When rumours of Carl Starfelt going to Russia first surfaced last week few of us believed them. Russia? Not right now. But we all had the debate, would you sell him? He has been part of an incredibly successful Celtic central defensive partnership: won five from six trophies, never lost a domestic game in 90 minutes, plays on the left, the list goes on.
But you know the mantra, manage your assets or fail to manage your assets. We should always be ready to trade a 28-year-old player who is second of two central defenders. You and I have seen too often the consequences of failing to manage our assets.
We are now first and foremost a trading club. Wish Carl all the very best at Celta Vigo and trade up.
Given this article of faith in how business should be done, the only remaining question is price. Despite that glorious record in the last two years, Carl’s value ceiling has been set by performances when hundreds of scouts watched games he played in throughout his career.
Like Josip Juranovic in this sense, keeping the likes of Naymar in your pocket at the World Cup will not move the dial much. We paid £1.5m two years ago for the player because Rubin Kazan had no other takers. £5m today is very much his ceiling.
We hear lots about how difficult it is to settle into a new club, few had as difficult a challenge as Carl joining Celtic. He signed during a 2021 lockdown but was not permitted to travel to Scotland until 31 July that year – the day Celtic were due to play their opening league game against Hearts at Tynecastle and Ange Postecoglou wanted him in the team.
To stay the right side of the law (we are Celtic, after all), on 30 July Carl and a driver sat at a service station south of the border until midnight. The driver took a photo of Carl, with metadata confirming location and time, before travelling to Celtic’s hotel.
He arrived in the early hours, had some sleep before rising to meet his new teammates at breakfast. On 31 July he travelled from Southwaite, met dozens of new faces, a new manager, new tactics, all in a new country. He played 90 minutes and offered no excuses for his rustiness, just got on with the job. Quite heroic.
Tonight it’s the turn of Hibs and Hearts to try to contribute some Uefa coefficient points to the Scottish clubs’ cause in the Uefa Conference League.
Hearts are in Trondheim to face Rosenborg. The Norwegians are 18 games into their league season so will be miles sharper than Hearts, but this is not the Rosenborg we remember. They are eight in the table; memories of 13 titles in a row and regular Champions League football are a fading memory.
Hearts are capable of progressing to the playoff round, where they would face either Hajduk Split or PAOK. They can be hopeful.
Hibs are home to Luzern tonight, who finished fourth in Switzerland last term. Swiss football is now a toy thing for Young Boys, so this tie is certainly winnable, but Hibs will surely Hibs it, denying Aston Villa a trip to the Festival later this month.
The additional Champions League monies we talked about yesterday looked in jeopardy 20 minutes into a scintillating performance by Newco last night. Around that time, the scintillating part ended as a dour Servette settled in for the night.
Having sat through the whole game, I feel a bit foolish for putting our league title chances as low as 67% on Friday. Newco have a lead to take to Switzerland on Tuesday, there remains every chance they will progress against a team that did not create a single chance in the first leg and will need to score at least once to stay in the competition. But goodness, the early signs from across the city are heartening.
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CELTIC MAC
You didn’t try to refute a well placed debate with a Phil Collins record
Dearie Me
“Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord”
lol
Celtic Mac
“This the point I made to the players.
‘This is a new cycle for you.
It’s not a continuation,
it’s a new cycle, a new manager.’
“A lot of the principles will be the same but there will be changes within that, and if we’re to continue being successful it’s really about proving the point from now.’
‘I then look at the energy of players, I look at the attitude of players as well as that technical and tactical quality, and that’s something which has been great over the course of this first seven weeks.’
“Firstly, I’ve always said about working with players, I believe life is about relationships, whether that’s personal or professional.
“So, for me, I always want to take the time to build that relationship, just to try and understand what the player’s motives are, what their ambitions are because then, from that, that’s the start point, that’s where the development begins, because even though the guys are in a team sport and it is very much a team, individually they all want to improve and they want to be better.
