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.
795 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- »
I agree with the happy clappers and I agree with the mineshafters at times…strange…
The big question for me is what is our strategy to get out of Scotland? Surely after the scandal of side letters, Ogilvie, EBTs, LNS, referees etc etc, that should have been our cue…but haven’t heard anyone from our club explain this.
This is fundamental for me…let’s hear what we are doing to GTF.
Kikinthenakas
MWD –
What’s a busuit?
tamrabam
10:05 on 12 August, 2014
Nothing like giving a guy time to settle in
MWD
Utopia/tapioca.
A bit like the last few paragraphs of this Peter Cook sketch.
http://www.psillakis.com/humor/interesting.html
—
Tom McLaughlin
23:06 on 9 August, 2014
TSD –
I had a bizarre dream last night. A leather clad Eva McGovern was whipping you to the backdrop of Wagner’s “Valkyrie”. She spotted me looking on in horror and asked if I “Wanted some”.
Fortunately my missus woke me up and asked if I was ok as I had been shouting, “Kill the bitch. Kill the bitch.”
Whatever could that mean?
—-
My Dear,Dear GCT….
Do You Really Think You Should Be Bringing…..
Your Lurid,Homo-Erotic Fantasies….
To This Fine Blog….
Which May Be Read By Impressionable Children….
And MWD..?
Now…..If It Wiz Maggie McGill….
In A Crotch-Hugging Latex CatSuit..
Throwing About The Lash…
Wi’ Kilbowie Karaoke In The Coarner..
Beltin’ Oot ‘Frankie-Goes-Tae-Wishaw’s “RELAX..!”….
Then We’d Be Cookin…Wi’ Gas !
Right..? ;-)
Whatever Happened…
Tae Mr.Scally’s Favourite ‘Milk Monitor..?
*Health&EfficiencyCSC*
—–
I have no gripe with anyone being a happyclapper/mineshafter (delete as appropriate),
However, the sycophancy in either extreme is tedious. its like watching the BBC Parliament channel, where whatever your persuasion you back your side to the hilt, with no rhyme or reason or rationale, your like minded supporters view, children debate better.
I have no issues with loan players at all, as long as they’re good players, I have no issues with the scouting team (after all thats what theyre paid for) recommending players, I have no issue with buying players developing them and hoping to sell them on, but I do have an issue with the annual haphazard recruitment strategy, those that are good at Moneyball, eg Porto, dont release players until they have a replacement lined up (see Mangala this week). We on the other hand cant wait to sell players as soon as someone comes sniffing, there is no plan for team building only a plan for maximising assets.
At present we have been given a great opportunity to reach the Champions League proper, yet we have no vision nor flexibility to strengthen the squad properly. Lets wait till the window is shut is the usual diatribe, what are we waiting for we could theoritically be out of all European competitions by then.
WE ARE A FOOTBALL CLUB AFTER ALL
jungle jim
08:47 on 12 August, 2014
“19tr old loan signing with no option to buy totally contradicts previous statements by Ronny”
No it doesn`t……..but the poster`s comment is a good example of how keen some are to extrapolate the negative .
JJ
——————
You obviously haven’t been paying attention then, Ronny is on record as saying he doesn’t want to develope loan players for other clubs.
tamrabam
10:05 on 12 August, 2014
He certainly does need to improve on the Legia performance ….!!
What make me laugh is that people can slag off players, without ever having seen them……………..play
Question to the anti-loan signing mob.
Would you have been happy if we had taken Derrick or Baldo on last year, with the option to buy.
joewhouldHave
he Battered Bunnet
09:55 on 12 August, 2014
‘The consensus is that we’ve lost 4000 season books as a result of the absence of ‘Old Firm’.
####
Have Celtic announced how many season books have been sold?
SydneyTim
09:48 on 12 August, 2014
Tonev has pace and a good shot apparently. Now giving odds , he must be a good player
Surely our chief scout can’t have found another dud forward
In 5 years how many forwards has our scout identified and we have signed 15 or 20?
How many have been a success ? 1 hooper
Think someone should be shown the door. Not saying new guy is good or bad , but just going on JP’s failures, think he should find a job he is good at ., as its no scouting forwards
————————————————————-
I don’t think Tonev has been purchased as an out-and-out striker, has he? He’s a 2-footed winger who can sometimes score as far as I can see. Not disagreeing with your general point here, ST – we have failed to come up with a decent goalscorer over the past while. But no point in setting an expectation that Tonev will score for fun and then being disappointed when he doesn’t. Or am I missing your point completely?!
