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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Brendan has said there will be a rew in by Friday, whether its a call out or not I look forward to theadditions.
I think we have enough in the squad from Sunday to beat huns on Sunday and win a treble but as the season goes on injuries will take their toll, so get upgrades and make the squad fight for their place.
It can only be so.
D. :)
the board have zero tangible ambition for european progress
they hope we can do well
zero evidence season after season to be ready for any progress
any new signings this week wont be ready to start the Hun game
i dont think that the board/plc etc have much ambition for euro progress either.
winning the league(and hopefully the cup as well) in may means we end the season on a high and so forget about the fact we got papped out of europe 6 months previously.
but the cash has still came in so that is likely all that matters to the money counters.
in saying that, how much would we need to spend to progress in europe?
an open ended question that could need an open ended cheque book which would be irresponsible.
Good Morning Celts, Verdant Morning In The Chilterns…
TONTINE TIM @ 11:04 PM,
Well “Ave Maria”, is the “Hail Mary”…
Not saying Sir Walter plagarised but he certainly took stimulus from the Virgin Mary’s Prayer
🎶It was my Mum’s favourite hymn, her favourite version was sung by my cousin Ann 🎵
She sang it at her Funeral… it’s a very difficult listen for me now…
TURKEYBHOY @ 12:48 AM,
Well, your absolutely correct regarding Idah and Bernardo, the financial and Celtic contract signing agreement was this window.
We have done some very nice “housekeeping” work on the first team squad this window, an area that has been far too over looked in the past
Likewise the Goalkeepers, we lost a quality keeper and important senior first team member when Joe retired, when Siegrist left another GK failure went out the door
To get Schmeichel in and Sinisalo in, is excellent, two decisive signings that backfilled a difficult recruitment area and a crucial on the park position up to speed for the first time in ages.
Backfilling another area where we haven’t been great.
Add to that the fact our team are playing some great football at the moment, much improved on this time last year and even dare I say it, on the Cup Final performance
So great housekeeping, excellent pre-season, wonderful start to the season, there is certainly a lot to be happy about.
So when our manager and others are stating we are only where we were at the end of last season it is in one specific area.
First team recruitment
Signing the quality players in
Because the players have done their bit
The Coaches and Trainers have done their bit
The football management and staff are doing their bit
And when I say doung their bit, I mean tirelessly across the board the Club are doing phenomenally well.
Now, that doesn’t mean that the Board can rest on their laurels and take all the credit, that’s what is annoying fholk about this Board
The tour de force we are seeing at our Club should be inspired from the top and if not at least added to and reciprocated from the top.
Bring in experienced quality players to enhance the first team and take the Club to the next level*, with our best player now gone, with four days to go in the transfer window it just hasn’t happened.
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE @ 2:29 AM,
Totally agree, the Board’s ambitions are to be the best domestically, they have no European ambition – our UEFA co-efficient is testament to that – and now that’s coming to really bite us.
To my way of thinking, it’s not about “how much would we need to spend to progress in europe? an open ended question that could need an open ended cheque book which would be irresponsible.
If I may say that’s a narrow and dogmatic business view of the Corporation takes, we are a football club and we really need to start behaving like one
Like BR said our bottom line is on the pitch.
We should not be looking at cash as either spent on the Club or saved in the Bank
If we buy players it should be an investment
Good players will get us more wins domestically and in Europe which makes us more money
Good players will have the right attitude to improve individually and the team, which means the squads more valuable and the player is more valuable
It’s not spending money, it’s investing money
So if that’s incremental to bring us a few extra points in Europe, so be it, if it’s a step change* (like we can do this season) to take us to the next level in Europe then push on for that.
*UCL last sixteen playoffs are the target, we have every chance of achieving that if the Board do their job of signing quality first team players…
Hail Hail
https://x.com/ordinarybhoy/status/1828298777721020805?t=oX3bLJvk_GoZkXifeC40QA&s=19
Good morning all from Govanhill. Heavy rain in old Glasgow Town.
Will a home grown player coming through the ranks ever get a chance now ?
Good morning from a bright but blustery North Staffs.
Tic toc tic toc goes the transfer deadline clock
MAESTRO @ 6:50 AM,
Brilliant stuff…
Really enjoyed those days.
What we’d give for a team like that these days…
We need to remember just what a transformation Martin O’Neil made…
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy much as I loved the Martin O’Neil era where we beat the EBTs and I will remember Seville to my dying days even though I couldn’t connect with my ticket, we went down a path that could have ended in sevconia. We won’t be liquidated but we also won’t put ourselves in that position. To compete in Europe we need to unearth sme gems, have a ton of luck and the backing of the best fans in the world. We had a bit of that when we got to Seville. Hail hail.
