Yesterday was the fourth time in four games this season Celtic have won without having to leave second gear. Kilmarnock and St Mirren were both stretched by European qualification ties, while Hibs have had a humiliating start to the season, even for them. Still, there could hardly be a starker illustration of the chasm between our domestic and Champions League challenges.
Scotland’s other leading club made it eight wins on the bounce this season, as Aberdeen continue to provide the main competition to the champions. The first showdown between the clubs does not happen for another seven weeks, a game that could go a long way to determining the title.
Credit to St Mirren for dominating the first 140 seconds of the tie; unfortunately for them, Celtic scored the first time they got forward with the ball. A trademark Celtic passing move opened space for Callum McGregor 24 yards out, who fired low into the net. St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson’s plans to get stuck in early became unstuck before many fans had got to their seat.
Reo Hatate doubled the advantage 33 minutes in with the goal of the game. Alistair Johnston pitched a high ball into the box for Daizen Maeda to run onto. The Japanese winger headed back and down into space for Reo, who struck the ball on the drop-volley, clipping the inside of the post on the way in. Johnston removed any doubt about the result with a goal midway through the second half.
Paulo Bernardo showed lots of tidy work in the central midfield role normally occupied by Matt O’Riley, who travelled south for a medical over the weekend and should compete his move to Brighton today. More on Matt at a later date.
As the deadline looms, players and clubs across the continent have sharpened their options. Barcelona agreed to a new-contract-and-loan-to-Celtic deal with 20-year-old left back Alex Valle. The player is expected in Glasgow today for a medical. At the end of this season, he will have one year remaining on is Barcelona deal, with a buy-out figure which is greatly reduced from where it was a week ago.
Goalkeeper is the only area of the field we are not looking to add to this week. This is not your first transfer window, so usual caveats, but it should be an interesting few days.
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DG wouldn’t get the gig if he didn’t toe the line. Celtic bad. Give them nothing.
30pieces.csc
KLV
Celtic Mac
Fell off and ended up in the Vicky Bar. 🤣
glendalystonsils on 26th August 2024 1:18 pm
AURORABOREALIS79 on 26TH AUGUST 2024 1:13 PM
Gallagher shares a brain with Kris Boyd when it comes to opining on Celtic penalty claims . So much so that I honestly believe they also share an agenda .
__________________________________________________________________________
And to be fair to Boyd ( I can’t believe I typed that) I think he said he thought the first one was a penalty
bigrailroadblues
Big wheels keep on turning….
“At the end of this season, he (Valle) will have one year remaining on is Barcelona deal, with a buy-out figure which is greatly reduced from where it was a week ago.”
Am I to read this and assume that the extension he signed has added (or reduced) the “escape clause” / “fixed price” value to the contract as it appears that he will be in the same place in a years time contractually speaking but with more experience/exposure which might increase his options and make him less attainable for us?
If there is a buy out clause then that is the only saving grace from doing a loan without a purchase option as it leaves us in the same place effectively I think?
e.g.
– a known price (which we’d likely haggle about anyway).
– only the player to convince which after a year of Celtic he will hopefully be sold on.
The risk is that he shines so brightly for us that BHA or similar swoop in for him and offer wages we wont match but that could happen even with an option to buy also I suspect (unless the player agreement is locked in advance of the loan). We had the same risk with Jota, CCV and Paulo tho and these worked out.
Given the reported loan fee/wages it looks like we are thinking longer term here rather than just cover for GT but the deal still sits uneasy for me, somehow. if he is that good why not buy outright now as even the loan fee + reported purchase price looks affordable?
Mmmm
QB
glendalystonsils on 26th August 2024 1:23 pm
We have Peter to thank for everything…….
Tongue in cheek observation
After a month or so so of screaming ‘get the deals done’, within minutes we have three names in the frame being dismantled by our ITK crew who are legal, contractual and financial wizards on one side, whilst the other side of their brain is neurologically linked to a secret world wide database of all known players. The outcome is that two of the names are duds, one deal is wrong because we have no right to buy, another deal is wrong because we are obliged to buy and in the third we are penny pinching and will lose out!
What larks Pip 😀
After our wonderful weekend win, we start a weird week of transfer goss…
We laughed when THEMS signed Jefte a 2nd-string LB from Brazilian club Fluminense.
Are we happy when WE sign Valle; a 2nd-string LB from renowned club FC Barcelona ?
We laughed when they did a loan deal for out-of-favour winger Cerny once valued around 10mill.
Are we happy when linked wiv a loan deal for an out-of-favour winger, Isaksen valued near 10mill?
Trust the process. Trust in Brendan?