“So you get that through those conversations and understanding, and also for them to understand that it’s their responsibility. We will create an environment here for them to develop and improve but to also understand that it’s not all on the coaches.
“The environment here will be set up to develop you as an individual and as a team, but then you have to take that responsibility to do that.
So it’s very much, in terms of that open conversation with them and getting to know them, and what their drivers are.
“I also think within the team element, we did some workshops while we’ve been away just to understand each other, understand what the strengths of this squad are, where the improvements can be made, what are the challenges going to be.
“So all that type of work goes in, and to understand
‘This is a new cycle for you.
It’s not a continuation,
it’s a new cycle, a new manager.’
mod1888
I guess your understanding of the word cycle varies from mine.
I’ll leave you to try and figure out the difference….
#silence
CelticMac
Enlighten me??
MODERATOR1888 re: Protonmail VPN
Have tried a few and had good luck with a DNS tool called UNlocator for a few years then it seemed to tank. It was nice as only pointed me to UK on sites that I chose.
——–
MELVIN UDALL re: Guilt
I watch such little TV I can probably cope with a ropey season 3.
Also
=======
CELTIC MAC on 10TH AUGUST 2023 10:51 PM · EDIT
mod1888
I guess your understanding of the word cycle varies from mine.
I’ll leave you to try and figure out the difference….
+++++++++++++++++
What does that mean??
Do try and explain
I put up a rock solid argument about why we are at the start of a transition
And you come back with Phill Collins
And cycles (which only you understand)
Without letting the blog know how any of them further your argument
Come one man
Let us know or
Shush now
mod1888
Take your time
CELTIC MAC
And again pls explain
It’s like listening to the huns on bbc sport chuck out soundbytes
Without having to explain their argument
Are you kris boyd
Cause you debate and argue like him
Am waiting on a devastating argument/debate
That doesnt revolve around the cycles of phil collins???
And to go back to the original debate
this was mine
Flag day game was a fair representation of a squad/first team making the transition from one managers style to another
We normally have the euro qualifiers to get thru this
Be few more ropey games before the old style blends into the new style
It’s a transition season
New style trying to break nearly 3 years of old
And with that, turning over the spine of our squad
New GK
2 x new Centre halves
New left back
Feck knows how many wingers (LOL)
And we need a new centre mid and striker
Anyone thinks this season is anything other than a transition is nuts
It’s the spine of our team
And there still be a few weeks of transfer madness to go
Alexandro Bernabei was left out of Celtic’s opening day premier league squad after sleeping in and missing an important team meeting last week. Brendan Rodgers has made it clear to the Argentine, and the rest of his squad that he expects the highest of standards to be met at all times. Rodgers didn’t mention if the left back would be back in the squad for this weekends trip to Aberdeen.
A good candidate for Brendan to lay down a marker
!!BADA BING!!
Been that said marker at work once or twice.
nothing lol
Few weeks of madness to go indeed and not just in the transfer market Mod.
MOD1888
It’s from a shop in Brampton outside Toronto but there are loads of outlets……..most friends back home use a stick…………about 60pound.
AIPPLE
Indeed my man
CQN was built on intelligent debate
It’s a struggle says Frankie goes to hollywood all rigtht
Have better arguments when I have to bath my kids
Dearie Me Indeed
TIMHORTON
Whats the details of that stick matey?
mod1888
Need more time?
Mod
The stick is a solid deal. I use one downstairs but watch my fitba in the attic.
Email me and I’ll give proper details as not to say a lot on ze olde blog.
aipple @ geeeeMALE dot commy
Email from my dentist inviting me to “patient appreciation day.” What the?
enlighten me Celticmac
Or shush??
!!Bada Bing!! on 10th August 2023 11:09 pm
That is interesting, Brendan is a bit cuter than Roy Keane.
The Serious stuff starts now @ Pittodrie and after watching thems I reckon they will need the Brethren VAR to just gee them up a wee bit against Livi. Sickening.
You ain’t seen Nothing yet.
Their 2nd half performance against Servette was Unbelievable, their new lads better get used to their new surroundings. The hun support and way too many are still revolting but thankfully not all.
