Teenage kicks

946

So how do you feel about playing a couple of teenagers, Filip Twardzik and debutant Jackson Irvine, in central midfield, but dropping a couple of SPL points?  Good, I hope.  Welcome to the world of player development.

For a decade or more Celtic produced prodigious youth teams but watched as Dundee United, Hibs, Hearts even Hamilton Accies graduated more effective adult players.  Key to this is perhaps ensuring that players are tested at a higher level at key times in their development.  In short, if you have not played regular first team football by the time you are 22 there is a good chance you will not fulfil your potential.

There is cost to this development, you’re not going to win all the time, especially when the two teenage central midfielders are surrounded by other young players: Adam Matthews, 20, Tony Watt, 18 and James Forrest, 21.  Half time substitute, Victor Wanyama, is still only 21.

I’m looking forward to seeing more teenage kicks in the coming months.

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946 Comments

  1. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Mags,

     

    we had 9 players under 25 and they are good enough :o)

  2. canamalar – wow indeed. Huns email the msm complaining and the msm change the story.

     

    Kind of proves point really.

  3. Nice Fresh Morning to Start the Week in the Chilterns…

     

     

    Agree with Paul’s leader, we have a huge investment in bringing young players through at Celtic, our future success depends on it.

     

     

    So if we loose the odd point by giving the young bhoys experience so be it.

     

     

    Wanyama is proof if you are good enough you’re old enough, yet there is no substitute for experience.

     

     

    A competitive SPL is no bad thing either, we have enough in the tank to be Champions again while rotating the squad.

     

     

    Hail! Hail!

  4. Good morning friends from a cloudy but dry East Kilbride. So international week is upon us – brilliant, isn’t it?

  5. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    tomtheleedstim,

     

    would like phil now to declare, he pulled the article because his publisher made agreements he refuses to honour.

     

    Comitment to truth over propaganda

  6. saltires en sevilla on

    Good morning fellow Celts from grey Renfrewshire

     

     

    The point about introducing and blending in the youth and ‘futures’ is that we get to feel that wee bit closer to our club, identify with the lads who come up via the youth set-up more readily …or at least I do. More than some of the imports who have learned their trade at other clubs (not that we shouldn’t buy in specialist players from time to time…but the difference in skill level should be obvious to all …glaringly obvious …no-one will have a problem with that )

     

     

    I hope that every young player who had a run v Hibees is given more time in the next few SPL home games -there were few mistakes and some sloppy finishing meant we failed to grasp the 3 points.

     

     

    The other point that about playing the youngsters …it encourages more youngsters to join up! The Quality Street bhoys saw the career path as Jock & Sean made it clear to them they would get their chance… and they did …I often wondered if the next generation of Dalglish and McGrains were being lost to Celtic, and the game in general, because they couldn’t see the career path …the road to success …the point in trying really!

     

     

    How many good players were lost in the period when the currants were cheating their way to trophies and Celtic felt obliged to try and match thems?

     

     

    How many just gave up?

     

     

    Hopefully Saturday was a glimpse of what is to come…a shaft of light

     

     

    HH

  7. Petec

     

     

    Aye. We know all about vengeance but could you imagine the world if we left all judging and vengeance to God.

     

     

    There would be no police; courts; judges; criminal law; parliment etc. Scum would be walking the street taking for their own what is yours, be that your house, your car, your wife, your monewhole ultimately your life without fear. Yoda! It’s bad enough as it is with the full judicial system in place.

     

     

    The other thing I always like to remember is that God did not write the good book or the Koran etc. they were all written by man. Therefore it is not really the word of God.

     

     

    Tin hat on as the holy wrath of CQN falls down upon me.

     

     

    MWD

  8. saltires en sevilla on

    MWD

     

     

    No tin hat required there ..well said mate!

     

     

    Just remember the house rules …I have kids reading ;-)

     

     

    HH

  9. Good morning, Bom Dia, from sunny Algarve.

     

    Just been skimming through the online papers there.

     

    My arithmetic is really bad nowadays, when I was at school, 47,809 was more than 46,015.

     

    Seems to have changed now though, from todays record, “There was no hat-trick for Templeton either, who was withdrawn to a loud ovation from the 46,015 crowd – the biggest in Scotland this weekend -“

  10. MWD @ 06:58,

     

     

    Could respond on Law & Order but without a small essay don’t think I’d make my points.

     

     

    Suffice to say I have an issue with the state control taking away personal and communities abilities and desires to provide their fundamental role in the Ordering and Policing of our Society.

     

     

    However to my point…

     

     

    No scholar on the subject but I believe Muslims feel the Koran is the word of God.

     

     

    Transmitted to the Profet Mohammed through the Archangel Gabriel.

     

     

    Just saying like.

  11. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever on

    There’s always a middle way. It’s not youth and dropped points with financial stability v experience , wins and debt.

     

    You’d think it though reading some of the post celebrating a draw against Hibs from the balance sheet kings.

     

     

    Personally I’m disappointed that CFC strategy is so tied to Hunco fortunes. We have a regressive approach that is diminishing the club.