CORPORALDONTPANICJONES CSC
Sky Sports News announced on Sunday night that the currant buns were top of the league on goal difference. :))) por cierto
Perhaps we have an LB coming in the winter as they’re out of contract next summer, perhaps! por cierto.
Por Cierto
Did they really??
WHAT IS THE STARZ
Aye,! por cierto.
Afternoon
Despite claims by many on here that we suffer from a paucity of left backs at Celtic the opposite is in fact the case. Not only did we produce Kieren Tierney but in more recent times we have introduced Adam Montgomery, Mitch Frame and just this summer Matthew Anderson. Mostly cameo roles it has to be said, and as yet none have been given too many opportunities at Celtic, and injuries have been a problem too, but we are developing left sided defenders. I’ve got high hopes for Anderson in particular but it looks like he will be going out on loan again this season, especially if Valle signs on today. That said with Greg’s contract still unresolved who is to say he will not be kept on.
There’s always wee Alex Bernabei
Bourne
Ah wiz talkin left backs there
Maybe the boy from Barcelona isn’t 100% convinced (yet) that he wants to be in Glasgow – the player does have a say and I think some are overlooking that fact.
We should tell him to talk to Marc Crosas…
Port Cierto
We’re they not talking about the women
QUADROPHENIAN on 26TH AUGUST 2024 1:41 PM
At the moment, yes I’m happy. It’s a good time to be a Celtic supporter.
We’re = were
CELTIC MAC
Bon mot
We have tied countless times to bring in a left back.Bernebei.The Irish guy Kenny,I think,from Everton valued at £10 million at the time who was hopeless for us but went back to them and played a lot of games in the EPL.Laxalt,again valued at that price.The guy who scored at Ibrox from 20 yards through Mc Gregors hands and legs.Its been a bit of a bind.Wee Greg the best of the lot.
I really enjoy watching Celtic at the moment, it’s the rest of it that’s a ball ache
Celtic Mac
Rolling on the river…..
Celtic Diary Monday August 26 2024: Reach Out, Touch Faith
calm down
https://etims.net/?p=18754
For me anyway
bienvenido valle
the clips of him playing remind me of bobby petta and the first half during which he destroyed fernando ricksen (God rest his soul).
Reddit says he’s with barcaloana till 2026, even so it’s a win win – barca give a player 8 CL games without doing anything and we get a player who (fingers crossed) will fit into the SPFL over the next year or two.
Great deal; miles ahead of anything else happening in Scotland!
All gone quiet on the Bogusz transfer front.Last week we were in serious talks,and he was flying in today after playing last night.
Allegedly!!!!!!!!
Bernadette & laxalt were both wing backs..
Turkeybhoy
You mean your not echoing press pish
I cannot remember being so confident of victory over either version of the Huns as I am at the moment for Sunday`s game. That feeling may, of course, change over the week ( CQN could see to that !!) but, for the moment, super-confident.
I watched Bogusz play last night. He scored a nice goal that got chalked off and put a great corner right on Girouds napper for the goal. The coach decided to take him off after that and he looked pretty pissed. Was the only one for 62 minutes who knew how to play off of Giroud. Thought the Bhoys played excellent in Sunday at a place that can cause many teams trouble. Don’t have an opinion of Peter Lawell good or bad, but thought that was pretty crappy how he was treated. I mean you would think that we are stuck in 1994, instead of this wonderful period in our distinguished history. Let’s not forget that in order to enjoy the good days, you need to remember the bad ones, and right now we have been spoiled.
Hail Hail and happy Monday
Sean
The cricket equivalent of parking the bus
Who said cricket is boring 😴
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yk980lrlvo
bournesouprecipe re: Day off.
That made me chuckle.
JINKYREDSTAR on 26TH AUGUST 2024 1:39 PM
Probably me who questioned the ‘obligation to buy’ deal .
The only blind faith I have any time for has Steve Winwood on vocals ! -))))
B78 just incase you missed my reply and if you didn’t miss then good:
David66 on 26th August 2024 11:17 am
B78 – I could not give a flying duck what you think.
You have shown on numerous occasions that your nose is so far up the Celtic boards arse that it makes me/us wonder if you are in business with some of them, is that what it is? do not bite the grubby wee hand that throws you a morsell.
My morals are well intact and yes I was pointing out that Lawell on this occasion should have handled it better, but you know what it’s in the upbringing.
Away you and succle the titty that feeds you.
Big Jimmy – Thank you sir.
D. :)
Now that’s out the way come on Celtic get a couple of these signings done and give the managed a fighting chance on all fronts.
D. :)
bigrailroadblues on 26th August 2024 12:21 pm
Embdy attending on Friday mentioning the board or transfer window shall have to pay a forfeit of free drink for me and Big Jimmy
—-
I have put a couple of tonne behind the bar in advance.
D. :)