For Celtic, summertime business is every bit as important as the more traditional cup finals and league deciders held later in the season. We face qualifers for Champions League or Europa League group stage, which define our financial health and desirability as a potential employer.
The most important achievement was recorded on Wednesday when we qualified for the Champions League, but now we’re there, how prepared will we be?
Seven players left the squad, Daryl Murphy, who had already spent two years out on loan, Thomas Rogne and Paddy McCourt, who rarely saw first team action last season, and Tony Watt, who seems to be less effective than he was in the opening weeks of last season, and is now out on loan.
More importantly, Gary Hooper, Kevlin Wilson and Victor Wanyama all left, three players who were instrumental in our European victories last season.
Hooper is a textbook big game player who scored home and away against Spartak Moscow but he missed the home win over Barcelona and scarcely got a sniff of the ball home and away to Benfica, or in the Camp Nou, where his role as a penalty box poacher was less effective.
Kelvin Wilson had a disappointing first season at Celtic but as last season progressed there was a noticeable rise in appreciation of his talents. He had an exemplary Champions League campaign.
Victor Wanyama was the most effective central midfield player Celtic have had for some considerable time. We saw little of Roy Keane at Celtic but in Wanyama, you could see a player with the potential to go as far in the game. He is young and still has lots to add to his game, concentration, for a start, but we saw him grow from a place on the substitutes’ bench to a £12m player in 18 months.
It surprised a few that Victor (along with Gary) went to a team often found at the wrong end of England’s top flight, but he is still potential. The acclaim he received at Celtic is similar to that bestowed on Liam Miller nine years ago, whose Champions League performances were breath-taking. I still can’t fathom what happened to Miller but I hope Victor continues to improve; if he does, he could appear in the Camp Nou as a home player.
21-year-old Israeli central midfielder Nir Biton looks like a straight replacement for Wanyama. I don’t know enough about any of the new recruits yet to put my name to them but on paper, Nir works. At 6’5” he continues our current tradition of signing players born to shoot hoops, as well as wear them. A trial at Manchester City fell apart amid a diplomatic incident involving his nationality. He was going to make a move to a Champions League team at some point and, for the player, Celtic will look like an excellent option.
There was a moment during THAT game at Fir Park in 2005 when Craig Bellamy tore up the turf with the ball before looking up for someone to accept his cross, only to throw his arms up in frustration that there was no one in the box. Having one fast player is just not effective.
We’ve had pace-merchant James Forrest for a few years but we don’t play a speed-based game to suit his talents. With fellow-sprinter Derk Boerrigter also in the team now one of the things I know Celtic were looking for in a striker was pace, which is what I expect to see from Teemu Pukki.
Much of our Champions League game will be about playing counter-attacking football so we have to recruit for this model.
Teemu has been playing a supporting role for Schalke since they played against him, then signed him, from HJK Helsinki two years ago, but we have not had a striker who could claim a regular starting place in that company in nine years. He is another one who, on paper, works for me.
Amido Balde has been given some protection from too much responsibility and exposure to allow him to settle into the club, city and language, Celtic is a lot different from Vitoria Guimaraes. I heard that, like Wanyama during his first season, he’ll be allowed to settle into life as a Celtic player.
Virgil van Dijk was simply delicious against Dundee United yesterday. He has height, build, speed, can run with the ball and can pass. Build a defence around him. Steven Mouyokolo is one of those gambles managers like to take on players, who were once lauded but have had injury or other blemishes on their record. Most don’t work but we’ll soon find out if Steven has overcome his injury problems.
Derk Boerrigter has skill and pace. He is another one recruited with Champions League football in mind (not to face 10 defenders in the SP), a competition he has already performed well in for Ajax.
The comment was made to me that the players coming in were uninspiring compared to the three key players who left but while I could contest that, there doesn’t seem much point. We recruited Hooper and Wilson from the lower leagues in England, and Wanyama as a teenager from a small Belgian club. It’s not what you know about a player when he signs that counts……..
For years we have been encouraging Celtic to scout better markets and find value. They have been doing this to great effect in recent seasons. The gap between where we were last season and one stage further in the Champions League was enormous. To bridge it will take a while during which time we need to make every pound work.
Enjoy the ride.
Tomorrow we’ll talk money. In short, while I blogged a couple of weeks ago illustrating the circa £17m operational gap we have before Champions League or player trading income (i.e. we are not a rich club), notions that we are anywhere near being a poor club is laughable.
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Keane has always been a journey man, very good player but if a loan signing is our pinnacle then surely time for Celtic fans to re-evaluate their expectations of who we can sign.
