The defence has seen most additions. Jozo Simunovic, Saidy Janko and Dedryck Boyata arrived, with Tyler Blackett on loan from Manchester United. Belgian, Logan Bailly, came in as our backup keeper after a decent career in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.
Two attacking midfielders were signed: Scott Allan, who has made a couple of cameo appearances, and Ryan Christie, who will further gestate in Inverness until the end of the season.
Nadir Ciftci was the manager’s primary striking target, and although he arrived early in the window, his start has been hampered by a six game domestic ban, while the Champions League qualifiers arrived too early for him. A lot of store is being placed on his and Leigh Griffiths’ shoulders.
Will they be stronger than the Griffiths, Scepovic, Guidetti offering of last season? Will they be good enough for the challenge ahead? Place your bets ladies and gentlemen (and opposed to send me inappropriately emotional messages).
I read lots of comment about Steven Fletcher or and Michu potentially coming to Celtic over the last few days. They were players who Celtic enquired about earlier in the window but neither was interested in coming to Scotland. They are in the league they want to play in, we were not remotely on their radar.
Oh, and the van Dijk deal was for £13m, not the £11.5m reported earlier. Think we might have some Fraser/Victor reflected value in this deal.
That’s all folks!
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Winning Captains,
Good analyis. Overbearing CEO/ DOF , weak manager and no striker , just projects.
Projects can’t beat level 3 and level 4 European teams with considerably less budget than Celtic.
At this rate we will be playing with a youth team.
Even the old board…that Lawwell worked for as commercial director , managed to buy the odd striker Macavennie, McLair, Walker, Judas…oh and produced Charlie Nicholas without the Academy.
Lawwell has embarked Celtic on a downward spiral. He has weak manager enslaved to a one striker system even against pub teams at Celtic Park.
There will be the silence from Lawwell on another transfer window where he has weakened the team. The fans will see Malmo repeated and drift away, absolutely sickened by what Lawwell is doing to our club. Only when crowds hit the 20k level will Dermot take notice.
Dermot was in Malmo to see us lose again against a team with a quarter of our budget. He is a clever guy and I wonder what he makes off it. Ronny was not his choice. Lawwell out manoeuvred him to orient Roy Keane a fellow Cork man getting the job. Does Dermot blame the players for a no show–possibly. Or does he look closer to home and his all powerful CEO who pushed thru the Norwegian Mowbray.
With Lawwell continuing to feather his nest the decline continues — Lawwell is being rewarded for weakening the Team and CL failure. When that is the world Celtic are in , something is seriously wrong with Celtic.
No level of spin from CQN puppets can change the facts.
Good morning friends from a dry but grey looking East Kilbride.
8 new signings over the last couple of months is excellent business. But can’t help feeling underwhelmed that only 1 of the 8 is a striker.
Had to wade through a mountain of tripe here last night to even get on to the site
Don’t want to know what’s happening down sarf it’s not why I come on here
Terrible window for us ,just shocking
The bonus should only be for CL qualification then we might see some changes
Might
Any spares for croker on Saturday ?
Margaret McGill on 2nd September 2015 1:16 am
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hail Hail Mam….ye forgot to add…snobbery…may the Jungle rest in peace.
+++
Rebus – I hear you…absolute respect mate.
+++
Latchford – Hail Hail fella…bulls-eye material…well said.
+++
Celtic fans in general…one day you will listen to the malcontents who, probably love the Celtic more than you will ever realise.
Me?….I’ve got other stuff to deal with which, I’m not going to bring onto the blog again…I’m sorry that I did in the first place so, If I disappear all together well, wherever I end up….if I have to fight with worse demons than before…so be it….I hope not but, I won’t be the first…If I go with the good ghuys…every time Celtic fans sing YNWA…I’ll be there with them…just like the good old days.
My immediate fears….Rangers / Sevco will come back next season…they won’t need to spend fortunes to defeat the Celtic…they seem to have the first base correct ie: a savvy / shrewdy in the dug-out….the rest will take care of itself…my fear…the new-huns will come back next season and catch Celtic FC / PLC….sleeping.
