The most striking aspect of our preseason games is just how synchronised everyone is. We look like a team in every sense of the word. Contrast that with the disjointed look we had at the start of last season, with then new manager Brendan Rodgers changing things around. Or worse, those early days of Ange Postecoglou, when we fielded a defence of Ralston, Welsh, Murray and Taylor in a Champions League qualifier.
Celtic will start the season on Sunday with a settled team and manager, and should make good headway early in the season as a result. There will no doubt be disruption before the end of August, though. Players will arrive into the first team, while none of us will be confident of keeping Matt O’Riley until the window closes. Stability never lasts long in football.
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Morning all!
I only managed to get to two of the three games of the US tour but what a ball we all had. To see how far people had travelled and the sacrifices made was just incredible.
Popped on to give a shout out. TexasTim and his wonderful lady are a phenomenal wee team. They and their kids were an absolute pleasure to hang with across the two games. Much singing and drinking was done. My Looval lover and I had a ball. Seeing my gal dance and sing at the games was just so bloomin’ cool.
Also, MNCELT and his crew, HH guys. Two years in row! Back to work and reality after an incredible week or so.
HH
Chairbhoy
“Yet we can clearly see, SOME OF our first choice players are not good enough for the UCL and we are far off back up for each position on the pitch.”
———————————
And, when we improve the squad with newly bought arrivals, that will still be the case.
We can never spend as much as the clubs who enjoy regular appearances in the CL latter stages. Not even a significant percentage as much.
We will still be playing 80% 0f our fixtures against teams that are not at CL level. Heats and Aberdeen struggle with Conference & Europa levels and Sevco are even more inadequate than us in the increasingly rare times they make CL Group stages. So our competitive game training is still slack.
We will still have a wage cap that is dwarfed by the riches available at Brentford and Bournemouth and Southampton and Leicester. You don’t see regular squad contributors Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Christie bemoaning their decisions to go South to “Diddy” teams.
We cannot prevent players who have been promised the chance to move to richer more competitive environments the chance to do so or we get situations like Dembele with Brendan or even Leo Helde whose outlook was changed by how he perceived we saw our treatment of Kris Ajer.
When we live in the fantasy world of Championship Manager we can pretend there are no downsides to our dealings. We make a big buy to replace our existing striker and the guy we are moving to back up is happy to play that role- never a nose out of joint. We break our wage cap to accommodate a veteran EPL player who plays half our matches and the guys who play 40+ matches are happy to do so on half his wages. We tell a player we don’t want him anymore and we want his big wages off our books and he doesn’t behave like James McCarthy and sit tight knowing he’ll never get money like this again.
All this talk of doing it smarter and better than our existing guys is either just normal football banter that shouldn’t be taken seriously or a boastful pretence of ability in a sphere you’ve new had real world experience. Buying Steel is different from buying players, even though football clubs can make huge mistakes with both. Commercial expertise in other spheres doesn’t mean you can do it in a football sector. I prefer to listen to guys who have real world experience of the game. the rest of us can go on talking about it on sites like this but we never have to put our theories to the test nor live with the consequences of getting it wrong.
I backed James Forrest for all his Celtic career as a guy with a good level of talent who saw off a good challenge from the likes of Paddy Roberts along the way. For 12 of the 13 years that James has enjoyed football success at CP, my support of him has been a minority position until last season, when most people reluctantly concluded that “Aye- he’s ok- a wee bit better than we thought” before defending their position by adding ” but that goes to show how far the standards have dropped that James can suddenly appear to be the best option”. As it stands, my defence of Mikey J at Celtic is proving to be dead wrong. It is widely accepted that he has great talent but the people who emphasised his large deficiencies or took both into account are proving to be better judges than me, at the moment. But none of us will be sacked by CQN or by Sentinel Celts for getting it wrong nd we’ll go on believing that we could have been better Celtic scouts than the guys who do it, better training ground coaches than those who don’t have the wit to practise corners or penalties or whatever other fantasy deficiency we invent, and of course, better managers and Board members than the ones we have.
I go with the double edged Peter Cook joke “I could have been a High Court Judge but I didn’t have the Latin”.
The joke being- not having the Latin was the least of his difficulties
FAO SETTINGFREETHEBEARS…
I have paid the £10.00 for the forthcoming SUPERBRU Competition and also an extra amount of £10.00 for the Charity. I did it via a Bank Transfer under my real name…NOT Big Jimmy.
£20.00 in Total.