Surely all our signings fall into the following categories:
SPL stand out player
Unknown Euro/World youngster
EPL player with baggage (ie not playing, or failed at club)
Paddybhoy1888
I would be delighted to sponsor you for two reasons:
1) my cousins wife died recently after a 3-4 yr fight with breast cancer
2) i’ve seen you play CQN 5s.
HH
CRC
PaddyBhoy1888, apologies re mistake on your nom de blog.
paddybhoy1888
23:03
I hope things work out for Clare.
Burnley I would have taken the 5m we paid for 2 proven non goal scoring strikers (Balde pukki ) plus 1m and bid for Neil target. Finbogason and use the above wages for finbogason
Don’t want to break any bank. Just buy smarter
DJBEE
Ask your why Alex Jones can be outspoken against his own Government & connect them to just about every human rights breach the world over yet, refuses to connect Israel/Mossad/Zionist’s to any crimes against humanity or the massive $3.4 Billion ($9.3 million per day) in defense aid that Israel receives each year?
Paddybhoy1888
:0)
HH
Sydney Tim
You raise an interesting point about “buying smarter”
It is amazing that the people who run celtic cant see this.
What we need are astute,clever business people to take over and run the club successfully
Desmond/Lawell Out now
Wits
What in your eyes would be ‘success’ for Celtic.
I’m no great fan of DD but to suggest that he’s not an ‘astute and clever businessman’ is extremely short sighted.
My thoughts on transfer business…?
We have signed and sold and are in CL proper. So the proof is in the pudding the correct decisions have been made.
I don’t expect much beyond participation in the competition from this stage onwards and if one or two of our younger players perform well we will make more money from player sales. If we replicate anything like last year’s CL achievement – we will not retain Lenny.
The reality is we can’t afford or attract the kind of player that would excite me before he kicks a ball. We have to hope we have a new Hooper or Vic among the squad – commeth the time commeth the Mhan – any player who believes he has the right stuff, now has the opportunity to prove it.
One of the things I am keen to see at Celtic is that not only successes are sold on for profit but that losses are cut at soonest opportunity. Too many mediocrities have been afforded to long at Celtic in the past and that frustrates me more that the lack of marquee signings..
We are where we are… The Champion’s Leage – bring it on!
Hamiltontim
Sorry my tongue was firmly in cheek
Thought you would realise that
What the stars. Thankyou we have indeed blown millions upfront on cheap non scoring strikers
We have not learnt the lesson and we are not backing our manager. His words
HT, I think WITS is being a tad sarcastic:-)
If I’m wrong, well pick a charity, £10 donation, but I don’t think I am.
Timing is everything, mine, as usual is out.
Sydney Tim
See my above response to hamilton tim
Unhappy?
Aff oot to bed for much needed beauty sleep.
Hail Hail the Celts are here, cheap as chips as well
We cannae let Neil be burdened so much again.
Neil coming through what he did, will, IMO, likely mean, we will go to the last 16 again this season, possibly further if we TOP the Group, which we definitely can, because the Group is so Strong.
NN & HH
Doc
Phew
Thank God someone understands me
WITS, that’s a one off!:-)
the_huddle 23:24
Keane has always been a journey man, very good player but if a loan signing is our pinnacle then surely time for Celtic fans to re-evaluate their expectations of who we can sign.
Surely all our signings fall into the following categories:
SPL stand out player
Unknown Euro/World youngster
EPL player with baggage (ie not playing, or failed at club)
————————————————————————————————-
If I was taking a loan I’d prefer a young player from one of the top sides. Their squads are pretty big these days and they don’t like too many sitting in the stands not even getting on the bench; maybe the odd League Cup game. The likes of Welbeck, Wilshere, Lukaku and De Bruyne have all been loaned out in recent years and gone back to their parent clubs as better players. We should have a strong position in that we can offer them CL experience.
Wits
:-)
Apologies I’m blaming the lateness of the hour, time for sleep me thinks!
Apologies the first green link was an olde Wan.
It was mean’t to be….
Unhappy?
Anyways, apologies for the confusion…
Beram,Efe,Nir.csc
Beram is about to show he is a Champions League player IMO.
GlassTwoThirdsFull
————-
I think a major problem with football and especially English football is they don’t even send out players on load. They hoard them cos they can afford it. Total disaster for everyone.
Man U signed Zaha from Palace last year, they wanted him on loan this season Man U said no, the guy hasn’t appeared on the bench one yet, 20 years old and already starting to decline.
Kagawa made team of the year 2 years running in German league, signs for Man U, hardly plays.
As long as top clubs stock pile every player football will continue to head down the plug hole.
SydneyTim
22:57 on
1 September, 2013
Summi. Of course hooper is replaceable and give our manager 6m and he will find him
At the moment we did not replace him
As Neil says himself he did not get his goal scorer. He does not mention anything about money
For the 2nd time in 5 days he is saying the board does not support. And this is the guy who gets paid officially by PL.
