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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Re- cifci I think he is a loose cannon if he came to us tmsm would slaughter him re the biting incident v Dundee , I think Ronnie wants a back to goal striker like Sutton to hold up for oncoming midfielders , we have good defensive coaches ie Ronnie and John K. Plus John C. for midfielders would it be a good idea to have someone like Sutton to coach our strikers,I thought Guidetti s lay off play was excellent.
Our strikers strike out too often
I’m going on Strike … Not a blow will be struck until our strike rate improves
With regards to all the mince that is being talked about Mark Warburton
Just think back, not so long ago, 6th of April 2015 in fact, the exact same media sources proclaimed from the third sevco manager of the season (Stuart Mcfekall)
“Rangers are so good I’m getting goosebumps”
Now we are expected to believe that the fourth sevco manager in 12 months is a genius
If we was stupid enough to sign for sevco in the first place, then he is no genius!!
No one in the past three years has enhanced their career one iota by signing for sevco
Absolutely not one single person. as they themselves say, “no, not one and there never shall be one”
Ram it!
THOMPSONTWIN
If Ciftci is the level of your ambition,you can join yer pal Pete at the back of the bus.
Don’t be surprised if he taps you for the fare,mind.
My take on our Non Goal scoring signings is quite simple , None mentioned I.e Balde ,Pukki , Bangura or even Scepovic had shown that previous to joining us were able to find the back of the net on a regular basis, Goal scorers are a premium which you have to pay good money for! It’s clear We were hoping to land lucky with a rough diamond who would have came good i.e Wanyama or a Forster , Problem is it’s one thing performing at one end of the park but Goals win games and you get what you pay for! We should have reinvested the £5 million we got from Hooper into a proven talent!
FWIW I’d push the boat out to bring Hooper back or as controversial as it may be go for Jelavic now that Hull have been relegated!.
Heatwave heading to Scotland!
29 degrees forecast for Glesga in a couple of days!
Get the factor 50 out bhoys!
HH!!
Wee Serena through already in straight grunts.
I’d think that Ciftci will/would be an end of the transfer window, back up if we don’t get who we want, signing. If the choice was between him and another punt on an unknown non-scoring striker like Balde or Bangura (eg the Bosnian playing in Italy) then why not just go for him now. He’s proven in SPFL and will improve with better players around him. In saying that Vossen would be a far better signing and at 3m euro in our price range.
Either way, whoever scouts strikers for us obviously hasn’t a clue. Let the manager decide.
PAPAJOE55
Welcome to the site,btw.
If yer up for a bevvy on 10/10 you might meet one or two of us.
But don’t judge them by that…
papajoe55
would it be a good idea to have someone like Sutton to coach our strikers,
I’m not so keen on a striking coach … most good strikers have a natural instinct for goal rather than contrived , training should be sufficient to realize usual positioning of colleagues etc but thats just my opinion
Could you imagine someone telling Henrik what to do in front of goal……….
thats why I’m not a coach lol
HH
Corkcelt: I hope your comment re Macjay coming to Dublin was tongue in cheek. I genuinely don’t know why he would not feel welcome, or why he felt he needed a personal invite, but I reiterate clogher celt’s invite to him. Macjay, you would be most welcome to join in our celebrations of the 1916 Easter Rising next year, and if you do come along, I will extend the warmest hand of friendship to you.
Jude 2005
I will light a candle tomorrow morn for David and George.
and in support of Irene at this hard time.
We signed Griffiths he scored goals before we signed him ….and goals after
Thompsontwin
Id like us to get Cifti as well.
Good player.
Think he is capable of much more and at 23 time is with him to learn and improve.
16 roads: I dedicate this to you:-)
http://youtu.be/vdxLxnhGnvo
Up the Dubs (and rhebels)
Over the last few years we have wasted roughly £3m a year on transfer fees on dud strikers.
Given that these duds will be on three or four year contracts at £10-15k per week that’s a lot of money.
Let’s say that our bill for that is conservatively £15m.
And it is conservative,bearing in mind the numbers.
