In a busy transfer window, Celtic signed nine new players and sold four from the first team squad. Central defence saw two planned arrivals: Maik Nawrocki (22) and Gustaf Lagerbielke (23), and the departure of Carl Starfelt (28). Starfelt’s two-year partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers was remarkably successful. They only once experience defeat in a domestic game when paired together and that was after extra-time.
There are great hopes for Nawrocki and Lagerbielke but injuries to the former, as well as Carter-Vickers, saw emergency loanee Nat Phillips (26) arrive from Liverpool. Nat and Gustav will be at the heart of the defence when we open for Champions League duty next week, barring further drama!
The wings saw Jota (24) leave for Arabia for an eye-watering £25m, pushing through the ceiling established by Kieran Tierney. Sead Haksabanovic (24) went on load to Stoke. One was always first choice; one was always a late throw of the dice. Some of Jota’s goals were of a standard we have not seen at Celtic in many years, he scored in big games too and is a player you will talk about for decades.
Three wingers came in. Hyun-jun Yang (21) arrived from Korea and has made the biggest impact so far, which is remarkable for one so young and so far from home. It is clear he enjoys taking-on a defender and is someone who will make things happen.
Australian Marco Tilio (21) came in early in the window, but injury means he has still to make his debut. Like Yang, he mostly plays on the right. On the left, Ecuadorian Luis Palma (23) came in late August, too soon to be involved at the weekend, but he is fit and ready for action. The fee paid for Luis was a just a shade below the €5m top figure we paid this window for Nawrocki. An indication, perhaps, that he is most likely to fill the Jota shaped hole.
Central mid saw the retirement of Aaron Mooy (32). He was with us for only a season, during which he was injured for a lengthy period and benched for many games, he nonetheless left an important gap in the squad.
In came Norwegian Odin Thiago Holm (20), the youngest of the signings. At this age, Odin’s best position is still under review. I expect to see him tried in the box-to-box role as well as in a more advanced position, if not eventually moving back, as his captain did.
So far, the most apt observation I have for Odin is ‘attitude’. He is here to make an impact and wasted no time at Ibrox on Sunday. Moments after he arrived, he carried the ball 15 yards before getting a shot on target. The early signs are encouraging.
Can we do another ‘Jota’ on Benfica? Paulo Bernardo (21) came in on a loan-with-option-to-buy deal. Celtic were very keen to get this one over the line. Like Jota two years ago, the club sees a high upper potential here.
The one player who looks like a punt in the dark is Hyeok-kyu Kwon (22). The defensive mid joins after making an impact in the Korean second tier. Callum McGregor is perhaps the fittest player we have ever had at Celtic. Kwon may have a frustrating wait, alongside Tomoki Iwata, for gametime.
We are familiar seeing Celtic sub out both wingers during the game, with Maeda, Palma, Abada, Yang, Tilio and Forrest, this will continue. It is more common to swap out only one central mid. With Hatate, O’Riley, Turnbull, Holm, Bernado all available to fill the two slots in front of Callum McGregor, this is about to change.
Coaches are still getting their heads around how best to use their five substitute options. Throwing on two fresh wingers after an hour and a change of striker was the first iteration of change. Expect experimentation in the middle of the park this season.
By any measure, the success of this transfer window has yet to be determined – it is truly insane to suggest otherwise (apologies to the many who left a self-identifier to this effect). I hear very, very, good things about Nawrocki. Holm, Bernardo, Tilio, Yang, Palma and Lagerbielke were all top targets, which is preferable to sliding down the list in the final days.
We took in around £30m and spent an estimated £19m on transfer fees. Wage packets for the arrivals will be heavier than the leavers took home. This is your annual reminder that wages and transfer spend both come out of income, feel free to howl disagreement in the direction of the moon.
If we wanted to just compete with Newco, like them, we would have signed players in their mid-20s, less risky but with less potential. If, however, we want to make significant leaps forward in Europe, we need to follow another route.
Find, sign and develop players with high upper potential. Get them in the team, improve them and if you get it right, you have a chance. This is the only game in town for Celtic, we are wasting opportunity doing anything else.
It is clear what Celtic tried to achieve in this window. We have established a recruitment model that brought players from across the globe. We offer first-team domestic and Champions League football to players in their early 20s. Our pitch is that they get to earn well, win trophies and have a platform to hopefully build a great career.
There will be Kilmarnock-shaped bumps along the way. We need to be able to cope with them without self-indulgent flagellation. Football fans have been coping with defeats since the game began, don’t lose sight of this among all our silverware, it’s not a good look.