I just despise these Blazers that have basically ruined Scottish fitba.
A record amount of Penalties given against Rangers at the Hate Factory in 1 Season would not sort this out.
There is no way the Servette Penalty would have been given against them in Scotland, absolutely no way at Ibrox.
I think they are Proud of that Record at the Top Table of their Club.
Ian Archer.
did i just miss the tic on al jazeera – the fans who make football ? brilliant series, as is cantona’s football rebels.
seagulls follow the trawlers.
Good morning all from a rain lashed Garngad.
Slow, slow, slow transfer dealings trying to get players on the cheap..
Welcome back into the Fold Mr Liewell.
D :)
Good morning all from Govanhill.
MON the Japanese BURDS against the Swedish BURDS on TV shortly.
TORA TORA TORA NIPPON BURDS.
HIBS last night v Lucerne….I backed the CORRECT SCORE of Hibs winning 3 – 1 at odds of 20/1 with my main Bookie.
Not too shabby.
LOL
HH.
Mod = School prefect.
From the rebellious 12k+ strong Jungle to a 60k all seated and thoroughly boring family section.
No Brendan love in 2nd time around.
Dozens of trophies in an environment with zero competition means we`re as good as the rewriters of history tell us we are and you all fall into line behind that narrative like licked sheep.
Brendan could walk any day like he and Dominic McKay did or has DM been forgoten about…seems like it.
Brendan said this to Hugh Keevins…
Keevins said – “Rodgers’ way of summing up supporters’ thought processes was to say they “Forgive when it suits and forget when it’s convenient.”
In other words Celtic fans are just like other fans with more faces than a town clock.
P.S. No real email coz Mod will delete it then deny it so his proclamations cannot be trusted by me hence the temporary emails and blog names…its up to the Mod whoever he/she is to demonstrate maturity through debate not through 100% deletion which suggests a Mod with something to hide.
I see Kev`s horizons have broadened :-))
Golf for me.
Cheerio for now.
Can’t understand our recruitment policy at the moment as currently it is unarguable we are weaker than last season in terms of proven quality.
What kind of business doesn’t strive and invest to improve? Worse than that seems to bob along satisfied to do just about enough (hopefully) or actively weaken from a position of strength.
Celtic have never been in such a strong position to move forward and yet appear reluctant to do so and I just don’t get it. If we are waiting for deals (hopefully) why wait – what is the on field advantage? As usual when PL is in the building bean counting trumps efficient on field improvement, saving a few pounds beats doing a deal early and getting people on the pitch faster.
Hope I am 100% wrong but can’t see us laying a glove in Europe in fact expect similar or worse than last season. As for domestic season i don’t carry the “they’re pish it’ll be a doddle” attitude and I’m terrified of the refs in Scotland – they are the great levellers.
Sorry not to be as optimistic as some but only commenting on what’s in front of me – fully expect usual abuse from PL supporters and Jimmy McGrory was only 5’7 brigade but hey-ho
Good morning from a sunny North Staffs
This recruitment is easy peasy just pay £111m and you get 1 midfielder – crazy money
KevJungle
Brendan said this to Hugh Keevins…Keevins said –
Whit? So what did Brendan say?
Is it a secret?
You can do better than that surely Mr Moore.
I saw a mock-up banner last night.
YOU TRADED IMMORTALITY FOR JACYNTA
FAIR DO’S
Harry Kane to Bayern takes another twist according to Talksport.
Spurs pull their consent to the deal while Harry’s in the taxi to airport apparently.
Of limited interest to many on here I’m sure but if Kane goes Ange might well come in for Kyogo , which is my concern.
I see champions Manchester City kick-off the new EPL season tonight with a visit to promoted Burnley.
I can just imagine the furore if the SPFL had sent Celtic to Rugby Park last Friday night to open the season.
We honour our champions in Scotland.
😉
Wont rule out the Japanese girls yet but Sweden looking very strong.
Anyonebutengerlund csc