Three matters to discuss today: players in, players out and players who stayed.
As the transfer window closed, the clear need in the squad was competition for our only left back, Greg Taylor. There was never any doubt a player would arrive, but I am delighted (and maybe a bit surprised) we secured the loan signing of Uruguayan international, Diego Laxalt.
He will significantly bolster our effectiveness on the left, which will, in turn, make it more difficult for teams to double up on Jeremie Frimpong on the right, making Celtic far more effective.
You and I have talked through over 30 transfer windows. I don’t think any will top ‘the Robbie Keane’ window in terms of general satisfaction, but this one comes close. In Vasilis Barkas, Shane Duffy, Diego Laxalt, Albian Ajeti and Moi Elyounoussi, we have added five players who will be first choice in most games this season. This is an exceptional return. We have added more players in the past, but I don’t think we have ever added as many starters in a single window.
I know several Motherwell fans who speak very highly of David Turnbull. His early Celtic performances have showed promise. He is comfortable on the ball, very mobile and has a great set-piece delivery. £3m is a lot to spend at a Scottish club but we will have scouted David more than anyone else who has arrived in recent years. He should do well.
We got money for Eboue Kouassi – nothing like the £3m reported, but payment nonetheless. The annual cull of youths who did not make the step up included Jack Aitchison. Four years ago, Jack became the youngest player to represent Celtic in a competitive football game, and with true Roy Race style, scored with his first touch of the ball. It was an exhilarating moment for us all. Remember his name, it will appear in quizzes for the rest of your days.
Regrets? There is one. Fraser Forster will forever be a hero around these parts. He has the unusual distinction of performing just as well in his second period at the club as his first, a talent some embittered pundits who scarcely put a shift in second time around would do well to consider. He was the highest earner at Southampton when he arrived on loan a year ago; £4.5m annually. Celtic were ready to do a deal involving the fee but the keeper prevaricated. Still, as I say, forever a hero.
Fond farewell to Craig Gordon, Jozo Simunovic and Jonny Hayes, all of whom were part of treble successes. Jozo is still without a club and will struggle to make the most of his talents due to injury impairment.
For me, the most surprising outcome of the window was that none of our contracted first choice players were sold, despite the economic situation. Five agents were looking to move their clients south; my informed expectation was, at least one would have to go.
Buying and selling is a gamble, as is not doing so. But, who could gamble with ‘the 10’? When we report our financials soon, there will have been money for at year-end date, 30 June 2020. That will be the last of having savings for some time, we are about to lurch into debt.
The economic headwinds look ominous. Next year, season book renewals will not promote ‘the 10’ and aggregate supporter bank balances will be lower. Like now, next season will also be one where the ‘supporters’ step up, perhaps not the more casual fans.
Upshot of all of this is that we are going to need to get a Champions League qualification and trading policy in place rapidly. Celtic are better placed to meet these times than the vast majority of others; there will be better value in the player market, but only for those clubs who are prepared.
Welcome, Diego, and well played, Celtic.
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Just watch the Guffologists…………..go!
International football is a completely unnecessary and dangerous pastime which
should be stopped immediately. It flies in the face of sensible Covid 19
restrictions. Please give it up before it shuts the game down again.
Clearly not ideal if Eddy is unavailable for the derby, but what concerns me more is the total shit-storm that is about to be created by the SMSM in an attempt to get the entire squad to self-isolate for 2 weeks and derby game forfeited.
Sorry. Fell of my chair when Paul67 said it was best transfer window since the Robbie Keane Lol. Is that the transfer window where we needed investment in quality and experience
But ended up having a fire sale to Balance the books ( Paul 67 words of balance the books used at the time although he denied it later ) to fund Robbie Keanes wages
Gary Caldwell, Stephen McManus, Barry Robson, and Scott McDonald all sold Guys who although top drawer , understood what it meant to play for the hoops , all sold to balance books and the team went downhill with all the cheap duds brought in ( apart from Robbie )
Aye Paul67. What a transfer window ( what’s the phrase about fooling all of the people :((. )
As for this transfer window
Planning for This transfer window should of started in January in planning correct recruits to get us by teams of a fraction of our income
How did that go ??
