Still no excuses

274

I expected Kairat to be fitter, which they were, but I didn’t expect them to be better organised, which they also were.  Celtic’s first half performance was a passive throwback to the Horseshoe of Death we hoped to have moved on from.  Nothing was reaching Adam Idah, who was as much a spectator as you and I were.  James Forrest seemed to have the wrong boots on, while Daizen continued an unproductive run on the wing which reiterated his poor crossing.

One of my pet dislikes in managers is their refusal to drop expensive signings, so Brendan Rodgers deserves credit for his response at halftime.  The team returned with his entire £32m of talent recruited last summer watching from the bench; Daizen in his favoured central position, with Yang and Forrest wide.

Yang (who knew!) made an instant impact which led to Celtic’s best chance of the game, when a Forrest shot hit the post, but Kairat soon settled.  As the visitors tired, Celtic dominated more of possession, but this game had 0-0 written all over it.

Kairat are not a good team, it would be humiliating to exit the Champions League to them.  Brendan is right, we can and should win the away leg.  However, I do not encourage you to bet on that suggestion.

The decision to swap (it was) Kyogo for Jota was not everyone’s choice but had merit.  Jota’s subsequent injury could have happened to either player.  Selling Kuhn so early in this window, though, that’s an odd one which, contributed to the lack of creativity last night.  The manager is the only source of information on squad development and he says little on the subject.  He could shed some light on why Kuhn was allowed to leave so soon.  Hmmm.

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More needs to be spent and quickly, that’s for sure.  Maybe if we had £64m of last summer’s signings on the bench everything would fine this morning!  Surely that would be enough to overcome the newbie managing Kairat?

When the draw was made I wrote, “No excuses”.  I didn’t want to hear them on the radio going home last night.  It’s not a good look.

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274 Comments

  1. PS: At risk of a riddy, I’m guessing that few of the Kairat Almaty lineup cost upwards of 9mill either, and they were well-drilled enough to steal a decent away result against a ‘big Euro name’ like us.

  2. An Tearmann on 21st August 2025 11:30 pm

     

     

     

    Greenpinata,did you not have a problem when Calum got emotional after missing a pen in cup final?

     

    ———

     

    Indeed I did.

     

    Imo, there is a huge difference between fans expressing emotion and a Celtic captain emotionally losing control.

     

     

    IHH.

  3. Laxalt @ 7:54 & 7:56 pm,

     

     

    Yes, very good points…

     

     

    ”Lastly….I apologise to Chairboy for my personal posts the other night….

     

    Mhate…..you are up there with the most must-read posters on this great platform….Haste ye Back….ma mhan🙌

     

     

    Well, thanks – I didn’t take you jibes too much to heart, really I’ve stated my thoughts, facts, opinions, before Wednesday’s game and fholk have put forward my thoughts more articulate than I would since – thx BSR et al…

     

     

    After watching the game – on my official Discovery+ stream:))) – there wasn’t too much that surprised me.

     

     

    Yet following your clarion call;))) I could make one, not so brief, point.

     

     

    It is really getting to the heart of the matter with the current squad, and the overall status of it.

     

     

    Now it has been suggested, and I believe in a mischievous way, that BR inherited a first-rate UCL squad from Ange and has depleted that.

     

     

    So, NOT going over old ground – my list of players gone since Ange went, the money we’ve brought in etc.

     

     

    But rather the barbed point and the “Board has nothing to do with this” argument.

     

     

    This comment concentrates on the point that they do, because the Board set the policy and strategy for the Club and that the transfer windows and decisions there-in are all about implementation of that strategy.

     

     

    Now, firstly, that strategy means managing a Celtic squad through a transfer window is a nightmare.

     

     

    Brendan’s wont to improve and freshen up team, with what seems like most of the current Celtic squad “in play”.

     

     

    He stated players want away but has reiterated to them – Currently Celtic Pay Your Wages.