TSD –
You responded to that post on Saturday night. Now again today.
Should I be surprised that it has made such a deep impression on you? Admit it. You have a printed copy and read it every night when you play with . . . Sorry . . . Go to your baw baws
Ernie Lynch –
A week ago Celtic had sold approx 37,000 season tickets.
Tom McLaughlin
09:42 on 12 August, 2014
I think it’s more the growing realisation among the support that the Celtic board see Celtic as being one half of the old firm that’s alienating people.
But you knew that already.
What would be a successful season this year….
League title with group stages CL
Or
The treble ?
I would take the treble every time
Tom McLaughlin
10:19 on 12 August, 2014
Has that been announced officially?
We have until the 31st of August to determine whether we are trying to compete in Europe, when it’s already abundantly clear we have no chance of winning anything. The budget was wasted last year, and it’s the reason why this years budget is still undetermined, and why we’ve a new manager.
What we don’t know yet, is how last years wastefulness will affect the signing strategy that has been employed for some years now. If there has been a conscious change and two loans and a recall from virtual retirement would suggest, there has, then fair enough, maybe there’s a new long term plan for success that excludes Celtic from making mistakes in the transfer market.
We’ll have a clear idea by the end of the month, I hope there is a new plan or at least a serious review of how we compete because Galatasaray have just bid £28 million for a player, and before Legia Warsaw and NFL’s departure, I’d have fancied Celtic to give Galatasaray a game.
It’s a long time since we heard that every penny in transfer money would be reinvested in the team, maybe the last time, really was the last time.
I am not looking for a messiah or a Messi just a good player who will improve the 1st team.
More importantly I am looking more for a direction from the club as to where we are going.
Sadly we’re a diddy team in a Big Soccer world; that’s not goin’ to change any time soon so we might as well get used to it, and take what we can out of supportin’ the ole Hoops.
The ole world will keep on turnin’.
tom mclaughlin
09:42 on 12 August, 2014
Welcome back to Scotland btw :D
Personally I think you somewhat miss the point.
I don’t think people are saying they will stop suporting us when Sevco arrive in the top league.
The issue is how Celtic respond to this. Will they deem them the new club they are, or will we be inundated with e-mails inviting us as “valued” ST holders to buy an extra ticket at £50 to welcome the RETURN OF THE O** F***
If its the latter, Celtic will be making a huge mistake.
I love Celtic but there’s a limit to how much they can ask me to tolerate.
go tell the spartim
10:09 on 12 August, 2014
Good points, but you need to also consider the fact that, if we are not careful, we could end up like the deedclub ……. there just isn’t the revenue available in this Country / League, and we need Celtic Park full every home game to get some financial flexibility …….. Catch 22 …. in the nicest possible way, some fholk need to study the acconts a wee bit closer …..
Big Joe
10:12 on 12 August, 2014
_____________________
Balde, Pukki, Derk were playing under a bad manager, despite his success against who?
Quick fix in all of this, dismiss Ronny and put John Collins as manager.
JC is a horses for courses manager, which is needed right now. Ronny is in the wrong movie but, talking about movies…looking at the big picture, the executives who came to the decision to bring in Ronny should be cleared out but, that won’t happen cos, the only thing that hey have to fear is, financial starvation from the ‘supporters’ and, as it’s obvious to anyone who employs a segment of reallity that – Celtic ‘supporters’ are rendered toothless once the ‘bored’ has their SB-money. Once a ‘supporter’ hands over their SB-money they lose the potential to be a threat ie: they lose all their power. Until that changes, apathy will kill Celtic. imho
My Dear GCT….
MWD Is Waiting Tae Hear..
All About LAST Night’s Lurid Dreams…
Something Involving Zsa Zsa Gabor…?
Don’t Disappoint Him..!
—
Coming NEXT….!
Day#30,011…In The CQN-Hoose…
—
Up The HOOPS..!
