When Celtic sign young players, we discuss how many games they have played, and by implication, how many times we could possibly have watched them. There was a sweet spot (think Virgil and Moussa) of around 60 appearances, where you and I suspected we would likely have watched the players around a dozen times. Had we waited longer for Virgil or Moussa it is likely both would have been out of reach, you snooze, you lose. That window of opportunity has been growing ever shorter.
Last night we signed a pre-contract with Sheffield Wednesdays’ Liam Shaw, who will be 20 next month and joins Celtic in the summer. Liam made his debut from the bench in July and has made 10 starts since his first in November. Scouting opportunities have been rare, but as we know, snooze/lose. At £300k this has to be the model going forward. More, please.
I discussed crowd sourcing knowledge with a friend this week. Brighton fans knew things about Shane Duffy that Celtic did not before we signed him. The same is true of Jeremie Frimpong, not one of us would pay anything near the money Leverkusen parted with for his deceptively flattering lack of service into the box. By that rule of thumb, Wednesday fans’ considerable upset at losing Liam Shaw is encouraging.
At 6’3” his profile is similar to Kristofer Ajer’s when he arrived in Glasgow from Start, both tall central midfielders with a potential to move to central defence. Some of us remember big Billy bequeathing us 19-year-old Brian McClair a few weeks before he resigned in 1983. Lenny has a lot on his plate before the end of the season.
Don’t get caught out with the early kick off tonight, 6pm against a team who have not scored in 463 minutes of Scottish Premiership ‘action’, so what can go wrong?
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RC on 17TH FEBRUARY 2021 12:58 PM
maybe the issue at Lennoxtown , none of the players coming through are tall enough.
———————–
That is certainly not as daft as it sounds. In fact for many positions we seek this will be perfectly accurate.
Scotland has the shortest height for males in the UK and is well behind most of our European competitors. If we want tall players generally we need to look elsewhere. In fact WGS stated when manager of Scotland were generically disadvantaged.
HH. : PS : Years ago Scots were taller than Norwegians. This has reversed dramatically. Don’t tell Nicola, but we’ve actually shrunk since 1707.
Unlike Boli Bolingoli this is not the first Sevco ( now confirmed ) breach of Covid 19 rules.
The difference is Sevco take control of the narrative, and that determines how rules implemented against Aberdeen, St Mirren, Celtic and others are suspended for them. The press and Hamdump are told there is a ‘Rainjurz Investigation’ they back off, and await the next move which may yet end in another commendation.
Boli Bolingoli re-entered the Celtic bubble after having broken the rules, my guess is we’ll never get to know when transgressing Rainjurz players move in and out of the Castore Campus.
The sound of silence, hello darkside my old friend.
By most measures the academy is working, but that does not make it perfect. Over many years the academy has produced very good 1st team players, a number of decent standard players and unfortunately lost a number of kids who have had their head turned by your man u, man city, b munich, chelsea etc. before kicking a ball for our first team. The money generated from your McGrady’s and K.T’s get the headlines but many others have left for compensation/ smaller fees and those all adds up.
Despite the positives above in my opinion there is a disconnect and little forward planning that allows the academy kids opportunities to progress and develop their careers.
We need a pathway to get kids into adult football as soon as possible. If not in our first team then into another adult team wheather a colt in the lower leagues, highland league, ireland, wales, england etc.
After 50 games or so in the adult game they will be more prepared for the demands and we might just get a few more success stories. I would expect the cost would no less than your avarage 1st team squad player.
Even with a clear pathway from the academy to the first team we will still lose top prospects and we will still need to purchase the best young players we can from outside the academy.
HH
AIPPLE
Not a big fan of Alistair Campbell but it’s an interesting read. JRM didn’t fall far from the tree. Enjoy :-)
Yes Paul,let’s get in some more 300k projects, like O’Connell, Benyu,when is he going on loan to Acrington Stanley ?bigger question is,who has sanctioned his signing? Lennon? Lawwell ?Hammond ? The 3 guys we want out the door to start again .
The lack of competitive games in a proper reserve league cannot be good for player development.
TIMBHOY2- no juicy rumours for you just now.
SB @ 1.29
The academy is working ?
In what context / in what timeframe?
Given we have a better picture of who is coming out — I think we are failing.
Recent graduates have struggled to get games in the Championship never mind the SPL.
Our attempts at prospecting has been hobbled by a lack of coaching and development.
We struggle to bring young players into the team — those that do seems to invlove luck.
We seem to have developed some talent at a certain age group but then they leave.
Something is missing — it might be talent acquisition or it might be talent development.