Take care Celtic Fans….cheerio. YNWA.
Gand before you get all excited about the sevco farce. Remember what Lawwell is doing to Celtic.
Oops and a last wee one. I see Celtic are using the daily record this morning to,lie to us about how hard the tried to keep VVD and that we paid £5.5 m for a reserve under 21 players. All lies of course. I see now where Paul made up his £8m figure. Aye right.
And if by some miracle we did. Then what a screw up.
Celtic are an absolute shambles and we are being absolutely shafted.
KEVJUNGLE on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015 7:02 AM
Take care Kev…YNWA.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Yesterday was a ringing endorsement of the manager by the Board….. ..?
Note to self: don’t log on to CQN before work unless you want to spend the journey in in a semi depressive state…..
Lack of striker is disappointing. But a wee bit of perspective might be good for some of our grumpier posters……
Neganon – apart from not being able to sign a good striker, what is Pl doing to celtic?
Wish we had signed a striker.
And why so few shipped out? I thought a few were certs to be gone.
Seems there’s no rooms for shades of grey in any argument put forward now. I am concerned about the striker situation in terms of their overall quality, but I also haven’t totally written off Ciftci after 2 starts.
If we accept that we will (At least at the beginning of each game) be playing 1 up top for the remainder of the season, then we have 2 (potentially 2.5) options for that position. For the 3 positions behind the striker we now have 6 good options (with Christie to come next year).
I would actually argue that we are lighter in central midfield in terms of cover than we are up front. If Brown or Biton get crocked then we are left with moving Johansen or Armstrong back there, neither (johansen especially) have looked comfortable.
The game in Sweden showed up the lack of a Wanyama type enforcer to allow Biton more freedom to dictate the play.
There are still obvious areas that need strengthening, but this is the same squad that put in a mature performance in Baku and for 45 mins were unplayable vs Malmo. We need the majority of the support to be facing up to the new realities of our situation, there is no magic fix – no magic 10 million splurge on 1 player that will change the overall trend of the widening gap between us and smaller clubs awash with cash around Europe.
Priorities now should be the link between the academy and the first team – and opening up new scouting networks, both areas with massive room for improvement. Ronny should be given all the support possible to build a club, not just a team.
Kevjungle,
A wee song for you, take care.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRsgZuwf_8
I’m no fan of Lawwell but even I’m shocked at the lack of a new striker. Really taking the Mickey.
Three strikers and two of those are Stokes and Ciftci! We now have Griffiths as main striker, strange and sad times.
The board don’t know or care about the growing apathy. I gave my season ticket up a few years ago as I wasn’t enjoying the football and the the way the club was treating it’s own fans and the way we handled the Huns demise.
No one is calling for stupid money to be spent but we are a club with a project manager who only seems to be allowed project signings. Nothing there to entice the apathetic back.
Wow.
Really surprised by the venom of some of the posts last night. People now saying they won’t bother going to support the team any more.
WTF?
When did the Celtic support start acting like a bunch of weans at bedtime? Even erudite posters like James Forrest, whom I’d expect to provide a subtle analysis of the ins and outs, ups and downs of a football club, seems to have got caught up in the collective madness.
One point worth making. Nadir Cifti hasn’t played a single league game for us yet. On the basis of a few European games, posters on here are already declaring him a dud. Now, fans have the right to conclude this about any player, of course. But usually there is a period before that when they “support” him. Y’know, like cheer for him, encourage him…
This vitriolic, premature, almost gleeful trashing of a young Celtic player after a couple of weeks is a disgrace IMHO.
Londonbhoy— snap
The central midfield is where our problems are, we are playing more like Tony Mowbrays 424 than a 4231.
We need an old head helping Ronny with tactics . it took Malmö 20 minutes to suss us out.
Broony and Nir are looking burnt out allready and the season has just kicked off.
What will be the back four against the Dons, yet again a new line up.
Just wish we cold go with a straight 433 as the oceans of space in front of our back four makes me very nervous.
