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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Steinreignedsupreme
I knew there had to be a logical reason :-)
unew
Miku tried it on in a few games, but the ole saying held true ‘it wouldn’t shrink to fit’
Anyone know when philvisreturns?
And another thing…
Is Finbogasson the new Jordan Rhodes ?
bournesouprecipe
12:09 on 2 September, 2013
Ole PSG spent £54,000,000 on a striker but still won’t be dining at the top table with
Celtic.
———————-
That sir is a perfect time for the defense to say
“your Honour I rest my case” :))))))))
Till later
Nursery run wae the wee man
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Sadly,looks like PHILVIS has left the building….
Pity,he was a great addition to the site.
Monaghan1900
Reading this from FF
“So in effect, the SPL and its clubs stole money from Rangers oldco’s creditors. That includes HMRC, i.e. schools and hospitals and front line troops lost out to feather the nests of Scotland’s top clubs.”
Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity…. and I’m not sure about the universe
Albert Eistein
Bourne when he removes his TSD mask
UNEWMIKE
Rhodes looks like the offski for £8m.
C’est la vie.
If we are to sign a free agent, what time is CL deadline? Is it 11pm?
Teuchter – re the celtic shirts at Harthill – sadly a lorry driver was killed a year or so ago at the spot. Makes me sad when I pass it every day.
Have the big Spanish clubs settled their outstanding tax bills yet? FFP my erse!
T4
To the Russian front ? Or EPL ?
Kaka surely the most expensive ( €68,000,000 ) player, ever to receive a Bosman.
GetHimOfTheWageBill CSC
UNEWMIKE
Wigan,believe it or not!
I thought agents were double not free
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Not even a Bosman as he is still under contract.
Great player,just didnae work for him at Real.
Perspective is always good, a good friend of mine in Germany diagnosed with advanced lung cancer last week starts chemo today.
God Bless you Wolfgang.
Guess Owen Coyle’s grann has been busy
Kaka robbed our Naka in the Champions League
Bale to Real Madrid.
Is this the first time a team has been transferred on deadline day?
Teemu Pukki is 1.8035734895673568973m tall [approx]
Growing up in Kotka he first heard about the famous Glasgow Celtic when he was helping his grandfather herd their reindeer.
The dominant bull in the herd suddenly pulled up lame, and Antony Stokes, who happened to be passing on his way to the rally of a thousand lakes, saw the animal’s plight and offered to help.
Using his trusty Swiss Army knife he swiftly and painlessly removed the cause of the pain [ a carelessly discarded ring pull].
He kept the animal calm [ a fully frown reindeer bull is the same size as a Subaru Impreza, and almost as quick ove rthe frozen tundra!] by recounting his winning freekick at Tannadice.
‘Even in this beautiful, remote region careless littering has consequences’ mused the bold Anto.
BMCUW
Very similar to some players that join the ole Celtic *then leave again* but the world is truly mad when Kaka at 31, will be earning millions at Milan again after failing so spectacularly with the Galacticos.
What is happening at the club?
First up the board is late with the latest accounts?
Then PL was late with his last minute play for a Third Rate, rotund, never heard of him Hail Mary squad addition.
And now Paul67 is late with his £17mill shock horror exposé.
Something is up.
Arsenal about to spend a bit!
MadMitch
In a loud Batman Voice – just ………”Stop right there!”
Celtic_1st @ 12;07,
Thanks for the clarification, as you say TBB is correct.
The Club that was established in 1872 is awaiting liquidation. Fact.
I believe they know it’s a pretence, I bumped into a chap I knew, we watched the matches together in Marlow during their nine in a row.
We went for a quick pint and Football was hardly discussed, even the England Scotland match was glanced over, incase he was drawn into a Football chat.
We often talk about their brass neck, in many cases quite rightly so, however I believe most are sickened to the core and are trying to put on a brave face.
Hail Hail
Have the podium chasers stopped posting?
allyhuntersgloves
12:01 on 2 September, 2013
Quick question for shareholders. A couple of years ago there was an option to stop taking dividends on your preference shares and donate the money to the club (for youth development if I remember correctly), I signed up for this and stopped receiving dividend cheques. This morning a dividend cheque arrived through the post, anyone got any idea if the scheme to sign your dividend over is closed.
———
Ally, I joined the Script Dividend Scheme. This converts your dividend into new shares.
Paddy T
Philmac takes a leisurely pee all over the Sevco myth that Celtic are skint…
Madmitch are you a clone of donegal danny ?
BSR @ 12.34
It’s a fair cop guv.
I will go quietly, no bean counting for me tonight.
Mitch
I reckon the outcome of the ECL qualifiers is/was so significant to the annual report and outlook that the report has been delayed (versus prior years) so that it represents an accurate view.
Half expecting it today, and would be surprised if it wasn’t issued this week, given that all business is fully accounted for, the transfer window is closed, and we’ve had time enough to comment on the relevant events.
Any time now.
Kinda surprised that Paul is electing to talk about finances without sight of the definitive doc.
Madmitch
Is what is said on the tin.
AC MILAN .
Watched A C Milan 3 —–Cagliari 1 last night .
Milan played 4-3-1-2.
Stadium was @ half full ..
Balotelli played well..
Only 2 Serie A games in , but AC Milan do not look to be as good as Juve / Napoli and Fiorentina
.
ISTANBUL CELT 1234
Do you think they realise ten-bob notes are no longer legal tender?
Absolutely sick fed up of the spin….
We were told the club did not base its budget on European football, now we are told we need UCL to break even………Spin.
We were told the aim is to come out of every transfer window stronger……..Spin
No comment on the cheating of the Zombies and the complicit SFA…….. cowards?
Is the manager making all the signings based on footballing decisions, or is PL signing players based on his opinion of worth?
We have signed players it remains to be seen if they are up to the task, I certainly hope they are, we still do not have an out and out goalscorer, Pukki is more a linking type striker, i dont think (although i hope i am wrong) he will be prolific.
Fair play to the board and PL on the UCL pricing £84 is a great deal so well done on that!
I now wait to be slaughtered for this post by the “Boardamainiacs”
gebhoy
South of Tunis
Roma didnt look to shabby either mate, they played well.