Chairbhoy
We’re a football club but like every other football club we’re also a business entity. If you don’t think I about how much you spend, in real numbers you go bust. It’s as simple as that
Brendan put some real numbers out there – 3 players for 7-8 each bringing in 90-120m. I think the sensible among us realize he was exagerating to make a point, he’s speculating to try and squeeze as much money out of the guys with the bank cards as he can. And I’d be an idiot if I argued that they didn’t sell for that much so the concept is wrong. It’s an idea that I don’t agree with but at least he’s out some numbers on it.
“how much would we need to spend to progress in europe?“. Is a question that every sensible football club owner would ask themselves in our position. It’s easy to talk about how we need to spend it differently but setting a budget is a bit more difficult, putting a limit on spending isn’t a popular thing for a football club to do but it’s paramount (!) for any business that wants to stay solvent.
So, asking you how much we need to spend to progress in Europe is a very basic question
As an example, in 2001 our annnual accounts showed spending on some fantastic players and a manager who changed the history of Celtic. A great example of how spending money can bring success on the pitch. But we were also today’s equivalent of 50m in debt in the annual accounts at the end of the year. Two years later we had Seville, and one of our best teams on the field and have ever seen. But it was also at that time that Brian Quinn told Dermot Desmond that, for the safety of the business we needed to start cutting the debt which hadn’t fallen since 2001 despite our on-field success. Budgets were cut, “where did the Seville money go?” Was born.
A very simple example of where a focus on spending with real world numbers involved was essential for the success on the pitch over an extended period. You could argue that nine in a row was born on the night of that meeting, the death of Rangers and all the doubles and trebles recently. Far more complex than that of course but it’s an argument
If we are to progress in Europe we can’t just spend. A very simple flexing of the budget should be done with growth in mind before committing to spending the cash pile.
Last season you put your plan out there – two teams, one for domestic football, one for Europe. Some overlap for bigger domestic fixtures but effectively a squad big enough to handle a team full of development players for domestic competition and future sale, one with experienced players we’d brought through and purchased. The most basic challenge for the club is to finance that without endangering its existence, but you weren’t able to cost it
You don’t seem keen to commit to any sort of numbers, just vague ideas about investment and success on the pitch. Knockout football in the CL will involve the sort of spending we haven’t seen before, it’s a basic part of any grown up argument about it to ask how much that would involve
The board need to set their budgets. What’s yours?
TAURANGABHOY @ 7:56 AM,
Yes, Martin was an incredible sort of Manager, Wycombe Wanderers are still reaping the benefits of his tenure some thirty years later
Yet for me you make your own luck
We scouted VVD
We scouted Matt
For me that’s not luck, that’s talent spotting
We sold VVD for 10 mn
We sold Matt for 30 mn
The extra 20 mn for Matt was not luck, it was a Manager who said I know how much Celtic players are worth and they are not going cheap
We can redo that many times over, as long as we put quality over quantity and talent over tenets.
There are realistically about thirty Clubs better than us in Europe, how many of those Clubs qualify for the UCL every season?
Not all the English top six, that’s for sure
So, if 20 to 25 of the teams above us qualify for the UCL, then the last 16 playoffs (twenty four teams involved) is not beyond our Club
In fact it’s not even us punching above our weight
We can develop a habit of developing top talent, we can make a habit of UCL playoffs.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy
You are talking a lot at the moment about a small squad, how does that fit in with your two team plan?
And I also noticed you’re talking about experienced players again, although experienced seems to have dropped it recently. How does that work in this transfer window, what should we be looking for, 3 7-8m players or experienced quality? It both? And how much would that cost?
– experienced + Brendan
24 year ago today rhe pendulum swung
https://x.com/ordinarybhoy/status/1828298777721020805?s=19
HH
Oops Maestro,can’t get enough of a good thing:-))
Have a good day y’all
Wild out there in Glasgow.
HH
nobody in their right mind expects marquee signings – but we should have signings and they should have been done by now..
morning all (it isn’t good here at all, weather-wise).
Chairbhoy on 26th August 2024 8:33 pm
BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 8:16 PM,
https://youtu.be/1EORbL8N-R8?si=akiNUYqQxE70k7yg
Hail Hail
……………..
Thank you for Posting the ” My Sweet Lord” Link above.
I hadn’t seen/heard that before.
” My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison is maybe my most favourite song of all time.
It was January 1971 ( I THINK ?) on that that particular Friday, I had just gained my very first Job after leaving school days earlier. I was to start work as a TEA BOY ( NIPPER) on the Monday with the Council on a building site/depot in Glesgas ” Easterhouse”.
After my Job offer/ acceptance, I left the Councils main office near George Square and went straight to a Record shop in the city centre, and bought ” My Sweet Lord”.
It was the Month BEFORE ” DECIALMISATION” in the UK, which was introduced in February 1971.
I was about earn £5.00 ( sometimes £5.50 ) a Week as a TEA BOY…or my proper Job Title…” NIPPER”, for the whole year until my 16th Birthday and the start of my Apprenticeship, which paid about £4.00 more each week.
I hope to have ” My Sweet Lord” played at my Funeral, along with a right good bevvy session to follow.