We had a massive cash level in the bank and invested 11.2m
Supported by Peter lawwel
I will tell the jokes
ST
Gary Caldwell, Stephen McManus, Barry Robson, and Scott McDonald all sold Guys who although NOT top drawer
Meant to say Missed the Not
Good morning from a dry but windy North Staffs.
Good luck to Eddie – I can see this happening for a lot of the season.
11.2 million,!!!!!!!!!!!!!.Well PL has to be applauded for those deals.Are those Record,BBC valuations .
Provided Eddie remains symptom free, he will have to isolate for ten days. That means retuning to Glasgow on the morning of the game. I can’t see him starting.
At best he’ll be back for AC, hopefully Ajeti and Griff are up to speed.
Eddie is a loss as despite his recent form, they’re afraid of him and his absence will boost them. That said, Ajeti will have Goldson and Helander on toast. This is still a game we’re strong favourites to win. 3 points and move on, Celtic.
Get well soon Odsonne and all those affected by this wretched virus.
Football takes a massive 2nd place to health.
HH
Shame about Eddy,but if he can’t play,I have every confidence in Griff and Ajeti.Both are Fox in the box players.Just give them the chances.Anyway,if MAD MITCHs friends Not Jacinda”,dear God,I cringe even writing that,has her way,we might not have a game.Can you imagine the Bigots if she puts the country in Lockdown,and the game is off.
It will be”As clear as the nose on your face,Fenian Hand” at work.
Turkey bhoy. I under stand just over 13m spent and with incomings meant 11.2m net
Never even spent the KT money to go for our most important seasons in years
Eddie just behind Griffiths is a massive loss for Sevco game
Eddie has played mostly upfront on his own
He was tried that b4 Xmas and surrounded mostly by 3 players
Thought it was worked out that he is played as a two up front not one
This season same again mostly 1 front so Eddie been isolated again
Lenny saying Ajeti back in training this week.He and Griff,a full week of training together Every cloud,as they say.
Be very surprised if Eddie is ill at all . It could be one of the many false positives . If by some unlucky chance he really has got the virus it wont affect him that much. For a very fit young man in his twenties it will be just like a flu or maybe not even that.
Sidneytim,
So in a season where every club is losing money,at an alarming rate,including us,you seem to be the only one carping about this window.Sorry,I look at who we have brought in,added to what we already had,and cannot for the life of me,see how we could have done better.All opinions right enough,but I don’t agree with yours,and I suspect,not on my own.
Hail Hail.
So many players and athletes from other sports have tested positive for Covid during the last few weeks is there a single case of any of them being really sick of hospitalized? Any of the Kilmarock or Hamilton players actually sick?
From tennis, to NBA, to NFL, to football, rugby etc.
Guys everywhere are testing positive because . . . They are getting tested. But they are not getting sick.
None of them have struggled on their return to sport either. Djokivic straight back to winning tournaments.
Fit, young and healthy people with no underlying health issues are almost invariably symptom free.
Protect those that need protected, the elderly, the sick, the vulnerable. But these guys playing in their spirts bubbles are not in danger. Let them play.
Sports bubbles.
Turkeybhoy indeed we agree to disagree
Let’s see accounts when they are out
Do you agree if we have more than 30m cash in bank we have not backed the manger ?
I might be wrong and Covid has affected our 39m in bank at accounts last year before season tickets and before KT was transferred
Let’s wait and see
Ps you must also laff at Paul67 taking about the Robbie Keane windy was a success. lol
How can anyone categorically state it’s a false positive ?
Another test ( if negative) only states the person has not got coronavirus at that time.
Similar to an MOT scenario.
We have to live with this virus, this is the only credible future.
HH.
My friends in Celtic,
Charlie Nicholas often talks a load of crap.