     

     

    Yet are they fully focused on Celtic, fully focused on the game!?

     

     

    Here is a link to my post on Celtic’s 2025/26 squad.

     

     

    https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/celtic-v-falkirk-live-updates-2/comment-page-7/#comment-4010151

     

     

    Celtic UEFA Squad 2025-26, Ange Postecoglou’s first team players…

     

     

    A. Johnston – The last of Ange’s quality signings, brought in – Dec 2022, if not seriously injured will be crucial this season – BR&CO** managed to get him to extend his contract and improved his “sell on value”

     

     

    Carter-Vickers – Team stalwart, not really pushed on since playing the last six months of Ange’s tenure with a serious injury, missed the start of BR&CO’s tenure as needed an overdue operation and his game time and fitness levels have had to be managed since

     

     

    Hatate – Good player under Ange, better player under BR&CO**, is he really of UCL quality? He’s had three campaigns now. Does he still want to be at Celtic, question marks in every transfer window

     

     

    Maeda – Has come on literally – leaps & bounds, since Ange’s time but does he want to be at Celtic this season? His form would suggest he’s conflicted

     

     

    McGregor* – Club Captain, Club legend, yet four years after Ange arrived, are we asking too much of him?

     

     

    Forrest* – Bit part player, who was regarded as past his prime, now four years after Ange’s arrival key squad player.

     

     

    Other UEFA squad players at Celtic during Ange’s time.

     

     

    Scales* – Development player, was out on loan at Aberdeen and was expected to be transferred there, due to a defence crisis BR&CO inherited, he was developed into a very good squad CH*

     

     

    Murray* – Development player, whose path has been blighted by injuries, great potential, liked by BR&CO** but a season too soon?

     

     

    Ralston* – Club stalwart and first rate squad player

     

     

    Welsh* – Development player, not really kicked on under Ange or BR&CO** will possibly leave before the transfer window closes

     

     

    Kenny* – Development player, has done well enough on loan and on the “pathway”, to earn an extended contract but not first team standard and his Development will be monitored

     

     

    Current UEFA Players brought in by BR&CO**…

     

     

    Goalkeepers

     

     

    Schmeichel

     

     

    Sinisalo*

     

     

    Doohan

     

     

    BR&CO have had to rebuild the Ange GK department, they did this in a very cost effective way, bringing in vast experience, a development player and a great third choice “home grown” player.

     

     

    Defenders

     

     

    Simpson-Pusey(*)

     

     

    Trusty

     

     

    Tierney

     

     

    Again a cost effective solution to build the gaps in Ange’s defence – a quality young loanee who will be a squad CH, a good reasonably priced first team CH who has some great attributes, a club legend we got in to fill as position that had been weak since Kieran Tierney left for Arsenal, we got him in on a free, phenomenal bit of business thanks to KT and JK & BR

     

     

    Midfielders

     

     

    HJ Yang*

     

     

    McCowan

     

     

    Engels*

     

     

    Paulo Bernardo*

     

     

    Three young players brought in to “hopefully”, develop into UCL level players, Engels our first real HVP Development player whose “pathway” is a departure from the “moneyball” signing and is being closely monitored. Luke is a top SPL player and Celtic fanatic, and was brought in as a value player.

     

     

    Forwards

     

     

    Nygren***

     

     

    Idah*

     

     

    Yamada*

     

     

    Osmand*

     

     

    Three young players brought in to “hopefully”, develop into UCL level players, Idah, like Engels a HVP Development player whose “pathway” is a departure from the “moneyball” signing and is being closely monitored. Nygren is a European player, who was brought in due to some great Celtic model recruitment, sign and player at way below his market value in order to get quality first team players that fulfil the moneyball criteria.

     

     

    * A player that fulfills the Board’s recruitment and Club Development model – these players are here or brought in, not necessarily as a Manager’s choice but primarily a player who fits the Board’s criteria.

