A year after trying and failing to sign him from Lech Poznan, Celtic have secured the services of Aleksandar Tonev from Aston Villa. Tonev has blistering pace, a right footer who is usually used on the left, he is an archetypal counter-attacking player.
The player’s profile blossomed during the first six months of 2013, in particular after he scored a hat-trick for Bulgaria against Malta, which brought Villa and Celtic to the table. The step-up to the English Premier League from playing a speciality role for Poznan was, not surprisingly, too much.
Aleksandar plays the same position as Georgios Samaras, albeit he’s a completely different type of player, but we will look to him to do the same job – be an out ball away from home in Europe.
Ronny will have seen him only from DVDs, so he’ll be keen to get him onto the pitch tomorrow morning for a run-out ahead of St Johnstone. Let’s hope the manager likes what he sees…. It’s a worry. The most promising part of deal is that Aleksandar has a point to prove, I’d rather hungry players with a point to prove than those who’ve too much on the clock.
Welcome to Celtic, Aleks.
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Canamalar –
I was talking about signings in general. Not just Celtic signings. Clubs and players usually end up jockeying for position and the main business of the transfer window usually happens in the final 48 hours.
Canamalar
“However, how do you know what TET knows or doesn’t know ?”
Because no one KNOWS. It is TET`s opinion . Watching Spanish football might give his opinion more weight but it remains an opinion.
JJ
Canamalar –
There were boycott calls on here last night.
“Face facts, we’re down sizing and budget cutting until the new old firm gravy train is up and running”
It will be a long time before that train arrives, and there is significantly less gravy aboard than you seem to imply. Without a massive and absurd investment – in the order of £100M over 3 years – Sevco will be unable to emulate the ‘competitiveness’ of their ghost.
The only way Sevco can be competitive with Celtic within a 5 year horizon is for Celtic to reduce to their level.
Are you suggesting that Celtic are deliberately ‘downsizing’ in order that the Sevco team will be able to ‘compete’ in early course?
If so, I’d like to read your rationale.
ernie
It is an opinion that is entirely consistent with your interpretation of the known facts 0:-)
JJ
PS Off out to feed the pigs. Will defend my positive outlook on Celtic on my return.
Good Morning all.
Barcabhoy. Excellent stuff.
Was all set to respond to some of the negativity here when I read your post.
big wavy
09:06 on
12 August, 2014
We are undergoing a transition folks.
Problem is that we seem to be in nothing but transition.
By the time he reached his fourth year in office, NL was percieved to be building his third team.
Neil
Mr James Forrest, as is his right, called for boycotts, amongst others. You’ll see if you read back.
I don’t think that’s right.
The days of us getting our hopes up as the media line up a number of what looked like really good signings for us and then our hopes being dashed when Celtic didn’t sign them (and probably never were going to sign them) are over.
I asked the question a few weeks ago about the last Celtic player anyone saw on their debut who made you go ‘wow’, here’s a star (Nakamura for me). I could ask the same question about the last signing we made who made you think ‘wow’…..
I can’t remember – Robbie Keane maybe – but I didn’t think it about any out of Hooper, McDonald, Wanyama, Forster (own up by the way – there were plenty on here who didn’t want him back from Newcastle after the first loan spell…… wasn’t commanding enough was the cry!!), Ki, I could go on……..
My point? I’ve been disappointed often enough with the Banguras and Boerigters of this world, I’ve also been surprised by some who I thought would never make it after watching their early games for the club. So now I just wait and see and hope they come good. Give them a chance in other words.
Denayer makes a lot of sense if we have an option to buy, not a huge amount of sense if we don’t.
I agree we should shop in La Liga, but I’m pretty sure we already do. In recent years we’ve picked up Crosas, Juarez, Muku and Lassad. A couple of weeks ago it looked like we tried and failed to sign Aquino. Who knows who else we’ve tried to sign. We’ve also shopped in Portugal for Balde.
Well said Barcabhoy. Fraser Fosters transfer fee pays for recent buys that have not worked out. Some on here think the money goes straight into Dermot Desmonds bank account. Did Ronnie buy Dirk, Bagurria etc.
The Battered Bunnet
09:15 on 12 August, 2014
There will be an uptake in ticket sales once the bigotry and sectarianism kicks in, no matter how bad they are in footballing terms.
It’s horrible and shameful but it’s the commercial reality.
