Stephen Welsh’s breakthrough season at Celtic came in 2020-21 as defence and goalkeeper position fragmented. He started in several of Ange Postecoglou’s first line-ups and was trusted to partner Carl Starfelt for a trip to Ibrox but a costly mistake at Livingston saw him drop down the pecking order.
At 23, he is just seven months older than Alexandro Bernabei, still considered young with room for development, but it is unlikely to happen at Celtic. He has not made an appearance since October, though made it onto the bench five times in the closing months of the season.
It is no surprise there is interest in the player from Italy, where several of his peer group have excelled, but quoted the £3m price spot is noteworthy. This is not far from the price we paid for Alistair Johnston, fresh from the World Cup and already a stalwart in the Celtic defence.
It remains to be seen what happens to Stephen. If we are able to sell a player on the very fringe of the squad for a fee like this, it is a clear indication that the value attributed to a player simply by being at Celtic has increased. We have seen this phenomenon at top English clubs for years. They acquire huge squads, mostly loaned out for a healthy fee, before being sold at a premium as, for example, a Chelsea player.
It would also not escape your attention that if we sell reserves for £3m, maybe we can aim a little higher when signing first team players.
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Bassey
Is losing our best player(s) every 1/2 sesons something we need to get used to if we really have a proper trading model ?
Year 1 – we lose CCV & Jota for a combined £30m+
Just be bloody good at sourcing the next one, at the right time & at the right price?
HH
Good evening all from the International Bar. You are an absolute shower. 😁
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/1673375576646881281?s=48&t=7G36a4CF2aWIWdlbf3Vm2Q
That strip is up there with the worst…
Big Wavy
While not wanting to lose either CCV or Jota never mind both but if they were to go to England it would be for way north of 30M++ they are both on long contracts, no need to sell either
Ever since Rodgers abandoned us mid season .
I have been unable to see his face of hear his voice , without feeling a loathing towards him .
I feel the the same way about Ange.
Like a jilted lover who can’t stomach seeing his ex’s life on Facebook.
Every time either of them appear on TV or on internet clips .
I try to stomach them , but I can’t.
With Ange it doesn’t matter .
But Brendan is our leader .
I have to support him .
Yet , I loathe the man .
I know that this shows me up in a very poor light ,but so far .
I just can’t warm to him again .
I feel the same way about him as I do about Donald Trump and Boris Johnson,
Only I never liked either of them in the first instance.
I am desperate for him to do well , but I just see right through him .
His fake teeth , perma tan , and his condescending, Utah preachers manner.
I hope that I feel differently in time ,
TT
“I hope that I feel differently in time
TT”
—–
Genuinely TT (as a fellow Celtic fan)
I hope you do too.
TINYTIM
i share your sentiments. BR’s admission that he tried to sign Calmac for Leicester City adds insult to injury. I will never like him a a person. I hope I can like him as a manager.
I have never liked WGS either .
A wee smart arse who is too clever at being clever .
But I do respect the job he did for us .
My most hated Celtic employee ( even more than Le Petite Merde ) was Jock ( we didn’t sell Di Canio , we traded him ) Brown .
I still remember walking along London road to the sound of beeping car horns and fans rejoicing when he was mutually consented .
Thankfully there are hunners that I have loved and adored .
Amongst my favourites Jinky , TB , Henrik, Danny Mac , and The Maestro.
TT
A fascinating wee clip of George Best in the Hoops in Australia- along with Wispy and Albert Kidd.
I have no other context for this
https://youtu.be/OmULROuUrR8
79caps
I don’t even trust that admission from him .
I see it as a fake way to try and ingratiate himself with Calmac .
If he seriously bid for him .
It would have been all over the smsm.
They would have loved to try and unsettle Celtic with that story .
I’ll file it alongside his conversation with Danny Mac , that he had a job for life at Celtic , whilst he was there.
TT
What I don’t get is how Brendan was so hated for leaving mid-season and the haters all said it would have been fine if he had waited till end of season.
Ange waits until end of season and he is still hated for leaving.
There’s no reasoning with grown men with damaged egos.
TINYTIM
It’s reasonable to assume that Leicester asked Celtic for permission to speak to Callum and Celtic refused permission, or the club informed Callum out of courtesy and he said he wasn’t interested.
That information would never reach the media.
I reckon we’d be nieve in the extreme if we are to kid ourselves that our crown jewels will not be bought , I do worry abit, but they all come and go sadly.
KINGLuBO
I don’t hate anyone but huns, orange scum , and right wing lunatics …..I can dislike some people associated with celtic…but hate …na
Evening all.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 26TH JUNE 2023 7:31 PM
A fascinating wee clip of George Best in the Hoops in Australia- along with Wispy and Albert Kidd.
I have no other context for this
https://youtu.be/OmULROuUrR8
—————————————————————————————–
SFTB
Thanks for that clip, I’ve forwarded on to my nearest and dearest.
