You and I discussed on Tuesday how unlikely it was Celtic were interested in Odsonne Edouard, despite media reports to the contrary. Yesterday, when asked a straight question about Odsonne, Brendan Rodgers gave a straight answer, “Odsonne hasn’t been on my radar, to be fair.” The player was worth four days’ worth of news-cycle before someone asked and received an update from Celtic. We are not watching football industry in action, it’s the news industry.
Brendan did not mince his words either, “This team needs hunger, goals and work rate and intensity.
“Big names don’t always give you that.
“I just want players who are hungry to learn but also ready now.”
That’s about as damning as it gets from a manager in a good mood after an a successful preseason workout.
A year after planning for the immediate term, Celtic seem to have pivoted back to a development plan. Let’s hope its execution matches the achievements of the 2021-24 period.
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Following on from last night, I don’t think anyone here is being unfairly critical of Idah or making him a scape goat. We all know he has scored important goals, that he won us a Cup and secured a league too. But in the majority of games he underperforms. He is not great at using his size to hold the ball up to relieve pressure, he is not a great target man in the traditional sense, nor is he particularly skillful or fast and is far too often not where you would expect a goal poacher to be. He was not considered good enough for Norwich and has not impressed most Eire fans in their games (5 goals in 32 games).
If you go back through a list of our strikers since, let’s say the 1980s, I think he would be a lot closer to the bottom than the top when ranking them despite being the most expensive (I know, not his fault we paid far too much for him).
Ah sorted
Idah has a lot going for him as a centre forward; bulk and stature, and for a big lad, touch and pace.
If he wants to make a top career from that handful, I think he needs to add work rate and finishing. Both are within his gift.
Jonny Kenny’s run across for the penalty last night is something you don’t see Idah doing much of. Is it instinct or botheredness?
Didn’t see the game but I’ve since heard that Adam Idah picked up an injury , maybe we could cut him a bit of slack
Deniabhoy 1207. Agree 100%
Celtic can not go into this season with Idah, Osmand and Yamada. If we do, from a football pov we should hope we fail to qualify for the CL.
Domesticity will take care of itself as we’d need to lose 5 or 6 key players to lose the league but to have any optimism or positivity we need better goalscorers. Being great at the back isn’t as important as scoring goals.
not speaking about any player in particular, but i see the price tag as irrelevant when deciding whether a player deserves a place in the team.
you either think hes good enough to be in the team or you dont.
i would never say player X isnt that good but he was good value for 100 grand so let play him.
I see Sporting had a player named Conrad Harder on the field last night.
Sounds like the name of a plumber ( or other tradesman) who would have made a house call in a 1970s film of a certain genre.
GGHS – sounds hairy 🎥
Good Celtic strikers have come from a variety of sources, they have had a variety of price tags. Price has rarely been an element in the quality of the player. Henrick was 600k.
Idah at £9m isn’t looking good value at present and looks short on coaching. Heres hoping he is not badly injured and finds some form.
Our problem is that our best striker is also our best 11. Maybe the signing of a new 11 may solve the problem
That’s good news on Edouard.
I wouldn’t even want him (or Ryan Christie) to do the Paradise Windfall.
WUMMINS FITBA…
NORWAY – 1 v ITALY – 2 last night.
I backed the CORRECT SCORE at odds of 17/2, in my ” LUCKY 15″ Bet that covers the Four Quarter Finals, so its a good start.
SWEDEN v ENGURLUND Tonight……Its a tall order but I am hoping that SWEDEN somehow manage to beat ENGERLUND ?
The Female ENGLISH Pundits and Commentators have been so biased as expected but they do ” GO OVER TOP” on every occasion.
Anytime an England player does something that is BASIC and ROUTINE….They are described as being ” WORLD CLASS” and/or its “OUT OF THIS WORLD”…..Do me a favour ???????
MON the SWEDISH BABES.
HH.
Interesting quotes from Brendan.
First I’d heard of them.
All positive IMHO.
Brendan doesn’t like superstars, he prefers students.
Who can blame him?
Superstars come with baggage and egos.
In short, they’re a pain in the a*se to manage
That said, doesn’t mean Brendan doesn’t fancy students who might cost €10-15m.
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
young footballer lacks consistency shocker.
One very noticeable thing last night.
When we subbed almost an entire team, the energy levels through to full time barely dropped, if anything they increased.
That was huge in stabilising the second half performance and scoreboard.
Contrast with Cork game – we were pretty awful after the B-list came on.
Idah seems to need a genuine challenge for his place to motivate him which makes for hard work for the manager and isnt ideal for the team. Bringing in a striker who can start ahead of him straight away isnt going to be easy, either some really smart scouting or a big fee, probably both. A hard sell for that sort of player to come to Scotland with out the expectation that he’ll start. And definitely not Eddy who might bring even more problems with him than he solves
Maybe its as simple as picking someone ahead of him based on their workrate and seeing if ups it. Perhaps he’ll take Brendans words on board and show more effort but at that age it does look like it’ll be an issue for him from now on.
