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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Resigning Greg Taylor would involve not only a big wage for a backup but also a large signing on fee, which is added to the annual wage bill. It’s someone’s job to make sure our football department budget remains within the UEFA spending restrictions, KT won’t be cheap, we’ve increased our wage bill over the last two windows. Big wages on the left back position restricts the options elsewhere in the squad
Development players dont just cost less in transfer fees than established players, you pay them a fraction in wages as well.
He’s a luxury we can’t afford both in terms of these ages we’ll pay a player who won’t feature in many big games, and the opportunity cost for a player in his position and elsewhere in the squad
But if he were to sign I would still be happy that we’ve signed a professional, serious footballer who would give everything to make sure he does everything to try and make him first choice in his position, against the odds. I don’t know the full story about Idah throwing up in the taxi, but it doesn’t strike me that he’s that bothered about being first choice striker at Celtic. In Maeda we gave the best example I can remember of a player making the absolute best of his ability – I don’t think he’d be out on the swally on Wednesday night.
Re: BBC choice of pundits today…
We’re all aware of the BBC’s fondness for giving jobs to former employees of the dead club.
However, today the BBC brought in an ex-Aberdeen manager and an ex-Hearts manager for punditry duty in covering the Aberdeen v Hearts semi final.
Yet this is criticised on here as a hunfest?
Dearie me…
Use your loaf before picking your fights lads. lol
HH
Night all.
celtic40me
“He’s a luxury we can’t afford”
_______
But we can afford £4 million worth of crappy looking disko lights that have ended Celtic’s association with the “YNWA” song being sung in the dark under the disko lights and the only other times that fans can be arsed holding up scarves is at the 2 home Old Firm games.
Btw, we said we could afford £4 million for disko lights only weeks after being unwilling to go £2.5 million for John McGinn from Hibs.
No serious club says disko lights were more beneficial to the club than John McGinn would have been.
No serious club sells their number 1 striker before a crucial CL play off with “there to be took” Bayern Munich.
No “real” Celtic FC can be directed by freemasons, managed by freemasons, captained by freemasons, and supported by freemasons.
ALL AT THE SAME TIME! FFS!
The snp/greens are freemasons and Celtic fans in HUGE numbers vote for these scumbags who want you all in jail.
Maybe that is why the vast majority inside Parkhead say NOTHING when the GB get banned for supporting what used to be called Humanity.
“Real” Celtic would not enter any competition that was rigged to suit evil genocidal monsters from the Arabian desert who are not even Arabians, but colonial settlers, stealing other peoples land, in the Arabian desert fkn thousands of miles away from Europe.
Celtic have as many morals as Keir Starmer.
Probably all in the same ludge?
And they will all be behind the first data breach from the new face ticket spyware thingys.
KS was in Downing Street less than a month and 600,000 Labour Membership got all of their security data leaked!
Leaked to whom. And for what?
Tony Blair controls KS.
Tony Blair is leaning on Companies to deploy facial recognition palaver for all employees.
And now companies are demanding facial recognition for season tickets at the football.
Bring in all seating – Make it all ticket – Make it all season ticket.
Make it all facial recognition season tickets.
Anybody who does not smell a rat must have got their nose cut off.
PS, If Brendan is caught out by the same St Johnstone tactics on Sunday then sack him.
Adam Idah is on the wane because of tippy tappy no service stupid assed tactics from yet another Celtic Tory Rich bhoy manager who can’t grasp that he too must also learn lessons.
If the Entire Vatican are freemasons ( and they are ) would it be a stretch to imagine that the Entire Celtic Executive are are also freemasons?
Answers on a 5 Way Agreement Envelope with a £49 postage stamp.
Fireworks on Bognor seafront tonight , one of the rockets has found its way onto the blog …💥💫👻
Espanyolification
I wonder why ex managers Peter Houston and Barry Robson were not on the panel for today’s game.
( ⬆️ Not a true statement)
Good morning all from Govanhill. Gerrintaethum Celtic!!!!
Good morning champions
Good morning and Happy Easter from a sunny North Staffs.
Game day at last
https://www.celticnewsnow.com/hoople/
Got it in 3
Gene – hoople
well done – got it in 4
Good morning all from The Good ‘N’ The Bad.
Another 5- 1 coming up bhoys.
D. :)
Happy Easter all in Timland!
Hopefully after today a cup final to look forward to
Beannachtaí na Cásca oraibh go léir.
🍀🇮🇪🍀
Happy Easter ghuys .
Looking forward to a vastly improved performance since our last meeting with St J .
I’m going all in 6-0….if it’s not then Brendan should be sacked and kev j and his back (up) room team should be installed …..watch this space .
COYBIG 💚
Lets put on a show. Play football the Glasgow Celtic way.
Fast attacking and exciting football will sweep St Johnstone away.
We know exactly the way they will line up.
Winning football with style will restore our love of the game and banish that borefest yesterday into oblivian.
HH, COYBIG.
Celtic shouldn’t offer Greg Taylor a new deal,instead they should introduce 2 players from the development squad 1 a understudy to Kieren Tierney ,the other one under Johnson,in saying that I have said that Ralston also needs to leave. .
