News that the sun is setting on Amido Balde’s Celtic career will be welcomed far and wide. His arrival on the back of a few YouTube clips and what now appears to have been a Portuguese marketing scam is a salutary lesson on how easy it is to expire transfer and wage budget, while incurring the even greater cost of poor recruits – Champions League failure.
We will never get them all right, but the processes Celtic went through to recruit a striker in the summers of 2012 (Lassad, Miku), 2013 (Balde, Pukki) and 2014 (Guidetti, Scepovic) are worth some urgent revision. None were able to hold down a regular place in the team.
In mitigation, it’s easier to recruit a keeper or a defender (which we’ve done very well at recently) than a striker, but there will be lessons to learn from those six signings. Quickly, I hope.
On the positive side, all of the aforementioned arrived with a degree of realism attached. I noticed this morning: “Wabara really is in the mould of Barcelona great Dani Alves”. This isn’t fun anymore. Honest football fans (many are) are being treated like simpletons.
It’s like that Steve Carell movie, Dinner for Schmucks, where Paul Rudd doesn’t have the stomach to laugh at absurdly unfortunate guests. Better they are put out of their misery than dragged through an ignominious humiliation before inevitably emptying their pockets at the alter of a Sports Direct retail contract.
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Burghbhoy
08:05 on
30 June, 2015
To me he looks like young Samaras. He can improve a lot, and would be a better option than signing or usual non scoring, never heard of strikers from cross the continent who time after time prove to be expensive flops.
In saying that I was hoping the Vossen rumour was true a far better all round player than Ciftci.
Theweegreenman
Is that 2 toes he’s broken?
HH
gary67
Hope you’re right if we do sign him
dull here in darkest Lanarkshire…no surprise. If it does go all Mediterranean on us, do yourself a favour and get down to La Boca in Bath St , Glasgow…proper Spanish food at great pirces….ad over.. Seriously, its proper stuff…
Anyway…Ciftci? no thanks. Samaras is, and was, twice the footballer. A backward step in my eyes but its only an opinion, what do I know.
Good morning CQNers,
Looking back through the posts I see there has been some contentious posts about Northern Ireland.
To those who didn’t experience life as a Catholic under an unrepentant protestant regime I would simply point you to ‘The Bombing of McGurk’s Bar’ by Ciaran McArt, once you’ve read it I’d be prepared to enter into a dialogue with you.
This may appear a little high-handed, and it may well be but my experiences in such discussions would suggest that those who weren’t there have been too swayed by the British propaganda machine over the years to grasp where guys like me are coming from.
Ciftci? Surprises me tbh.
And how do you pronounce Ciftci? Its a bit of a mouth full ;)
For those who don’t know – I’m a Belfast bhoy who left in 1973 and has now spent more than twice as much of my life in England as I did in Ireland.
burghbhoy
08:10 on 30 June, 2015
Theweegreenman
Is that 2 toes he’s broken?
HH
Aye, with two different wardrobes as well!
Probably not from MFI then, the ole Commons tall bhoy.
murdochbhoy,
All of us from the West of Scotland of my age certainly are well aware of what you and your people have gone through. We have experienced it ourselves to a degree. Even today there are more Orange Walks in Glasgow than in Belfast. That does not alter my opinion that we should not be singing about the IRA at Celtic Park. (As someone said yesterday, I doubt if the IRA would touch with a barge pole those who do.) Jock Stein years ago confronted those were doing so. He had the overwhelming support of the ordinary supporter. And the situation was much worse in those days.
Parkheadcumsalford
08:34 on
30 June, 2015
Hear Hear 100% agree
67ECW
Ciftci – is he the answer don’t know !!!
But after Balde Puki Lassad et all he is an improvement
Another angle on him is his style of play (strong, good in the air, reasonable first touch) may suit Griffiths
I would like us to be more ambitious with a striker but I get nervous every time a name is mentioned I’ve never heard of or seen
Ciftci not sure – but better than an unknown
67ECW
Parkheadcumsalford 0834, a voice of reason!
Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos apparently available and ‘heading to.the UK’. Doesn’t he go back a long way with Wonderworker Warburton? I may have made that up.
Morning all… hot in the desert!!
Ciftci.bid means Jelle set to stay where he is.
Ciftci….not for me
Underwhelmed to say the least.
I still think we are short for the CL.
Who is going to score regularly for us in the CL….Leigh Griff, Ciftci,…..who?
I just don’t get it.
But what do I know.