Neither is the invective expressed because we didn’t strengthen every position. This never happens – anywhere! One more thought. This is an easy article to write after Sunday, when pennies dropped across the country. The window would have been no less valid had the Roofe ‘goal’ been permitted and the result gone the other way.
Watch across the city as fans tear their club apart. Football is a more difficult business than any of the experts who have achieved nothing in the game believe. If you think spending money on a player is an absolutely obvious thing for Celtic to do, and you know we have the money, but that deal does not happen, it is not because you are wise, and Celtic are led by fools. It might just be that you are missing insight (I’m being very polite here).
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Prestonpans
It’ll be on Sky and our CL game is on the Wednesday – it gives us 1 day less to prepare for atletico Madrid
BRRB
I can empty a shed
Some strawman arguments from Paul.
No one said we had to strengthen every position.
But generally, it’s a good idea to prioritise where we are weakest and work from there.
We haven’t addressed key areas of weakness despite spending near 20 million and bringing in 9 or so players. That’s quite remarkable imo.
To me, it looks like we went about the transfer window looking for player trading opportunities which seen us load up in some areas while ignoring weaknesses in the squad, at full back and goals in particular. Fingers crossed we get no injuries in these areas.
‘If we wanted to just compete with Newco, like them, we would have signed players in their mid-20s, less risky but with less potential. If, however, we want to make significant leaps forward in Europe, we need to follow another route.’
Do you mean like when the tribute act came within a kent sitter of winning the europa league just over a year ago? With a matchday squad where only 4 of the 22 were under 25 and of those 4 them only bassey kicked a ball.
That newco?
We had a chance to supplement a domestic winning machine with next level ready players.
We failed miserably.
Some very promising young talent brought in. The two CBs plus Yang, Holm and Bernardo look exciting. Also very good work on renewed contracts for top talent, hopefully including Hatate and O’Riley. 7/10 for removing deadwood, particularly Ajeti & Barkas. Disappointing that McCarthy continues to draw a premium wage for zero contribution.
We will sell some of that talent in the next 12 months, which is fine so long as they are replaced with at least similar quality.
I am surprised that these young players are coming in on higher salaries than more established pros that have left.
I note £11M profit on fees, with some of that (£2-3M?) accounted for in a higher wage bill. Let’s assume we clear £30M for the Champions League, on top of c£50M cash in bank coming into the season. So we will have c£90M cash in bank at the end of the season.
If – and it remains possible – we have increased our balance sheet by £40M whilst improving the team then I’m not complaining. I will have a problem if in time it becomes clear the team is weaker whilst cash is stockpiled.
We’ll never have a better draw in the Champions League. However, I still expect us to finish 4th, even against opponents in the same financial ball park as us. When Rodgers came in the talk was about pushing on in Europe, but actions speak louder than words. I don’t see the Board really looking to compete at that level. Instead the strategy still seems to be stay ahead of Sevco and develop young players for sale/ profit to England.
Good `advice` from Paul 67:
There will be Kilmarnock-shaped bumps along the way. We need to be able to cope with them without self-indulgent flagellation. Football fans have been coping with defeats since the game began, don’t lose sight of this among all our silverware, it’s not a good look.
Gene
Looking at EPL fixtures, there is only one on Sunday at 4:30. So I think we are a stocking filler before it !
Gene
No problem, I’ll bring a bar.
Prestonpans
Probably
Good article Paul, insightful.
Moaning started already I see.
Give yerself a shake guys.
It’s OK to be happy.csc
KLV
Good players always have options and savy agents will tell them to stay put “just in case” stivs
I’d say we got most of the business done we wanted, the Bronby striker will come in on January if we really wanted him, gives Brendan 4 months to try Dazien in there and get a better read on Oh and take it from there.
Once everyone is fit we have a massive squad and dare I say it an even better Bench than Anges.
I hope all 11 international players do well and come back fit.
KLV
Trolls belong under a bridge with the rest of their kind.
Run along and get on with your bile on your own sites. Brain like a sewer.
2023 is a weird world for the challenged.
KLV
Well done the lassies. Yasssssss
You could argue the new guys have already made us stronger Bada.
Nawrocki, Lagerbielke, Holm, Yang all came in and made a impact. The other guys not played yet.
KLV
If you looked through the window just about every position was wanted by one poster or another. Read back over the past couple of weeks. Read some crazy stuff on the Internet, 7 players needed etc. Mental.
We brought in 9, 7 are ready to make an impact right away, with only positions up for grabs effecting who gets game time.
Exciting season ahead.
