T minus 35 hours as the transfer window reaches its interesting stage, as clubs make consider what their final options will be. Celtic have an already bloated squad and are looking to offload in several areas, while hoping to add a left back, striker and possibly keeper.
The left back requirement was originally for backup to Greg Taylor, while a striker is required as cover (and an in-game sub) for Kyogo. There are short-term concerns at both acquiring positions. Greg’s recent injury means he could be out for games away to Aberdeen, Hibs and St Mirren.
Japan and South Korea’s continued participation in the Asian Cup means we are without Oh, our normal alternate for Kyogo, and Daizen Maeda, who has played through the middle when required.
Celtic are considering various options for both positions. How far down the list to do you go, when the acute need is only for cover, and only then for a few weeks? It is easy to say ‘We’ll not bother with another Nat Phillips-type profile’, but the reality is, there is uncertainty.
Anyone signed right now can ‘have a Kilmarnock’, as Nat did, or we could be left without a recognised striker, pricking memories of playing Lewis Morgan up front in the 2019 League Cup Final. No matter how sure you are, there is no right answer.
Hopefully, Gustaf Lagerbielke will get his move to Serie A. This season’s plan for central defence was that Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki would be first choice, with Gus next in line and Stephen Welsh fourth choice (and a useful Uefa B List option). Liam Scales was due to be punted to Aberdeen.
Injuries to Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki and Welsh saw Liam thrust into the Ibrox limelight, where he rose to occasion and has since been a confirmed revelation. A naturally left-sided central defender, he did enough to keep his place in the team, never mind the squad, so Gus has dropped from the roster, despite having performed well when asked.
David Turnbull has known a new contract was not on the table since Brendan Rodgers arrived in the summer. He was used on Saturday, but if the proposed move to Cardiff happened it would be a good outcome for the player.
Celtic rejecting an offer from Greece for James McCarthy sounds unusual, but that’s only because we don’t know the detail. If Celtic fold on exit terms for one player, they set a precedent that others know they can follow. James could walk away this afternoon with everyone’s best wishes, if he wanted to. We’ll see if anything happens.
We’re not short of wingers, at least, we won’t be when the Asian Cup ends, so there should be no surprise if Mikey Johnston makes an exit to the English Championship.
I’ve no idea how all the bed-wetters manage to get through the first 30 days of January, poor things.
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DEXTER P. BAMPOT on 30TH JANUARY 2024 3:25 PM
Would investing £10-£15M change the way Rodgers has us playing?
Remember there used to be a feel good atmosphere around the whole club, what happened?
1) PL returned, cue jobs and contracts for his children (lets be honest who wouldnt do that)
2) BR returned
So its either one or the other, or a combination of both.
So much for every penny made would be reinvested into the club.
We’re keeping reserves in case of any forthcoming lean years. That is almost an admission of failure.
The burning question i have is, do we have the best person for the job in all facets of the club, from Chairmen, Board, to all staff? You know, happy clapper/bed wetter/celtic supporter (delete as appropriate) that the answer is a resounding NO.
Do we have the best squad we can afford, that’ll be a resounding NO
All this could be put on the back burner if our plc actually pulls a few rabbits out the bag, but we’ve seen this film before.
Personally speaking im of the firm belief that the major minority shareholder, chairman and remaining plc board are holding us back, and the sad part is, im not alone in thinking that.
ZIGGYDOC1 on 30TH JANUARY 2024 12:37 PM
There’s a very good chance that Oh will be available for Saturday (Yang also). South Korea play Saudi Arabia in a few hours and the Saudis are favourites to progress. We should still be looking (way before now, of course) to bring in a better striker and left back, than what we currently have. I’m sure a certain CEO said that we look to come out every transfer window, stronger
…………
Sorry mate, but that Post aint quite accurate.
According to my Main Bookie…SAUDI are 0/30 to Win the match.
SOUTH KOREA are the favourites ODDS ON at 4/5.
So IF the Bookies have called it correct and South Korea WIN, then we will NOT being see OH and/or YANG back in Glasgow anytime soon ?
KO is at 4pm.
HH
Onenightinlisbon
Would that be the same way that got us more points in the Champions league this year, than Ange ever managed?
My MAIN Bookie is BET365. I will now check the odds for the South Korea v SAUDI game with BETFRED.
HH
PS
i much preferred Ange’s football philosophy
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 30TH JANUARY 2024 3:41 PM
Aye that was a rip roaring success wasn’t it?
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 30TH JANUARY 2024 3:43 PM
LOL….100% with you on that one.
Bhoys is there a channel to watch Saudiia Arabia v South Korea
Well it was better than Ange’s and id rather have Ange. So careful what we wish for
Im not disputing the football has been turgid at times, but under Ange, around December and January it was pretty bleak too.
We dont press enough against the diddy teams and get up for the big games, for me thats about player application.
ZIGGYDOC1 on 30TH JANUARY 2024 12:37 PM
…………….
SAUDI v SOUTH KOREA…
BETFRED ALSO have South Korea as ODDS ON Favourites at 4/5.
SAUDIS are priced at 16/5.
HH.
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 30TH JANUARY 2024 3:39 PM
Remember there used to be a feel good atmosphere around the whole club, what happened?
1) PL returned, cue jobs and contracts for his children (lets be honest who wouldnt do that)
*His lhad was there before here turned courtesy of the infallible ange
both our players are on the subs bench
One Night
£10-£15 million would not necessarily change the style of play although I suppose a different type of striker could do that
But what £10-£15 million would do is, in my opinion, guarantee the title which is not yet guaranteed.
