Last month I wrote about the highly-effective transfer windows culminating with the capture of Mikael Lustig in January 2012. The list of those who arrived over the next 18 months, culminating in the signature of Teemu Pukki on 31 August 2013, is largely a catalogue of expensive mishap. If only one of of the strikers signed during that period: Miku, Lassad, Balde or Pukki had made the grade, we would have been in better shape for the Champions League qualifiers.
Those mishaps sowed the seeds of where things went wrong recently but we brought in six players this summer, and in order to compete in the Europa League, we pretty much need five of them to command a regular starting place.
Craig Gordon is an excellent piece of business. Fraser Forster overcame almost all those doubters who would rather we bought Stipe Pletikosa in 2012 instead, but we have replaced Fraser with an equivalent, and banked the lion’s share of £10m in the process.
This alchemy is only possible due to doubts over Gordon’s fitness. We’ll find out how well-established his recovery is in the months ahead but the signs are good on this front.
Jo Inge Berget was signed on loan, like Amido Balde a year ago, he early in the transfer window. There is a great misunderstanding that there’s a shortage of players available early in the window. There are lots of players available the moment the window opens. For a reason. Jo wasn’t wanted by Cardiff City, who he made only two appearances for since joining in January.
He was given an unfair burden on his debut, in a highly-dysfunctional performance by Celtic in Warsaw, and, a solid performance against Dundee United apart, has been one of a number of players who have appeared lost in our game-plan since then. He has until Christmas to make his mark before he is due to return to Cardiff, but his chances will be limited by the subsequent signing on Wakaso Mubarak.
Wakaso is here on a year’s loan, with Celtic having an option to make the deal permanent, if he proves his worth. I hear good things about him; he has pace, strength, skill but his most prominent attribute is attitude, which he has in spades. This didn’t sit will in Kazan, where he was somewhat isolated.
Bulgarian midfielder, Aleks Tonev, bounced straight from medical couch to treatment table after his loan move from Aston Villa. He’s now fit and will be available for selection when play resumes after the international break and I hear Ronny Deila is keen on the player.
We now know that Manchester City teenage central defender, Jason Denayer, was brought in to play first team football. The player is highly thought of by City and Ronny, but I wouldn’t expect too much from him in what is his inaugural season of first team football.
Stefan Scepovic has the distinction of contributing 100% of the money spent on players signed by Scottish clubs this summer. He was Celtic’s first choice striker, and, as we discovered late in the day, was wanted by scouts in Spain, so the indicators are reassuring. His experiences over the past week have not without trauma for the player, but he kept focus and his word to join Celtic.
The overwhelming observation from our activity this year is the predominance of loan signings, which is a strategy I suspect was hatched after the ‘No refunds’ deals for Pukki, Balde and Boerrigter last season. We will get more from some of them than others.
Taking Berget for six months was clearly a short-term fix to an immediate gap in the squad. I don’t think we’ll see too much of him from now on. Despite the fact that Jo didn’t make a perceivable difference during our European qualifiers, I don’t have a problem with short-term deals in principle. We could have benefited from one for a target man.
Denayer will almost certainly return to Manchester next year, a more mature player, having pushed Efe and Virgil for a year.
Aleks Tonev and Wakaso Mubarak are here to impress, both are working for a permanent deal. I expect Mubarak to play in his favoured position on the left, with Tonev behind him in a more central role alongside Brown and Johansen.
Ronny has been putting apples in orange crates so far this season but with a central three of Tonev, Johansen and Brown, behind Mubarak, Scepovic and Forrest (or McGregor), he’ll have the personnel to play his favoured 4-3-3.
Two first team regulars left the club, the thoroughly professional Fraser Forster and Georgios Samaras. It was time for both to move on. Fraser, as Southampton was the right club for him, and £10m was the right price for us, Georgios, as he had become increasingly peripheral to team plans under Neil Lennon and would have been even more out of the picture under Ronny. Would Georgios have made a difference in our Champions League qualifiers? There’s a good chance he would have against Maribor but the gap against Legia was bigger than 6’3”.
Pukki and Balde were sent on loan, in the hope they impress and move on. Bon chance. Tony Watt was sold for £1.2m to Standard Liege, who will fancy they can take Tony’s undeniable potential and turn it into an asset their manager wants to work with. It’s been years since we’ve produced as exciting a young player as Tony but he’s now been shipped on or out by three managers.
I would still like to see John Guidette added to this list, even without European football – especially if he is prepared to stay beyond the end of the season. The incumbent strikers, Stokes and Griffiths, will continue to get game-time, but neither is suited to the lone-striker role.