However Charlie and all the others who served us well on the pitch should be made welcome at Parkhead.
The only thing worse that been talked about negatively is not been talked about at all.
There must always be capacity for a repenting sinner.😀
HH to all.
Eddie could train in France when his 7 days isolating as required by French law is up so I wouldn’t rule him out.
Very much dependent on how he gets on this week but if remains symptom free, starts training in France next week then he could start.
Given the news with Edouard and all the other players testing positive, I posted yesterday that the entire Livingston squad was in the same restaurant as me, on their way to play Edinburgh city last night . That can’t be right can it? How are they in the football bubble if they are sharing a restaurant with me, I could have anything!
Celtic
In terms of isolating, I don’t believe a false positive matters. He’s in receipt of a positive test and will need to isolate.
If it’s a false positive then he’ll almost certainly be available against the hun once he’s completed his isolation.
SYDNEYTIM
There’s no chance we had 30 million in the bank at year end.
GREENPINATA on 7TH OCTOBER 2020 10:19 AM
So we accept a former player taking swipes at us at every opportunity?
Guys like Nicholas, Walker etc are no better than the rat. These guys took the money and adulation and have thrown it back in the faces of the very supporters who worshipped them.
Scum, the lot of them.
it’s a shame for Edouard but was bound to happen to someone.
Celtic should never have to rely on one player for a sevco game so I think we are covered. If a number of the rest of the squad have to isolate too, then we may have a problem
Take a break Eddy Bhoy and the best treatment available – I’m looking forward to a refreshed Ed huntin’ an’ hauntin’ huns aw season………………
HH.
An dun
Yup it was 38.5M in bank at end of last 2018/19 season. Then we sold KT
But hey ho. Believe the spin
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.bbc.com/sport/amp/football/49857015
Here are the results
Shows that Neil has not been backed
Now how much have Sevco spent against their 10M or so loss
Just as a counterbalance to the glib message of “everything will be fine if you are young and fit”. Let’s hope Eddie, if he is positive, is one of the luckier ones with mikld symptoms
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/sports/coronavirus-survivors-athletes.html
I had a false positive recently.
It was when Greg Taylor finally whipped in a decent cross.
I was fine after the next pass backwards.
HH
OneNightinLisbon – correct. I accept and welcome fair news coverage. Regardless of who is saying it. Can’t stomach however, these clowns with an axe to grind. Snipe, snipe, snipe. They get panel gigs on TV as “Celtic men” only because they will slag us off. Commons and Bonner the same
Contrast with WGS, Sutton and Hartson. They speak honestly but with loyalty too. The same way McCoist does. You know they have a bias but they are not sleekit, trying to undermine “their” club at every opportunity.
Nicholas has been an Arsenal fan since the day he left us.
Celtic Park is a place of salvation……….for all of us.
The meeja sleekits are only as big as thur tainted egos.
Thankfully the vast majority of Tims have a great sense of humour to show-up the bumptious, sleekit show-offs…..
HH.
Sevco’s payment plans run into the decades.
They can quote all they want about ‘backing’ in the millions. They’ve paid little up front this year. Their pursuit of the guy Johnson at Preston was a sign of that as Alex Neil told them their loan to buy option can do one.
They had planned to sell a Morelos, Kent, Tavernier or whoever but frankly nobody blinked.
Just before the window shut they went with the begging bowl for 20p a pop shares.
To compare ourselves against that lot is bonkers.
GLASGOWBHOY on 7TH OCTOBER 2020 10:26 AM
Given the news with Edouard and a
Was it Toni Macaroni ?. I herdd that’s where they eat out before games, particularly at home !
Heard
DENIABHOY on 7TH OCTOBER 2020 10:41 AM
These guys have sold their souls to the hun media. They do their bidding. Put the boot into Celtic at every turn. They are a disgrace and should be chased as far away from paradise as possible.
Big wavy. Was waiting for 1st comment
I was just putting it into perspective
Is our club backing our manger with resources we have available ?
Figures so far say no :(