     

     

    I’m all for youth. I’m all for financial prudence. I’m also for responsible risk and strategy that sees the club grow.

     

     

    I’d like to see 1 hero at Parkhead who would fill empty seats, inspire the young talent and give us the confidence to aim for 2 nd place in CL group.

  12. saltires en sevilla on

    Algarvian

     

    07:25 on

     

    3 September, 2012

     

    Good morning, Bom Dia, from sunny Algarve.

     

    Just been skimming through the online papers there.

     

    My arithmetic is really bad nowadays, when I was at school, 47,809 was more than 46,015.

     

    Seems to have changed now though, from todays record, “There was no hat-trick for Templeton either, who was withdrawn to a loud ovation from the 46,015 crowd – the biggest in Scotland this weekend -”

     

     

     

    —–

     

     

    You just canny coont ;-)

     

     

    It was also a World Record for any game played on a Sunday against a Royal Burgh created by St David, King of Scotland

     

     

    HH

  13. chairboy

     

     

    I’m not saying its perfect but the current judicial system is better than nyada.

     

     

    As for Holy books and their authors. I can’t judge anyone’s belief but my belief that holy books were written 100% by man (rarely woman) holds as much trac as anyone’s belief that they were written by their Ultimate being. Therefore IMO they are flawed.

     

     

    Anyway. Need to get to work before the theology debate really kicks in.

     

     

    MWD

  14. How many News International editors and reporters have been charged now ?

     

     

    For this organisation to question any other Journalists credentials is hilarious

     

     

    Freddie star eat my hamster……………………. the case rests

  15. Paul 67 there are times in sport when the window of opportunity opens for individuals to advance

     

     

    At Celtic FC that window for young players has turned into a huge door left wide open for young talent to walk through, i hope they all know it.

  16. Morning,

     

     

    Green said he got Fat Sally quality not quantity on deadline day. That would explain the Australian nobody who scored twice in the Italian Third Division…

  17. saltires en sevilla on

    CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & eve

     

     

    Yes agree we do need a hero to set the place alight …I would prefer he was homespun if possible not necessarily Scot or home countries …but reared and developed through Celtic

     

     

    You have read that some are celebrating a draw v Hibs? not read back that far admittedly…agree with you and cannot understand that line of thinking at all

     

     

    HH

  18. The words of a quietly,confident manager: ” For the majority of the game we played great. I’m not overly unhappy.”

     

    Neil Francis Lennon after Saturday`s game. I agree with our quietly confident manager.

     

     

    JJ

  19. saltires en sevilla on

    lioroars67

     

     

    dead on mate…the best of them will take that chance

     

     

    JJ

     

     

    Hope you enjoyed your spin yesterday? ..not too windy and the hills always at yer back ;-)

     

     

    Yep trust in Lenny 100% with you

     

     

    HH

  20. @celticservant: Well spotted – @TonyBhoy62: It says it all really when they use the “loyal” word in the final sentence”

  21. Some hysterical pash in the papers about Celtic facing legal action. Laptop Loyal using a Levante statement from Saturday for their stories. Levante stated yesterday not much they can do about it now as nothing signed.

  22. saltires

     

    Just at the tail end of a wee cold so I went walking instead. About 12 miles or so along the cliffs and coves from Inverkeilor to Arbroath. Might try a wee bike ride today.

     

     

    JJ

  23. Levante can’t sue Celtic, they may have a gripe with the players agent but nothing can be done to Celtic

  24. ASOD

     

     

    The idea is to make us look immoral whilst the decent chaps who run Sevco are salt of the earth kind of fellows who have accepted their punishment with dignity and are now working hard and honestly, without any help from anyone, to return themselves to their former glory.

     

     

    JJ

  25. Where is Sydney Tim? The big guy who sits in front of me in 106 wants me to pass on a message 0:-)

     

     

    JJ

  26. If Phil was stitched up by the sun there’s no doubt in my mind that Clyde SSB will have a caller lined up already to have a go at Phil.

  27. If Phil was stitched up by the sun there’s no doubt in my mind that Clyde SSB will have a caller lined up already to have a go at Phil.

     

     

    It’ll go something like this when are people going to stop giving platforms to these lunatics like philmacgiollabhain.

  28. Lets stop listening to the lunatics on Radio clyde and giving them free publicity on CQN

     

     

    Personally i have no idea why you would want to buy publications with a reading age of 7yrs

  29. Silver City 1888 on

    Anthony Stokes‏@stoksey10

     

     

    On a train to London, have to get a small op on my ankle. Looking forward to getting it out of the way and getting bk fit!

     

     

    Don’t know if this is repeating what was already known but this is from the horses mouth.

     

     

    As far as Phil is concerned, I hope there really is no such thing as bad publicity when it comes to book sales. I’m guessing an article called “the Incubator” is the problem. Huns obviously don’t do metaphors.

  30. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    The Sun……….

     

     

    “That is a promise to every football fan and to every one of OUR ARMY OF LOYAL READERS” …..(wink, wink….nod, nod) ……..