     

     

    ** The manager and staff, this consists of staff that are permanent Celtic PLC employee’s who are at the Club regardless of who the manager is to provide the “consistency” The Board Require in the football department as well as staff brought in during Brendan’s tenure.

     

     

    *** Celtic are consistently scouting for players that can fit our first team “group” yet for various reasons their transfer fees are well below market value, as well as Benji, who was on the last few months of his contract, other great examples are Matt who had a low contract sell-on fee and Moussa, who we could get for a cross-border Development fee.

     

     

    To my point!!

     

     

    The Board, by means of their decision making, strategies and policies have a huge impact on every transfer window.

     

     

    – The moneyball approach to player development and recruitment

     

     

    – Their willingness to invest on first team ready players

     

     

    – Their willingness to buy a player to fill a vacancy even if a *** triple astrex player is not available

     

     

    – Their willingness to replace an injured players with a purchase or loan

     

     

    – Their willingness to increase the amount of investment to expedite a negotiation to get a player in, in a timely manner.

     

     

    These policies, strategies and decisions have seismic impact on each transfer window in general and our current UEFA Squad in particular

     

     

    The fact that they deny this by abstention and by blame culture, means the current Chairman and his Board and Executive are not fit for purpose and are not part of the current Celtic problem, they are the current Celtic problem.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. One of my points…

     

     

    “Their willingness to replace an injured players with a purchase or loan

     

     

    Should read

     

     

    “Their willingness to replace a sold HVP or any injured players with a purchase or loan”

     

     

    The sale and lack of backfill on HVP is the main reason our team is below par.

     

     

    Hail Hail

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  6. Our current team should be good enough to beat Almaty over 180 minutes.

     

     

    They need more quality or depth to compete in the CL.

     

     

    It would be interesting to see which posters were screaming for the bored to get their finger out and sign Idah at any cost this time last year. There were plenty.

     

     

    We are still in the transfer business. Real quality will decide whether to head to the backwaters of the SPhell much closer to the deadline transfer date than most think.

     

     

    Up to the current group to make it worth their while and for Brendan to get the players and tactics spot on. He does have a talent there so I for one, have dry grunts. ,

  7. Taurangabhoy @ 7:00 am,

     

     

    “They need more quality or depth to compete in the CL.”

     

     

    Well, what you have donr is highlighted one on Celtic’s main problems.

     

     

    What you haven’t done is addressed the fact that this should have been done in the main before the UCL-Q.

     

     

    That how we manage to accomplish it now.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  8. Chairboy. You missed the sentiment that to get quality we need to go to the wire in the transfer market, unless you were one of the posters last year screaming for Idah at ant price?

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  10. If it wasn’t idah who else had Celtic wanted as a number 9 there didn’t seem to be anyone as we had kyogo then he wants out and now the pressure is fully on him idah to be the main man

  11. HORSE RACING…Scroll by if NOT interested.

     

     

    YORK Yesterday…I had FOUR Winners yesterday from Six Races, with the Prices being…15/2, 3/1, 5/2 ( Those Three being on the same line ) and a 4/1 winner later that afternoon.

     

     

    My Bets are ON for Today…I’ll see how it goes ?

     

    LOL

     

    HH

  12. Taurangabhoy @ 7:47 am,

     

     

    Well that’s not the case is it?

     

     

    You can use Adam as the fall ghuy as many times as you wish.

     

     

    There are twenty five players in our squad and I’ve gone through them all.

     

     

    Having one example to beat up on isnt making your point.

     

     

    We have already got quality in.

     

     

    We brought KT in

     

     

    We bought Benji in

     

     

    So, we have no issue in bringing quality players in do we?

     

     

    We only have issues getting quality players in that are going to cost, that’s the point isn’t it.

     

     

    Running a football club without investing any money.

     

     

    We run a risk free football recruitment strategy.

     

     

    The Board run a risk free recruitment strategy

     

     

    On top of that, the Board run a HVP sales policy

     

     

    So Celtic Football Club can never have a football team capable of reaching it’s potential can it?