KTF
Londonbhoy
I share your dismay (and that of others) at some of the more extreme and often personal stuff on here of late.
Agree with your analysis. And I don’t expect a £10m saviour either! That said, our striker acquisition results in relation to the size of our club are woeful.
And on this occasion it’s so glaring that it’s taken the shine off some excellent recruitment – janko and Christie will shine if given the chance. And I’m keen to see what the young Croatian defender brings.
Boyatta and Cifti – jury out for me.
Bailly – decent cover for the cat
Allan – we’ll see. Low risk financially.
HH jamesgang
ItaliaBhoy on 2nd September 2015 7:52 am
Spot on. No further comment required.
HH
Celtic’s strategy for the transfer window:
This year’s season tickets are already sold and next season will take care of itself with the arrival of Sevco in the top division.
I don’t pay a lot of attention to teams outwith Celtic and their opponents. We could I suppose still sign a striker who is a free agent at the moment. Any suggestions?
Look we know how this is going to go now.
ANY dropped points in our up coming games coupled with a bad start in the Europa league and the call to get Ronny Deila out will intensify from fans and the media.
The media masturbation over Aberdeen is going to be intensified (ignoring the fact that they will doubtless lose points to both Celtic and Hearts and probably a few others before burning themselves out in the new year again).
Celtic were not top of the league until the end of last year/start of this year. Hamilton were top for months as were ICT along with them.
Not signing a striker was and is a huge mistake. If it comes back to bite Celtic then the calls for the board to be changed will also intensify but nothing will happen on that count. Deila will be sacked to protect those above him running things and we’ll go through the same farce waiting at the last minute for no one to come in in January.
We need a striker in then ready for qualifiers in July. No messing around, get that done or there’s more bother ahead.
A lot can happen between now and then.
We sign the Dinamo Zagreb defender with most minutes on the pitch and now he’s a reserve player.
If you’re running out of stuff to bad mouth celtic for, just make stuff up.
Haveringgobshite csc
We didn’t sign a striker?? What the hell is going on at our club????
Our main striker wasn’t even rated by our manager for most of last season.
A bit disappointed that no one seems to be giving ciftci a chance . Fair enough because of his stupidity that he hasn’t, been featuring , but his ban is almost over , let’s wait and see what he brings to the side once he is up and running . One disappointment I had with the transfer window , we have signed a few young talented boys all with great potential , but Allan and Christie are both slight in stature .like londonbhoy earlier I had hoped that Ronny , or peter lawwell who seems to make the signings ,would have noticed that this celtic side have no steel in the middle of the park , for me anyway , a hard as nails experienced midfielder was required to give these young lads some protection . I’ve watched a few of the sevco games recently , and by God the guy with the magic hat has them getting stuck in . I’ve noticed this lack of aggression in our side for a while now , it’s time it was fixed IMHO .
Positives? OK here’s one.
Tyler Blackett. He can play left back! Everyone has bemoaned the lack of competition for Izzys position for 3 years now. Well he has it now, at least for a season.
Some complain when we spend money on dud strikers like Pukki, Balde and such like. Then complain when we don’t spend money on dud strikers.
But want us to spend lots of money on a striker. Maybe a superstar like Finbogasson for 4 or 5 million. How did that turn out?
There aren’t any strikers who aren’t duds in our price range or who want to play in our league. I guess there’s always Stevie May, Johnny Russell, Connor Salmon, …
Give me peace. I’m happy being a Celtic supporter. We’ve had and sold great players in the past. We’ve had great and rubbish teams in the past.
These things will happen again in the future. And I’ll still be a Celtic supporter.
I also like the idea of loaning our young guys out to get game time in proper competition rather than warming the bench and playing the odd game in the all conquering ‘reserve’ league.
I have faith in Ronny.
Is there no one in our development squad who could play up front?
If not, why not and what is that part of the club actually for?
A centre half – some perspective.
AC Milan signed this one –
Alessio Romagagnoli.
20 years old / Roma youth product.13 appearances for Roma..Loaned to Sampdoria.30 appearances for Sampdoria
Sold to AC Milan .25 Million euros plus add ons and a 17 5% sell on..