LOL.
HH.
I THINK I am correct with the dates etc…..Unless my memory is playing tricks again due to auld age ?
MARTIN O’Neill made THAT Celtic team….” STREETWISE” right from the start…Nae messin aboot.
HH.
Same auld shite about spending money means we follow follow the Rangrs road to ruin jeezo.
I’ve never read anyone on here asking to blow all our cash reserves on top drawer signings in all positions .
We pay our board top dollar to run the club efficiently and for a profit and they have done a remarkable job over the years and long may it continue (I couldn’t give a monkeys what wage /bonus they get )
We’ve paid top dollar to entice one of the best managers to come here and I hope he stays (if he goes , fair enough he’ll have his reason ).
I would be nice if (if) they could entice 2 or 3 ready made players to step right in ……….
Anyhoo just tired of the tripe if we spend we’ll be liquidated (same road as the huns)
Every season for a while I’ve been underwhelmed at the start …….
And in that same period I’ve been ecstatic (except the 10 ) at the end , hope that trend continues .
We can’t depend on Rangers being runners up time and time again .
MARSPAPA on 27TH AUGUST 2024 8:55 AM
“We can’t depend on Rangers being runners-up time and time again”
No, you’re right. They may sometimes be third fourth or lower! :))) por cierto
just realised second-gear-celtic v apt for the recruitment too
27th August 2024 9:19 am
MARSPAPA on 27TH AUGUST 2024 8:55 AM
“We can’t depend on Rangers being runners-up time and time again”
No, you’re right. They may sometimes be third fourth or lower! :))) por cierto
—————
27th August 2024 9:19 am
MARSPAPA on 27TH AUGUST 2024 8:55 AM
“We can’t depend on Rangers being runners-up time and time again”
No, you’re right. They may sometimes be third fourth or lower! :))) por cierto
———————–
👏👏👏🤣🤣🤣
Theres not enough ice cream and jelly to go round if that ever happened .
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/24539559.celtic-connection-still-evident-st-paulis-stands-despite-acrimony/#comments-anchor
https://youtu.be/rLrfNDFFcRs?si=gz4abxXDcAiut2kQ
Austin Trusty
His highlights….as I said yesterday I didn’t put it up because on this showing he looked very ordinary …not really much to go on. .
MARSPAPA on 27TH AUGUST 2024 8:55 AM
Same auld shite about spending money means we follow follow the Rangrs road to ruin jeezo.
That wasn’t what I was getting at at all. It was an example of the importance of getting the balance between the business and football sides of the club right. There were repercussions and some hard and unpopular decisions about our place in European football had to be made back then. Although ultimately, arguably we performed better in the cl from the slow lane, without spending the Seville money.
Estadio Lisbon closure dates,for those planning a trip
https://x.com/CelticFCSLO/status/1828042164619682117?s=19
HH
CELTIC40ME.
It wasn’t your comments I was aiming at it was the claims on here and I’m sure you’ve read them .
When posters ask why can’t we spend more on players …..the usual reply is , looked what happened to the huns do you want us to follow their model ” .
I can’t remember when I was last impressed by our signings to take us forward as a team in Europe……I don’t mind now because I realise that the club won’t spend for Europe.
What I fear is we stand still thinking we’ll always be better than the hun .
Yip , i get that there are plenty on here that don’t worry during a game coz they knew we would win in the end .
Next weekend will be a test , I expect we’ll be the better FOOTBALL team as has been for a long time now .
They have luck , speed and no shortage of skill in certain areas (free kicks, crossballs) ……
We have a settled back four and they’re making it up as they go so that augers well .
Jefte , cerny, matondo and dessers look threatening .
Our front line ,any from 5 or six should destroy them …….
Now , I’ll take a tavpen own goal to win it .
Yeah I’m a worrier .
Well run businesses sometimes speculate to accumulate.
Celtic PLC never do that….even back to the old days with the Kelly’s etc.
Keeping the “Old Firm” much more important.
Chairbhoy love your opTIMism hope we do have another euro run and final. Hail Hail
Beaton ref with Dallas on VAR for Sunday…
An Tearman Lisbon is on my bucket list. Maybe not this year. How am I going to sell it to Mrs Taurangaghirl . My daughter went last week but not to Estadio Nacional.
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 27TH AUGUST 2024 10:16 AM
Beaton ref with Dallas on VAR for Sunday…
The huns can’t rely on their new signings so they’ve brought in the ‘old guard’ . Wee Willie will mantime be having a nap.
mantime? Meantime .
glendalystonsils on 27th August 2024 10:23 am
The old adage “if you are good enough, the ref etc shouldn’t matter” springs to mind…however….
How do they pick the officials for top games, I thought the head of the ref department did, may be wrong…
GLEN, ‘MANtime’? Couldnae be wee Willie then!
Sleekit wee shite, doing his masters’ bidding from the off!!
Ave Ave