     

     

    Easy life for the PLC Board

     

     

    Nightmare exsistence for the football club, who somehow must achieve world class status from an unworkable strategy

     

     

    Hail Hail

  13. Dessybhoy @ 7:51 am,

     

     

    Well exactly.

     

     

    The revisionism is writ large.

     

     

    Supporters were demanding we paid 9 mn for Idah, Adam was Kyogo’s replacement – both are absolute bunkum.

     

     

    Let’s give Paul67 is due shall we…

     

     

    https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/adam-idah-norwich-aiming-high/

     

     

    “At the beginning of the transfer window I predicted Adam Idah would not leave Norwich City until late August, if at all. His transformational loan period at Celtic went a long way towards ensuring we won the league and Scottish Cup, but he remained backup to Kyogo and there is no immediate prospect of that changing, even if he arrives this summer.

     

     

    Norwich have watched the player’s success at Celtic and have set thier price accordingly. Forget the £6m being reported this week, City’s asking price is nearly twice that figure. That’s a lot for someone who will spend much of his time on the Celtic bench.

     

     

    That is how it was…

     

     

    Norwich wanting 12 mn for Idah, Celtic negotiated it down to 8.5, with 1 mn add ons and a 15% sell on clause.

     

     

    A year later some want to go back and renegotiate, that’s not how it works.

     

     

    Some want to tell a different story, cool, we all love a yarn.

     

     

    What the supporters were really saying this time last year, if MY memory hasn’t gone haywire.

     

     

    Why didn’t the Board get a loan to buy contract for Adam as we wouldn’t have to be horse trading and paying over the odds for him now.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  14. Back to basics @5:30pm yesterday.

     

     

    You were rightly critical of opinions posted as facts the other day and I agreed with you. But that post was just about as bad an example of that that I’ve ever seen on here. How can you possibly link criticism of the board to you final conclusion?

     

    I think at best it’s a stretch and at worst completely mental.

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  16. When you look at the clip from dom mckay it paints a picture of everything this executive aren’t and that is tragic ,the executive should be ashamed but the support need to on masse waken up to the skills of this Executive , you’re being taken for a ride as a cash cow by this group.

  17. Taurangabhoy @ 7:50 am,

     

     

    Thanks for the correction and hope you enjoy your Friday nite….

     

     

    🎶 Bang some sounds…. 🎵

     

     

    Hail Hail

  18. Green Brigade Post:

     

     

    Posting on their Instagram page, the Hoops diehards wrote: “On Wednesday night we joined thousands of Celtic fans throughout the stadium in chanting ‘Sack The Board’.

     

     

    “For us, this chant was not just about one poor result in a European qualifying campaign, although the last two decades have seen many of those – often due to a lack of timely investment to strengthen our playing squad, something many of our managers have called out during their time here.

     

     

    “While ‘sacking’ the board may not be a realistic demand, such chants are one of the few methods of airing discontent available to us due to the way our club operate.

     

     

    “For us, this is about the board’s continuous incompetence and total disregard of the opinions of Celtic fans who spend thousands of pounds every season supporting the club and see little to no return on investment either in the playing squad, the stadium and the match day experience to name just a few grievances.

     

     

    “Examples include:

     

     

    The recent season ticket price increase for the 2025-2026 season. These were justified by the club as necessary to cover the recent national minimum wage and national insurance increases for match day staff – while we have tens of millions of pounds in the bank.

     

    The severe lack of investment into an aging stadium, with ordinary fans seeing no improvement of their match day experience over many years.

     

    The lack of transparency around ticketing: tickets for away matches becoming more difficult to attain for fans who’ve attended matches for years, a dysfunctional ticketing office and a slow march towards pricing increases throughout Scotland which our club are complicit in.

     

    The fans survey which was undertaken a year ago with much fanfare from the club, yet the results are still unreleased and excuse after excuse is given as to why not.