Quonno
I didn’t see that as transition in my sense mate. That was more to do with our scouting and coaching not being up to creating plenty of talent around to accommodate those who have joined us to leave for the EPL after a few years. Our return on players has ground to a relative halt.
I think something more fundamental is going on and that’s where a well run club and team can at least try and compete at a european level – data analytics, diets, exercise, proper scouting, culture change at the club that obsessing about tattoos and new trainers from 2pm every day doesn’t make you the best player you could be.
fourgreenfields
09:09 on 12 August, 2014
What decition would fans have to make ?
RobertTressel
For the x minutes he appeared on his debut I thought big Derk looked a star.
I remember thinking Oliver Tebily in a pre-season was the new Marcel Desailly and that Victor Wanyama looked like a lost boy when he started playing for us.
Sod all indicator of their tenure in short.
The awful albatross of the ‘marquee’ player is now beyond us. Fully functioning EPL players won’t come – we have to bring in damaged goods and turn them around.
Denayer gives us good cover at centre back for a year without much outlay. I can see the logic in this signing if our young centre backs like O’Connell and Findlay are rated highly enough but aren’t just ready for the first team this season. That way we aren’t stuck with a centre back who blocks the progress of the young players the season after next.
Barcabhoy
08:09 on
12 August, 2014
I remember the same guff when we signed fraser forster on loan
“3rd choice at Newcastle ” “behind a 37 year old” yada yada yada
There are posters on here who are beyond pathetic, any excuse to have a kick at their pet hate project.
*absolutely, but then some of us didnae stand in the rain at Tannadice while the rest took shelter.
Mibbees the reason we are taking loan signings from the likes of Man City is that Ronny looked at our youth and thought WTF is going on here, these laddies are no where near ready tae come through….what was the previous management team thinking about…and mibbees that’s why they were packaged.
Also let’s not forget there’s an appeal coming up the morra and nobody knows which way UEFA will swing…we could be looking at going to Kazakhstan…and for those that think this won’t happen…look what happened with Sion…we were given their spot and treated like a 4th seeded club.
Oh but the other clubs will complain….like fck and neither will we as UEFA have the power to remove all club and countries from competition….which they should do to leigia for even threatening tae go tae CAS.
Decision -decition, stupid phone
Signing Denayer on loan makes sense if the manager feels the squad is imbalanced and we are desperately short of central defenders.
And we are. You need two in your team for a match and we have only one proper central defender in Van Dijk – a disgraceful situation that the previous management team should have addressed permanently instead of playing Ambrose or Mulgrew (neither of whom are Centre backs) alongside Virgil.
At the same time we have three right backs, Matthews, Lustig and Fisher in our squad.
Probably Ronnie’s fault. Bad Deila ; Bad bad Deila.
RobertTressel
Thought Stefan Johanssens debut was the best I’ve seen in many a long year
FourGreenFields
09:09 on 12 August, 2014
ernie lynch
Looks like that to me , then we will see what happens . If Celtic / the board ( whatever ) accept /treat them as if they are still the same club and restart the OF crap then many supporters will have a decision to make .
==================================================
I do not want any return to ‘Old Firm’ games and so on. However, the only people not calling it an Old Firm game if we ever have to play New Rangers, may well be Celtic and their supporters. Sky will call it that. The press will call it that. The rest of the world looking on will call it that. There will be a sell out crowd, of that I have no doubt, if New Rangers come to Celtic Park they will bring the biggest away support we have seen since Old Rangers died, the policing will resemble a match against the Old Rangers and I have no doubt that the Old Rangers songbook will be performed with gusto by the New Rangers support.
The only choices Celtic supporters will have is (a) to maintain and insist upon this being the first time the clubs have played and more importantly (b) to continue to support Celtic.
If a Celtic supporter chooses not to support Celtic because of the arrival of New Rangers and the match programme referring to them as ‘Rangers’ and whatever else (players by the way will refer to it as an Old Firm game as they don’t know any better on the whole) then he or she is hurting their own club and allowing the very entity they object to a chance to ‘catch up’ with us. If we have a mass boycott of Celtic on the arrival of New Rangers then we create the conditions for the New Rangers to compete effectively with Celtic.
That to me seems like self harm.
Personally I’ll be going to those games if they happen (and that is by no means a given for the forseeable future) to support Celtic in the same way that I would go and support us against Hearts when they come up from whatever that league calls itself now.
barcabhoy great posts mate. Been happier but no reason to chuck the towel in before the season has even started. I say give the new mean and any new players some time. Glasgow is green and white.