That sort of budget could buy two or possibly three decent players.
Additionally, we will be getting rid of some players and wages.
It’s not rocket science but the board seem to think we are rockets for suggesting it.
Spending 3m in a window when the first team is crying out for improvement in the professional opinions of the Manager BR and the club captain C MCG, we must be expecting a large corporation tax bill again.
DEXTER P. BAMPOT on 30TH JANUARY 2024 4:08 PM
100% would help but with the way the manager sets up the team it would not be guaranteed. Rodgers took a winning team and system and decided to change it. A measure of the man…
ONIL- Every manager has their own way of playing
Another season if Angeball would gave in my opinion resulted in a severe gubbing in Europe ; many of our established players would have dropped our injured. It was fun while it lasted but longer term very problematic.
Brendan has set the team up so that longer term we have a better chance of success at a higher level. It has been a stop start season in terms of plenty of good stuff interspersed with insipid play.
HH
The squad needs to be trimmed first and players brought in to play a different style to Angeball.
!!BADA BING!! on 30TH JANUARY 2024 4:27 PM
I know but Rodgers himself stated early on that the side only needed a few tweaks….
What we watch week after week is not a few tweaks.
I firmly believe that if Ange was still in charge we would be out of sight in the league.
Rodgers comments over the weekend shows the contempt he hold the fans in.
This will not end well.
H-T. 0-0
ONIL
I know but Rodgers himself stated early on that the side only needed a few tweaks….
….
What do yon expect him to say !
We are too open at the back. Inverted full backs exposing centre halves against better opposition, midfield positioning poor when not in possession, so we are very easy to counterattack. Pace of our game not sustainable over multiple seasons ….. managers do not tell the truth to the press and fans , as this would give a competitive advantage to the opposition.
Itsnotrocketsciencecfc
EKBHOY on 30TH JANUARY 2024 4:58 PM
His side is playing exactly like we did before he ran off the first time. Tedious, slow, one paced garbage. Sides know exactly how to play against us. Ross County players looked fitter than ours at the end of the game on Saturday. Inexcusible.
Saudi Arabia 1 up
1-0 saudi
Missed the first half of the Saudi v S Korea game .
Just switched on catch the second half and the Saudis score .
How long before we start reading about “going for 56”.
If we don’t win the league, and we are in a dog fight, I hope the sevco board do the right thing and invite the celtic board to their celebrations. The won’t have won it without the help of the so called celtic supporters who run our club.
Saudi player kicks his own team mate in the haw maws
We seem to be unable to change course either at the corporate level or the managerial one. The board seem adverse to countenance the signing of any player who does not, at least in theory, have the potential to generate a greater sell on fee at some point in the future. Not a daft idea, but when some of the frogs remain frogs we have to try something different, to win football matches. Same applies to BR, when you are camped in the opposition half and you constantly recycle the ball doing the exact same thing as before with no success, you have to have a plan B, which is either laying quicker longer balls or having somebody in the box that can actually header the bloody ball. We have no variation, no element of surprise, we have become stale and predictable. Not so much of a problem away from home but at Celtic Park 😳
I think we have to be realistic about Celtic playing Ross County last Saturday ;someone mentioned on them looking fitter than the Celtic players .let’s face it they are bottom the league fighting to stay in the league,so it makes sense for them to come out all guns blazing to get 3 points they badly need,in the end from a bad Celtic Performance we succeeded in collecting the points .On Saturday miday kick off v Aberdeen we need to win this one ,and for to achieve that we need to support all the players especially the South Korean ones .at lot of us seem to forget these boys have helped us on to a victory ,but if we we lose or draw they are duds etc etc ,so all hands on deck give them all the encouragement they need ,because the way we see things going at present we are in for fight with Sevco on retaining this league,
Huge thanks to the club/board for signing CCV up.
Let’s hope we get some other quality in to help BR
-win the league – he has the hex on wangers; I don’t know why we are having games like hearts, motherwell, st j and ross county
(I am grateful we beat RC- we will drop more points this season in games like those).
– will we be using the summer transfer window to make the squad CL worthy?
why does a long ball through the middle of our defence to a lone attacking forward cause more panic in our back 4 , than the greater percentages of our attacks with all our quality into the opposition defence areas.
It’s on Portugal Sport TV 2 on my fire stick app.
TIMBHOY163 on 30TH JANUARY 2024 5:20 PM
Totally disagree that it was expected that Ross County players would be fitter or more up for it than us.
They were hammered by Partick Thistle the week before at home as well, I repeat inexcusable….
One of the reasons we’ve got so much money in the bank is because good players are bought and sold for far more than they were 10 or 20 years ago. Somebody needs to tell the Celtic board. They seem to think the fees for Jota, KT and Moussa Dembélé were miracles and that we can hoard most of that cash while picking up amazing bargains for £3m-£4m. No. We probably need to be spending £8m-£10m for key positions just to stand still.
in Rodgers system I prefer Oh to Kyogo – he holds the ball up and can bring oncoming players into action. Kyogo can come on later when there is space in front to attack and we counter.
Generally Celtic signings have been too wee or lack physicality – for me, we should have a CB at least 6.3 as threat in 18yrd box.
We are at the stage of looking for “quality” – I can’t see us signing anyone – loan deals until quality is available in the summer.
Its a gamble and shows lack of planning by the recruitment team – when we have 70m in the bank we’ve got to show our dominance and right now we stink of complacency.
Off to change my sheets
Lagerbielke move to Lecce blocked,maybe a bid in for a permanent move
CCV injured apparently
CCV looked to be struggling when he was subbed at weekend