I’m not going to sell a Europa League campaign as anything like the Champions League, but it is very important this squad is ready for Europe. Without much domestic competition (I’m ignoring Inverness and Dundee for a moment) we need to be competitive in the group stage and aim to progress to the latter stages of the competition.
Thumping Dundee United 6-1 taught us nothing, we need to mature as a team against European competition and exorcise the ghosts of Legia and Maribor. No matter how good the new arrivals are, there’s no way they would gel well enough to allow us to do anything more than endure >80 minutes of defending our 18 yard line in Champions League football this season.
We’ll miss the money, prestige and Zadok the Priest, but the Europa League is a better level for us right now.
My thanks to Canajunbhoy, who retires after running the Quick News section for the best part of a decade. Quick News will be back in a different format in the future.
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Bobby Russell
19:15 on
3 September, 2014
Quonno,
Did Saddam invade Iraq?
Yes.On his own,drunk.It was a rubbish invasion.
Weefra
Thought I’d give you all a wee rest from my facetious postings of late this last few days. And my Indy nonsense.
Not long to go now. And a few squeaky bums on both sides now as the polls get closer. I’m really only interested in the main poll though.
Good you are still on side. ;-)
MWD says AYE
Jc2
I saw McMullen in one of the pre-season games and he came on a won a penalty. He looked good and has quick feet. He is someone I would like to see more of.
MWD
How are you?
I’m trying to master the intricacies of this phone although I hear that it may prove futile as if and when we vote yes all technology superceding smoke signals will not be allowed beyond Hadrian’s wall.
Mind you in my case that might not be a bad thing.
Don’t know?
Don’t ‘NO’!
Do ‘YES’
HAIL HAIL
Estadio
I have just booked my tickets ( and the Jr Onlookers) for the Europa games.
I understand why some may be put out that they can not sit in their usual seat.
However I look forward to the opportunity to see the stadium from another perspective rather than my usual (Front South Main Stand/ at the ‘Celtic end since 1995.) Also a chance to ‘argue’ with new people.
Ticket system allocated me tickets at the half way line two rows in front of the directors box. I may get a bit self conscious if everyone starts turning round to harangue the board .
Also notice the kick off’s are at 20:05… that gives us 20 minutes to find our new seats .
Embrace the change.
The Onlooker
leftclicktic Thanks appreciated.looking forward to some nice discussions on the site.HH
weefrathetim thanks also,appreciated,and the big answer to your question is a big no.
Estadio
I’m doing good buddy. Long time no see. How are you? Still drinking in same haunt. Will need to pop in for a beer.
I don’t know about No but I know about Aye Aye. ;-)
MWD says AYE
So who has bought the naming rights for the Orcdome for just a £1
Greggs.Sports Direct or McGills buses ?
Zico-Maltese Bhoy
Warning!
Do not scroll back to this time last night.
Avoid the political ‘nutters’ and there’s a fair chance you’ll keep your sanity!
H!H!
jinkynewton
21:42 on
3 September, 2014
And re Jim Murphy, he is one of the few politicos who I think speaks honestly and reasonably. If he lead a party, I think I would follow him. And this has nowt to do with Clutha or recent events it’s after hearing him talk over the last couple of years.
Jim Murphy is a politician. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Like all the rest he has an answer for every question. But like all the rest he will never give a straight answer to a straight question.
As I have said before, on the YES/NO question, we can only chose what we see as the lesser of evils.
MWD
still going to Sharkey’s bit only during opening hours. Off on another wee jaunt soon , this time India, Burma, Vietnam and Kampuchea. Not going till November so if you are going to be around just pop in to pub and bar staff will give me a call
Hail hail
Estadio
Perception IS reality
Chew on that one :-)
Lot of discussion earlier about season ticket holders and seat allocation.
Real problem is that the term season ticket is a misnomer.
If it truly was a season ticket it would cover admission to all games played at Celtic Park.
As it stands, it only ensures admission to games nominated by club.
Estadio
I’ll make a point in doing that buddy. You still attending the games?
MWD says AYE
Onlooker….
Nice to see a positive post from someone who actually supports Celtic.
I hope we can rebuild the team and put a wee run together in this competition.
MWD
Another season tckt, another hole in the bank account. I take a wee 12 yr old fella to Celtic Park. He believes in my dreams. I can’t let him down.
Hail hail
Estadio
Ashley has bought the naming rights….he will underwrite the current share issue.