     

    The lack of meaningful engagement and unwillingness to work with active fan groups to improve match day atmosphere, at times descending into total farce, such as the suspended ban currently imposed on the Green Brigade.

     

    Unwillingness to explore or work towards a ‘Celtic End’ – one of the key results of the fans survey, despite many examples now of other clubs in Scotland working proactively with their active fan organisations. This total refusal to increase standing capacity despite overwhelming demand leads to ‘solutions’ such as fencing off parts of the stadium and introducing enhanced security checks with no regard for fan safety.

     

    The lack of update on or release of the Fairhurst Inquiry into the unacceptable kettling of Celtic fans nearly five months on.

     

    “Wednesday night was just one poor result, but taken with the above issues, highlights our many grievances with the way the club is run.

     

     

    “While we may still win the tie and we may strengthen the squad this transfer window, the issues outlined above are just some of many which will not change without accountability and transparency from the Celtic board.”

  19. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    I give us a 30% chance of getting through this tie, which is negligence on the part of the ever failing fat cats.

     

     

    As for the useful idiots pursuing the Board’s line on Rodgers? What a joke. Watch as they repeat history, appoint Deila mkII and fill the squad with cheap dross. In 5 years the ECL will be a distant dream and qualifying for the EL would be a triumph. These clowns are not masters of the universe. They’re bluffers who continually y return to the same failing strategies again and again.

     

     

    We lucked out with Rodgers, he knows his own worth even if the useful idiots are predictably oblivious.

  20. Burnley78 on 21st August 2025 12:26 pm

     

    If people can’t see Rodger’s pathetic game since he arrived then god help them though.

     

     

    We had a winning team playing great football and now we have a shambles.

     

     

    The difference is at Leicester he got them relegated after being a top tier team and nearly bankrupt them and they are still recovering.

     

     

    Here it won’t be allowed.

     

    —————————————————————————-

     

    Man what is wrong with you – you are so far off the page you appear mildly eccentric.

     

     

    We did have a winning team and we still do so not sure your point there. However we did sell some key players from that side (as per) and replaced them with inferior players – don’t you remember?

     

    Great football yes we did have a purple patch where it was very good – probably about AP first winter window (Hatate, Meada, O’Riley in) to about March the following year. Teams hadn’t figured out AP swashbuckling all action style but then they did and things became much harder or do you not remember that either. Other coaches flooded defences and midfields leaving minimal room for our flair players to race into, they started kicking ball away at throw in and free kicks slowing our never stop ethos. Yes we were still winning but not in the earlier style – there was lots of stuffy games and sideways passing and probing as other coaches had learned how to kill the space.

     

    BR even stated he like d our style and would not alter it – he continued the same formation 433 with inverted full backs, playing out etc. but was faced with similar defensive tactics and with a squad depleted of quality what exactly did you expect – but we still won which according to your defence of the board/PL etc is the only thing that counts?

     

    We invested like a big boy club once and that was 2024 and guess what we won again and had our best Euro campaign for decades.

     

    Somehow players recruited in that window and that contributed significantly to the season have over the summer have become “not good enough” and a campaign stoked by the media and some supporters has in my view wrecked the confidence of Idah and Engels in particular and players that looked good, contributed plenty and that had loads of room for development look a shadow of the ones we signed. Go figure who is behind that but i have my suspicions.

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  22. PeterLatchfordsBelly @ 9:08 am,.

     

     

    Well, spot on, as per…

     

     

    Although my opTIMistic outlook suggests that we will be in the UCL-Group stage draw…

     

     

    More concerned about your other point, on top of the usual nonsense, we have those coming out of the woodwork….

     

     

    Il Padrino @ 12:56 pm,

     

     

    “Anyone remember Rodgers first stint and the midnight flit after Gerard’s hun beat us in January, the hun was closing in on the league, and he got papped out of the Europa in February? He realised his stock price was about to crash and he sold up just in time. You don’t have this luxury right now Brendan, gonna have to ride this one out.

