner amounted to ( ahem ) just about not even precisely half of Celtic’s. The Brendan voyage sails straight on, to the city of discovery and Hilltown for the lucky 4,000 with songs to sing and even another ‘draw’ will do.
I really feel for Tony as – under Ange’s tutelage – he was turning in some sterling performances, complete with dribbles, deft crosses and last-gasp goals. A lack of game time saw his consistency become a bit scratchy again.
Course, if the vaunted player trading model has its way, we’ll sell AJ for 12-15mill, keep Tony and look around for a much younger RB.
I did think the lad Lewis Miller at Hibs had a bit about him, but while his frame and haircuts continue to get scarier by the season, I don’t see a huge growth in his overall skill set.
Maybe it’s time Brendan and his coaching Staff look at players they would like at Celtic rather than scouts
Bring back Mark Lawell….Not
Let our manager determine the type of player strategy that will ensure continued success
I would extend Brendans contract.
Do continue with this non narrative Paul.
It is only you who have doubts, and the platform to voice them.
Get behind the manager,you seem to be infected by this dailymail-esque boredom and tedium in working towards adding to our record number of trebles.same ol Celtic,always winning.
We work hard for what we get,why have a development narrative when a devt or reserve league is non existent with the b league being to remote from our 1st team,thats why i understand buys like Arne and Adam,both contributors to our winning this year.
There is always work to do at Celtic,long may it be so and long may we,with that work ethic continue to win if not challenge for trophies.
The psyche and forward thinking of Celtic needs to be focussed on Celtics future and not the latest season ticket ruse somewhere else and its failure to challenge us.forward with Celtic and down with the apathy,tedium and bored vomit from a media who are not and never have been friends of Celtic.
HH
Good afternoon all from the Victoria Bar. A fine day in the cultural centre of old Glasgow Town. Let the good times roll bhoys 👍
“Ange’s first term in Scotland”..
Always with the funnies Paul.. 😂
O and hi everyone old and new….
QUADROPHENIAN on 23RD APRIL 2025 12:28 PM
I agree about Miller at Hibs, he looked to have the pace and power that Brendan was after when he first came, although he described Greg as having both the other day so I’m not sure what the parameters are for it anymore. A decent back up with good defensive ability, not so sure about him going forward though, as ive only seen him against us.
Doing business with Hibs has always been a headache though and you wonder whether the price of their key performers might have gone up with their recent run of form. I have no idea who they are though.
I think you’ve misunderstood the player trading model. AJ wasnt signed as a development player, he was too old for a big future transfer fee sale, any trading profit would be much lower than that of a player signed and sold before he was 25. He was one of those signings that some people claim we don’t make but make up the majority of our first team – well scouted, sensibly priced and here for the best years of their career
AN TEARMANN on 23RD APRIL 2025 12:37 PM
“Let our manager determine the type of player strategy that will ensure continued success”
There’s the issue – continued success.
Celtic cannot abandon player development. Backup roles should be for young players with potential to grow into great assets. Player development should again be a crucial part of out strategic plan.
===========
how is player development abandoned ?
Define a back up player ? Tony had his best ever performance for Scotland only recently. And gave a fantastic interview with the press of his acceptance of being a squad player at Celtic while amassing, what is it now , 12 medals or so. Being Scottish and having come through the youth system he is going nowhere, soon.
As to development, AJ, Scales, Taylor, Reo, Kuhn, Maeda, all have purple patches of excellence amd have been better than the season before, any of them could be the next big sell, all over the 24 mark
Who in the team is really on the development plan for the future sales Arme and Adam, Bernardo maybe.
That is the team that took Munich all the way, the comedown was going to happen, but now we go again.
Lets not be kidded, the Celtic support do not do development players at all. You lose a goal and its criminal, you lose a match at perth and they want everyone sacked, you go 3-0 up and they leave in their droves early.
They cant celbrate trebles becuase apparantely they are tedious, whats the alternative ?
i really am out of step with the dross published in print and online.
in Brendan I still trust.
kyogo, 10 millions, aged 30.
the model is broken.
The players who were given a development plan chose to leave and try elsewhere, who has actually been a success ?
other than vata i actually struglle to remember who they were, even doak is going to be let go from the pool.
only thing we missed with the bhoy was to stay long enough to command a big fee.
AN TEARMANN on 23RD APRIL 2025 12:37 PM
I remember Paul67 and the Sock Puppets back in the days of the ole Burn’s Howf.
Paul 67,
Anthony Ralston has never let Celtic down. I do not want him to move on.
We play more games than any team in Scotland, subsequently We need more players.
To compete in the domestic treble tournaments and hopefully manage a long run in Europe one match ready right back is not enough.
HH.
Interesting.
Bit brutal too?
Get the logic.
Tony replacing AJ results in perhaps the second biggest drop off in quality in defence.
Anyone replacing CCV being the first.
Risk of Sinisalo replacing Schmeichel might have made the podium a month ago .. but the kid is doing OK now we’ve actually seen him play.
Couple of points.
The romantic in me likes the notion of Celtic loving stalwarts.
Tony is only 26.
If he is content to grow, develop, get 2,000 minutes a season, play for Scotland, be routinely involved with his heroes AND pick up a decent wage for the privilege?
I’d suggest addressing this position gets parked for 12 to 18 months.
Second point
“Backup roles should be for young players with potential to grow into great assets”
Respectfully Paul, the missing words?
“… who need to be home grown for our UEFA squads”
Not sure who the ready made candidate (already at Celtic OR currently at another Scottish club) is.
CELTIC40ME
Lewis Miller has got pace and power going forward, but I don’t think he’s even at the same level as Tony R.