+++++++++++++++++++
Repeating what is not true does not make it true. NL explained to Jim Spence on radio what he meant by no help. One was agents, in particular on messing about on K Wilson, the other was bampots who do not know what they were talking about.
Alright the first was true, on the second he actually said puesdo intellectuals on the internet, which could not have been me, so it must have been you. :)
I think Kayal will be for the off in January, Biton is younger and “better”
the long wait is over
You never addressed any of the points I made about players who have come.Or the fact we pay more than the majority of teams on the continent.Players want the cash first.We can offer them a lot more to go with it.This argument does not hold water.If it did no one would be joining us.Or are you saying we have signed players no one else would want?.
.
Auldheid..
SydneyTam..Could’nae spell Subo-Ineffectual..;-)
But He does resemble Ole Ms Boyle..
Summa of SuboTimCSC
SydneyTim
23:31 on
1 September, 2013
Burnley I would have taken the 5m we paid for 2 proven non goal scoring strikers (Balde pukki ) plus 1m and bid for Neil target. Finbogason and use the above wages for finbogason
Don’t want to break any bank. Just buy smarter
Exactly.This kind of logic seems beyond many.Anyone think that we will make a great profit from Balde?.Pukki MIGHT turn out to be a 30 goal a season man,would anyone bet on it?.Finnbogason would.No one is asking for the moon,but if we are going to spend money,spend it better.
We are shopping in the CL bargain basement as that is our level..
paddybhoy1888
23:03 on
Life throws up some tough ones lost my mum to breast cancer 17 years ago.. Its amazing what the docs can now do these days and I hope and pray your sis makes a full recovery.
Right guys, off to bed. My wee mum is doing absolutely fine after her stroke and five seizures on friday. She really is amazing for 93. I have put this down to all the prayers said and candles lit worldwide from this amazing Celtic Family. Please keep your support going as she really needs it. Me? I am shattered with all the running about, but it is well worthwhile to see her smiling again. Celtic Family, thank you thank you and thank you again, from this family. :)
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar
relentless negativity cannot be healthy
What is the Stars
So being a very astute business man makes you a very astute football owner.I take it Alan Sugar is still doing a great job at Spurs.How did Wigan ever get relegated?.The majority of very astute business men have made a total @rse of running football teams.
You can clap as much as you like.Finnbogason would have been a better buy than Balde and Pukki.We are gambling again.I hope you are right in the long run.
.
Courtesy The Express..
Barry Fry hits out at Celtic
PETERBOROUGH director of football Barry Fry has slammed Celtic for unsettling star striker Lee Tomlin before their League One game with Crawley and for making derisory offers for one of their top talents.
Celtic-s-bid-for-Lee-Tomlin-before-his-match-against-Crawley-messed-with-his-head Celtic’s bid for Lee Tomlin before his match against Crawley messed with his head
Express Sport understands the first offer for Tomlin, above, was around £1.5million and by the time the third was made it had gone up to £2.5m.
Fry said: “The timing was poor. I got a phone call at 10.30am on Saturday, when I was on my way to see our Under-18s, from Tomlin’s agent asking us to pull him out of our game with Crawley.
“He told me Celtic were going to bid and I told him that it doesn’t matter if Celtic bid because gaffer Darren Ferguson had picked his team and Tomlin was playing.
“I then told my chairman, who relayed that information to our manager. I got back to the office and we had an official bid at 11.30am.
“I replied to chief executive Peter Lawwell and told him I had to actually check the date because I thought the offer was an April Fool’s joke and was nowhere near acceptable.
“He emailed me back and told me I had given all the girls in the office a laugh. He increased the bid, which we turned down again, and then at 4.27pm, during the game, he made a third offer.
“The offers were increased by £1million over the three bids but the first offer was just so poor it wasn’t even worth considering.
“I then phoned Peter at 5.30pm and told him it wasn’t going to happen because our valuations were miles apart.”
It upset our player. First, he refused to play and then he did play and ended up getting subbed at half-time because he’d been so poor
Barry Fry
Fry had also expected Celtic to make an offer two months ago.
He explained: “There were three bids on Saturday but this has been rumbling on since July 1, when we were on pre-season in Ireland.
“Tomlin told us his agent had said Celtic were going to bid for him.
“Since then it’s snowballed and snowballed but we never heard anything until Saturday morning, when they made their first bid.
“It upset our player. First, he refused to play and then he did play and ended up getting subbed at half-time because he’d been so poor.
“Then he had a row with the manager. It has clearly upset the applecart.”
Celtic did sign keeper Max Oberschmidt on loan until January to bolster their youth ranks. The ex-Energie Cottbus prospect will provide competition for Chris McCart’s youth side for their domestic and UEFA Youth League commitments.
