Shopping in Brazil
During the game on Saturday we had a conversation (it was that kind of game) about defenders in general, and left backs in particular, available for selection in the CQteN Dream Team (have played since July 2004). Consensus was that Izaguirre, van Dijk, Ambrose, Matthews and Lustig should feature high on the list.
The real concern was the lack of genuine competition for Emilio Izaguirre’s place over the decade. We have two excellent right backs, with Darnell Fisher showing lots of promise, but have had little genuine talent on the left. Mulgrew and McNamara (both used there occasionally), Naylor, Danny Fox, Braafheid, Mo Camara and Ulrik Laursen were at best fillers for the position.
Neil Lennon has talked for over a year about adding a new left back to the squad but I don’t think we’ve come close to signing someone for this position. The problem is not limited to Celtic, either, lots of clubs at the highest level (budget) have struggled.
I read during the week that Izzie has achieved more assists this season than any since he arrived four years ago. His form is good, so there is not a compelling need to recruit, but form and fitness are fickle. He is also one of the few from the squad who will spend the summer in Brazil, interrupting preseason preparations.
Izzie arrived after World Cup 2010, where he put in enough of a shift in two appearances to convince Celtic to move, without shaking the game to its core to the extent he was snapped up by an English or German club. If the groundwork has been done ahead of this summers’ tournament, I’d be happy to recruit another solid performing left back from a small Latin American country. I’d not be averse to shopping there for a striker either, instead of Europe, England’s lower tiers, or the Israeli league.
Seville – The Celtic Movement:
“As I recall, I was sitting at the table when I got a shout from some friends to come to the bar where they had engaged in conversation with the owner of the restaurant – Luis – who was originally from Lisbon. At the bar, Luis introduced himself and quickly handed me an official postcard complete with a place for a stamp and a message although this particular card was blank and had never been sent.
The Picture on the card was the Estadio Nacional on the afternoon of 25th May 1967 at the precise moment when Stevie Chalmers turned the ball into the Inter Milan net for the winner. Luis had been in Lisbon that day and he had kept this postcard as a memento of the day and had held it for 15 years as his own wee homage not so much to Celtic as the Celtic fans.”
Order it here:
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