KLV
Reading about Morelos it says “The Colombian possessed the ability to inthrall and annoy with his record-breaking European goal return ”
Now was this record not achieved because they counted qualification games which was not the norm ??
Badabing
Good news re Matt and his extension
Scullybhoy
Young Mitchel Frame,hopefully will make it with us,defo one for future with Celtic god willin
Good read
HH
Good evening all from the Victoria Bar. Keep those good times coming 👌
“The Rangers” almost winning the Europa League is held up by many as a motif for Celtic’s lack of CL ambition.
I think it’s worth stating the obvious that the Europa League is not the Champions League – and that there is a significant gulf in standard between the two competitions.
The reality is that Celtic are in the wrong European competition for a club with our means – but many supporters accept that?
Not too sure what they would see as progress – losing 2-1 rather than 5-1?
red Colon on 6th September 2023 9:31 am
Hankray yesterday at 5.38 PM .
Does CCV have a CV ?
I’d say he doesn’t need one.
Deniabhoy…………what was the problem with Siegrist and why did Ange never play him? Lots on here wanted him brought to Celtic including yours truly.
No one has named a single layer that we should have signed this window.
Not one of the experts on here.
Yet just as little spoilt kids do, we don’t want the toys we are given, we want something else that someone else has but can’t even say what it is.
Oh wait that someone else’s job. I am not paid to do that but despite having f all insight I am entitled to an opinion.
Reminds me of ‘we deserve better’ slogans. Many occasional posters on here will remember those of course.
Player obv
Hoop hoop hooray @ 3:48pm
“Do you mean like when the tribute act came within a kent sitter of winning the europa league just over a year ago?”
Cheers HHH.
I seem to recall that gallant failure now you mention it.
Challenge TV shows reruns of Bullseye.
(If your sad and bored one night)
The other night (was actually 20 years ago) two guys with moustaches and terrible dress sense gambled to win Bully’s Star Prize.
They came within a Kent sitter of getting it done.
The camera even zoomed in to show how close they were to the treble 20 …
… But, alas, no speedboat to take back to the Derbyshire town 40 miles from the nearest body of water.
Pesky things these outcomes.
Nearly men never seem to deliver them.
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
the fekkin heatttt
Burnley 78- if CCV and Kyogo left tomorrow, who would you sign?
Sumdy should teach Maeda how to defend. He’d be a fantastic full back. If he could use the ball.
There is a popular and recurring CQN meme shared by quite a number of posters, “what’s all this money in the bank for – why aren’t we spending it?” with varying estimates of the balance between £30 million to £90 million, including opening balance, Jota, Starfelt, Ange and UCL money. I should say at the outset not only CQN – almost all Sentinel Celts thirty posters and their oh so long-winded co-hosts, also seem to fully subscribe.
A board of directors fiduciary duties obliges it to put the interests and wellbeing of the company front and centre in all they do. Therefore Celtic has an obligation with the upcoming CBC legal action to prepare for an adverse verdict. The court case, a class action, is certain, but the amount that may be awarded in damages, should the plaintiffs be successful, is unknown. So some sort of contingency (contingent liability) should rightly be prepared.
A contingent liability is a potential expense that may surface in the future, such as that from a pending lawsuit. If the liability is likely to occur and the amount can be reasonably estimated, it should be recorded in the accounting records of a firm; first as an expense in the P&L and then on the liabilities side of the Balance Sheet. If the liability is probable or possible but the amount can’t be determined or estimated, it has to be disclosed in the footnotes to the financial statements.
The CBC case is not a fait accompli and therefore it has been reasonable and lawful for Celtic not to include any figure in their annual accounts to date.
Celtic is proven to be a well-run club where decisions are always made in the best interests of the club; therefore it should be no great surprise to anyone that maintaining a healthy bank balance to cover all eventualities is the policy pursued. So why in the name of God would we follow the Ibrox model and ‘Spend Spend Spend’ until we are reliant on other people’s money and consequently putting our very existence in jeopardy?
I am sure that if a fixed sum, say £10m, was being sued for, it would even now be listed as a contingent liability in the club’s figures. A notional figure is not available and anyway, to recognize, or, even hint at one, would be playing into Thomson’s and Patrick Maguire’s hands – it would give them a solid target that they would seek to multiply a number of times over.
Hankray – Siegrist had an injury in December last year and didn’t play again or make the bench despiste being back in training and available by February. I asked on here if anyone knew and got my head bitten off – something about it being well known why and easy to find in the internet. I had a look, found nothing. Some rumours that he fell in love/lust during the Oz tour and wanted to move there. Brendan gave him a game in one of the friendlies, he played well and then he donned his invisibility cloak again (around then Bain got a big extension to his contract).