Lennon will now turn his attention to the free market, when the transfer windows across Europe close tonight.
The SPL champions were able to add Israel cap Nir Biton and Finnish striker Teemu Pukki for more than £3m and let Tony Watt move to Belgian side Lierse before the close of the Scottish market on Saturday.
But the Hoops ran out of time in their loan bid to sign Manchester United youngster Alex Buttner.
Lennon still feels his squad is a bit thin and has told chief scout John Park to scour the free transfer market to bolster his squad.
They’ll need to wait until tonight when the windows in the likes of Italy, Spain, England and Germany close and players decide whether to take late terminations that will allow them to move to another club.
Express Sport understands Lennon might look for a left-back, striker and maybe another keeper.
Summa
Oops, meant to say, Night night Timland (#1 ask Summa) :))
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar
Stop the rot :o)
http://youtu.be/C2ZKQfp7D6U
Summa of Sammi….
To be fair to ST I could not spell psuedo either! lol
Weefrathetim
much better news than only a day ago :-)
James Forrest is praying for The Unconquerable Oscar Knox
16:02 on 1 September, 2013
Parliament voted against war this week. Rangers fans want to deify a dead soldier. Yesterday, at Ibrox, they unfurled their banners, and the posters bore his name.
What are they doing this “in memory of”?
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/in-memory-of/
~~~~~~
Jings..! Crivvens..! Help M’Bhoab..!
“James Forrest” Plumbs New Depths With The Latest ‘Schoolboy Essay’….
On His Sad Little HAteBlog….
Thought He Was Just ‘Our’ Version Of The Desperate,Pish-Stained Leggoland….
Albeit Without The Latter’s Surefire Command Of Spelling,Grammar,And Punctuation..
Courtesy Of His Celebrated Primary School Teacher….
But I Was Wrong….Very Wrong.
He Is WORSE….Much WORSE….!
He Makes Goebbels Look Like An Mere AMATEUR….
A Truly Dangerous Marxist Fifth Columnist…..
A Pernicious Common Purpose Lackey….
Who Seeks To Destroy The Very Fabric And Traditions Of Our Ancient Island Kingdom…
Whilst At The Same Time,He Has Boasted On This Sainted Blog..
.
About Planning To Move Away To A Foreign Country…..
Presumably To Whatever Part Of The Remaining Anglosphere..
Will Take Him…
Like A Rat, Jumping From A Sinking Ship….
Labour Flunky,Jim Murphy MP, Got Him SPOT ON !
Part-time Legend In His Own Lunchtime…
And Full-Time Coarnerboy..!
Right..? Darned Right..!
~~~~
So The Rangers Support,For Whatever Motive….
Chose To Honour The Memory Of Drummer Lee Rigby….
At AsbestosDome….
I Would Consider This To Be An Admirable Gesture…..
And Hopefully,They Collected Funds For The Bereaved Wife And Child Of This Soldier..
I Consider It A Matter Of Regret That Our Celtic Support….
Does Not Show Any Inclination To Demonstrate Similar Sentiments..
In The Face Of Such An Evil Act…
Which Should Serve To Unite Us ,As A Community..
This Atrocity Attained Increased Significance….
Because It Was The Murder Of A Serving Soldier…..
In The Middle Of The Day..
On The Streets Of Our Capital….
Only Yards From His Home Barracks…
In A Calculated Political Gesture…..
By Jihadists,(Who Did Not Show The Slightest Evidence Of Being PSYCHOTIC)…
And Who Then Hung Around,To Gain The Maximum Publicity For Their Evil Act…..
And If Forrest Cannot Discern Why This Murder Has Gained So Much Significance…..
In Comparison To The Other Murders Or Accidental Deaths Of Soldiers Mentioned…..
He Is An Even Bigger Moron Than I Suspected…..
[ Right On,TSD….! Ed ]
The EDL Was Originally Set Up In Luton (In 2009?)…..
By Native Residents Of Luton…..
With Their Leaders Drawn From The Irish Catholic Diaspora…
.
Following The Shameful Abuse Rained Down On Members Of The East Anglia Regiment, By Islamist Extremists…
As They Paraded In Luton,On Their Return From Service In The Gulf…
The Islamists Were From The Latest Manifestation Of Al- Muhajiroun
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Muhajiroun
And Luton,Like East London….Is The Hotbed Of These Extremist Islamist Organisations..
Given Their Close Links With The Armed Forces,It Is Unsurprising That The EDL Should Choose To Mount A Protest At The Scene Of This Latest Atrocity….
And As Usual,It Was The Thugs Of The UAF, Who Caused The Disturbances..
But You Would Never Guess From The Media Coverage…..
(PS…Do ‘Self-Proclaimed’ Atheists Pray ?)