FYI
I think Ronny Deila will have watched Denayer play Man City’s preseason game against Dundee recently… according g to twitter???
The players themselves need to accept some degree of responsibility.
If they put in the effort, and play to the best of their ability, then that Maribor mob will be eliminated.
It’s as simple as that.
The attitude has to change.
They are representing Celtic and they are being very well paid to do so.
Apparently some of them won’t play for the manager?
If they don’t play for the manager, then they don’t play for the supporters either.
That being the case they can all gtf, and see if they can find another club stupid enough to pay them the kind of money they are on at Celtic.
HH.
Buik – cheers. I wasn’t there for that unfortunately! I like Stefan and think he will come good for us but he is one of several good solid players that at this stage of their careers need people, dare I say it like Samaras around them to give them a bit of confidence when they look around the pitch.
DISCLAIMER: I said ‘like Samaras’……….
By the way I also saw the first 30 min of Boerigters Celtic career – I thought we’d got a gem……. so on that basis take everything I say on football players with a big pinch of salt.
big wavy
09:21 on
12 August, 2014
I think something more fundamental is going on and that’s where a well run club and team can at least try and compete at a european level – data analytics, diets, exercise, proper scouting, culture change at the club that obsessing about tattoos and new trainers from 2pm every day doesn’t make you the best player you could be.
*you and Barca Bhoy will have to try and not talk sense :-))))….how can a manager that likes tae socialise up the west end discipline players for doing the same.
The oul Doctor was brought intae Villa and tried tae change the culture…the players downed tools….for all the Ronny detractors this will NOT be allowed tae happen at Celtic Park…..if the players don’t like it….there’s the door.
Ernie
I agree.
PL has already stated that we are doing what we are doing in an attempt to reduce losses from there being no Old Firm.
It is also an attempt to bolster the Scottish game. Huns, baby huns, dundee, motherwell, kilmarnock have all nearly went to the wall. Celtic being the only professional outfit is a fear and not misplaced imho
If we can bank as much money as then and alienate the non old firm affeciando then clearly its a price worth paying.
I am dissapointed that the other clubs accept this rationale all too easily.
Old Firm not for me.
HH
We can all bemoan the constant rebuilding that we’ve seen at Celtic in recent years.
I don’t like it either.
But to what extent is it the way of the world for teams like us?
Define ‘teams like us’ some will ask.
Tricky cos we’re a global name in football history, a medium ranked power in European football politics, a lesser power on the pitch in the CL and a big fish in a puddle at home.
Wha’s like us? Nobody really.
But if you take it from a commercial perspective we’re trying to overachieve in a European context against bigger, richer opponents.
That situation is akin to what’s faced by teams in the lower third of the EPL who see-saw up and down – eg Bolton, West Ham, Stoke, Swansea. More money than us, but similar principle.
Question. What level of ‘churn’ do they have in playing staff? What’s their average length of stay? What % of their squad was here 3 or 5 years ago?
Dunno. But reckon it would be a similar % to us.
The strategy might therefore be inevitable, common place and correct.
But right now its implementation could and should be much better IMHO.
Will still be cheering the Hoops and can’t wait to get back to CP this weekend.
MineClappersCSC
HH jamesgang
Taurangabhoy
“been happier but no reason to chuck the towel in before the season has even started”
The wisest thing said on here this morning. Sums up the situ perfectly.
Hail Hail
16 ROADS
Correct,mate.
No room for prima donnas at our club.
Knuckle down,improve yer fitness,learn your role in the new set-up.
And do your best for yourself,the club,the fans!
If Roy Keane had said yes and that was the only difference. It would be an interesting read on here
HH
Big Wavy – funny you mention Tebilly – I remember it well and also thinking we’ve got a diamond here!
Thank God neither of us get to pick the team or scout the players.
Mind you there are some on here if they are to be believed who Celtic should be employing full time as scouts……..
Tom..,
We are discussing Celtic, while other clubs are jockeying for position we are not. And have not for a long long time that’s my point.
JJ,
I trust TET’s opinion.
Big Wavy,
I don’t think boycotts will be needed I expect many supporters to simply drift away disillusioned by what they are seeing, downsizing and reduction of expectation has been the name of the game for the last 8 years, we have not maintained the quality of team Celtic supporters were bred on, rather than maintaining a decent level of quality we have been reducing the quality year in year out to reduce expectation to the current level. Competition in Scotland will improve with our reduced quality and apparently that is the only way.