I thought he looked great for Utd. though many on here held the opposite opinion. 🤣
Don’t post anything negative. Don’t post a rumour. Don’t speculate. Don’t comment on any professional aspect of our club if you don’t hold any suitable qualifications.
I don’t come across these attitudes anywhere except on here, I suspect it may be an age related characteristic of the blog.
Anyway, Celtic fans are entitled. Entitled to an opinion and to air that opinion. That is why forums like this exist. So long as its civil then go ahead and say what you like.
Agree, don’t agree, then counter the points or simply scroll on down the comments page. But enough with the internet policeman nonsense.
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Nobody knows if we ‘failed to strengthen in key areas’ , and you’ll note nothing from Brendan Rodgers that suggests, we did. Most supporters are content to let Celtic get on with signing, more players and spending more money than anyone else, makes sense to me.
We’ve signed two Centre Backs both of them cost a similar fee to Starfelt, we also signed injury cover from an excellent source to give us the 4 or 5 inter competitive Centre Backs Brendan wanted. In the case of Jota who had done less than Bernardo, when he signed, how can this be weaker unless you’ve at least one crystal ball. How do you replace a retiring 33 year old Bosman? shouldn’t have been difficult but only if you were trying.
I think Brendan’s inherited squad will get the support to develop and he’ll make it his own team, with more than just the one transfer window ( in which he managed nine signings.) ‘Failing to strengthen’ insert your pet problem position here Or ‘we’re weaker’ than Ange’s last team isn’t a reality for Celtic or Brendan.
It’s more about not being able to get a ticket when you want one, they tell me that some supporters used to say “ Jimmy Johnstone was a a greedy wee so and so “
As ever CSC
On the goalkeeping, meant to mention their heights. Hart is 1.96, Siegrist, 1.94 and Bain a diminutive 1.83.
In theory, Bain is very much up against it at corner kicks when facing CHs that tower over him though maybe he has elastic arms
Cloud9
Are you a hun?
A week on cqn!
KarendunbarCsc
Deniabhoy…………Was just wondering, so there’s a little story behind his disappearence that has nothing to do with football . Thanks again.
I’m very happy with the squad. Another striker would have been nice but then i wanted a Tin Pan Alley toy once and my dad said it wouldn’t work the way the ad looked. My dad was a great chief scout of Christmas pressies- second hand ‘not’ Scalextrics had all my pals round to play; the second hand RaleighRodeo ‘nae gears’ beat every Chopper in town for speed and endurance
I’m glad we bought no over priced Tin Pan Alleys like Ajeti or Julienn but maybe a Raleigh Rodeo striker would have been nice
By the end of the match on Sunday I was slightly mesmerised by all the new faces Celtic introduced. The team looked like a youth academy. Plenty of work in the days ahead for Brendan Rodgers coaching skills.
An Dun
“Don’t post anything negative. Don’t post a rumour. Don’t speculate. Don’t comment on any professional aspect of our club if you don’t hold any suitable qualifications.”
———————————–
I think you might be misrepresenting the strictures you have received or seen.
I could tidy it up with one addition`;-
……….. unless you can cope with someone else providing negative feedback on your negativity, producing an unevidenced or made up rumour about you, and expect to be informed about the reality of our club in pointing out that we don’t employ clowns or chancers.
Any amateur can barf up an opinion- I do it regularly myself- but I don’t expect to have any credibility in the circle of people who actually have to live or die by their decisions and have to talk to professional footballers on a daily basis.
It’s dead easy to survive on a blog, spouting nonsense, but if some posters were to get a chance to state what they’re saying on here to the guys who can walk the walk-on a football pitch, I am sure they wouldn’t have the resilience to cope with the ridicule that would come their way.
And yes, I include myself in that.
But I can cope well enough if someone disagrees with me on a blog.
An Dun
Great post; the deference to staff/directors at Celtic in terms of their ‘assumed’ intelligence is hilarious. Running s football club is easy; the difficulty is pushing it to another level
Any CEO at Celtic can claim trophies, as can terrible managers
Progression has to be measured from what you take over and what you can reasonably achieve
That’s why Lennon failed and Rodgers achieved. A few more trophies for Rodgers vs Lennon but none spawny
That’s why i rate Strachan above O’Neill
Was called out for a fight over that thinking in a CSC once but i was right and he shat it😎
Hankray
I thought changes were like for like?
Rb, lb , Cf, lm, rw
Similar to what Ange did
I thought it seen us through