HH
This is funny.
https://youtu.be/pYqbb02y8mM
Was hoping that Farley guy had maybe chucked it, but no such luck…
BelmontBrian
Shall you be joining the Salt n sauce Tims on Friday?
Ange never proffessed to be one of us. I don’t have a problem with him ( chest thumping aside)
Can’t blame the brodge for going, but do not trust him one bit. :)
TinyTim,
I hope all’s good with you.
I understand and respect your view. I’m pragmatic : we must win the league to qualify for the new Champions League format in24/25. Earnings from that will strengthen us further. I’d have preferred the Bodo bloke but BR is a winner, so I’m content. If I were in a position to advise him I’d suggest he edit his media chat to a minimum.
Loquacious is the half of it!
Rubicon
Loquacious? That was a Roman Emperor. 😁
Couple of points…
Brendan did go two thirds of the way through the 2019/19 season but Celtic were approached by Leicester City who negotiated a compensation clause.
Ange left at the end of the season true, but he was tapped up by Tottenham before the end of the season and was distracted in the run in to the treble.
It was no secret that Leicester City was after Calmac…
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9435179/amp/Leicester-City-targeting-deal-Callum-McGregor-Brendan-Rodgers-ready-raid-Celtic.html
Hail Hail
Interesting to witness all the links to the MSM on here
By lots of posters, myself included.
I have no problem with that, I have even seen links to the BBC. Shock, horror outrage.
HH to all.
Chairbhoy and SFTB.
Next round of debate please. 😂
Greenpinata 9.26
Aye indeed.
Gentlemen, start your engines….
BIGRAILROADBLUES @ 9:38 PM,
Isn’t he still hiding in Cheshire!?
Hail Hail
We all have our thoughts on why BR left first time. What I don’t think anyone has come up with is a genuine insight into why? He thought/said he was thinking of leaving at the start of that season for China or elsewhere (did he?), which fractured his relationship with the Board and PL (did it?) He had other offers during the season (did he?), then went when Leicester stumped up the cash. The timing was shit and no time is ever good (as per TMcL point earlier). So, we go into a new season having lost a powerhouse in Ange and replaced him with same, maybe better (is he?) In Brendan – let’s get behind him, the team and the club and smash that mob and anyone else in our way.
BRRB
Not much point to it now.
Brendan is back with us and picking over the scab of his past failings and secrecies does not do Celtic any favours. I will sit on my opinion until I see how we perform under him. I am hoping for the best but he is coming this time with baggage and with less fan patience, I fear.
I see anther one of the Huns’ fantasy targets, Lyndon Dykes, has signed an extended contract at QPR.
The media will just move on in their quest to have Sevco’s name carved on the Close Season Shield.
I`ve got some friends who really are top class people but i would rather have Brendan Rodgers as the Manager of Celtic than any of those great friends.
Chairbhoy and SFTB
Disappointing. I rather enjoy the cut and thrust of your exchanges. Haven’t a fecking clue what yer talking about most of the time. 😂😂
BRRB
I hear there’s a naked woman roaming the streets of Govanhill J what do you know about this ??
Tiny Tim
Like Kenny and Henrik and others who did great stuff away from Celtic I am more inclined to appreciate what they did for us when here.
BR won 7 trophies in a row and left us in decent shape. He instilled professionalism in the club like never before. He saw off a resurgent rangers and filled the stadium. He also took great care of Danny McG post heart op. I know that first hand from someone who wrote a recovery program at BR request for him.
WGS won 3 leagues out of 4 against a backdrop of the worst ‘financially doped’ old rangers. At a time when we were downsizing and had just lost Henrik. He took us to 2 CL last 16s despite this and the vitriolic abuse from a huge chunk of the so called faithful. Anyone at the Motherwell home game would recall. An astounding record by someone who was never brought up with Celtic and never kissed the badge. Someone who really respects the club and never speaks badly of it. Sad you think him not worthy of positive acclaim given that his media persona is on of not pandering to the journo shite.
Sadly some of your true Celtic men lost more than they won as managers and some as players.
Sadly many of our so called support pay to criticize and be negative but that’s consumerism in sport in 2023. You pay your money so you have the right to boo. Let’s not confuse this with ‘supporting’.
Tiny Tim
I get you are permanently unhappy with Celtic but fyi we have won 14 of 18 leagues since WGS took over a downsizing and overspending club in 2005
We won 6 out of 7 of those leagues when BR or WGS were managing.
All of these were in the 14 seasons when a form of rangers were in the top flight.
Maybe not good enough for you.
My dad would have walked over MON’s fabled broken glass for that. I would take those results anytime also.
Parkroad67 10.36
G, that’s a normal night in Govanhill. 😂
BRRB
My mhate sent me the video earlier J , Govanhill apparently 😂