     

     

    If the Board are really so low as to try to go down their Fraudgers route again, it would suggest, as many of us suspected anyway, they are no different from where they were in 2019.

     

     

    Now that is very concerning for two main reasons

     

     

    1. We don’t want that sort of person anywhere near our club, never mind running it

     

     

    2. We can all remember what happened after 2019, our European aspirations, our Ten In A Row aspirations.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. bournesouprecipe on

    Chairbhoy

     

     

    If only we had known that there was a qualifier 18 months ago? oh wait what’s that you say we did know.

  24. Even if we had managed to stand still by replacing our loses we would not be in this position but we have gone backwards at pace and that is inexcusable. Frankly the idea that this regime would invest is fanciful – and by invest i mean just the gains already made – a nett investment is a fantasy.

     

     

    Sure the team was not great on Wednesday but the flatness is a direct result of the mood in the room – if you think the squad are not effected by the lack of momentum and ambition at the club your blind. You know that thing that new signing say when they’re interviewed how they “really bought into the clubs plans and ambitions” hows that work with us?

     

     

    Any defence of this shambles is real head in the sand stuff I just don’t get it. Our expectation of players is they give us everything and be the best they can be – can we expect the same from our owners and executives?

     

    Honestly this blame BR thing is madness – what was he to do to break down the stuffy well oiled defence? We he could have started or brought on game changers with the craft and guile of Kyogo, Kuhn or Jota but we don’t have them so surely their replacements are of a similar standing?? FFS how does that equate to be BR being to blame?

     

     

    Still angry about Wednesday but not surprised and now just a bit sad that this is where we are and worse can do nothing about it.

  25. onenightinlisbon on

    Burnley78 on 21st August 2025 12:26 pm

     

     

    If people can’t see Rodger’s pathetic game since he arrived then god help them thoug

     

     

     

    We had a winning team playing great football and now we have a shambles.

     

     

    The difference is at Leicester he got them relegated after being a top tier team and nearly bankrupt them and they are still recovering.

     

     

     

    Here it won’t be allowed.

     

     

     

    Did big Pedro write that for you son?

  26. BSR @ 10:15 am,

     

     

    Yes, a real fear a few years back was when the new UCL, EUL formats were approaching, many were saying the EUL was more our level.

     

     

    It was only when the penny dropped, that if we were in the new EUL format, then R2ngers would be in the UCL, that the nonsense abated.

     

     

    We then actually set about preparing for our UCL- Group stage, not overly, obviously, but enough to give us a chance at “the next level”.

     

     

    Which of course we had achieved.

     

     

    To think where we were in 2024 to where we are now is criminal.

     

     

    It actually takes activity to go that backwards.

     

     

    We have ten days and eight and a half hours to get our act sorted.

     

     

    All the while the Board will be trying to punt HVPs

     

     

    Hail Hail

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  28. I am keeping my powder dry until the transfer window closes. That will tell its own story. If we bring in quality it will say that everyone has been working together in the background. If not, the board don’t trust Brendan and he will be off, but the club will survive and have funds for the next manager. Find out soon enough. Let’s beat Livi first.

  29. Why do some keep coming on with the nonsense” We should be good enough to beat Almaty”.We ,like many other teams,are not always able to beat inferior teams.St Mirren,St Johnstone,Aberdeen,who we battered during the season,in Cup Final,to name a few.Won’t mention the scum.

     

    If we had a forward line of Kuhn,Maeda,Jota,backed up by Kyogo,I think we probably would have beat Almaty,but being forced to play,out of form Maeda,out wide,out of everything,Idah,and a 34 year old emergency only winger,aint going to be certs to beat anybody.Now if we had Board who were not tight bastards,we could have had,Orjaesetter,Maeda,Balikwisha,again giving us a much better chance of the win.

