The Guidetti enigma

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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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1,242 Comments

  1. TET

     

     

    Hope your Bhoy is improving, this Mhans best friend is being tested with wee Shug :-)

     

     

    Leftclicktic

     

     

    Thanks for the video, just cheered me up, I remember taking Whife and Ghirls to Celtic Park to greet the team back after the DU game :-)) it was a late night

     

     

    Hail Hail

  2. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Zbyszek, I hope you are feeling better since your operation.

  3. Hrvatski Jim on

    zbyszek

     

     

    Yes. The denial from some Serbs and Putin is worrying.

     

     

    One on my very best friends is a Bosnian Serb and another friend ‘s father was a Minister in the Yugoslav government. She fled Yugoslavia leaving their house and possessions behind as her father did not want to be part of what was planned. She ended up in Australia.

     

     

    Two great people who totally rejected the actions of their nation at high personal cost.

  4. mickbhoy1888 on

    Someone enquiring about Santa Ponsa earlier……would choose to stay in the Costa D Calma end of the resort if you like it a bit quieter and want to get to sleep before 5 in the morning

     

    Jardin del mar an excellent self catering choice

     

    10 minute walk downhill to the resort centre and 5 euros for a taxi back up the hill

     

    El Ceibo Urugayan steakhouse restaurant of choice but book it in advance

  5. celtic mac

     

     

    20;16

     

     

    Noted!

     

     

    John G did need to put his foot through the ball. He also needed to find out what it meant to close down defenders.

     

     

    He was an instructive guy to do the ‘player cam’ thing with the wee mhan. As often for tips on what not to do….

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  6. Celtic Sick Dugs

     

     

    Crossing Ma paws that your pooches and wallets all recover soon and completely!

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  7. Incidentally sitting here watching BBC3 and T in the Park, now I’m not into Music, but, wee Cowieghirl is there with some other Ghirls, so looking out for her

     

    40000 people there and 10 arrests yesterday, no idea how many today, but reports of a death ? In the toilets

     

    Can you imagine the media if this was at Celtic Park and our fans ?

     

     

    Only asking, why the difference

     

     

    Hail Hail

  8. Paul I actually disagree with you for the 1st time …

     

    It’s last chance saloon and gudetti knows it…

     

    However … Hes on a Fantastic stage that matches his ego….

     

     

    I think he’ll thrive …. He definitely has ‘something’

  9. UpStepsTheHammer

     

    David Cooper Templeton

     

     

    Reserve Team

     

    PipPipPip

     

    29 posts

     

    Gender:Male

     

    Location:Glasgow

     

    Posted Today, 07:01 P BARRY FERGUSON

     

    In your opinion, just how good was he? For me I think he was one the best in Europe for a good 5 years. Never looked out of place up against the best we played in Europe. Dominated games more often than not, was a superb leader.

     

     

    He even managed to add goals to his game which pushed him on another level again. Grew up watching him in his prime and for me one of our greatest captains. Many people don’t rate him as highly, especially on here in the past which I’ve never understood.

     

     

    Was gutted when he left for England and especially for a team like Blackburn. If it wasn’t for his injuries I’ve no doubt he would have ended up at Arsenal, Man Utd etc… Superb player.

     

     

     

    #2 Barry Ferguson: post #2 Sirglugalot

     

    Its just Rangers for me….

     

     

    First Team

     

     

    3,277 posts

     

    Gender:Male

     

    Location:Glasgow

     

    Posted Today, 07:03 PM

     

    Ned and embarrassment

     

     

    Sorry to burst yer bubble but there it is

     

     

     

     

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,so they are not 100% stupid on Gullible Media.

  10. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas

     

    Thank you very much, I’m well. Next heart operation in ten days and I hope it will go well.

  11. Gerryfaethebrig on

    mickbhoy1888

     

     

    21:59 on 11 July, 2015

     

     

    Stayed in a few places in the past few years in Santa Ponsa, but Jardin Del Mar was excellent, Rey Don Jaime “down the hill” was great and has just been upgraded but other places we have stayed have always been spotless but just depends where you want to be based, but Jardin Del Mar is my daughters favourite, although at one point a few years ago she thought we stayed at (in) Burlington Bertie’s !

  12. mickbhoy1888

     

    21:59 on

     

    11 July, 2015

     

    Someone enquiring about Santa Ponsa earlier……would choose to stay in the Costa D Calma end of the resort if you like it a bit quieter and want to get to sleep before 5 in the morning

     

    Jardin del mar an excellent self catering choice

     

    10 minute walk downhill to the resort centre and 5 euros for a taxi back up the hill

     

    El Ceibo Urugayan steakhouse restaurant of choice but book it in advance

     

     

    Yep,my mate used to have an apartment there.Just got too quiet for him,but nice area.Cesars apartments just down the road,terrific.Wonderful views,and in between,the Square and the town.