Jotas injury has come at a bad time. I thought we looked most like a champions league team with Maeda as striker with Idah as second choice, or with Idah starting and Maeda moving into the middle after Adam went off after a hard shift. With no serious other option at left wing Maeda on the left and Idah up front is a must.
We should have a couple of players coming through at wing and centre forward but we are where we are and at least we look to be doing a bit better planing so we’re not in this position next summer.
lets all do the huddle on 17th July 2025 12:17 pm
not speaking about any player in particular, but i see the price tag as irrelevant when deciding whether a player deserves a place in the team.
you either think hes good enough to be in the team or you dont.
i would never say player X isnt that good but he was good value for 100 grand so let play him.
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I am with you on this. Price tag means nothing, form is everything when it comes to competative games.
The blogest phere today has consistent themes, while telling us that pre-seasons results dont matter much, and it is all about getting fitness across the whole squad, they then dissect every players performance to then come up with Kenny should start before Idah, and Ben before Arne , against Newcastle.
17 days till the real stuff starts.
garygillespieshamstring on 17th July 2025 12:27 pm
I see Sporting had a player named Conrad Harder on the field last night.
Sounds like the name of a plumber ( or other tradesman) who would have made a house call in a 1970s film of a certain genre.
——–
After Paul’s other day post about ‘man love’, I managed to – then – resist the chance to sign off with:
HaroldBrokebakk CSC
Thanks for the oppor-chancity to resurrect that awful pun.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 17th July 2025 12:47 pm
to simplistic to say it is just fitness levels are upped and can then perform with more intensity ?
ADAM IDAH is a major disappointment to me…so far.
I would fully expect MOST Celtic strikers ( Past or Present) to score a certain number of goals each season, given the amount of opportunities that most Celtic strikers can expect to have playing in ANY Celtic team ?
The TWO SITTERS/CHANCES that he missed last night were shocking. Even the HUN ” DESSERS” would have scored with at LEAST ONE of those SITTERS !
He seems incapable of using his body to ” Hold the Ball up”, and bring other Celtic players into the game and he appears to lack any ” Positional Sense” when Celtic mount an attack.
I HATE being critical of any Celtic player…..But for me ADAM IDAH really needs to ” GET HIS ACT TOGETHER”….and QUICKLY !
Prove me WRONG Adam.
Rant over.
HH
Players from Japan do seem to have a better work ethic an d seem to be more prepared to listen than those from other markets we’ve bought from recently.
A big of a generalisation perhaps but it does seem to be borne out with Japanese players in other leagues.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 17th July 2025 12:44 pm
“That said, doesn’t mean Brendan doesn’t fancy students who might cost €10-15m.”
%
And when we lose he’ll say that he never bought any of the piss performing players who didn`t measure up. And instead of calling out Rodgers duplicity, ahem, in the know fans will blame Lawwell for not giving the One horse league’s Champion manager more money!
All seating was a Thatcherite trap, turning every fan into a bean counter, and turning up their noses at clubs with less beans to count!
Arne Engels is younger than Dane Murray , and Adam Idah has already eclipsed Giakoumakis over the 18 month time frame for goals scored.
Read what the manager says and stop trying to tell Celtic supporters that there are ‘two Celtics’ at work here.
He wants a number 9 ready made, we have the money it’ll get done.
https://x.com/I_amMukhtar/status/1945599236973760614
Another quote from BR last night:
Rodgers was delighted with the display but Celts could have been even more comfortable after hitman Adam Idah missed a couple of first half chances.
The Hoops boss warned: “He needs to come alive. You can’t be caught thinking at this level.
“You have to anticipate and move and then have authority in the box. I know he can score goals and it’s also the time of pre-season.”
https://www.jfa.jp/japansway/japan'sway_en_221219.pdf
japans 100 year plan and why it is delivering world class footballers, who are happy to be learning and improving,
we could do worse than copying the philosophy.
If that doesn’t convince the West to change track on this nothing will, laughing when asked about children being killed summed up perfectly for me at the end when it was suggested by the interviewer that they want all Palestinians gone to other places. In my opinion they do.
Hopefully Inamura (who I havent seen yet) is good enough that we don’t loan him out. I’m also hopeful about Yamada. Our record with Japanese players is brilliant. The 3 that never made it here, were still decent players. Kyogo, Maeda and Hatate have been huge players as was Naka. It’s great that we’re still looking at Japan, a huge country with people who have great work ethic and are very respectful.
Wtf didn’t we get that game free last night? 50,000+ season book holders, very few of whom would also have Celtic TV.
Wtf didn’t we get that game free last night? 50,000+ season book holders, very few of whom would also have Celtic TV.
—————–
corporate greed.
I didnt have CTV, but I paid the £50 season subscription so that I could watch this game, i thought it would be interesting and instructive, and see a few new faces, the bhoys didnt disappoint.
However, in a week where another strip is launched, a Newcastle friendly cost a family of 4 another £80 quid and we confirmed Kuhn fee of £17 million, they saw fit to charge to join CTV to get to watch this match.
I found a great irony that they have THE CELTIC FOUNDATION on the jerseys, but missed an opportunity to riase funds for them by selling this live event for the benefit of the foundation.