  30. glendalystonsils on

    It’s amazing how many Scottish hacks have got hotlines to Almaty ‘stars’ telling us how they’re going to beat us next Tuesday . Maybe they’ve all got Khazak grannies .

  31. Taurangabhoy,

     

    So,it will be OK to get put out the CL because we would not replace or strengthen,if the Board then,bring a few players in,TOO LATE.You are saying the Boards will accept this,going out of the CL,because it will prove to you they did it because they don’t trust BR.

     

    The same Board will then hand transfer funds over to some”New manager”.

     

    How ridiculous would that insane logic be.Have a wee nap.

  32. We get £1.5 million for a prk like Tillio,and offer £2.6 million for an established player playing in top Dutch division, embarrassing ourselves

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  34. bournesouprecipe on

    Chairbhoy

     

     

     

    Recruitment is a now fully exposed, half way out of a CL qualifier and despite BR’s review in 2023 the fundamentals of no structure, or a structure where persons ( ahem ) unknown can reject the ‘recruitment teams ‘ recommendations, at the wave of a finger.

     

     

    We’re now active on the players they could have bought in July.

     

     

    What a mess.

     

     

    Kerching CSC Tilio to Rapid

  35. bournesouprecipe on

    🍀 / 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙁𝘾 – 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙬 𝙎𝙤 𝙁𝙖𝙧…

     

     

    ‘Champions League’ Special update, £1.3M for Marco Tilio

     

     

    First team players only

     

     

    Transfers in

     

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Doohan – Free

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Tierney – Free

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Osmand – Free

     

    🇸🇪 Nygren – £2M

     

    🇯🇵 Inamura – £250K

     

    🇯🇵 Yamada – £1.5M

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Simpson – Pusey – Free

     

     

    💷 Total – £3.75M approx

     

     

    👋🏽 Transfers Out

     

     

    🇩🇪 Kuhn – £17M

     

    🇸🇪 Lagerbielke – £2.2M

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Taylor – Free

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Bain – Free

     

    🇵🇱 Nawrocki – Loan

     

    🇭🇳 Palma – Loan

     

    🇳🇱 Frimpong – £5M (Sell on fee)

     

    🇰🇷 Kwon – 250K

     

    🇦🇺Tilio – £1.3M

     

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Gannon-Doak £1.2M (Sell on fee)

     

     

    💷 Total – £27M approx

  36. *SENTINEL CELTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2025-26*

     

    *RESULTS FROM GAME #4 CELTIC 0 KAIRAT 0*

     

     

    Good evening, friends.

     

    An evening to forget, or an evening that we must remember and learn from – you decide!

     

    Kairat kicked off and were immediately put under pressure when Adam Idah raced (yes, I know!) to close the defender down and intercept his clearance. And that was the only time I was out of my seat in that appalling first half. Celtic were lucky to have scored nil! And we could have quite easily been 2 down at the break had Kairat been a little more composed in our area. A bad injury for my favourite player Johnston only added to my doom and gloom and as half time approached, one particular move had me thinking I was in a time warp as the ball moved between Tierney, McGregor, Ralston and Forrest. If only we had a bench that included Paddy McCourt!

     

    Half time saw Adam depart, Maeda move to the middle and Yang come on to our left side. And for 10 minutes it looked as if there was at last some intensity to our play. Unfortunately with little end product but at least Yang does try and head towards goal when he gets the ball. But the breakthrough never came and Celtic quickly feel back into their wearisome safe and steady possession play.

     

    What’s the point of having 70% possession and only 2 attempts on target? In fact, having only 2 attempts OFF target is even more damning.

     

    Kairtat’s repeated play acting wasn’t dealt with early enough by a pretty weak referee. And whilst a roar went up when the board showed an additional 10 minutes to be added, did any of us genuinely believe that it was going to be any different from the previous 93? However, it was in stoppage time that we finally created a clear chance with Daizen through on the keeper. But Maeda’s shot was more of the ‘back pass’ variety and the game then fizzled out to a scoreless draw.