Good morning CQN.
Game day at last.
Sun is shining.
Lovely Easter morning.
What’s not to like?
https://salarysport.com/football/scottish-premiership/celtic/
Steven Thomson
Derek McInnes
Steven Naismith
A Hunfest
Dodds and McCann will join them again next season
SS- Taylor and Ralston nowhere near that money
Celtic: Sinisalo, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, Engels, McGregor, Hatate, Forrest, Idah, Maeda.
The 5-1 starting line up that overcame the unexpected Perth reversal could get the nod though Brendan might have other ideas for his latest trip across the city, in an effort to keep Celtic’s astonishing Hampden record going.
The engine room is least likely to change from Engels CalMac and Hatate and at the back Scales has overtaken the race to final over Auston Trusty and rejuvenated Greg Taylor’s ‘intensity’ might win him a well deserved wage rise twinning with Kieran Tierney next season.
Jota has done well since his unexpected return and BR’s plan is always four good enough to start wide players for rotation, I wouldn’t write off Nicolas Kuhn’s chances featuring heavily in the run in, if not today perhaps from the bench.
Oh Hampden in the Sun ☀️ CSC
We Paul67 girning about the player development path,the same path that gave Celtic 2 od 3 £multimillion sellons while going thro such heralded names as Shved,Comperr and up to a 100 or so other “project” types while getting pumped by glamour Euro names such as Molde,Braga etc.The MoR and KT sell ons are painted as continual success when they are the actual stand out,a lot of the other flotsam and jetsom go onto america or championship level.
Sometimes we get a fee from them,added onto the £millions already banked by the club founded by Brother Walfrid,paying increased corporation tax while being hesisitant over reinvesting in our squad.
We know you Pau67.
You dissent Brendan Rodgers management
You dont trust him.
You have said as much on twitter about models being ‘ripped up’ models that continued to fail to give us the calibre of player to grow on our continued success in Europes CL.
It must be hard being out of the loop.
Your narrative and attitude towards our manager is now serving to only bring your own blogging into disrepute.
Folk are wondering why there is barely 2or 3 pages- it may be because of this failed girning/narrative that continues to question our manager…ah well another easy to win treble,continued success in Europe,following our own path,setting our own goals and working with a fully supportive fans to win and win again,DNA renewal game after game,cup after cup,season after season.Get on board.Those Celts that used to post still post on 2 whatsapp groups i am on,one has 70+ ex cqn stalwarts.They have long left cqns failed narrative behind and i doubt they will be back.
Same ol Celtic,always winning,more of the work ethic,more Celtic,less of the hubris in the Generation of domination stuff.We work for our success,we do well,in a league with no real path such as Calmac and jamesie used,we have no reserve league,a B league that is remote from our top.a system that pushes us to buying.
Stop nippin at our manager,the man who has taken Celtic to unprecedented levels of success,get behind him,come into the loop,you will relish our success even more.
Off to the game now enjoy Celts
HH
saint stivs
if accurate those figures are extraordinary. Extraordinarily low that is.
The most recent annual report, to June 30 2024, showed a turnover of around £125 million.
With operating expenses, (including labour) of £105 million. That less than £20 mill is spent on the most important part of the club, the players, is well…..extraordinary.
Mitch Frame on £300 a week? He could earn more stacking shelves in Tesco. (other shelves are available)
Is the biscuit tin back? I think we should told on this Easter Day
Celtic and Castore in ‘holy’ week.
Good to see Brendan Rodgers publicly defending his players from the perils of social media. 24 year old ‘model pro’s’ on their day off are entitled to be sick 🤮 wherever they like.
Let he who hath not ‘thrown up’ cast the first stone CSC
Log in pain
good post An Tearmann –
what has given us the success we have had ? f if I know
the model has given us dembele, OE, M’OR, Jota …….. but we’ve had calmac, broonie, JF and outrageously good goalkeepers.
It gave us managers but is it what has given us a decade of dominance. Did it give us 70 + million in the bank?
9 million for Idah ? If we don’t use the model, where do we go? What is most important – income generation or football?
f if I know!
mac, that is basic wage, i have to assume the playing staff total renumaration is heavily incentivised.
total wage bill 23/24 was 65m, that is all staff. 69% of revenue.
https://swissramble.substack.com/p/celtic-finances-202324
HAPPY EASTER everyone. Finally got C Q N back working.
saint stivs
Thanks for that more detailed breakdown.
Do you think the Board would throw in an Easter Egg for Mitch?
Happy easter people
jackiemac on 20th April 2025 12:37 pm
“what has given us the success we have had ?”
___
Skint Huns?
CELTIC: Sinisalo, Taylor, Scales, Carter-Vickers, Johnston, Engels, McGregor (C), Hatate, Maeda, Forrest, Idah.
Subs: Bain, Trusty, Jota, Kühn, McCowan, Schlupp, Bernardo, Ralston
Good afternoon all from the Directors box in the Victoria Bar. My crew shall be leaving soon for the game. Not going, can’t stand the stadium or the hun sfa. So there now.
live updates up