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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derbyshirebhoy
11:31 on 12 August, 2014
‘Ernie
I’d be asking myself who agreed such terms in the first place and making sure there could be no repeat but I still wouldn’t sign.’
####
To continue with your analogy it seems to me that it was you, the CEO, who has been responsible for acquiring and disposing of assets in such a way that we have to commit to expenditure before we have the go ahead.
Maybe it’s time for you to consider your position.
Unless of course though you’re CEO you’re just following instructions from the owner, in which case you’re safe.
Latchford
Don’t disagree about investment before Legia but not in current sitution. If appeal is not successful then would expect investment for at least EL.
tamrabam
11:31 on 12 August, 2014
When Ronny signed, I ‘voiced’ my reservations on here, and felt Malkey Mackay would have been a better option ….it was a gut feeling, but I didn’t go on about it for days / weeks, and hoped I was wrong …… It’s all about opiniions, not deranged agendas being pounded out incessantly…
Dan. Hi Neil it’s Dan
Neil. Awright Dan how about you?
Dan. Been offered your job Neil, whaddya think?
Neil. I widnae Dan there’s problems at the club.
Dan. Aye aright then Neil, ah’ll no bother then….
As told to Keech Keevins Inc…
Right lhads,question for today.My wife who has no interest in sport of any kind asked me when did you start going to Celtic Park ? Ever since I knew you (55 years) you always said you were going to Park head to see the Celtic. So ,that’s the question .When did we start going to CP(I know it was always CP officially)?
Southside,
Just so long as it’s not the filth we draw;)
Southside
i base my decision on RD based on what i see
i didnt proclaim him as saviour when he arrived, because i knew nothing about him. I base my current opinion on his 4 games so far, and frankly i dont see a lot to be happy about. do you? if in the next 4 games he does very well then my opinion will soften. If he then goes on to do well in the CL group stages, my thoughts about him will change again. Its based on what i see or know.
i feel that others will support him regardless, simply because he is the man in the job. I did the same myself with JB and BTM too, and mike Galloway and others like him.
nowadays we are a different animal though and loyalty and support is not given unconditionally,
so my friend in Celtic , my opinion on Ronni and others will evolve and change depending on how things go in the games. I cant base my opinion on ” I have a good feeling” which seems to be the only thing positive that can be said about him at the moment.
Thats why i feel that the Maribor tie is so important
bada bing
No but the timing is wrong to spend now till the appeal result is known
It is strange but if the Legia Warsaw ban is overturned and we have to play another two games to qualify for the Europa league surely it would then be Celtic that were being punished and not Legia ? H.H.
Back in again…..
______________
Yezz all fell, hook – line & sinker for all the innocous drivel that Phil Mac revealed about the huns, who died. Aye right.
Don’t any of youz on here find it strange that, Phil or any of the other prominent bampots don’t seem too bothered with the racket being pursued by, Peter Lawwell and his accomplice John Park?
Never mind the huns for a couple of minutes and, find out why Celtic’s faithful fans are being ripped-off by the clubs custodians. Surely that is or, should be more important than the undying hydra on Edminston Drive?
If not, why not?
Are Phil Mac and certain bampots, agents of the Celtic hierarchy, carefully placed to drop ‘convenient’ bombshells about the huns?
I smell a parcel of fenian rogues.
P.S. The Singing Detective Demands The Resignation Of Campbell Ogilvie
10:36 on 12 August, 2014
_____________________
Dear Sir, that post will be my mission statement from here on in :)
Screensavers – CSC
Hahahahaha – Off oot…canny be bothered…lifes too short….bye.
auld bertie
11:37 on 12 August, 2014
‘Neil Lennon told Dan The Man, (now in the Middle East) not to take Celtic job as there are problems. Ernie Lynch …’suggested this’. ‘
####
That’s not what I said.
I said when NFL left that prospective replacements might well contact him and have a quiet word about how things were.
It appears that happened, though the detail is unknown.
I suspect that probably happens all the time with football managers
Oh, and I’ve never said the SNP are anti Catholic.
I’ve said that a number of their founder members were anti Irish Catholic and that there are residues of that sentiment within the party.
67Heaven
Deranged agendas.
Is that when you sell all your best players, and replace them with loan signings?
HH
rogueleader
10:04 on 12 August, 2014
Regarding Tonev I actually thinking purchasing him on a try before you buy is absolutely the right thing to do. Guy has talent and we have scouted him for a long time. Considering how he did at Villa if the option was there to take him for a season prior to committing to the purchase it would be folly not to take that option up.