Same for saturdays match, if I turn up, if there that strangerst of things that the away support might outnumber the celtc in attendance ?
Peak summer holidays, season book holders saying its a charge to far, and fair to say we price out many poeple who would like to attend the one off game.
I am reminded of the Migrants of last season at the league flag raising, The Nigerian and his three boys, he brought them to celtic parl on a public bus that was really cheap, no tickets for the game.
He told me it was a dream just to afford to see celtic just once.
Saint Stivs on 17th July 2025 1:39 pm
“https://www.jfa.jp/japansway/japan’sway_en_221219.pdf
japans 100 year plan and why it is delivering world class footballers, who are happy to be learning and improving, we could do worse than copying the philosophy.”
That’s a fake PDF! It’s in ENGLISH!! :)) por cierto
“GAZA IS NOT A WAR ZONE.
IT IS A GRAVEYARD FOR HUMANITY’S CONSCIENCE.”
https://x.com/Karim_Akramovic/status/1945810492179599648#m
If we have less balls than Aberdeen FC and just suck it up, where is the “Celtic-ness” in that?
All seating has removed our old Jungle balls, and all of our sleekit enemies within, and outwith Celtic know this too well!
Adidas! lol
Unique Angle: Sporting CP v Celtic | Celtic end Portugal trip with Sporting CP win (16/07/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBSL_lrL7k8
DENIABHOY on 17TH JULY 2025 1:38 PM
Interesting comments from BR.
I didn’t see the game last night so can’t comment on that specifically but , for me,
Idah does have the worrying ability to be where the ball isn’t.
Hopefully he is keen to learn and have that coached into him – as someone else has said , he does
look uncoached and I suspect he has gotten where he is today based more on his physicality than any innate ( or coached ) ability to be a really regular finisher.
Work to be done on him for sure but far too early to be giving up on the boy.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 17TH JULY 2025 1:19 PM
Didn’t think I’d see the day when I felt some admiration for Piers Morgan…
Idah is 24,not a youngster
McCowan is looking a bit sharper now…..
Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Shin Yamada is on the way to Celtic – but he’s still in the market for another striker.
The Japan cap is set to arrive in Scotland in the next 24 hours for a medical head of his £1.3m move from Kawasaki Frontale.
Rodgers will give Yamada a chance to stake a claim for the first team but he’s determined to add some serious firepower in the coming weeks.
The Hoops boss – who last night watched his side see off Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in Portugal – said: “He’ll have a medical over the next couple of days and we’ll have a look at him.
“We’ve lost a lot of goals so we need to replace that. Hopefully this can be one of a number of players we can bring in that aspect.
“He’s got intensity and workrate. It’s something the scouts have seen.
“In terms of the club, we will bring in players to develop and players for now. Even though he’s a bit older, he’s probably one of those that can give us that intensity and pressure.
“I need to look and see him when he comes in and hopefully he can do well. The idea was to bring him in and assess him.
“He’s a strong boy – but we’d want to add to our front line also.”
Former Hoops ace Odsonne Edouard has been touted for a possible return with Crystal Palace set to let him go.
But Rodgers said: “I’m not worried so much about a big name. It’s about the collective of the team.
“Big names don’t always give you want you need. This team needs hunger, goals and work rate and intensity.
“Big names don’t always give you that. It’s about big players.
“I just want players who are hungry to learn but also ready now. There are lots of players linked with us.
“Odsonne hasn’t been on my radar, to be fair. I obviously know him but it’s about a player who will fit into the structure of the team.”
Rodgers admitted some of his fringe men are set to go with Luis Palma expected to move while Norwich City are chasing Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeuk-kyu has also been told he can leave.
He said: “Luis will probably go out on loan. There’s been a little bit of interest in Yang but he’s been a good squad player for us.
“Kwon is in a difficult position with the competition there so he’s obviously looking for a club.”
Rodgers was thrilled with Celtic’s display against Portuguese big guns Sporting in the Estadio Algarve.
Roe Hatate and Luke McCowan struck in the second half to secure an impressive victory in the scorching heat.
Rodgers rolled out a strong starting line-up featuring Kasper Schmeichel, Kieran Tierney and Diazen Maeda.
The manager said: “It was excellent. It was always going to be a very good test against a team with very good players who play their system very well.
“I thought our pressing was good and we had to be brave. We did that and played well through the thirds.
“We could have finished off a few more moves but we looked very good for this stage of preseason.
“It’s about consistently improving.”
Rodgers was delighted with the display but Celts could have been even more comfortable after hitman Adam Idah missed a couple of first half chances.
The Hoops boss warned: “He needs to come alive. You can’t be caught thinking at this level.
“You have to anticipate and move and then have authority in the box. I know he can score goals and it’s also the time of pre-season.”
Bigger forwards always take longer to get their eye in at the start of the season , well established football fact; ease up on the big guy , pointless highlighting the minutiae of every touch , non touch at this stage of the season.
HH
First minister John Swinney “I take all forms of hate within our society deadly seriously and all my actions as first minister are designed to address the implications of hate within our society and to make sure that we live in a cohesive society that respects the rule of law.”
GoodToKnow CSC