We’ve known for a while the strategic alliance Celtic have had with Manchester City, but how we have burrowed into the France international youth setup is, frankly, highly unlikely for a Scottish club.
First came Moussa, then Olivier.
Olivier Ntcham (21) will have known Moussa Dembele (21) from the French youth setup, and Patrick Roberts from their time at Man City. How both flourished at Celtic last season was a prime motivator for the player to head north.
With Olivier and Moussa flourishing in Glasgow, Brendan Rodgers was able to convince a third French youth international, Odsonne Edouard (19), to come to Celtic. We are now an attractive destination for players graduating from one of the world’s most productive international academy environments.
Edouard is here on loan. Celtic have the option secured with both Paris Saint-Germain and the player to turn this into a permanent transfer, should he developed as hoped over the next season.
The story is a little more complicated than just this, however. Odsonne was convicted of shooting someone with an air gun in July and given a suspended sentence. This, frankly, is grossly irresponsible and a suspended sentence is one of the better outcomes for Odsonne. Whatever influences were in his life leading up to this point, a new course needs to be taken in Glasgow.
I have no doubt that this conviction thinned the heard of some potential suitors, unprepared to take the risk on him. He has a year to develop his potential and set himself a new course. If he does, Celtic will acquire a remarkable talent for what in the current market, is a snip.
Patrick Roberts back on loan means that we have retained all first team players from last season, while augmenting the squad with several others. Patrick agreed terms to join permanently, but Manchester City were not prepared to let him go. They, like many others, believe there could be enormous potential on Celtic’s right wing this season. What happens next summer is too far away to contemplate with any certainty.
Jonny Hayes now looks third choice for the right wing slot, but he’s more likely to be utilised as backup for Scott Sinclair on the left. While Patrick Roberts was pursued throughout the summer, we were always going to have to wait until City made their decisions. This left us with only James Forrest for the right wing position for the qualifiers – and James is no stranger to injury. Jonny was available early in the window, so was an appropriate acquisition.
Kundai Benyu (19) arrived from Ipswich after a season on loan at Aldershot. Like Hayes, he can cover for Sinclair in left mid.
Rivaldo Coetzee (20) is the one that got away. He would have competed with Kristofer Ajer for the fourth central defender berth. With Simunovic fit, and Boyata and Sviatchenko both back from injury this month, there was no chance of us splurging big on a central defender. A strategic purchase, like Coetzee, was another matter.
The litmus test for any transfer window is, did we come out of it better than we went into it? Such outcomes are seldom evident the day after the window closes, but having retained all, and added such potential, we have delivered.
What we need to do now is develop Ntcham, Edouard and the others, win the league, perform well in the Champions League, and solidify our position as a club where outstanding talent will flourish and succeed. This is what success looks like for an economically disenfranchised giant in a highly dysfunctional industry.
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Broonie, Staurr, Leigh and and KT have been outstanding. Gordon has had a couple of decent stops to make and wee Jamsie played very well.
The job Leigh is asked to at Celtic and now Scotland must be a wee bit frustrating for him. Being a natural goal scorer the work he is asked to put in unselfishly setting up others is a credit to his professionalism. I never believed he could be the player he has turned out to be since he signed for us but I bet neither does he.
MWD
I have enjoyed this game…
A song for emigres everywhere
https://youtu.be/NTVoNb5heIs
Stretch off safe:))
Not Christy
https://youtu.be/N_M8m4Yr7vc
SA off uninjured
Wee finish with a rock track
https://youtu.be/QxIWDmmqZzY
Where are you Mr Croppie
What a difference to the scottish team when all your vital organs are Celtic players.
Bravo Scotland!
Great away performance. Excellent result.
Thanks for the updates but who scored the 3rd?
Should have been 4
3 minutes ET
JOBO BALDIE
McArthur..
Jobo
James MacArthur
Chris Martin goes close good save
Looks like my decision to go with the tartan boxers worked ;-)
Tierney slaughtering McGinn for a slack pass in the 93rd minute when 3-0 up. Sums KT up.
Broonie my man of the match. Imperious.
FT 3-0 the word I would use for the Scottish performance was professional… and it’s a long time since I though that..
Summed up by KT giving McGinn a mouthful for a bad pass 2 and half minutes into injury time..
Jobo
Great pass fae Griff, McArthur tap in, although he nearly missed it.
Oh alright….just one more
https://youtu.be/cntvEDbagAw
Moderator 2: You wouldn’t happen to have a spare ticket for the All Ireland football final, would you?
I hate International weekends
HH
Watched the engerland game – Malta are brutal
TTR
I was listening to SSB earlier, I know, I know, a thick hun came on and tried to slaughter Broonie saying he didn’t have it any more, as I said thick.
I agree, Broonie ran the game, he’s getting quite good at that these days.
HH
KT is boss. J McG knows it. Perfection is KT’s goal.
Well, if we ever wondered what Celtic would look like playing in blue – now we know!
WGS must have bought a cottage in Lennoxtown and invested in a powerful set of binoculars. Has anyone EVER seen a Scotland team playing like that?
Nearly shouted out Come on you boys in blue!
6 bhoys in the side. Anyone have any idea what the record is for players from one club in the Scotland side?
TET
His experience and respect from peers and refs in Europe is serving Broony well. He was very ‘cute’ tonight, on a few incidents.
Stuart was dynamite I thought.
TnT
My dad, God rest him, never forgave the SFA for not playing the Lisbon Lions 11 as Scotland.
Leeds 74 had a good few along with us.
TWISTS N TURNS on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2017 9:42 PM
6 bhoys in the side. Anyone have any idea what the record is for players from one club in the Scotland side?
—-
Did Scotland not have about 6-7 players from Leeds in the early 70’s although possibly in the squad than on the park.
Gearóid1998: Moving Hearts. This is brilliant. Give it at least a minute.
https://youtu.be/8-QIr6XeppE
Delaneys
Our players were superb tonight, it gave the others confidence, we won’t get the recognition tho, that will be too much for the smsm.
HH
DD and Yorkbhoy
Thanks. I was thinking it was probably Sevco so I’m pleasantly surprised to hear it’s almost certainly not!
DD – yep.. the caps afforded to some Celts in the past was disgusting.
I’ve always found it hard to have the amount of passion for Scotland as I should, though, I’m starting to come around again……
WGS just said that the success tonight was down to his Celtic players and the rest joining in. Nice one Gordon.
Leeds Utd in 1974 had David Harvey, Frankie Gray, Eddie Grey, Gordon McQueen, Billy Brenner, Peter Lorimer and Big Joe Jordan. Hh
7 Celtic players played for Scotland v USSR in 67..Memory (Often wrong ) they got beat
Listening to RS summing up the game. No mention of the Celtic influence whatsoever. How they detest us.
TET
Gordon just gave Celtic a big up.