Not all managers regard it as necessary to personally watch a player before signing him. Some are satisfied to trust their scouts, stats and video evidence.
That’s through necessity, though. What chance of you of watching a late addition to your wanted list in the dying weeks of a window? They would all prefer to see the player in person.
With two games a week, that is often impossible. This issue lead Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan to over rely on players they came up against in the SPL.
International breaks are, therefore, an oasis of opportunity. This is when a manager can travel half the globe watching football, assessing multiple targets.
Ange Postecoglou now has free midweeks but he has used the February and March breaks to get ahead of the curve. Let’s hope wisely.
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Hail hail brothers and sisters
Morning all from a balmy Texas.
Posted in the last thread and then lurked around to try to make a podium – sad, I know.
TEXASTIM
At least your honest about it 😂👍
Good afternoon all.
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On this day in Celtic’s history – March 29
By Joe Sullivan
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Here we take the opportunity to revisit some Celtic games and tales from this day in the club’s past.
How did the club fare on this day in the past?
1902
Celtic’s first game on this date was in Inter City League match in 1902 when the team made the short trip to Cathkin Park to play Third Lanark. Having just beaten the same side 2-0 in their previous match in this competition, as well as winning 3-2 and 2-0 in the league, the Celts would have been quietly confident of a win. And that’s the way it turned out as two goals from Johnny Campbell, one from the spot, and an own goal gave Celtic a 3-1 win. The Celts also beat Third Lanark 5-1 in the Glasgow Cup and 5-0 in the Charity Cup that season.
1908
Peter Scarff was born in Linwood on March 29, 1908 and as a 20-year-old, he made his Celtic debut when Arthurlie visited on Scottish Cup duty on January 19, 1929. The youngster had signed the previous August from his hometown club, Linwood St Conval’s, and was immediately farmed out to Maryhill Hibs. It was always going to take a special kind of player to replace the great Jimmy McMenemy and in Peter Scarff, Willie Maley found the man with the character and ability. He immediately became a fixture in the first team straight from his debut. The Hoops won that game 5-1with Jimmy McGrory netting a hat-trick but the name of Peter Scarff was soon to be on the scoresheet as well…he found the net a week later in his league debut against Hearts and was to feature in every remaining Celtic game that season and ended the term having played 16 league games, six in the Scottish Cup and three Charity Cup matches. However, there was another youngster in the side who was also permanently on the team sheet and that was keeper John Thomson, and both of these players were to die tragically young while on the books of Celtic Football Club. While the Fife keeper would be fatally injured on the pitch at Ibrox on September 5, 1931, it was just two years later that Peter Scarff succumbed to pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of only 25-years-old on December 9, 1933.
1909
On their way to winning the fifth of six successive titles, Celtic travelled to Meadowside on this day in 1909 to play Partick Thistle for the last time there before they moved to Maryhill. Willie Kivlichan (below )got the goal that gave Celtic their 1-0 win to add to the 3-0 win earlier at Celtic Park on November 7 when Jimmy McMenemy notched a hat-trick. The replayed riot-final in that season’s Scottish Cup and trophy being withheld robbed the Hoops of the opportunity of a third successive league and cup double.
1930
A 5,000 crowd watched the Celts entertain St Johnstone in the league on this day in 1930 following an earlier 6-1 win up in Perth. In the previous game on November 23, Jimmy McGrory notched a hat-trick with the other goals coming from Bertie Thomson, Charlie Napier and defender Graham Robertson (below) with his only goal in 37 games for the Hoops. In the March 29 game, McGrory hit another hat-trick against the hapless Saints in a 6-2 win with the other goals coming from Peter Scarff, Napier and Alec Thomson.
1966
Goals by Bobby Lennox in the 10th and 35th minutes gave Celtic a 2-0 league win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on this day in 1966 in a game watched by 25,000. The Celts had earlier beaten the Ayrshire side 2-1 at Celtic Park thanks to goals from John Hughes, from the spot, and Joe McBride seven minutes from time in a game in which the Hoops had to come from behind after the visitors took the lead in the 57th minute. Celtic went on to lift the first of their nine successive titles that season as well as lifting the League Cup and narrowly losing out on the Scottish Cup after a replay.
1969
Harry Hood signed on March 16, 1969 and it was on March 29 that he made his debut when the Celts travelled to Paisley to take on St Mirren. A 24,000 crowd saw Jim Craig open the scoring four minutes from the break and John Hughes added another nine minutes after the turnaround. It was in the 69th minute that the debut Bhoy found the net to make the final score 3-0. That was the first of 123 goals in 312 games for Celtic before Hood moved to the States in 1976.
What has Ange been doing during the past two months? Don’t think I’ve read anything about him going to watch player. Hopefully, he has.
Scouting and future recruitment not really on my mind at the moment. It’s all about midday to 2pm on Sunday. Hopefully, the players are up for this as much as the support is.
Hopefully Ange has been doing some of his own scouting . Hopefully we are also seeing more of a forward planning approach from the club .