  13. cowiebhoy

     

     

    The BBC is reporting that the police are investigating a supposed fight and the subsequent finding of the body of 36 year old man

  14. hrvatski Jim,

     

    There is no excuse for the slaughter and the Serbs have no excuses, but blaming the Russians while the UN stood by and watched the slaughter is a bit rich, remember Sebrenica was a declared UN safe zone, the Russians did not give the orders to the UN forces to standby and do nothing which is why there is still so much secrecy about it.

     

    The human rights report doesn’t mention too much about Russian involvement why would that be ?

     

    http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/bosnia1095web.pdf

     

    But then don’t let the truth get in the way of a crusade eh.

  15. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Zybszek, good grief I didn’t realise you had another operation so soon after your first.

     

     

    I hope the second operation goes as well as your first one.

     

     

    I’m sure you will have the backing of most posters on here for a full recovery.

  16. The UN? A talking shop, nothing more.

     

     

    They either shlt it as in Screbrenica, or, they never get involved, like Rwanda

     

     

    Tony Blair was at Rita Ora ‘special ambassador’ do, the other day, why?

     

     

    Because he is a great hero in Kosovo – a man, who in persuading Clinton to join him, saved the genocide of a million of Kosovo’s Muslims, from the Milosevic killing machine.

     

     

    Also the man who, in a sole brave operation by magnificent British troops, of who my cousin was one, saved TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND poor people in Sierra Leone.

     

     

    Now I know this will draw the ‘holier than thou’ and ‘stop the war cowards’ chuntering on about Iraq. Thank God we will NEVER have to rely on them.’

     

     

     

    Of course we should have carried on and took out Saddam when we chased him out it Kuwait – who stopped us? – the UN, who he then defied for TWELVE YEARS, allowing him and his sons to rape, torture and kill ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND a year for another TWELVE YEARS, starve 80 % of their people for another TWELVE YEARS and forced FOUR MILLION to flee the country as refugees, during those TWELVE YEARS.

     

     

    He DID have WMD, he used them TWICE against his own people, notably in Halabja, and also -against Iran.

     

     

    The question the herd that pursues TB, have NEVER answered – would you wish Saddam and his sons were still in power,

     

     

    and

     

     

    WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

     

     

    No, don’t tell me, sat on your hands and waited for the UN, for another, TWELVE, TWENTY, THIRTY YEARS?

  17. mickbhoy1888

     

     

    Thanks it was myself enquiring earlier.

     

    I don’t suppose you would have any idea what the weather is like end of September start of October?

     

     

    I have read some mixed reports for that time of year.

  18. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas

     

    The gamblers dream is have a win when it’s accumulation. What I have now is called real accumulation and it’s mine ;-)

  19. canamalar

     

     

    Please don’t confuse my statement about the recent veto by Russia with the circumstances applicable at the time.

     

     

    I fully agree that the UN was responsible at the time for its failure to protect the people. Malcolm Rifkind warned that the UN policy at the time would be insufficient.

     

     

    My comment is that failure to recognise the lessons of history leads to repetition.

  20. Confession time

     

     

    I have Netflix and (by accident via Mrs RWE) Amazon Prime.

     

     

    Is Kodi something I can use on my smart tv?

     

     

    Genuine question so for all you techie buffs out there – stop the laughing :o)

     

     

    I see that the interweb says that Kodi is free but other than that I have not got a scoobie.

     

     

    I have been told to get the steaks on the grill now so I will be back when I am told I can have a break :o]

     

     

    Ta

     

     

    Creedance Clearwater CSC

  21. hrvatski jim

     

     

    22:13 on 11 July, 2015

     

     

    25 arrests reported by mid-day today, Celtic Park would be closed down at that

     

     

    Hail Hail

  22. hrvatski….,

     

    I think it’s too late to talk about failure to recognise the lessons of history, this was such a failure which was directly responsible for the repetition of WWII style atrocities.

     

    Atrocities which were all too common on all sides at the time and until all sides involved are held accountable for their own crimes no useful lessons will be learned, currently only one side is being vilified for all, this will do nothing to encourage justice.

     

    As I said there is no excuse for what happened but that applies equally across the board to all warring factions at the time.

  23. Gerryfaethebrig on

    zbyszek

     

     

    22:30 on 11 July, 2015

     

     

    Like many other posters glad you are well and I enjoy your informative posts from further I remember reading when you were over here meeting up with a few posters if you are still in touch with Dick Byrne tell him I was asking after him, he will not know my moniker but I used to have to do all his menial jobs he will add Gerry & Coatbridge together

     

     

    Hail Hail

  24. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Zbyszek, sorry I have been spelling your name wrong.

     

     

    Its good your sense of humour is shining through in what must be a traumatic time for you and your family.

     

     

    Take care and all the best.

  25. BMCUWP enjoy the last hour of your birthday mate and have a pure magic year. Hail Hail.

     

     

    Zbyszek good to hear you are doing well.

  26. That’s Corkcelt for the correction re Fremantle.

     

     

    Papajoe,

     

     

    I did a bit of rooting earlier and might have some information for you.

     

     

    If you post or better e mail a name to me. I will come back to you.