God Bless KevinJ…
Touchstone Of CQN…
—–
hun skelper
you are right, there is nothing like giving a guy time to settle in, but unfortunately when the settling in period involves the team performing badly and costing the club about 20 million quid, a settling in period is a luxury and not a right! Ronni has everything to prove an has delivered zero.
so far he is on a par with BTM. Perhaps we should have given him a settling in period too? if BTM didn’t have to compete against the huns i guess he would have won the SPL in his first season.
As i said the CL is the yardstick, if he fails again vs Maribor he should be on his way out.
settling in period or no settling in period.
Little known facts of our time :
“On 12 September 2009 Tony Mowbray was named as the Manager of the Month of August in the Scottish Premier League.”
Big W @ 9.05
What are we transitioning from?
We turned over £75mill in 2012/13.
We turned over £70mill plus last season.
In addition we have generated significant cash from squad management that is player sales in this time and this is ongoing.
We started this business cycle with bank debt very much under control and falling to the point that we were offering easy terms to anyone who buy a player last summer.
Does the Denayer loan deal have an option to buy at the end of it, like Tonev & Berget, or are we now developing players for the big team at the expense of our own??
tamrabam
10:26 on 12 August, 2014
Haha he’s 4 games in, 360 minutes I’ve worked longer without a tea-break.
For me he gets a season to establish himself, using his players in his formation with his tactics.
It’s not his fault the biggest games of the season come straight away so can’t really say HE cost us £20m can you ? HH
Big W … Part 2
Just why do we need to transition?
What are we transitioning from?
What are we transitioning too?
This is all shroud waving to cover up the fact that PL has no clue beyond his bonus and he cannot do growth.
There is £20 mill up for grabs and PL / DD can’t be bothered.
The Singing Detective and his good buddy Kojo’s flags
still fly high and proud on the ole Jungle roof.
Muchas Gracias Amigoes.
Hail Hail
We should not be rewarding failure.
People in positions of power should take responsibility.
Sadly that doesn’t happen at CP.
Its always the manager who gets sacked, but there are never any repercussions for the plc executives. ..why?
Are they untouchable?
Whatever people do in life…they should admit when they feck up.
Then we can deal with it properly, and try to rectify the situation.
Putting your head in the sand..helps nobody.
The egos within the plc have led to our decline..that cant continue.
Man up and face the problems or resign.
HH
Well. At least we aren’t yet signing cooks from the Brits.
MWD says AYE
I assume after reading many posts on CQN if Celtic had paid in total 8 Million for the players they have brought in on loan you bhoys would be happy as they had spent money ? we spent money on Balde Boerichter and Pukki and it has been suggested many times that was wasted money.So now the club has acted prudently and adopted a try before you buy policy and you are up in arms about them not spending money as I see it Celtic could never please some of you so why should they try.H.H.
Bed time……zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
big wavy
10:29 on
12 August, 2014
Little known facts of our time :
“On 12 September 2009 Tony Mowbray was named as the Manager of the Month of August in the Scottish Premier League.”
*aye and John Barnes was named Manager of the Month in December 1999….but pumped in January 2000 as the players downed tools……this hopefully will NEVER happen again…..BTW the fact that this was a dismal season…we still won the League Cup….Lubo’s first medal ever.
I think we will be a beautiful flutterby one day.
MWD says AYE
Big Wavy
If BTM only had to win the SPL title in a league that didnt contain the huns, then Im sure he would have succeeded.
Unfortunately for Ronni, winning the SPL without the huns is no big deal
he is not here to be a 20 million quid experiment. He has talked the talked, but failed miserably against Legia. UEFA has given us a willie wonka golden ticket. If we fail again against a team with a 12,000 capacity stadium and a fraction of our income, heads MUST roll.
MadMitch
I thought I answered that earlier. The transition I quoted was a cultural one.
Moving from a regime that often mirrored the players lack of professionalism to a more forward thinking continental style of club. The assistant manager at Stromsgoort arriving, John Collins as coach, Jim mcGuinness promoted and even Ronny’s public desire not to be part of the Glasgow fishbowl.
More training for the players, more ball work, note focus on stats I imagine, etc will take time and will certainly piss off those who spend their days inking their bodies, boozing or buying expensive trainers to publicise on twitter.
I can’t see a future for people like Stokes, Griffiths, Mulgrew and Commons for example with this change but they might surprise me. I’m not surprised there is a reaction.