Recruitment requirement begins to look urgent

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When we discussed Martin O’Neill’s appointment, I made the point that retaining Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham was an important part of the story.  We are now at the stage of the recruitment cycle where I would be prepared to accept almost anyone in these roles.

If you don’t have a goalkeeper, you can wait until an hour before kick-off before your first game of the season before signing onw.  That’s a tad ridiculous, but very on-brand for Celtic, but if you want to have a process to put sign that goalkeeper an hour before kick-off, you need people in the building who are working on targets and deals for months.

You and I will be talking about last season for the rest of our lives.  It was the great Get out of Jail season.  Whatever advantages it bestows on next season, are not overwhelming.  We can and will be caught if we do not get recruitment right, and we will not get recruitment anything like right unless we have the relevant decision makers in the building.

If you have an appetitite to open up the objective facts on our recruiment in recent seasons, we will touch on it next week.  Bring your forensic self.

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  1. bournesouprecipe on

    PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 17TH JUNE 2026 8:19 PM

     

    DR announce McInnes as the hun new manager, running with £2m compensation.

     

     

    Thought the huns said it was by mutual consent 🙄🤔

     

     

    ———-

     

     

    Which club gets the compensation?

  2. Maolmuire O Muirgheasa on 17th June 2026 7:37 pm

     

    You’re trolling yourself at this stage old boy

     

     

    So it is you. My first post in a while and like the bad penny you turn up.

     

     

    Thats trollin trollin trollin.

  3. This referee is determined to keep England in the World Cup

     

    Soft penalty, soft retake after Kane miss

     

    Straight away Commentator puts him in same bracket as Messi & Mbappe

     

     

    No cheap pen for Croatia though

     

    Channel switched over…..seen enough

  4. Some old woman in her granny’s kitchen discussing Englands tactics on her blackboard ….. really !!! On ITV

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  6. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    BSR @ 8:46

     

    Newco to pay Diets in the region of £700,000 for Tango boy,according to Edinburgh Evening News.

  7. Maolmuire O Muirgheasa on

    Makes a change for 34 page word docs, i’ll take it any day of the week.

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  9. Hrvatski Jim on

    Come on the Vatreni.

     

    Vatra means fire in Croatian.

     

    Vatreni means The Firery Ones

  10. Maolmuire O Muirgheasa on

    Celtic show first glimpse of new third kit in three-second social media tease . . . . . .

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  12. TAURANGABHOY on 17TH JUNE 2026 8:44 PM

     

     

    Agreed, it is definitely too early to panic.

     

     

    With that said, and this is not panic, I’m worried about how long it will take to address all of the other deficiencies at the club, and what impact this will have on our overall recruitment process/strategy. This is not to mention the negative sentiment already building amongst the support.

     

     

    Maybe I’m thinking about this the wrong way, but it’s fair to assume that whoever was going to be manager would want a striker as a matter of priority, so why not just get that done.

     

     

    If I were Celtic, then I would be buying a striker as quickly as possible just so that we could show some initiative and take charge of the narrative. Clearly, I realize that not all strikers are made equal, but just for the sake of argument wouldn’t it be simple to buy all 6’3″ of 27-yo George Hirst for £8-10M as he enters the final year of his deal with Ipswich?

     

     

    It’s an example, and I have seen very little of him, so please understand I’m just making a point. He might end up being second choice to Johnny Kenny, who knows, but at least he would be in the door!

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  14. Had Radio 5 in the background while watching NYPD Blue, heard Croatia’s second equaliser, switched back to ITV to see the goal, and to hear commentators straight away to hope VAR rules it out….it doesnt

     

    With Pickford* in goal and that defence, they will struggle to go far in this WC

     

     

    *Never forgive him for putting Virgil out for a season, and getting away with it….

  15. Paul The Spark on

    Celtic teasing a third strip. Pity they can’t tease new signings or back room staff etc.

  16. Auldheid….the huddleboard is excellent….one of many excellent celtic podcasts

     

    But according to some ……not real celtic fans

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  18. Auldheid @ 7:25 pm,

     

     

    Yes, the cash reserves could be used to invest in other aspects of the football club and initiate or enhance other revenue streams – such as academy development model – that in turn, could bring in football revenue.

     

     

    However, there is no indication that the PLC wants to use their cash reserves to invest in any aspect of the business at present.

     

     

    The Engels example is interesting.

     

     

    While many baulked at the idea of paying so much for a “development” player – for me it isn’t his runaway success that has proven this is the right approach.

     

     

    It is the fact he took time to bed in, did not set the heather alight – did not command a x4 multiple that proves the approach is spot on.

     

     

    Engels, although none of that has made an excellent contribution to the first team, has developed as a player and a person and Celtic will most probably get a substantial return on investment – that, if there was a will, can be re-invested in two other high value development players.

     

     

    Hail Hail

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  20. Chairbhoy.

     

     

    Replacing Engles with another Engles who is at the same level as Engles was when signed is not what the support want.

     

    They want replacement to be same quality as the player sold but logicaly that player will be in a higher price bracket so that quality of player will not be signed.

     

     

    So to me Celtic are like hamsters in a wheel, running fast to stay in same place and that place domestically is less assured than it was and that needs attention before any attempt to reach the next level in Europe.

     

     

    Last season was a reality check for everyone.

  21. vinniethedog on 17th June 2026 10:13 pm

     

    Auldheid….the huddleboard is excellent….one of many excellent celtic podcasts

     

     

    But according to some ……not real celtic fans.

     

    ==

     

    For me they are one Celtic site who try to back opinion with information rather than speculate.

     

     

    I was delighted to see them delving into FSR to widen the understanding of how it impacts on the quality of the playing squad.

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  23. Taurangabhoy on

    Chairbhoy I would be happy with two new development players at the standard Engels was when he arrived. To be honest I saw what he brought to the team in the run in but he never excited me. However if he goes this season other development players will look at Celtic as a place to move up the ladder.

  24. Vinniedog

     

    Chairbhoy

     

     

    I seem to have picked up a troll virus that latches on to my conversations with other posters and triggers off a viral cry for help.

     

     

    Strange behaviour to be sure.

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