     

    There’s an awful lot to do both on and off the park over the next 10 days.

     

     

    We have now played 4 games, winning 3 and drawing 1. We have scored 7 goals and conceded 1.

     

     

    Thank you so much to the 77 who voted for this game, a good bit short of the 100 mark to trigger my charity donation but sill much healthier than I feared this morning! Hopefully numbers pick up again over the next 3 games. Remember, please, 100 or more voters to trigger the £3 donation.

     

     

    The total votes cast for each player are as follows, with my own nominations asterisked.

     

    Schmeichel: 12

     

    Johnston: 6

     

    Carter-Vickers*: 13

     

    Scales: 27

     

    Tierney: 21

     

    McGregor*: 15

     

    Hatate: 28

     

    Nygren: 12

     

    Forrest: 13

     

    Idah: 0

     

    Maeda: 2

     

    Ralston: 11

     

    Yang*: 51

     

    Engels: 14

     

    Trusty: 4

     

    Yamada: 0

     

    Unused substitutes: Bernardo, Kenny, McCowan, Murray, Osmand, Simpson-Pusey, Sinisalo

     

     

    And so, the POINTS earned by each player for this match are as follows –

     

    25 points: Yang

     

    22 points: Hatate

     

    19 Points: Scales

     

    16 points: Tierney

     

    14 points: McGregor

     

    12 Points: Engels

     

    11 points: Carter-Vickers and Forrest

     

    9 points: Nygren and Schmeichel

     

    7 points: Ralston

     

    6 points: Johnston

     

    5 points: Trusty

     

    4 points: Maeda

     

    3 points: Idah and Yamada

     

    1 point: Bernardo, Kenny, McCowan, Murray, Osmand, Simpson-Pusey, Sinisalo

     

     

    And the cumulative points achieved after 4 games played are –

     

    73: Tierney

     

    66: McGregor

     

    65: Forrest

     

    59: Scales

     

    54: Johnston

     

    49: Nygren

     

    47: Hatate

     

    46: Engels

     

    35: Yang

     

    34: Carter-Vickers

     

    31: McCowan

     

    29: Maeda

     

    23: Schmeichel

     

    22: Trusty

     

    16: Idah

     

    14: Ralston, Yamada

     

    13: Sinisalo

     

    11: Kenny, Murray

     

    8: Bernardo

     

    1: Osmand, Simpson-Pusey

     

    0: All the other players who’ve not yet made a matchday squad!

     

     

    Our next game is just 2 sleeps away. It’s a home league game against Livingston. On a Saturday. With a 3.00pm kick off. Jumpers for goalposts! Hail Hail!

  37. !!Bada Bing!! @ 10:53 am, BSR @ 10:55 am,

     

     

    You telling me another MLVP has gone – Dr Tisdale keeps this up our Mark will be breaking even by 2026!!

     

     

    “Recruitment is a now fully exposed,”

     

     

    Yes, whatever happened to the cash revenue “optionality” m💰n€¥.

     

     

    Thanks for the transfer windae’ update…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  38. ADVERTISEMENT
  39. A cynic may argue that the financial disparity between the CL and Europa is a myth as far as Celtic are concerned.

     

     

    Do the fans see any benefit from the CL riches. ?

     

     

    We know it will substantially add to our already bloated bank balance. But that is it from a supporter’s perspective.

     

     

    However it will negatively affect the attending match day experience for many supporters.

     

     

    Sunday is rubbish for physically attending games.

     

     

    HH.

  40. bournesouprecipe on

    AN TEARMANN on 22ND AUGUST 2025 11:08 AM

     

     

    awe naw does this mean we’ll get a Yang article anaw noo

  41. 2 nil to us tomorrow

     

     

    cc v scales

     

    ralston KT

     

     

    calmac nygren yang engels

     

     

    daizen

     

     

    (and someone to whisper to yang – beat one guy then pass it)