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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new article posted.
Vinnie,
ACH well,I see my priceless words of wisdom have fallen on stony ground.Keep moaning,who am I to ruin what makes you happy.
Going by David 66 post,he could join the Undertakers CFC with you and Big Wavy. :-)).
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 11TH AUGUST 2023 11:08 AM
BIG JIMMY@11am
Absolutely hilarious 🤣😂👏👏👏👏and true 👍
…………
Cheers Mate.
To show that I am NOT being SEXIST….During one game at the Wummins World Cup last week, the English Commentator ( JONATHAN PEARCE) Claimed on Air to his English Female Pundit, and the TV Audience that ” HE CRIED ” when the Engurland Burd Player ” Walsh” went down injured.
SHE was BACK running about……..after missing just ONE Game
As I said earlier, the English Burds on Fitba Punditry are just as BAD as their MALE counterparts
Like Gary Lineker…GABBY LOGAN can NOT speak WITHOUT Waving her arms about.
MICAH RICHARDS and IAN WRIGHT laugh at ANYTHING…Just like the Engerlund Burds during Punditry.
Its PATHETIC.
HH Mate.
Jimmy, i realise that you may have issues in separating fact from your iwn delusions, but to clear this up once and for all….
I have never once asked you for any tips or bets. If you think i did, just copy’n’paste where i did so and I’ll apologise…if not, just let me know the time and date on the blog where i did and I’ll hold my hands up for that!
I did suggest a few months ago that some on here were repeatedly boasting of winning bets, always sharing their success after the fact but never confident enough to share their bets prior to a number of spirting events. I do not ever recall mentioning you directly, but you were oh so keen to take offense! Any CHUMP can claim that every bet they place turned out to be a winner, all i posited was that not one of these serial winners ever gave a heads up prior to the event. But you took it as a slight, and frankly, i dont really care what you think!
And as for your misogynistic nonsense this morning, I’ll leave you to keep on patting yourself on the back about that pish…
Modern football is a bit mental so you’d need to be bonkers to make predictions, so here goes
Young Reo has played very well for us last season in spells but under Ange’s run about mad approach , my impression is that he rarely finishes a game. For a big money move to England being subbed constantly is not a good look. Seems to me as the game progresses Reo loses tactical discipline and drifts out of position.
Big Carlos , great bloke good defender of the penalty box but for European games doesn’t fit Brendan’s model of breaking into the midfield and setting up attacks ….. hence the big fella has been allowed to leave.
Are we stronger or weaker ?
I’d suggest another year of running about under Ange would have made zero impression in Europe and resulted in a tailing off of performances domestically.
So for me not surprised Ange jumped ship as his impact started to wane and we have a much better manager now , so for me we are better off and we will see much improved performances this season.
I’d much prefer our team to play through SPL opponents week in week out and not rely on 3 fresh subs coming on after 70 mins to tilt the game in our favour … the former approach will lead to better Euro experience, the latter approach has a low ceiling , which we already experienced last season.
We’ll walk the league this year
So Who will start tomorrow? Reo on the bench again? Same 433? Think It will be a close game. Watch out for Kyogo’s shoulder getting some close attention.
And where’s the Lager lad? Thought that would have been signed, sealed and delivered by today. Time for him to jet in for his medical surely.
BIG JIMMY
wont hear anything said against Wrighty – a man (Celtic man at that) with a tough and very sad upbringing as a child and an adult life facing as much racism down there as any tims up here. The fact that he can laugh so much says plent about his strengh of character.
big micah is just football’s very own kris akabusi. in a world full of dour faced thin lipped huns, he’ll do for me :)
lineker seems like a decent sort ( he can afford to be i know). Rather him than a souness type :)
and btw, despite likeing all 3 above, love to see england lose…tho not as much as NI :)