As things stand it looks to be the latter.
No matter — change is needed.
BB @ 1.35
All these obscure signings that go nowhere — was the mythical £60K payment involved at any stage?
greenpinata
Reminds of the story, as told by Gordon Strachan on first meeting Jimmy Johnstone after Jinky arrived at Dundee in 1977;
“Aw right Big Man”
JIMBOB71 & LITTLE MISS JIMBOB
I think Stephen Welsh is fully recovered, but I wouldn’t rule out NL including Shane Duffy, and Scott (like a new signing ) Brown carrying on with Ismaila Soro on the bench. Would also prefer to see Mikey Johnston, there’s no wide shape to the side, since James Forrest was injured, all wing backs have flopped this season, we begin a new era next season with none IMO
Of all our loan signings going through the motions are of no real interest anymore, given the way the season panned out.
HH
are EH and his coaching staff still available.
Count me amongst those who believe Leverkusen got themselves a bargain with wee Jeremie…
Whoever watched him for the Germans would have seen the same performances we did but our frustration with the boy would have been more than matched by their excitement. What a prospect! Just out of his teens, tremendous pace and talent, first team regular and ripe for some serious coaching. If the wee man keeps the heid and his enthusiasm he’ll make his mark…
Again – the lack of competitive games in a proper reserve league cannot be good for player development.
!!Bada Bing!! on 17th February 2021 1:35 pm
Thats the most important question for the club right now, who is making these long term commitments and why?
I have no faith in anyone in the footballing side of the club right now to make the correct decisions in hiring. Our record, per P67’s leader today, is shocking, whoever selected Shane Duffy should have been fired months ago.
FT @ 1.21
Fair point about “benefit” — need to do some work.
There are lessons to be learned from CoViD19 — just a case who gets to rank them / publicise them / enact them?
Plus any progressive bounce is up against the long wave of identity politics — find a scapegoat invent / generate grievance and blame for all your worth and tell you and yours how great they are.
Worked for the Nats — Westminster to blame.
Worked for BoJo / Brexit — Brussels to blame.
Worked for Trump once — Mexicans / Chinese / funny Europeans are to blame.
We live in interesting times.
Slightly less interesting now that club has captured the White House.
Surely we have sent over a containerload of club gear to decorate the place.
JB is a good enough politician to work out the angle on that one.
For the record I have always thought that “Old Money Glands” / RM — imagine nickin’ about with a supermodel at his age — wanted us to be a cold climate AUS rather than the 51st state.
The US has had its moments regarding progressive politics.
AUS just waves a flag from time to time.
Main thing — you have to win the argument / battle of ideas.
KS really needs to up his game.
T7 @ 1.55
The most united CQN has ever been in the last year was the signing of SD.
Ticked every box — background / style / personality / experience.
The SD bus was packed when it arrived in August.
bournesouprecipe on 17th February 2021 1:52 pm
I have no doubt whatsoever with the current management that Shane Duffy will continue to get regular starts. If that does not tell you the mess we are in as a club I don’t know what does.
Too lazy to look up the data, have we had a clean sheet with Duffy involved?
MadMitch on 17th February 2021 2:04 pm
I don’t watch international football so had never seen Duffy play, but along with my friends we all agreed within 2/3 games that he was an overpaid dumpling, can’t run, can’t head the ball, can’t pass the ball and gets caught out with virtually every cross ball into the box. Anyone who has seen him play regularly and thought he was the solution to our problems knows nothing about football. One of the first things of note he did was to injure the only real CH we had at the club.
TIMMY7_NOTED on 17TH FEBRUARY 2021 2:05 PM
Last Wednesday Celtic won 4-0. SD came on as sub.
T7- the random project signings ,have been a factor in getting us to where we are today,money squandered on squad fillers.Until we have a new structure in place, nobody should be coming in,saying that,he has ‘agreed ‘ pre contract, so did Davies from Preston…..
Timmy7_Noted
“ He is a leader and he’s a warrior ”
Guess who said that CSC
Good point re “reserve team football”
If I was the new guy I’d be calling a meeting with fellow clubs with a view to reinstating the reserve league. Great for upcoming players, keeps them interested and busy. Players coming back from injury and so on.
Back in the day, when European games were the norm for 5 or 6 teams in our league we had a thriving reserve league. I don’t think it’s coincidence that our leagues dismal European record coincided with the abolition of the reserves. If for nothing else it would give those not in the first team pool a game to look forward to each week
I don’t see much issue with low cost / low risk recruitment as in the case of Shaw signing, regardless of the future of the current manager.