If you stand still you will soon find yourself going backwards .
The brilliant and perspicacious Chatlie Nicholsas said :
“. It would be very difficult for Rangers to fight back to retain the title, especially as it would leave them six points behind the Hoops with just six games to go.”
`Especially`? What else did Professor Nicholas have in mind? Bloody idiot :-))
Hetate subbed at HT
BADA beat me to it. With Vietnam leading 1-0 at halftime, Japan sub Reo and eventually change entire midfield. Score now 1-1 with a few minutes to go.
Couple of quick comments on the state of the academy and our youth et up.
The rise of the social work dimension to coaching — discuss ???!!!???
The need for academic qualifications to make progress in the youth coaching “industry”.
The “positive parenting” angle where the hipster childless lecture those with families.
Not sure how far these attitudes have spread but they appear to have taken root in L/town.
People hanging about for 15 years developing their own career rather than their charges.
Has all the hallmarks of a micro community developing where football outcomes are not the priority they should be — where the draw of the club hides the lack of coaching and development that takes place at that club and there are always a booster club of happy clappy types to generate he right level of excuses when they are needed.
All of which means that it is starting to look like the 50% that take up teaching for the holiday entitlement — not good.
I would seem to be the place where the collections of badges and degrees is the currency of progress rather than results on the pitch. Where a life dealing with spotty youths is to be preferred over the challenge of trying to deliver results in a more results based environment — adult football.
Coaching as a stable / long term salaried career — is that what our youth set up needs?
Is that level of stability without energy / innovation to be preferred for our age groups / youth teams over the driven / talented starting out in their coaching and hoping to grow in the same manner as their charges?
We now have the WAG academy at St Ninians with its Glee Club / High School Musical vibe.
And now we have our youth coaching set up working as a branch of social work.
With those two drivers working on our U18 team then no wonder we are last in the league.
Something is badly wrong with our youth set up.
And it is getting worse unfortunately.
!!BADA BING!! on 29TH MARCH 2022 1:19 PM
Hetate subbed at HT
—-
It doesn’t sound like it’s been too taxing for our internationals. Hopefully our players play little, if none, of the remaining games, Scotland, Croatia and Sweden. Hatate will have done a lot of travelling, first Sydney then Japan. Hopefully they’re ready to shut the Govan mob up and have them turn on their own players.
SF tickets on website
Scotland U-21s drop more points in Kazakhstan, despite at one time leading 2-0.
Solutions — CFC University side.
One way of getting talent from the US to come over and play for us.
Free tuition plus a couple of photos at the Harry Potter end of the GU main building.
Plus 4 or 5 years at Bearsden Tech will focus their thoughts on football.
Could it be funded through an expansion to the Pools stuff / Development Fund?
We seem to be running a shadow youth stream with our contracts at 18 from all parts f the UK / 26 counties / Nordic countries — bit of a pattern developing.
Finally LU angle — was LH right to leave us during the summer if he is now getting game time in the EPL? Would he be playing for us now if he had stayed?
Thems v Celtic F.C.
cinch Premiership
03/04/2022 12:00pm
Referee:William Collum
AR1
Graeme Stewart
AR2
David Roome
Fourth Official
Nick Walsh
Scouting….what infrastructure does Ange have supporting him in this regard? Do we have a 24/7 recruitment head and scouts in place to search every corner of the globe for the 19/20 year old who is being underutilised at a big club and in need of exposure and game time – 2/3 seasons and we’ll sell you to the big 5.
Only natural that peppered into the recruitment last summer were some distressed purchases – loan to hires (e.g. CCV) and players with gaps in the system (e.g. Hart and McCarthy). What’s the pathway for the B teamers with potential and how sentimental are we going to be with established players (e.g. Forrest, Rogic, Bitton) as we bring in more talent.
We should always be looking, always exploring the market and the game on Sunday shouldn’t get in the way of that. I’m excited at what Celtic 22/23 might look like and hope we can begin to move up the European challenges thrown our way.
HH
BANKIEBHOY1
Do you know these neighbours of yours?
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-pensioners-go-40-year-23521622
MM,
Would we (as a support) be mature enough to play a shadow team in the 2 domestic cups in the way the EPL does, with their primary focus on league and Europe. Say goodbye to doubles and trebles possibly ?
Would that be sufficient for the development of players over and above the lowland league ?
We seem to have talent in our youth ranks but the problem is more about a pathway to their own ambitions…
HH
Bada@1:52
Well I’ve been in that HTS for around 15 years, this is only the second time I have not got a ticket. I assume the corporates have taken a disproportionate amount again, just like in the Hertz final
Youth set up — the need for the correct mix.
Coaches vs leaders / managers — those that do / show them what to do and those that tell them what to do?
I think that too many at L/town are working to be coaches not leaders / managers.
TMcI — when I have heard him talk about his squad he came across as the big brother type not the father type. Nowhere near enough demanding and too much coaxing — not good.
Ange seems to have his own system. It has worked well so far.
