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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Hamiltontim. Hope all goes well to today in Court for the seven lhads. I am sure you will be there with FAC members to give them support. It is sad that so many on here or elsewhere among the supporter are not fully aware of the injustice of this Act. I feel some of your frustration when people look at me questioning when I mention I have written to various Ministers about the ACT. It is as if it has nothing to do with anyone other than those who have been arrested. It is then I hear those harrowing words…”They came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
If Brother Walfrid had left the poor of the east end to their own devices, where would we be today? I hope his spirit is with you all in that Court Room.
Modern career politicians
Greece reaches “agreement” on debt management.
More importantly, what’s the weather like in Nerja?
Only a few more days till the fitba that matters starts yeah. Find myself thinking that there is too much politicking on CQN this summer break , no even a book club to break it up. Myself included, it can get a bit depressing no. We have even signed four players already! We should be looking forward to an exciting new season. Hail Hail the Celts are here. Get behind the bhoys in green , on and off the park. Bring on the Icelanders.
16 roads – Celtic über alles…
the 49million for Sterling is a joke, but 10 million goes to QPR, so I believe that’s why the price is a tad over inflated, so the scousers could get a few more quid to themselves.
Forgive this if it is seen as politics but…
I would like to add my best wishes and hopes for the young men being dragged before the courts again today. An adverse conviction from a Sheriff, who glosses over the inadequacies and injustices in the framed Act, will have a permanent effect on the career and job aspirations of these young men. And all for signing a song or some minor chanting.
And I’d say that, regardless of which club they were chanting about.
I hope that all charges are dismissed and Frank Mulholland ends up in the dock instead.
https://youtu.be/aQsG9sxJkWE
something to brighten up the grey day, George losing the plot and its funny. Bomb ra lot of um!
Ron… beg to differ, it constitutes no objection.
On a much less serious note. Today is my last day at work before my hlidays begin- fly out on Thursday.
Should I knock my pan in to get everything up to date or leave some for when I get back on the 27th?
Still here for the Stjarnan first leg- might give my thoughts on last season before the real stuff starts on Wednesday.
Oh! And commiserations to blantyre tim on failing to win last night’s Shed of the Year competition. It went to an old hen house that had been turned into a gin distillery.
I hear Ibrox has been installed as favourite for next year’s competition
SFTB
Knock yer pan in, no doubt you will have hundreds of emails to read on your return
Most of which are a waste of time
Enjoy your holiday
SFTB
gang hut has been dismantled unfortunately. 8(
KEVJ 0303
Cheers,mate. Glad to see you back in a good place (looks patronising,but isn’t meant be!)
Guid wee choon this,wi a smashing title.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g1fpDWXwfso
Good luck to the young lads in court today. Have faith in that common sense will prevail and they will be exonerated in full- with an apology to boot.
Agree about the pointless off season entrenched politicking bickering- it’s brutal on the eyes of us neutrals.
Wednesday creeping closer. Who will Ronny start with: Leigh, or Nadir? I have a feeling Leigh will get the nod, with Nadir coming off the bench on the 60-70 minute mark.
Morning all.
Wet as usual down here.
Any good news to lift the gloom?
Looks like Scepovic may be on his way. Loan deal to Las Palmas mentioned on BBC website. I assume any Ciftci ban may have a bearing on that deal.
LB
Good luck to the 7 Bhoys in court today.
Let the people sing
LB
H/T,
My best wishes to those young men in court today. May they have real justice.
HT
All the best for the young folk dragged into court today.
Sticks in ma craw to listen to police Scotland union rep on radio shortbread defending their failure to respond to crash on M9 due to lack of resources.
HH jamesgang
JG… aye but they still have enuff resource to set up speed traps… important thing in life!!
BLANTYRETIM
THEGREENMAN et al
Harman has no right,as an interim leader,to change policy. Labour should oppose these cuts,rather than abstaining. However,it’s not quite as bad as the headline-from The Grauniad…
‘Chris Leslie, the shadow chancellor, also said Labour would vote against the budget resolution on Tuesday due to the scale of the tax credits cuts announced. Labour is likely to abstain on the welfare bill and will press for changes on the household benefit cap so carers and the disabled are excluded. Labour will also oppose plans to cut the value of the employment support allowance.’
The argument seems to be that she is doing what she believes the public want. That in itself is a bigger worry. That it’s not the tories giving us austerity and further beggaring the poor and the vulnerable. It’s the great British public,or Middle England as they call it.
Happy birthday to Oldtim
Have a great day, I’ll phone you later
Ok
I see I have been accused of being” ignorant of what we endure” and also of” downplaying the effects of the act”
Neither is correct but that is not important.
Can some one tell me if any has actually been convicted of offensive behaviour under this act in the context of singing songs.
All I see on here is reports of cases dragging on for months before being thrown out.
AAs I said last night none of this is ever reported in irish newspapers and I don’t read Scottish ones. .
desertbhoy
Sometimes they can be important.
Mostly now they’re ‘number getters’ to achieve spurious targets, tick random boxes and polish J Edgar House’s gleaming baton of justice!
HH jamesgang
Is there a CQN fantasy football league this season? If so, does anybody know the details?
H H
BMCUW
No doubt today I will speak to someone living on £73.10 per week who is trying to pay council tax, utilities and feed them self
Or the guy working 16 hours on minimum wage trying to pay rent as well as the other outgoings above
The truth is out there and it’s not nice
Sure we all know some are at it but the majority are stuck where previous labour and Tory governments put the whilst feathering their own nests
Apologies for having a go at non respondents to my post last night relating to today’s court case, alcohol played no part but frustration did. It’s a sad fact that many, many football supporters are always going to see this Act as something that doesn’t affect them.
Ask Mighty Tim from CQN how easy it is to see a family member faced with the prospect of having their entire future placed in jeopardy because of police lies.
Must run, keep your fingers crossed guys.
UTLR
JG.. these things don’t generate revenue.
what is the stars
08:54 on 13 July, 2015
Yes, plenty have been found guilty but that’s really missing the point mate. I’ll reply in more detail later but I really must go just now.
BMCUWP
Harriet Harman is an idiot…I don’t believe her views are representative of Labour voters in general.
But….im wondering why there is nothing said about the obscene, good for nothing royals, who hoover up tax payers money like vampires.
Or the deafening silence from business people in relation to their sucking up billions in perks and tax benefits, while paying their workers a pittance.
HH
desertbhoy
Apols. To clarify my point. They demonstrate KPIs met which confirm budgets.
HH jamesgang
BLANTYRETIM
Aye,mate. And yet I had a-brief!-conversation wi someone on Friday who applauded the cuts. He’s currently employed via an agency,week to week,on about 70% of his usual rate. Cos even as a Systems Analyst the jobs aren’t there for people.
His argument was that he found a job. Mine was that even wi his qualifications he has barely worked in the last year,and unskilled/semiskilled are totally screwed.
Didn’t make much of a difference to his opinion though.
THEGREENMAN
Like this,you mean?
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/07/corporate-welfare-a-93bn-handshake
Aye,strange that is so rarely mentioned.
BMCUWP
Thats the one mate….absolutely sickening hypocrisy.
Its a war on the poor and weak.
Who ive no doubt, will not take it lying down.
There is trouble ahead.
Cameron, Osbourne and co….Slavers.
HH
All the best to the young men up in front the court today.
All the best to Oldtim ….Hoopy birthday
HH
Picked a bad day to give up politics. Hope those young men are exonerated. Badly thought out law.
TAURANGABHOY
In legal terms,badly thought out.
In terms of getting the required result,it’s perfect.