Thank for all your and CRC’s efforts with Superbru and the Charity.
HH Mate.
Aipple, MNCELT, Boondock and many others.
Your posts have been so uplifting and joys to read. We are all so delighted that the tour has been such a success in every way and has raised our profile so well in USA against the constant barrage if the EPL.
This provides you with good ammunition in your quest to evangelise the USA.
You have 333 million to convert so no slacking!
HRVATSKI JIM re: converting the masses
That has been something I have really enjoyed in my current job. A lot of smart yank fitba fans who would all say Celtic are now their second team.
AIPPLE on 29TH JULY 2024 12:01 PM
………
PIERCE…I am glad to read that you and your LOOVAL LOVER had a great time watching the CELTS in the USA, and also the FAB Celtic Folk that you partied with.
I’m very JEALOUS !
LOL.
All the best Mate.
HH.
BIG JIMMY
Will tell you a story of two hispanic Chelsea fans over a beer someday.
HH!
SFtBs @ 12:09 PM,
Yes, as I said it will take another few windows to get the squad right.
But progress has been made, sure the squad looks threadbare at the moment, yet we had a squad of over thirty with more than ten players out on loan, only about twenty “Celtic Class”
So perspective is important.
Of course I’ve never been in the business of Football but you’ll be amazed how many industries my technology career took me to…
One of them being Banking
Bankers don’t throw money away but you know they are great people to work for, they want the top class solution first and foremost, then they’ll see how long it will take and how much it will cost.
Once it’s got a timescale and a budget, you’d better be sticking to it, but first and foremost the solution that is right for the business is all that counts.
It isn’t hard to see that Celtic’s recruitment is out of whack – moneyball is the answer the age of the player, the cost of the player all important.
Well that’s putting the cart before the horse, as recruitment 2023 will testify…
Quality businesses go for solutions first, implemention second and cost last…
In our case we have already saw how that works in the case of our Goalkeeping department.
We lost our No1 Joe Hart and Siegrist who really didn’t feature.
We replaced them with a top quality veteran and a quality development keeper.
That’s was the solution.
Yes, it has got to be costed, yes it has to be affordable but the solution always comes first.
Spooky stuff, eh!!
Hail Hail
Paul67
A week is a long time in football? – we looked great in the States thanks to our £x M p.a. manager, – Dermot, got that bit right. Sunday can’t come quickly enough Kaspar Schmeichel was like a new signing and all of our players looked settled including Reo Hatate who hasn’t played enough in his time with us. Thought Tony Ralston was solid, following his mauling at the Euros and Stephen Welsh had more valuable game time ahead of last seasons ‘unsettled‘ projects Lagerbielke and Nawrocki. Nicolas Kuhn clearly benefitting from a Celtic pre season, Luis Palma looks refreshed, and Daizen was Daizen.
“the disjointed look we had at the start of last season, with then new manager Brendan Rodgers changing things around”
———————-
Yeah – big mistake to leave out Jota, Starfelt and Mooy!
Things looking pretty good at the moment. Looking like a well-coached team, our off-profile keeper will earn us a lot of points this season and we are even managing to beat teams with more money! Looks like it is possible after all. Who’d have thought?
If we could show a bit more ambition before the end of the window who knows what we could achieve in Europe…..
Chairbhoy
“It isn’t hard to see that Celtic’s recruitment is out of whack”
———————–
No- it isn’t. All you have to do is have no inside info at all and an opinion based on that.
Citing your wealth of experience outside football doesn’t make you qualified for a football appointment and that applies to PL’s experience when he was first appointed. You need to have qualities that you van bring to that strange environment but after that you have to learn quickly on the job. and stay in the industry.
How many of our Proto-transfer gurus are doing the hard work to make Celtic better by applying for these jobs?
As for the “solution comes first”??
When you’re dealing with humans- I think listening comes first and the best-fit “solution “gets jointly worked out a long way down the line. My wife taught me that when I start conversations with offering a solution
I’m aff not for a few hours now
HRVATSKI JIM @ 12:11 PM
Aipple, MNCELT, Boondock and many others.
Your posts have been so uplifting and joys to read.
———–
Amen to that.
The commitment made by our North American fans (12 hour drives !!!) just to see the Celts ?
Truly hum
bling
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL @ 12:42 PM
“the disjointed look we had at the start of last season, with then new manager Brendan Rodgers changing things around”
———————-
Yeah – big mistake to leave out Jota, Starfelt and Mooy!
——
… And Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Hatate & Maeda.