He has taken on the existing coaching staff and I assume has used the existing scouting teams. He has the final say in the signing players.
There is no way he could have scouted Johnny Kenny at Sligo Rovers. The system previously would have been one of our Irish scouts would have put him forward. Then Willie McStay would have looked at him and doubled the recommendation.
The coaching staff would be asked of there opinion a
BW @ 2.10
Shadow squad in cup games — no.
Not enough games to keep a shadow squad fully occupied.
The B team in the Lowland League has been a huge success.
Just a case that we need another season to recruit a full / proper squad — U20 or U21 looks about right.
The big issue for the Lowland League is the variable standard — some teams are pretty weak.
However this will get better the longer we are in the league — publicity / visibility / challenge.
I think that we should look at a university team / squad and put them in as well.
Old school green jerseys — egg chaser quality — and handlebar moustaches would generate a following.
Plus it would make them fitter carrying all that extra weight about.
We as a club don’t play enough football.
Ladies team needs more publicity.
The age groups need more publicity starting with the U18’s.
Put all the game on CTV Freeview.
Plus a couple of wee stadiums.
One = grass.
One = astro.
Sorry
Cont
and then it would go to the committee (remember the leaked memo). If he passed the committee. The Age would have his say. There would of course be Videos available as well as analyst reports.
Ange will have agents with who he has a relationship.
How may players do we still need?
CFC Sporting Village — Discuss?
Plus put in a link with 4 schools in the East End.
St Ninian’s is attracting too many people from Lenzie.
Their egg chasing team is losing out.
BB @ 2.25
How many players do we need — quite a few.
GK x 1 / CB x 2 or 3 / good LB x 1 / MF — DM or glue x 2 / LW x 1?
Need the bigger numbers depending on CCV and JNPF staying.
Huge amount of work for next season.
According to The CFC website we have a first team squad of 31 players, and a 24 strong B squad. In addition there are another 13 players out on loan. That’s 68 players. Stating the bleedin obvious here, but only 16 get chosen for the main event, leaving 52 players on the payroll but playing (or not) in matches we are not particularly interested in. The brutal reality of life at a big football club.
And just when you think you are about to step up into the first team squad the club goes and gets a guy from Portugal on loan, and that guy hits the ground running. Snakes and ladders, just how good, or lucky, do you need to be to be to get a game in front of 60,000 ? And stay in the squad.
It’s up the Celtic to decide how many pros are on the payroll, and how best to develop those below the first team squad. Every top club has a similar dilemma . I’m only interested in how those who get stripped for the main event perform, to be honest.
For those breathlessly awaiting the score, Mongolia drawing 0-0 away to Bangladesh after 90 minutes.
Jd @ 2.34
You obviously were not around in the early 70’s then.
The reserve team was where the buzz was at that time.
The people who were going to take us back to the top.
Especially after the disappointment of 1970.
We need to get back to seeing the big picture at the club — not just the First XI
MM 2.30
I think it depends on who we ship out. we will lose players but not always the ones we want who attract the biggest interest. I hope we keep CCV and Jota.
If we keep these on permanent contracts then we will need only 5 or 6,
Remember we can bring in youngsters from our B team & Academy. Rocco Vata for one
from previous article – thanks Tom McLaughlin
JIMDOM
A lot of truth in what you say. Liverpool, for example, maintain a constantly reviewed and updated worldwide data base of 10,000 players. I mentioned last week that the front spaces were occupied by any 3 of 5 established internationals like Salah, Mane, Firmino, Jota, Minamino, then they go and buy another – Diaz of Colombia. That’s why Doak has no chance there. A mate of mine pointed out that Doak is maybe looking at the example of Harvey Eliot, but he was like Rooney, a kid in a man’s body, and I think may have played in the first team when he was 15, but only in cup ties.
If Liverpool think they are lacking at any position, they will simply buy a Virgil, or Allison, or Salah, or Diaz. Players coming through the ranks are not unknown ( maybe Henderson, Alexander Arnold? I haven’t checked ) but will be rarer than hen’s teeth.
IQV @ 2.51
L/pool will bring players through.
They have enough talent in their youth system.
Just a case of when the get games and when they become a starter.
BD does have a chance at L/pool.
He is playing at a very good standard at the moment.
The boy with his da’s body comes into it.
He would appear to be physically precocious at the moment.
But he has what it takes to play adult football at the moment.
Just a case will this development continue.
However he has a better chance of making it with us.
Earlier into into the first team as they have a bigger and better squad than us.
Just a case of whether we would offer the same level of coaching and development?
PB- ditto, the only ticket I haven’t taken, since the scheme started about 20 years ago, was the St Johnstone semi final this season, hindsight tells me i should have taken it and gave it to someone.
……. again today saying i don’t have the permission to get one for the semi final….they can shove it mate.
Welsh injured for U21s
Croatia dominating first 15 minutes against Bulgaria in an empty stadium. Much changed Croatia team. Juranovic on bench. Hun Barasic starts.