As for the young man City defender, that is a very strange signing. He may come in and turn out to be world class and we will be delighted, but an 18 year old? With no option to buy? I don’t see what sort of strategy this signing falls into at all.
Unless a rabbit is pulled out of the hat for our wildcard we are heading into the next qualifying phase, after being roundly horsed, weaker than the last one. That’s unacceptable.
We still lack a striker. We still lack a player to play in the middle position of the 3 man midfield. I would say our recruitment this window, bearing in mind we have a new manager, has been shambolic.
I will be interested to see what improvement performance wise Ronny gets out of the squad after 2 weeks on the training ground between Legia and Maribor
_______________________
Is this not the way we got FF, that worked out ok?
Cosy Corner
Change the subject eh!
1979 Celtic v China 6-1 to the hoops. My brother got a gold fish from the shows. :-)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/114058793@N05/sets/72157645686016469/
MWD says AYE
moonbeams wd. wee oscar’s our bhoy and kano’s our mhan.
11:32 on 12 August, 2014
Sorting out the wheat from the chaff in the £2n market can’t be an easy job, it’s a tidy sum for us, especially when CL league qualification isn’t guaranteed. Agree we have a surplus of non performers. That ain’t RD’s fault. But he’s suffering the consequences
googybhoy 11.35, That would have been my guess as well. Whilst it may look like chaos at Celtic Park with nobody knowing what they are doing, I suspect that there is a very definite plan there. It may not be to our liking but there is a strategy there all the same. If we are definitely confirmed as “winners” of the Legia tie, I expect the purse strings to be loosened, if not I expect we will go cheap this year, with Ronny’s mandate being to develop some of our academy players. I reckon the Board are confident we will win the League anyway. In a years time, they will know what they have both in relation to a Manager who they can trust and in the younger players who have been given a chance. Armed with that they will make their decisions on what they need to do to deal with the expected challenge from Der Hun.
big wavy,
You talk too much sense for CQN as it is at the moment. I didn’t plan to come on today or for the foreseeable future. But had to offer a wee bit of support.
Cosy Corner Bhoy,
I can’t think of what I used to say: Parkhead or Celtic Park. Growing up in Parkhead, the question put was usually, “is that you going to the game?”, which is what my Dad still asks me, if I pop in to see him before a match.
Ernie
As you know I have people skilled in their area who advise me and to whom I give responsibility but ultimately my responsibility rests with the best interests of the company’s shareholders.
Joe Fillipis haircut,
I had a quick stroll through their squad and value and there is nobody that stands out. Celtic off 2 seasons ago would have beat them home and away in my humble opinion.
Derbyshire Bhoy,
If there is no investment then our CEO has some explaining to do. We have had AGMs where Lawwells poodle Bankier has been making jokes about our financial strength.
Want to show Ronny Deila how it should be done? Think your better than Stein? Do you have the luck of Celtic or the administration talents of Legia? Then here is the invite code to the CQN Championship Fantasy Football League, we now have over 100 teams entered.
296638-123206
You have 4 days left to register your team & join the league.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
As an added incentive I’ve decided to offer some prizes for the top 3 come the end of the season. The winners will each receive items of their choosing from the Official Celtic Webstore to the tune of
1st £100
2nd £75
3rd £50
Or alternatively, winners can choose to donate any winnings to a Celtic charity of their choice.
Also if by some miracle I end up in the top 3, the winnings will be passed onto the next placed team.
HH
big wavy
Mmm, one thing for sure defo wouldn’t chuck him in v Maribor – Lenny learnt from that v Shakter with VVD and Mouyokolo, even though VVD went on to be a success.
Does give the current two something to think about
just another tim
11:33 on 12 August, 2014
“If Legia do win their appeal are we likely to counter appeal or will we accept the decision? Legia’s behaviour has left a bad taste in the mouth. Writing an open letter in an attempt to guilt trip our beloved club is one of the most pathetic things I have witnessed in football. If they win the appeal I would rather we accept the decision gracefully rather than sinking to that their standards.”
If Celtic or UEFA had decreed last week right at the start, that we stay in the Europa, I’d have been ok with that. However with all the kerfuffle from Poland in the past week, we now need to be kept in the CL. Anything else would be ignoring the rules and an injustice against us. I don’t think it will happen but you never know.
