I was asked to contribute a piece on John Guidetti to a German magazine last month. John was on his way to winning the European U21 Championships with Sweden, while being every inch the football personality. The German publisher wanted to know why Celtic, Stoke and Manchester City had decided against re-employing a striker with a flattering pedigree.
During last season it looked like John was destined for the English lower leagues, or perhaps one of the resting homes in Turkey, but a few weeks at a tournament later he’s won himself a five year deal with Celta de Vigo.
Guidetti is a better player than he looked at Celtic last season. We don’t play a system which lends itself to a classic, British style, penalty box striker, which is what John is, but would you give him a five year contract to play in La Liga? Of course not. You’ve watched the player way more than Celta’s scouts and you know better than they do.
This is the truism in scouting, people who watch a player week-in, week-out, know vastly more than a scout who only gets to see a month’s games, or a handful of games across the season, or worse, a selection of DVDs provided by the agent, or TV highlights.
What’s made John Guidetti is his outlier season, 2011-12, when on loan at Feyenoord he smacked home an astonishing 20 goals in 23 games. Without that season, the Celta scouts wouldn’t even know his name. Maybe the serious illness he subsequently suffered robbed him of his mojo, maybe he’s a pound or two heavier than his fighting weight, but my money’s on Vigo suffering buyers regret soon enough.
The best of luck to John in Galicia, but I suspect he’ll be available for loan this time next year.
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Re Tennis : well done Djokovic. These guys take fitness to a new level
HH.
Swan Lake beats Easter Parade
Well done Djokovic, better player on the day.
Tipp heading to victory…great efforts from all the players.
Greenpinata
Re Tennis : well done Djokovic. These guys take fitness to a new level
HH.
————–
There’s been quite a few articles over the years about sports fitness and tennis is never really mentioned as being up there as the most taxing (as I waddle to the fridge for another beer :O)
Djokovic a great player and deserved to win – aside from the second tie break Roger a bit short of his best. Not the classic last year’s was.
Jimbo67
Tipp – Munster champions – again :-)
SFTB
;)
A quare gunk an’ richt gled a um an aw tae!
Mind ye kep on stickin’ the billy-dunts wi’ aw that schoolin’ freen.
A haun streetch’d tae ye, an’ wan raised tae the swally-moochers.
HH.
On-court career earnings after Djokovic’s Wimbledon win: 1. Federer $92.4 million, 2. Djokovic $82.3 million, 3. Nadal $73.2 million.
FavouriteMillionaires CSC
Good win for Tipperary
Just as well you posted proudbhoy, there was a poster on here fearing for your safety.
BSR…
According to some Peter Lawell earns more;)
hamiltontim
16:39 on 12 July, 2015
Got 6/1 today at Ladbrokes for Celtic to win treble. Hills next door was 3/1
sips
Peter Lawell doesn’t earn it…..he trousers it.
Get yer facts right!
Yup, glad to see you back on here, Proudbhoy!
HH
Off oot noo!
ALLEGEDLY>>>>>>>>>>>>>Raheem Sterling sold by Liverpool to Manchester City for £49m
Leftclicktic
Read earlier he had been pulled from Liverpool squad to tour the states ?
Hail Hail
lennon’s passion
17:56 on 12 July, 2015
I’m not much of a gambler but I’m not sure I’d be taking a piece of that anyway. Last season proved just how difficult it is to win a treble mate.
thunder road…
LoL… Let’s see what this season beholds, I reckon we’re in a stronger position than last year in all areas other than central defence, which is a worry. HH
leftclicktic
18:10 on
12 July, 2015
ALLEGEDLY>>>>>>>>>>>>>Raheem Sterling sold by Liverpool to Manchester City for £49m
Sevco will be devasted,
Devastated
Cowiebhoy
Seen on twitter from one of the rags
price agreed
£44m + £5m add ons, just need player to agree terms
Jonestown was referenced on here not long ago.
2hr prog on PBS America tonight at 7pm (Celtic park time) :))) about it
Talking aboot Rags
Had to buy my Auld Maw and Da, newspapers today, £4.10 for 3 of them, now my Auld Da is 90% blind, tells me he likes to read the lies in them ( my brother usually buys them every day, but he’s on holiday, so don my duty today after mass ) :-))
First time I’ve had to buy a paper in years
Also picking up my car yesterday at the garage, and read the business section of the Herald, just inside back page, I see our very own Burnley78 had a full page to himself – didn’t mention he followed the Celtic mind you :-)
Hail Hail
hamiltontim
18:12 on 12 July, 2015
Yeah I know,only ever seen us doing 1 one. Just think we are miles in front of anything in Scotland. Apart from refs.
I don’t like players like Victor and VVD using us a stepping stone to the EPL. But I can accept it. What can we do?
I hope Man City fans are similarly sanguine about Sterling’s machinations as he uses a move there to bring ever closer his final dream move to the sevco to be a part of warburton’d revolution.
HH jamesgang
sips
Im really looking forward to it…..well, i guess we always do, but there is a greater sense of anticipation for me this time.
Phase 2 now with Ronny’s team.
They played some great stuff last season and not only am i excited about seeing some of it again……i am excited about Ciftci and what he will bring.
Griffiths really grew as a player last year but with Ciftci in competition with him for a place he will be out to show what he is capable of so that competition will be good and then theres Zig n Zag and a settled partnership in the midfield with Brown and Biton.
Huge season as well for James Forrest…..injury free….hopefully we see the best of him.
As you say though….the centre of the defence is the worry.
Denayer was brilliant and will be missed and whether Virgil is going to be about much longer is a major doubt.
Boyata looks the part so far but he needs a bit time to settle in as he has not played too much football…..but yeah….im still excited :)
Thunder road,@18.43 hrs.
Ditto.
HH.
Guidetti never ever had an ego prior to his loan deal at Celtic certain individuals overrated him and built him up to something he was not
He sat in the reserves at Man City for a right few years albeit some of them blighted with illness or injury
He had a no bigger ego than Anton who no doubt would have been off like a whippet had he received improved offers from elsewhere
Tomorrow’s Record headline: Warburton Decides Not To Move For Sterling
lennon’s passion
Indeed, it only takes one mistake or one ‘refereeing error’ and the opportunity has gone.
I certainly hope you’re in the money come June.
Ps Tynecastle is going to be murder for tickets this season!!
mickbhoy1888
Guidetti never ever had an ego prior to his loan deal at Celtic certain individuals overrated him and built him up to something he was not
He sat in the reserves at Man City for a right few years albeit some of them blighted with illness or injury
He had a no bigger ego than Anton who no doubt would have been off like a whippet had he received improved offers from elsewhere
————-
You never see the youtube videos of John boy while at Man City? The guy has always wanted to eat himself.
Nothing wrong with an ego though, just need to have the ability to back it up.
greenpinata
I think we went through the 2nd half of the season saying we are going to give someone a real doing soon but it never really materialised…..think it may actually happen this year and perhaps quite often.
A tribute to oor Jock,wi a message from Tony Donnely at the end
http://youtu.be/MtLnuok1kbY
HH
Leigh to start over Nadir on Wednesday. This may obviously change as the season progresses.
Leigh is a bit sharper, as we stand now anyway, and I think the Icelanders will be unnerved more by craft over graft.
weet weet weet(gbwo)…
Totally magic, took me back to going to the games with my granda and uncles that have since passed by, the sign off they would have loved.HH
Cowiebhoy
Ha ha.
The Herald piece did at least say what school I went to. A wee but of a clue !!!
It was actually a quite good article. And good time for my wee mum to read as she is not too well in hospital just now.