Looks the part but has been lumbered with the dreaded – next Maldini tag
There is a huge shift happening in European football and in transfer markets and most folk don’t see where it is going or what is happening.
Whether you agree with the activity in this year’s transfer window or not, there must be a radical rethink by everyone about where Celtic are and where they are going.
The course they are on is not dictated by the Celtic board BUT that same board cannot apply the same managerial standards, the same KPI’s and the same philosophies of past years now that we are in a completely different climate.
If you are to believe the words coming from Celtic Park the appointment of Ronni is such a change – a change that will take time to work,
Hmm Maybe.
In the next 3 seasons you are about to see European competition and transfer spending change beyond all recognition and if we just merrily bump our gums and swim along the same channel then that is just very very poor management.
What is a European Superclub and where does the current UEFA set up leave Celtic and others via @cqn http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/simunovic-in-town-as-deadline-deals-loom/comment-page-4/#comment-2668921 … …
THEGLASGOWCELTICWAY on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015 8:13 AM
Our main striker wasn’t even rated by our manager for most of last season.
——–
So he ‘manned up’, acted like a pro, reduced his tunnocks intake to surreptitious levels, got his chance and grabbed. I’m happy with that. To me that shows RD’s strengths.
Arr in the Burg now.
Laters timdom
HH jamesgang
Janko – Boyota – Simunovic – Blacket
A back four assembled with less that 100 games of experience combined.
Bailey – Reserve Keeper with experience – On paper a good acquisition.
Allan – One full season in the second tier of Scottish football, an SFL standard player with no experience at a higher level.
Christie – Bought & loaned out – Could be anything but no help to us this season and doesn’t help with our “Planning” for next seasons qualifiers.
Ciftci – Should never have been brought to the club he’s a fake – Not something I thought I’d ever say about a Celtic player but this guy is an imposter & a cheat. We are lead to believe he was our first choice & scouted for a year. A blind man could see this guy was a diddy.
We’ve come out of this window weaker at the back, weaker upfront & with no improvement in midfield yet for many everything is fine and dandy.
I love Celtic always have and always will but this doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed with what’s going on at our club. We had a year since Maribor to get our act together and the above is what we came up with, well it’s unacceptable no wonder fans are staying away.
Oopla
Romagnoli !
Thank You Peter Lawwell and the Board for backing Ronny with 8 signings in this window its a great pleasure for any Celtic fan to watch the team grow into something really special.
As for you NEGS please read over the absolute crap that you are scribing on here the word utter clowns comes to mind however clown seems too nice a word to describe you all how about LUCIFERS.
South Of Tunis
Are you able to source truffles as I am looking to buy some.
A very friend of mine called me and told me he was taking Alan McRae (SFA) president to the airport last week and they got talking, and the subject of thems came up, my friend asked him about the same myth thingie, and NcRae told him yes they are the same club, now this friend of mine is not a b… S…… He lurks in here and never posts, so I said was it ok for me to post it, and he said yes not a problem, I took it a little further and sent this e mail to the SFA headquarters I will let you know if I get a reply, although I very much doubt it.
Mr McRae
I would like to know where you stand on the team playing out of Ibrox as being the same team that was RFC who where liquidated in June 2012?
I was told by a friend who asked you this question, and he told me that you said “it is the same team” could you clarify this for me please.
Thank you.
Tony Donnelly.
We’re well aware of how certain things can be arranged in smoke filled back rooms. The 5 way agreement? LNS carve up overlooked?
How about keeping the SPFL competitive ‘for the sake of Scottish fitba’ and more importantly a nice even contest next season when Dermot’s much loved ‘old firm’ get back together?
Don’t write it off. If PL is being told to work to those orders he’s spineless, and should move on. If not, it looks to me like he’s taking on the fans and when that happens there will only be one winner.
Or perhaps I’m being paranoid and it’s just another gamble by Lawwell that the peasants can like or lump.
Great wee day to be a Celtic man, lots of ins and outs and that’s just the Govan Police Station.