JJ
A good answer from someone searching out the positives in the spin. You ever thought of being a politician?
MWD says AYE
Good luck to Alexander Tonev, I hope he gets the success he’ll be expecting.
When you take a step back, or, when I take a step back…I view it from the angle that, it disny matter what players are brought in if, there’s a bad manager in the dug out.
I say that, Ronnie Deila is a bad manager from my initial impression’s at least.
To be the the ‘real’ deal in the Celtic dug out, you’ve got to be a cute / savvy / dirty bas#ard.
imho
Ronnnie came into Celtic and, spat the dummie about the amount of CLQ’s to be played.
That, was a shot in the foot. A cute sort would have said something along the lines of, “We’re delighted to be given this chance to play in football’s top club tournament.”
I’ve not got enough time to compile a list about him but, my conclusion is that – he hisny got it. I hope for the ‘supporters’ case that, I’m wrong but, my Celtic-psyche says – NO!
So, for me, and I’ve always subscribed to this opinion that, to be a Celtic manager under PL’s watch, you have to be a puppet. imho
The last manager that Celtic had who, wasn’t a puppet was – MO’N. imho
You have to go back to, Wim before that.
The managers, previous to Wim were, different types, having to depend on their Celtic wages to put a roof over their families heads. Before the nitpickers come on, I’m referring in particular to – Mr Stein, Mr McNeill, Mr Hay, Mr Macari and Mr Burns(RIP). Brady and, Barnes were already multi-millionaires so, puppet-strings wouldn’t have worked on them. imho
Celtic won’t get a manager of the type that I mention above cos, they will be viewed as a threat to PL’s tyrannical regime.
This is a view that I’ve held since MO’N left and, took all the ‘Celtic-ness’ out of Celtic with him.
When the charity game was played at CP between Celtic v’s Man Utd and, MO’N managed Celtic and, WGS Man Utd, how many times did you hear MO’N’s name being chanted by the crowd?
How many times did you hear WGS’s name being chanted?
If yer honest, you’ll get my point.
Cue the, cheap attacks from, nitpickers and, the carefully planted ‘bored’ lackeys.
Celtic Football and Athletic Club, didn’t do – cliques or, secret societies or, to be more specific, the patrons of the Jungle didn’t.
Sadly, that great race don’t don’t exist any more, even the rebels flame has gone off oot.
Yeah, all gone only to be replaced by a, stuck-up, snobby, cliquey, plastic version of one of the game of football’s former monsters. imho
Bye.
Yes it’s a period if transition but it could have been better handled than this. So so much better.
I have no specific complaints on Tonev. Sounds like a good deal and we actually keep the player for 3 or 4 years given the EPL will have been put off.
I do find it strange that we have so far not seen fit to actually buy a full time player. We seem to go through different player recruitment strategies- bosmans one year, blue chip loans, 2nd string hopefuls from larger European clubs, Israeli league…
This years looks like get all the players we scouted in previous years from the EPL clubs they have failed at.
Fraser Forster is different entirely and came about as a result of Neil Lennon playing against him when he was on loan to Norwich. Neil then got the deal agreed to bring him to Celtic Park. There were still issues in converting the loan to a permanent signing even though Forstrer performed well. Celtic seemed to be bailing at the fee and trying to renegotiate what was already agreed.
So Forster had been out on loan and had been seen in action by our manager at first hand in much the same way as Kelvin Wilson and Gary Hooper. Forster wasn’t as much try before you by as Celtic watching the pennies and Newcastle not letting Forster go on the cheap. The proof is in the pudding.
Now for those saying that any kind of spend at all will not make the blindest bit of difference, I presume you believe the squad is good enough to meet your expectations and that a few temporary loan signings of young lads will make the difference?
It is absolutely Clear as Crystal that Celtic are not bothered about competing in this years Champions League. Clearly they don’t think the squad is good enough that even the addition of a eg 3.5m striker and a 2.5m centre half would make a difference. Clearly they don’t think additional experience going into these games would be beneficial.
The addition of these loan signings just adds to the temporary nature of things and sets no precedent at all for ambition beyond our current level of performance.
Some folk are resigned to supporting a 2nd rate Celtic I suppose.
Mulgrew hasn’t kicked a ball in almost two years now.
I wouldn’t go as far to label him an imposter or a passenger, but his lacklustre performances in Europe have cost us time and time again.
Maybe he needs a wee rest now, or hypnosis.
HH.