CHAIRBHOY
Are you suggesting we need to replace the accountants and lawyers on the board with bankers?
Our last director with a background in banking appointed Peter Lawwell – his “best appointment”in his time Celtic.
A banker appointed an accountant to be CEO.
It’s almost like these labels aren’t important in the real world
SFtBs @ 1:03 PM,
Defend the 2023 recruitment strategy all you wish but consider this.
The architect of Celtic’s moneyball recruitment strategy is Peter Lawwell.
Peter Lawwell had a vision of the end of his career as Celtic CEO.
He would get a generous bonus for his years of hars work
He would get ten in a row to surpass even the great achievement of n8ne in a row BT Jock Stein, matches of course by David Murray.
So he had Neil “eye for a player” Lennon in situ.
Did he stick to this moneyball strategy
No he never R2ngers were making progress under Steven Gerrard and Big Pedro wanted to ensure his legacy would be complete…
He gave Lenny a 35 mn warchest, Lenny spent it on 4mn, 5mn, 6mn l, 7mn pound players.
Interesting when push comes to shove even the architect of moneyball abandons it.
So you don’t have to be a footballing genius to recognise a failed recruitment policy
It never was a recruitment policy
It was a business strategy
Hail Hail
A banker appointed an accountant to be CEO
He appointed a politician as his successor as Chairman
CELTIC40ME @ 1:26 PM,
No, Lawyers and Accountants are very important professionals.
Businesses pay out a fortune to get their expertise.
The idea that our manager rather than our CEO and CFO is finalising contracts is a nonsense.
Hail Hail
CHAIRBHOY on 29TH JULY 2024 1:34 PM
CELTIC40ME @ 1:26 PM,
“ No, Lawyers and Accountants are very important professionals.
Businesses pay out a fortune to get their expertise.
The idea that our manager rather than our CEO and CFO is finalising contracts is a nonsense.”
The random statement generator at full capacity again.
It’s like you’ve suddenly discovered Chat GTP but haven’t quite worked it out yet
Celtic Park improvements.
Friday evening I took a wander around Celtic Park.
Much evidence of construction activities and cosmetic improvements.
Starting at the Soth East (away end sections 120,119.116).
The segregation fences are erected, but the final paving work is incomplete.
it does create a wedge of its own, but it overlooks the school car park wall, then funnels the exiteers down kinloch street onto london road, This in itself suprises me a little as it means all 2,800 coming out to the one way.
I suppose that is good for containments, but that corner just seems like a safety concern,
I would also think the car park will be within object throwing distance,
There is no segregated bus parking, so they must return to marching up and down the springfield road and all the havoc that brings,
Picture is the “before” status but shows the area i am talking about.
https://www.scottishdesignawards.com/2023/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Celtic_Park_Stadium_Wrap_Maguires_SDA_.png
CELTIC40ME @ 1:41 PM,
Yes of course it is….
Apologies
Let me dance around to your little agenda
Hail Hail
Did I imagine Brian Quinn falling out with Martin O’Neill about Celtic living life in the slow lane?
Or BQ getting booed at Celtic Park?
The simple truth is that it doesn’t matter what someone training is, labels don’t matter.
Interesting discussions on transfers.
I read an article a few years ago about the percentage of successful transfers in the EPL. With money no object, the best facilities and resources and players desperate to get the riches of the EPL the writer worked it out that for every 10 signings in the EPL on 4 were a success. 6 were deemed failures.. Obviously some teams had a good year then a poorer one but the average across all the teams was 40%. I don’t know what Celtic’s hit rate is, I suppose it depends how you rate a success/failure but I think we are probably doing ok… with the caveat that we have good years and we have bad years..
I’m not particularly pro or anti board… I’m happy we have a lot of money in the bank I would be happier if we spent some of it to strengthen the team.
CHAIRBHOY on 29TH JULY 2024 1:54 PM
There it is again.
Still on the south east corner,
There are only 6 turnstyles for the 3 section 120, 119, 118,
Section 120 has two numbered 66-67.
Which gad me chuckling.
I know five families from the Irish club who were at the Saturday game 7 Hours travel by car on a good day.
St Stivs – cheers.
I’m curious as to how much we are spending on this work.
Anyone got any idea how the segregation at Hampden will work when we play R2ngers away?
🤔🤔🤔
B2B
If they give us any tickets, wouldn’t put it pass them….
Lisbon lions stand.