One quality striker four years ago at £7m and £40k per week would be a dream.
And saved us a quid or two.
And put bums on seats.
But no,I obviously don’t have a clue about economics,management or the state of the game these days.
I forgot that ambition is a dirty word at Celtic nowadays.
Problem being that a £7million striker won’t sign for us as, if he is a true £7m striker, will have offers from much better leagues.
These guys would rather sit on the bench than play in Scotland.
Almore
Sounds like you,Clogher and the irish lhads had a good night at Aicsc,good to hear,and carry on talking up the Dubs as i know were that ends :-))
HH
BMCUWP
hear hear!
Leftclicktic Dena BMCUW thanks for the welcome, and Bob thanks for the invite but due to poor health don’t get out too often these days but you never know.
Ciftci ….no no no no
Moderate talent …nutjob..no discipline
Not for me
the_huddle
We’re caught in a trap.
TBJ says Wee Oscar Knox is in heaven with the angels
14:34 on
29 June, 2015
Our strikers strike out too often
I’m going on Strike … Not a blow will be struck until our strike rate improves
:-))
HH
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
14:53 on
29 June, 2015
Ciftci ….no no no no
Moderate talent …nutjob..no discipline
Not for me
———————————————-
Tend to agree. And as another poster has already mentioned – if he pulled on the Hoops he’d be hounded by both the press and the referees.
BSR,
Either follow Dena’s advice and buy a pair of knitting needles…or else, buy a pair of sandles and let your feet go commando!
Almore
14:41 on 29 June, 2015
Corkcelt: I hope your comment re Macjay coming to Dublin was tongue in cheek. I genuinely don’t know why he would not feel welcome, or why he felt he needed a personal invite, but I reiterate clogher celt’s invite to him. Macjay, you would be most welcome to join in our celebrations of the 1916 Easter Rising next year, and if you do come along, I will extend the warmest hand of friendship to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You Sir, yer a Star.
Hail Hail.
True Celt.
Hugs
The TV events from the last few days just means Freedoms will be removed.
Andy Murray has come third in a BBC poll of who will win Wimbledon, behind Novak Djokovic and Jack Wilshere’s goal against West Brom.
kers – ambition does not come in to it from where we are at present – realism is the watchword.
We must sign a striker that will play – Cifti WILL play.
Of course I’d prefer, Ings, Austin, or Deeney – but we just do not have the money.
Griffiths will be injured, suspended and lose form – who can we reliably call on to step in?
thomthethim
Ha – Go commando it is, all the way to Mallorca, along with the Ireland top with the wee collar, quite nice in a rugby like way.
NatKnow
14:56 on
29 June, 2015
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
14:53 on
29 June, 2015
Ciftci ….no no no no
Moderate talent …nutjob..no discipline
Not for me
———————————————-
Tend to agree. And as another poster has already mentioned – if he pulled on the Hoops he’d be hounded by both the press and the referees.
=======
To all intents and purposes, its par for the course when you play for Celtic – some handle it better than others.
HH
PAPAJOE55
If you are close enough to get into Glasgow,you’ll be well looked after,mate.
That you are not in the best of tid is sad to hear. That you will be in the best of company might brighten you up.
Btw,we have a wee female enclave too. So if you are a wee bit worried about lasting the pace,bring the wife or daughter along. They can join in the general hilarity.
Ernie Lynch was there last year….
bournesouprecipe,
Some Wonderful sonics the other night, coming from me, partially deaf, that is indeed high praise.
Respect!
Enjoy your holiday.
When are you off? Hope young Michael is getting over his disappointment,
petec
Was I on the nightshift?
THOMPSONTWIN
That’s twice you’ve reduced my moniker to kers. In a row.
Your call. My moniker is a fine tribute to one of the finest Celts ever,when he met his future wife.
It made me smile because I also have a Catholic/Protestant background.
Please refer to me in future differently. You do a great man a disservice with your cheap shot.
thomthethim
Very shortly.
I think he’s o.k. all quiet – thanks
Ole No vak he doesn’t let the dust settle, through in straight grunts.
til later bhoys
HH