HH
TMG… you answered yourself…Leigh Griff, Ciftci
TGM… even
If we have 6 players that can score once in the CL and we win 1-0 at home and draw 0-0 away, we’ll be in the latter stages of the competition.
It’s a team game you know.
Scorchio – way down south .
Now on the get up at 5 and get the work done before it gets too hot to be assed doing it routine.
As someone who was really annoyed with some of the comments towards Irish republicans I can say that id much rather hear Celtic songs at parkhead than republican songs.
Same if I’m at a republican function , I’d rather here republican songs than Celtic songs.
But that’s a totally different debate from what the comments were about.
Lymmbhoy
Thanks for that..
Gerryfaethebrig
Thanks mate and congrats with another young Celt into the family.. Good times mo chara.
La Bella Italia.
Media claiming that the Manager of The Italian National team ( Conte ) is considering his position in consequence of allegations that he was involved in match fixing when he was at Sienna ( a long running story which is bubbling up – again )
Catania will be demoted from Serie B ( no info yet re how far ) for match fixing .Owner has admitted that he fixed 5 games.
Reading back, I see some comments about posts disappearing yesterday.
Hopefully the one making light of serious mental illness was one of them.
Heartened to see that no one laughed.
https://www.b-eat.co.uk/about-eating-disorders/types-of-eating-disorder
Sevco close to signing a young “starlet” who was released by Birmingham City
What a joke
Good morning, CQN. What a beautiful day!
Cifti? Whenever he’s played against us, he’s always a bloody nuisance to our defence. He scores goals and can link the play. If he joins us, I will fully support him.
He’ll probably have a ban to serve. Dixie Deans was serving a suspension when he signed from Motherwell. Didn’t turn out too bad.
Livibhoy
Viviani
A twist in the saga.Reported as having signed for Palermo ( 4 million plus 2 million in potential add ons ) Media now reporting that he has changed his mind and wants to sign for Verona. Saw him playing for Italy Under 21s v Sweden Under 21s .He was poor.
Morning all, catching up on yesterday’s article.
” A few you tube clips” ” Portuguese marketing scam”. Seriously.
Is this a poor attempt at a wynd up ?
I seem to remember an expensive flop with an unfortunate name from Brazil.
No one scouted him. Millions wasted.
I sincerely hope Ronny has brought a required change to our recruitment policy.
South Of Tunis
Yeah interesting. Seems to be a boy everyone is interested in but he doesn;t appear sure what he is doing himself.
A name to keep an eye on for the future.
Sounds like he is not worth the funds to be honest.
Thanks for keeping me in the loop with this one.
LB
Regarding Cifci
Don’t get too wound up. Its probs made up.
timaloy29
09:25 on
30 June, 2015
Sevco close to signing a young “starlet” who was released by Birmingham City
And a keeper released by Swindon.
Its clear that they are modeling themselves on ICT, fill their squad with rejects from the lower/non leagues in England.
South Of Tunis
09:10 on
30 June, 2015
Scorchio – way down south .
————————————————————
too hot for hoopoes!
timaloy29
09:25 on
30 June, 2015
Sevco close to signing a young “starlet” who was released by Birmingham City
What a joke
Yep,it seems that no one the Huns are after has been given the boot.He is alleged to have”Quit”Birmingham,knocked back offers from Aston Villa(Aye,did ye),and is now “A starlet”,who is big powerful,and although a developement player,could soon feature for the 1st team he is that good.
This building a full team is easy.
Parkheadcumsalford @ 08.34 hrs,
Agree.
Proudbhoy@ 09.13 hrs.
Agree, there is a time and place for everything, and you have summed it up perfectly.
HH.
So Middlesbrough may have bid 1.7 big ones for ciftci who only has a year on his contract
Given the state of club finances south of the border I wouldn’t be a bit surprised
Have Sevco got the dirty dozen yet?
Ciftci.If we sign him,no problem.If we dont,no problem.He is a handful when he is at himself,no doubt about it.RD and our staff might make him a whole lot better,who knows.Middlesboro alleged to be in for him at double our bid.
Henke
08:18 on
30 June, 2015
Ciftci? Surprises me tbh.
And how do you pronounce Ciftci? Its a bit of a mouth full ;)
Chiff-chi
glad to help:)
Not mad about the thought of getting ciftic if he is going to be put marquee striker this summer.
But if he is signing to replace balde as back up then that’s defo an improvement.. Although Rooney has impressed me more any time Iv seen them play.