The area to the left , where the cars are parked, fenced off onto off the gabon wall, this is where the new stairs opening onto the bus and car parking for dalriada street,
The stairs are in postion, but the whole area still needs finished, no way will it be ready for next sunday. The hanrails are not in place yet,
The banner wrap on the Lisbon lions stand has also been removed, and the steelwork has seeb the rust removed and now painted/treated so lloks clean and fresh,
The middle set of windows if the office space for the foundation btw.
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/4908aea0-0f66-11ed-a690-634034913dc7.jpg
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 29th July 2024 2:00 pm
St Stivs – cheers.
I’m curious as to how much we are spending on this work.
—————–
Seen it speculated elsewhere and had some chat with a project manager i know from one of the contractors –
£8m on Barrowfield,
£2m on Lennoxtown.
£2m on Celtic Park PPM programme for the whole season
£2m on Celtic Park summer construction projects, main stand internal works for offices, directors box changing rooms, much of the analytics and medical departments are moving to Barrowfield.
So £14 million, I suppose booked into two years of the accounts, not financed but probably scheduled payments with progres completions.
Mani Stand,
Whatever works were being done on the roof, I guessed at media telecomms cabling must be complete as some scaffolding is down.
Now to the cosmetic,
new banners on the main frontage, wont describe it but I think it is really tastefully done and does add a visual effect that works really well.
The victory arch is back in place, again with a new tag line, this seperated the statues from the celtic way, but it also creates a great photo opportunity, you can look thought the arch to the jock statue, the celtic logo and the star, it was sunny on satruday, so it looked really good.
All the south facing turnstyles have new signage, very clean, precise, fresh,
A silly thing, i dont know if it was there befoe, One of those directional signposts at the top of the way points west to the bard and kerrydale street, and the stands, i thought it was really good.
THE CELTIC WAY.
The new banners on the flag poles, really really good, Legends and their acehievements, clean whie , with green imaging. Mixed with PLAY THE CELTIC WAY messaging,
By the way, the landscapaing on the celtic way, with the trees growing now, it is really well done, fantastic to look at.
Enjoy it come sunday.
Re the article, history suggests that Celtic are at their best when there’s unity across the club.
A stable environment in the boardroom, the dugout, on the pitch and in the stands. Of course ambitious people wil have strong opinions and there will be disagreement but that’s expected and can be healthy as long as it doesn’t affect the team on the pitch which is always the most important thing
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fe1b110-4da0-11ef-8970-9725f7643f1a.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fada8c0-4da0-11ef-af44-f365f5137fdc.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fd04bf0-4da0-11ef-bd69-91cc28fc3d4c.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fcd8cd0-4da0-11ef-8955-2ff1724c3e3f.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0f9d5510-4da0-11ef-906d-4de90e37a416.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fcc5450-4da0-11ef-9b15-33721beee30f.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0f960210-4da0-11ef-a5e5-cba417982298.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fcc5450-4da0-11ef-9b15-33721beee30f.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fbfd130-4da0-11ef-a285-7de9cb816985.jpg
https://images.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/0fa1e8f0-4da0-11ef-a045-13f578271d17.jpg
Someone posted immediately after the Chelsea game about us enjoying the moment but not to get ahead of ourselves or read too much into the result just yet.
Might have been SFTB? Apologies if I err with that.
Respect to that poster anyway.
I rarely get concerned when we lose during preseason … so appropriate also that champagne remains firmly corked.
That said?
(This is where I get a LITTLE bit ahead of myself)
I thought Brendan looked as relaxed as I’ve seen him since his return and the players looked to have strong belief in the system.
Brendan had a tough start last season.
Two key players left.
Another retired.
Five expected starters were injured.
Plus, regardless of your managerial capability, replacing the dynamic force that is Ange …would be difficult for anyone.
His philosophy deeply embedded in the players heads … change doesn’t come quickly.
Then the Abadan situation.
Brendan showed his pedigree in January.
Reduced the squad to a core
Didn’t panic when we lost Calum, Reo and CCV to injury
Delivered an upward trajectory … and then the tangibles.
His “novice” quote at the end of the season was telling.
Reminded the SMSM that he is the best manager in Scotland.
Add to that he now has more control over recruitment and target identification.
(Disclaimer – this ⬆️ has never been formally confirmed by Celtic but it looks like the recruitment function is working “for” rather than “with” the manager).
Re aforementioned upward trajectory … signs for me during the US matches that the players believe in the philosophy (winning trophies is persuasive) and are continuing where they left off.
PS – IMHO … we still need four in and six out.