Hopefully some of the others – O’Connor, O’Connell, Afolabi make the grade and if not, generate a profit to club in future transfer fees.
There are 11.5 million reasons to continue this model, considering Frimpong.
Ajer too has been a similar success story.
I am hoping we get contuity in team selection to keep the recent improved form going.
I don’t believe Stepehen Welsh will be solid all the way through to season’s end nor will Shane Duffy be a total bombscare in all matches either. So, forme, these are marginal calls.
It loks like its Bain for the foreseeable. A back 4 that contains Kenny and Ajer for sure and, probably Taylor, unless AC are going to drastically reduce their price for Laxalt.
Scott Brown cannot play all games to season end so Soro needs to be kept playing regularly, with a mixture of starts and regular sub appearances.
Further forward, we need to recognise that 4:2:3:1 and the diamond variation of it which leaves one up front, has not worked well for us since Moussa departed. Therefore Eddy needs a partner. Griff scores a lot but has looked really weak in his last two appearances. Ajeti has not been much better but probably deserves a short run with Klimala being first choice striker sub, not Griff (until he shakes himself up or leaves)
So I would guess tonight is
Bain
Kenny Duffy Ajer Taylor
Brown
Christie McGregor
Turnbull
Ajeti Edouard
With Welsh and Soro being used as starters on Sunday and Klimala getting a bit more game time in coming matches.
We have decent subs available in Soro, Laxalt, Elyounoussi Rogic and Johnston.
A clean sheet would be very welcome, even against a low scoring Aberdeen.
Greenpinata on 17th February 2021 2:09 pm
You are indeed correct but as a sub thats cheating, also he conspired to give up a scoring chance with virtually his first touch. He’s as bad a centre half as I’ve ever seen at Celtic. I’m regularly surprised at the lack of quality in the EPL outwith the top ten teams. Very rarely has I seen us take someone on loan and been surprised at how good they are, its almost always the other.
Big Jimmy – from earlier, sorry for late reply mate at work.
No vaccination is next Wednesday.
D :)
T7 @ 2.08
But how could so many be guilty of getting it completely wrong?
He arrived to fanfares and rose petals being sprinkled in front of him.
How could the CQN audience make such a big mistake — back the wrong horse?
Madness of crowds?
Herd instinct / group psychosis?
Inward looking Bronskis?
This place was cheering like Nats at a Not-Jacinda rally when it was announced he was coming.
I wanted SMcK for the record but it was not to be.
My thoughts are that he has not settled well — to many long nights of playing on his X Box to 5am in the morning.
MadMitch on 17th February 2021 2:17 pm
Anyone playing for the Republic always gets an easy ride plus lots of people assume EPL means good, with our recent experience we should be more circumspect and even more robust on the analysis/scouting.
The childish name calling has started that’s my signal to go back to work.
Need to be affording a pathway too for youth academy players.
Too many being lured away. Showing a clear path to first team opportunities can only help keep our own and best.
I do often wonder if KT would have ever made it at Celtic, had he instead travelled with the U20’s that day. It sounded by his previous interviews that it was as much by chance that he instead joined the first team training session that day.
T7 @ 2.22
Not Jacinda vs Overpaid dumpling — discuss !?!
just before I go the Etims update today is a good read. Aligns with a lot of the posts in the last hour or so.
Context old fella.
BSR
Mikey Johnson, I just don’t know at the minute. Lots of talent but, I don’t know, just doesn’t seem to be at the races for me. Injury, lack of games etc are obvious factors but he needs to really step up a good few levels.
BFTB- Deila knew Ajer from his youth career in Norway, totally different from punts by 3 guys who should be emptied from CP
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 17TH FEBRUARY 2021 12:55 PM
I’m sorry that is not acceptable – you like all the rest of us have only two options;
1. He is the greatest prospect in all of Europe
2. He is rank-rotten as he only costs £350k
Be off with your reserving “all judgement until I see the lad in the flesh” – what kind of attitude is that to adopt?
Bada Bing – Fair point on Ajer,
So Deila had a big influence on emergence of KT and recruitment of Ajer.
I will allows wonder what was the true potential of Deila. Was he undermined by the senior players and in turn by the club by lack of financial backing.
Or just another poorly planned appointment by the board.
Jimbob
Not convinced by Mikey either, he’s 22 and we need to know, just as we need to know about Barkas.
This is where I believe Neil Lennon is being ‘selfish’ going for the safe option as with Duffy ( ;-) )
Who cares if Duffy, MOI, Laxalt eventually turn in a game they won’t be here come May.