The limits of man-love

98

The indifference towards Nicolas Kuhn from some quarters is hilarious.  The player arrived in January 2024, was such a stand-out in our Champions League campaign that he attracted a fee four times greater than we paid for him.  He arrived while recuperating from a health issue, out-performed expectations, then along with the rest of the squad, ended the campaign with a whimper.  “With the rest of the squad” requires emphasis.

The most loveable thing about him is there was no loveable thing.  He just got on with his job.  No faux pounding on the badge, no professions of undying love for the green and white hoops, just a professional who came to Celtic to enhance his career and bank balance, then left with for the same reasons.

If you think the players are here for the reasons you and I go to Celtic Park, you’re in for a shock.  Sure, they enjoy it here, some, like Kieran Tierney even come to Celtic despite being offered more money elsewhere – as Brendan Rodgers explained over the weekend.  But others, erm, also like Kieran Tierney, move on when the big pay offer lands.  Do not be upset by this.

We are not 8-years-old (unless I’m wrong about our community demographics).  You might have a different name for it, but footballers are assets to you and me.  We want them for what they can do on the field, and we want them to move on when that output drops, or can be improved upon.  Man-love has its limits.

Whatever we did with Nicolas, let’s do more of it.

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  1. 20 goals and 15 assists last season. We’ve a substantial gap to fill with the loss of Kuhn.

     

     

    Hopefully we learn from the original Jota loss, we went out and got 3 players to fill his role, Palma, Yang and Tilio weren’t up to the job. Quality not quantity is the road to go down.

  2. glendalystonsils on

    When a player of Kuhn’s quality moves on we need to do all we can to replace him with another Kuhn rather than a Tilio . Hopefully we get that quality in this window to ease thepre CL anxiety.

     

    It’s not an exact science but there’s always room for professional improvement .

  3. quadrophenian on

    Surely Ange said it right when he reminded us – “… don’t get too attached to your heroes.”

     

    Any indifference to Nic is maybe just many of us embracing this reality of the new football industry.

     

    As for Nic’s transfer; I honestly think our suits played as much of a blinder as he himself sporadically did.

     

     

    As for yer headline Paul – hero worship is shirley more accurate than man-love ?

  4. bournesouprecipe on

    GLENDALYSTONSILS on 14TH JULY 2025 12:19 PM

     

     

    When a player of Kuhn’s quality moves on we need to do all we can to replace him with another Kuhn rather than a Tilio . Hopefully we get that quality in this window to ease thepre CL anxiety.

     

     

    ——————-

     

     

    There is the age old modern Celtic problem since we started the ‘buy low sell high’ strategy. You need to make sure the buy low is Nicolas Kuhn and not Luis Palma, it’s some trick if you can pull it off every time. It won’t happen and we need to safeguard against it, by spending some of the stock pile?

     

     

    It’s only July and it all depends on sales, at present “ we’re light “ ©️BR

  5. If Kuhn enjoys his job he has a strange way of showing it. He makes Marco Negri look joyful.

     

     

    We aren’t eight years old Paul but it’s a much more enjoyable watch when players work for their money. We give far too much praise to those that play within themselves and label them as “great players”.

     

     

    Kuhn will be celebrated by the money men and you but the reality is we are incapable of growth (in real terms) as football club.

     

     

    You almost appear giddy when we make money from sales and weaken our side.

     

     

    There’s a big world outwith the Glasgow 30mph limit.

  6. There is a fair bit of talk going on about BR and his contract ending after this season.

     

    I do not want him to go, but if he does I’d be after either the Bodo

     

     

    o Glimpt manager or getting big Ange back

  7. glendalystonsils on

    BSR

     

     

    Pulling off the trick more of the time is what makes recruitment by far the most crucial part of the whole Celtic operation . We’ve shown we can get it right but our many failures have led to a great deal of distust among the support . We’re haunted by the ghost of John McGinn .

     

     

    Lowball CSC

  8. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    I think we can still love them Paul when they give their all for the team and bring us joy.

     

     

    They just won’t love us back as much …

     

     

    “I love you from the bottom, of my pencil case

     

    I love you in the songs, I write and sing

     

    Love you because, you put me in my rightful place

     

    And I love the PRS cheques, that you bring

     

    ………

     

    Deep so deep, the number one I hope to reap

     

    Depends upon the tears you weep, so cry, lovey cry, cry, cry, cry

     

    Oh Cathy, oh Alison, oh Phillipa, oh Sue

     

    You made me so much money, I wrote this song for you”

     

     

    … and all that.

  9. 67 European Cup Winners on

    I was sorry to see Kuhn go – he was only here 5 minutes

     

    We continue to sell for profit and buy for development

     

    So far so good £100m in the bank and 13 out of 14 League wins

     

    But that does not get you any favours for this year

     

    No Kuhn no Jota no Taylor 3 first team ready players all gone (Nawrocki too)

     

    I am sure Nygren Osmand Inamura will all develop into great players

     

    But the CL Play Off is 19 August (5 weeks)

     

    I hope the next few weeks will see us add some “developed” players

     

    The 19th of August is our first cup final

     

     

    At the moment we are not looking strong – work to do Celtic

     

     

    67ECW

  10. Paul The Spark on

    20 people arrested at Transmit for offences such as sexual assault, hate crimes and police assault. I’m sure all the local business owners, politicians, media and police will be up in arms about this as they were when Celtic fans caused bins to overflow with rubbish.

  11. bournesouprecipe on

    Glendalys

     

     

    Yip, and selling a best player or two every year, is like a never ending bet. Gambling that you will do it again by routine , is perilous.

     

     

    There has to be compromise the serious stuff starts in August when suitors are squad finishing.

     

     

    However, Celtic financial prudence is not a good look when the window is open.

  12. bournesouprecipe on

    SONSOFERIN on 14TH JULY 2025 2:02 PM

     

    Ain’t nothin’ goin’ on but the rent

     

     

    ———-

     

     

    Indeed

     

     

    Aff oot CSC

  13. I think going down the route of picking up young players developed at top clubs but don’t quite make the grade is a far more productive recruitment strategy for Celtic.

     

     

    Jota & Bernardo coming through with Benfica, Eddie at PSG, Frimpong at City, Kuhn at Ajax and Munich.

     

     

    We’re now linked with Flàvio Nazinho, a left back that has came through at Sporting Lisbon and has made over 50 appearances in the Belgian top flight.

     

     

    This is the profile of young talent we should be going for, this is the profile that has served us well.

  14. BRENDAN RODGERS Should keep Tillo,at least to January, I think there is a player there ,give him a chance,

  15. Bada Bing

     

     

    What Test cricket is about.

     

     

    30 overs and 51 runs 1 wkt in 2 hrs 30 minute of genuinely riveting sport.

     

     

    No jokes. Baz ball or not it is brilliant.

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