When you write of me that: ‘I think you’ve misunderstood the player trading model…’ I think you misunderstand the slight sarcasm in my digital ink, which SS kinda pointed out re Kyogo and I’ll clarify…
In our club (every club tbh) every player has a price. If AJ cost us 4mill and gives us 3/4 years of service and someone offers north of 10m, I reckon we’d take it. It’s player trading where any hefty profit surpasses any data about a players age or future development ability (as per Kyogo example). Sell at the peak of their potential which is why the Kyogo sale seems to have been a very apt move.
This is getting very tiresome
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/25106611.tributes-greenock-priest-touched-lives-many/
celtic40me on 23rd April 2025 12:55 pm
AN TEARMANN on 23RD APRIL 2025 12:37 PM
“Let our manager determine the type of player strategy that will ensure continued success”
There’s the issue – continued success.
C40 i have no issue with continued success,we work for what we get and nothing is being taken foregranted.
Would you offer Brendan a new contract? I would.
We still have a scouting system C40,our name is well know globally,we play in top tournaments and can offer players a window if needed and continued success for them as individuals.
If its the tedium of winning that annoys then what are Celtic canvassing for re change in league,reserves,b team etc.
Back the manager,cite players who can be ready to play,progress and replace domestically and in Europe.that will ensure future success
Continued success is not an issue,if so please explain
HH
bournesouprecipe on 23rd April 2025 1:08 pm
AN TEARMANN on 23RD APRIL 2025 12:37 PM
I remember Paul67 and the Sock Puppets back in the days of the ole Burn’s Howf.
……………
Back in the 1970’s I formed a Group with some Mates.
We were called ” BIG JIMMY and the FOUR SKINS”.
We sadly didnt quite make the dizzy heights of playing in The Ole Burns Howff.
LOL
HH.
The Ole Burns Howff was a MAIN Drinking Den of mine back in the Mid 1970’s.
The Beer was piss poor… but the Burds and the atmosphere made up for the poor Beer/Lagers.
Memories are made of this.
LOL
HH.
SS
Thanks for posting the article on our own Connaire 12
Im sure he’ll be sadly missed
CONFESSION…
My Post at 2.17pm Today was a Blatant LIE.
I make this Confession just in case anyone asks me for an Autograph ?
LOL.
HH.
I think we should keep Tony Ralston. He is a local lad and life long supporter. He loves this club. He is tough and gives plenty of effort. He is becoming a leader and a great lad to let others know the history.
We probably need more Celtic supporters
BSR @ 12:21 – funny post.
Respect
Even Liam Brady would be winning Trebles in a Football Environment were Celtic have Zero competition.
Good points made about long term versus short term planning.
Could it be as simple as “those contractually committed for two years or more from today get to play?”
If it were up to me, based on what I think I know?
I’d give Brendan Rodgers a new contract for at least another year or even two … if he was amenable.
Then I’d let him play.
I respect and admire our manager greatly.
That said, he has 14 months left on his contract. If he were a player we’d be doing something about that.
Also, I’m not blind to the fact that the current fairly public discourses around
“nothing lasts forever”
“players and managers move on”
“squad needs rebuild”
… were largely (not exclusively) triggered by Brendan raising it (unprompted) at one of his recent media conferences.
Hmm.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 23rd April 2025 12:18 pm
This is the inevitable consequence of giving a manager (any manager) a fixed term contract.
Our manager in the final year of his contract will want a squad that can get the job done next season. That will be his sole focus.
What happens after that is on the new guy.
—–
I disagree, any Celtic manager will aim for short term success, because if they don’t have that they won’t be Celtic manager for long..
Agreed
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 23RD APRIL 2025 10:05 AM
Gene, Didn’t Pat McCluskey make his debut in Milan. Did very well too.
*that was the Inter game 4 years later where we drew 0-0, I was over here for the AC ones but back hame again for the Inter games, we had a plethora of left full backs at the time so let Wullie O’Neill and then John Gorman go to Carlisle, Big Tam had a fall out with Jock so he was lost to Nottingham Forrest, Jim Brogan admirably filled in at that position but an injury to him in the second half saw Pat coming on much to the consternation of the commentator who thought it was Dixie, same build I suppose.
Scottish football died in 2012 because of cheating sleekits and the complicit cowards who went along with covering up the EBT Crime wave.
1. Cheating Sleekits = Rangers FC.
2. Complicit Cowards = Celtic FC.
Old Firm kult.
PS, Celtic FC went along with shilling for the same club lie in 2016 ( All deflected by the dancing monkey circus’s which greeted the arrival of Brendan-1 ) all after Rangers got promoted and Celtic FC retained old Rangers ticket prices and put them onto promoted new club Rangers tickets in 2016 which every Celtic season ticket holder has either blindly accepted, or deceitfully went along with Celtic FC’s ticket pricing cover-up of the same club lie to help retain Old Firm games, and let everybody move on without a single glove being landed on Rangers FC.
PS, Any Celtic supporter who denies this will probably be found in the “SNP/Greens are Good Guys” category even though these pair of crackpot degenerate Scottish Parliament ass cheeks tried to put these same Celtic supporters in jail for celebrating Ireland’s armed struggle vs British Imperialism were the worst Imperialist monsters were wearing kilts and playing bagpipes and terrorising your auld Granny as she came out of mass.
PS, The word “Sevco” has not been mentioned on any official Celtic FC literature not even as many times as Rory Bremner.
But shhhhh!
Tontine Tim
This is the game to which I was referring
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dThOB31EFP0
Anyone think maybe Brendan is thinking of retiring to Majorca after next season.He is a multi millionaire.Would you not?.Life’s too short.Probably only seeing his family fleetingly.
Just throwing that in there.
TB
Not me
Boton.