Greg Taylor was 21 when he arrived six years ago. In that time, he has won five league titles and seen off competition for the left back slot from an array of challengers. He has also been a model professional and remained a positive force in the camp, despite not having a contract extension agreed. Now 27, I would have been more than happy to extend his contract, if he was here as first choice left back.
That will not happen. Instead, Kieran Tierney, also 27, will be first choice. If he stays, Greg will fill in, if and when Kieran tires or is injured. This is not ideal for such an experienced player at his peak.
More importantly, if Greg is offered improved terms to stay, as was reported yesterday, it would signal our player development strategy is no longer an active part of plans. It is (just about) acceptable for some of your signings to have no scope for growth, but for backup players?
Celtic are about to become four-in-a-row champions because under Ange Postecoglou we scoured the globe looking for talent. Players arrived from Portugal, Canada, Russia (Starfelt), China (Mooy), England and, of course, Japan with lots of development scope, lifted us off the canvas and into our dominant position.
When Brendan Rodgers came in 2023 and assured us he bought into this strategy. I would like to see more evidence. Signing players at their peak, even reserves, is short-term, indicates a lack of understanding of the importance of the player development path, and will lead to underachievement.
I watched some great drama in the Europa League last night. It is an overlooked aspect of the changes to the Champions League this season had on the Europa. Previously, the top 32 clubs played in the top tournament; 32-64 entered the Europa. However, the 16 who qualified for the Europa knockout rounds were joined by eight sides who dropped out of the Champions League. The result of this, was that the 25th team in Europe was competing for the Europa League.
This season, the top 36 sides are lifted out of the scope of the Europa. This lack of elite sides left a door open and after 20 games in the competition, Bodo/Glimt became the first Norwegian team to reach a European semifinal. A penalty kick decider in Rome against Lazio last night did the trick.
Bodo now face Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in the semi. Perhaps, Ange will be better prepared for them than he was when Celtic faced the same side three years ago.
Viewer were treated to a wardrobe malfunction in Bilbao, as Cyriel Dessers’ shirt was torn inside the Athletic box. Cyriel dropped to the turf, indignant that he was not awarded a penalty. There are two takeaways from this incident:
1. Defenders who grab shirts inside the box are playing with fire. Just don’t.
2. The media must not campaign for penalties for torn shirts. It would reward flimsy garments and incentivise the use of tea bag-like material. It wasn’t a penalty, it’s just a shoddy shirt.
Have a lovely Easter season and I’ll see some of you on Sunday.
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Poor advert for Scottish football.
Aberdeen and Hearts are both absolute dross.
TBF – Hertz look the better team…………….with only 10 men!!
As if to rub it in you’ve to suffer another 30 minutes
Decided to walk the dug after 5 second half minutes, looks like I’ve missed nothing and ET too🫣
GT signed a new deal?
No wonder I take strong drink. 🙄
How many pseudo head injuries have Hearts had in this game.
How did Aberdeen win any game this season? Hearts are poor; Aberdeen even worse.
On a footballing level I don’t care who we ( hopefully, tomorrow permitting) get in the final
but I sincerely hope it’s Aberdeen.
I truly detest Hearts -the club, their players (by and large) and , worst of all, their fans.
Pretty much everything about them tbh.
I wouldn’t fear playing them but would truly to hate to lose a final to them.
I have never had this feeling before – I think I want the minis to win !
hearts down to 9 men
Aberdeen have 4/5 minutes to try and make the difference in numbers count.
And they do-
2-1 Aberdeen
Will be var’ed for offside tho
*will be checked
Stands
thank f for that
Dons just need to kill the game now
I don’t like the mini huns but that was never a second yellow for Devlin.
Dons goalscorer is from Palestine.
4 minutes ET : 4/15 * 100 = 26 per cent.
where do these injury times come from ?
Happened with the europa league nearly winners against the dons
FT
Dons through and , more importantly for me, Hearts out.
Always nice to see Shankland chewing a wasp.
Did Jimmy thelin play for sevco
Never watched , but always good to read the minis got gubbed.
Embra hun- enjoy yer journey home ya rancid scum canutes.
Laurence Shankland in all honesty is a good player,
Scales or no Scales?
Jackiemac
That would be a matter of justice.
hehehehe brrb
stay safe brrb -no videos of you havin a kebab in the back of uber tonight please – cqn could do without the bad publicity
Jackiemac
🤣🤣
So what happened at 4.37? Did BRRB break the blog? Are we waiting on the Greg Taylor story?
The player development strategy should be very focussed. Celtic should have learned that not every project works out. They should also have learned why. I kind of think Celtic ARE still player trading but are becoming better at it. Two big sales a season would be miraculous. One is expected. That’s what’s needed consistently. We’ve been getting good at sales this past couple of seasons.
There’s really no need to go back to the days of Amido Balde et al in pursuit of a purist dream, however strategically minded that dream may be.
Jinkyredstar on 19th April 2025 7:01 pm
So what happened at 4.37
He bought a round, sorry J couldn’t resist 😉
Damned impertinence. 🤨
I see both Leinster and Ulster wear are wearing kit made by Castore.
Hopefully it’s better than hun kit and not made of paper.
The Scottish Cup winners earn a spot in the Europa League play-off round, with the team that finishes third in the Premiership going into the second qualifying round.
Whoever is fourth, will be in the equivalent stage of the Conference League.
However, if Celtic win the cup, everything shuffles down because they have already clinched a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Rangers will too.
That means the Europa play-off place – and the guaranteed six-game Conference League campaign that comes with it – goes to whoever finishes third in the league.
Currently, that’s Hibs. But United and Aberdeen and St Mirren – albeit the arithmetic is hugely against them – are still in the mix.
But even the clubs who miss out on third could still be rewarded.
Fourth place would be upgraded from Conference League to Europa League, with that Conference spot going to whoever finishes fifth.
St Johnstone, of course, could scupper all this with a second victory over Celtic inside a month.
Should they do so, then either they or Aberdeen could look forward to at least six lucrative games in the Conference League come the autumn.
MICK1888 on 19TH APRIL 2025 7:02 PM
Fair point, but it’s easy to forget that in that window we also signed a player who went on to be the best in his position in the world, and arguably the best centre half ever in the EPL. A close second to Messi in the ballon d’or.
We’d sell a player like him for much more these days since, as you said, we’ve got better at it.