Estadio
You take care buddy….India ,Burma,Vietnam and Kampuchea? not as exotic as
the walk fae Sharkeys to your hoose.hh
It’s amazing what you can buy at poundstrechers!
Ashley has bought the naming rights….he will underwrite the current share issue. Return of the manky mob to CP coming soon….how sad is that?
Well, atleast there’s one hun that gets it…..
Ashley can call Ibrox whatever he wants as long as he invests.
End of the day, we will all still know it was Ibrox which is the most important thing and it’ll mean that we can get some MUCH needed investment in. 5 years ago I’d have told Ashley to go f**k himself but sadly we aren’t the same club with class as we used to be. The truth is we are a joke and a laughing stock at the moment and it absolutely kills me to say it.
Reality and panic kicking in..:)
weeron
cheers,
It is a fact that you are more likely to go to print to register complaint than state that you are happy.
Anyone using a blog as a means of testing the mood of the support would be likely to conclude that our glass is half empty….
I am glad that we have a glass that will once again be filled
There was once a club that only had a loving cup ….. but it turned out to be empty… and cracked.
The Onlooker
HappyclapperCSC
jmccormick
23:19 on 3 September, 2014
Ashley has bought the naming rights….he will underwrite the current share issue. Return of the manky mob to CP coming soon….how sad is that?
_______
A four million input will not see them last the season.
Something else will have to give…:)
estadio@2316
Brilliant, the future of our beloved club is in the hands of our wee yins. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
sipsini
23:25 on
3 September, 2014
Well, atleast there’s one hun that gets it…..
Ashley can call Ibrox whatever he wants as long as he invests.
____________
Not copyright:
Ashley’s Sports Direct Arena
ASDA! for short. :-)
Just Another Tim
23:28 on
3 September, 2014
Just been reading over FIFA’s regulations regarding international transfers. I can’t see anything specific regarding players documents have to be filed for a certain time. I suspect the SFA have appealed using FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber process which states decisions can take up to 30 days to process.
Boring stuff but fascinating
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/01/27/64/30/regulationsstatusandtransfer2010_e.pdf
A wee fanciful post…. something to ponder! !
800 million. ..versus 2.2 million
Okay football related. … and recent! Where do the English get the money from??? And why are we so poor???? And this is no anti English jibe…. just need someone to explain how this can happen?
Zico-Maltese Bhoy
Nae worries kiddo, yer welcome as ever. Never thought you were BTW. :-))) KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
praecepta,
Cheers for the ASDA one, i will plagiarise it endlessly in work tomorrow. HH
VP
sorry was dragged away there by the mother of the 12 year old boy that I take to Celtic. Bit that’s another story as is the tale of the crabsticks and where she had secreted them.
Hopefully meet up again before I buggar off.
Hail hail
Estadio
Rangers investor Mike Ashley bought naming rights of Ibrox Stadium for just £1
Sep 03, 2014 23:32 By Keith Jackson 0 Comments
We can reveal the astonishing agreement was struck two years ago with the club’s former chief executive Charles Green and the Newcastle United owner retains the right to rebrand Rangers’ home “at the drop of a hat”
Mike Ashley, bought the rights for £1
MIKE ASHLEY has bought the rights to rename Ibrox Stadium for just £1.
We can reveal the astonishing agreement was struck TWO YEARS AGO with the club’s former chief executive Charles Green – and that the Newcastle United owner retains the right to rebrand Rangers’ home “at the drop of a hat” with the name of his retail firm Sports Direct.
The big interview: Keith Jackson speaks to Sandy Easdale about Mike Ashley and Dave King’s future involvement in Rangers
The bombshell news of the existence of Ashley’s deal was broken yesterday by Rangers director Sandy Easdale in a Q&A with Record Sport.
But while Easdale refused to say how much Ashley paid for the rights we understand Green gave them away for a quid – and later blew £250,000 in legal fees trying to get the contract ripped up.
Easdale is championing Ashley as the club’s potential saviour and has invited him to underwrite a £4m share issue needed to stave off financial collapse.
Sources close to Easdale insist he has urged Ashley not to press the button on renaming Ibrox but admits the contract is watertight.
The news will disgust Rangers fans, especially as the BT Murrayfield Stadium deal in May this year earned Scottish rugby £20m.
The big interview: Keith Jackson speaks to Sandy Easdale about the desperate financial position at Rangers
In today’s interview Easdale also confirms Ashley has been blocked from buying new shares as SFA rules prohibit him from owning more than 10 per cent of any Scottish club.
Easdale says he’ll plough his own money into the latest round of fundraising but admits if the cash target is not hit the club may be forced to consider raising money against assets such as Murray Park.