On a personal level, money aside, I’m not too bothered about Europe right now and want to see the manager get the team right for the domestic contest, which will likely include our old pals next year.
I’ve just been to a soaking wet CP Ticket office and have 2 tickets for tomorrow night.
A very happy Miss Doc will be going to her first away game.
Magic.
I was wondering something as I queued.
If a loanee scores do we get a full goal, or does a part go to the parent club?
Does an assist count for less?
Happy Clapping in St Johnstone!
Now I need to go get a map.
Where is St Johnstone?
Just askin’ like:-)
5th generation
11:24 on 12 August, 2014
I agree – I think its appalling the players are allowed to go home after lunch.
Only perfection should be afforded that luxury.
Any argument about doing too much and risk of injury, whilst being nonsense is completely countered by the fact they can be watching DVD’s and learning more about themselves, their team mates’ strengths and weaknesses, tactics, set pieces and an array of other footage which can quite easily be researched and formatted by a research & development type of technical member of staff.
Parkheadcumsalford
Cheers fella….
There is a rumour (isnt there always) that VD has asked for a transfer he wants to play in a better league.If that is true I would sell him for as much as I could get asap. H.H.
South side
I don’t blame r&d. I will give him a chance. It is the mechanisms and financial restraints that have lead to R&D being employed that I take issue with.
Cheap and controlled!
MWD says AYE
derbyshirebhoy
11:51 on 12 August, 2014
Ernie
‘As you know I have people skilled in their area who advise me and to whom I give responsibility but ultimately my responsibility rests with the best interests of the company’s shareholders.’
###
They say that the crucial difference between Churchill and Hitler (other than his inability to paint an entire apartment in an afternoon, two coats!) was that Churchill would never overrule his generals.
moonbeams wd. wee oscar’s our bhoy and kano’s our mhan.
10:56 on 12 August, 2014
Brilliant……..hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Patrick27
My preference also but I guess you got to factor in where VVD’s head is at as well. Getting the unit (with Gordon in the mix now) to defend as one is absolutely key for Maribor. I’d prefer no more disruption but of course an injury or dip in performance can also bring that on.
sydneytim
11:30 on 12 August, 2014
Hartson and Sutton cost £12 between them, scored loadsa goals.
£6m striker – almost guaranteed to be a success in scotland (unless your initials are T.A.F. Unsustainable, with less sell-on potential.
£2m- bit of a gamble.
cosy corner bhoy
Always been Celtic Park for me.
My first game (aged 5 1976)
http://youtu.be/Uh1MWgmBPaI
HH
Interesting that the much vaunted Alfred Finnbogasson failed to score in 2 games against Aberdeen whilst Ricky Van Wolfswinkel managed only one goal last season Just goes to show the lottery of getting lucky with strikers or perhaps how poor Eredivie defenders are?
Feck it…im off to do loads of pointless graft.
However,I do have on my monogrammed smoking jacket, and matching slippers made from hemp.
Jeeves….fetch my rolls from the garage.
HH
Just on to acknowledge a couple of the blog bhoys I met in the brazen on sunday afternoon.
Tony Donnelly67 and Marrakesh Express. An absolute pleasure and couldnt be made feel more welcome.
HH
Robert Tressel
You are spot on, no newco Huns will ever stop me going to see Celtic. Many of us were brought up with obstacles being put in our way left right and centre and it strengthened our love for the hoops. Certainly won’t go near Ibrox but will be damned if they stop me going to CP. I’ll be there to stand up to them and remind them they’re not Rangers any more, as Dundee United fans(twice) and many others have done since 2012,
HH
This nonsense on here that, some players at our club ,don’t want to play ronnys style of football, that’s just excuses from them, you know what them players aren’t good enough.and im sure quite a lot on here calling for ronny to be sacked.are journalists ,which wouldn’t surprise me.every player or manager that we have signed over the last few yrs, have been slated as being not good enough, these players and managers like a lot of us read these stories, and low and behold we fall into the trap ,saying that’s right they are good enough, they the players here all this when they are on the pitch, and what happens , they lose there confidence.cant focus .and a lot of them cant play the celtic way, so we need to give players and management at least a chance ,see for our eyes if they are good or not.dont read or listen to the media, as its been proven over the yrs ,that they are liars.and remember, they are all anti celtic. and I know this freedom of speech is going to far at times, so let us decide who can play the Celtic Way.
For me it was always Parkhead. I guess it depends on which term your family used. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.