While Easdale ruled out selling Ibrox he would not make a similar commitment on Murray Park. And he then went on to reveal Ashley already has a deal in place to rename the stadium.
He said: “Let’s clear this up, the Sports Direct Arena. Charles Green had already done a deal with Mike on that. Sports Direct haven’t taken it up as yet. Mike Ashley could call it the Sport Direct Arena tomorrow.”
When asked to put a cash figure on the value of Ashley’s deal Easdale said: “No, that would be confidential.”
£1 for the naming rights? I would have paid TEN times that amount. Think of the fun to be had thinking up a name for it.
Rangers investor Mike Ashley bought naming rights of Ibrox Stadium for just £1
Sep 03, 2014 23:32 By Keith Jackson 0 Comments
We can reveal the astonishing agreement was struck two years ago with the club’s former chief executive Charles Green and the Newcastle United owner retains the right to rebrand Rangers’ home “at the drop of a hat”.
Mike Ashley, bought the rights for £1
MIKE ASHLEY has bought the rights to rename Ibrox Stadium for just £1.
We can reveal the astonishing agreement was struck TWO YEARS AGO with the club’s former chief executive Charles Green – and that the Newcastle United owner retains the right to rebrand Rangers’ home “at the drop of a hat” with the name of his retail firm Sports Direct.
The big interview: Keith Jackson speaks to Sandy Easdale about Mike Ashley and Dave King’s future involvement in Rangers
The bombshell news of the existence of Ashley’s deal was broken yesterday by Rangers director Sandy Easdale in a Q&A with Record Sport.
But while Easdale refused to say how much Ashley paid for the rights we understand Green gave them away for a quid – and later blew £250,000 in legal fees trying to get the contract ripped up.
Easdale is championing Ashley as the club’s potential saviour and has invited him to underwrite a £4m share issue needed to stave off financial collapse.
Sources close to Easdale insist he has urged Ashley not to press the button on renaming Ibrox but admits the contract is watertight.
The news will disgust Rangers fans, especially as the BT Murrayfield Stadium deal in May this year earned Scottish rugby £20m.
The big interview: Keith Jackson speaks to Sandy Easdale about the desperate financial position at Rangers
In today’s interview Easdale also confirms Ashley has been blocked from buying new shares as SFA rules prohibit him from owning more than 10 per cent of any Scottish club.
Easdale says he’ll plough his own money into the latest round of fundraising but admits if the cash target is not hit the club may be forced to consider raising money against assets such as Murray Park.
While Easdale ruled out selling Ibrox he would not make a similar commitment on Murray Park. And he then went on to reveal Ashley already has a deal in place to rename the stadium.
He said: “Let’s clear this up, the Sports Direct Arena. Charles Green had already done a deal with Mike on that. Sports Direct haven’t taken it up as yet. Mike Ashley could call it the Sport Direct Arena tomorrow.”
When asked to put a cash figure on the value of Ashley’s deal Easdale said: “No, that would be confidential.”
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/goodlife/2014/09/02/town-with-only-single-young-women-appeals-for-men-to-join
A place to live for all the no voting bachelors if we get a yes vote.
Vote Yes !
Ok Murdochauld&hay, I heard you the first time! :-)
larssonse7en 23:32 on
800 million. ..versus 2.2 million
First thing to look at is that half that sum is money circulating .
The English teams spent £820m but brought in £430m (ish)
Still a huge gap
When you look at the average SKY monthly income per household it comes in at about £60 -£70 . 10 million subscribers. that brings in over a billion.
SKY survives on its sports audience, the rest of their schedule is padding .
The sorry thing is that we in Scotland and Ireland are shipping money straight into the coffers of English teams and then we complain that we can not compete.
Then they sell the ‘product’ all around the world, foreign broadcasters will take it as it is cheaper than making their own programs and it reaches the target audience that the advertisers want to reach.
Nobody is bursting to watch SPFL…. I confess I watch our highlights only and then switch off rarely watching the other games on Shortbread…so what chance of selling that to anyone.
The Onlooker
Martim1980
21:40 on
3 September, 2014
TBJ says Wee Oscar Knox is in heaven with the angels
Jim Murphy was drinking in the Scotia Bar and went with others down to the wreckage to help.
He was interviewed as he was well known and articulated how wonderful the people of Glasgow were for helping without fear for their own lives. He was part of a human chain set up.
That’s what happened
———————–
i was going to try and avoid a repeat of last night, but.
was murphy in the bar when the incident happened ?
proof ?