Lewis Morgan has had a difficult shift this season. The 23-year-old winger was used sparingly as a squad player before the concurrent absences of Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griffiths and Bayo saw him drafted into the striker role against Rennes on 28th November.
Lewis scored a good goal that day but he is not a striker. He made another four appearances in that position before Edouard’s return, which brought the experiment to an end. He made 17 appearances in League One for Sunderland during the second half of last season. In the Wembley play-off final, he was brought on as an early substitute, while Aiden McGeady remained on the bench, but his time in the North East was not particularly productive.
Now he is Going to Miami for talks with Inter (not that one), with the MLS side having agreed a fee with Celtic for his permanent transfer.
There are several things about our experience with Lewis Morgan I like. Celtic scouts considered him the top talent in the Championship, a player with the potential to make the step up. It is good that we sign players like this.
He was loaned back to St Mirren, then after six months at Lennoxtown, out to Sunderland. He was given a chance in the qualifiers, then put through the striker turmoil, which gave Neil Lennon a chance to assess the player.
The player has a League Cup winner’s medal and a Wembley experience, things that he will be talking about for the rest of his life, and is likely to sign a contract to keep him in Florida for a few years. He would have hoped to hold down a first team place at Celtic, but on balance, the move from St Mirren has worked out well for him.
We have difficulty keeping players who are outstandingly successful, but they usually leave a for fee that allows us to further strengthen. What happens with players who do not make the grade is also important. Getting them off the wage bill, for a fee and hopefully a profit, stops the budget from being clogged by unproductive costs, a problem we have discussed on these pages since the days of Martin.
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celtic
All well and good but lucky to make a profit on Morgan and in dire need of quality that is first team ready.
HH
Paul67
We’re selling Lewis Morgan at a profit, the fee is considerably higher than we paid St Mirren.
Makes sense to me.
It’s a non story really, sign and player that wasn’t good enough, use him for a bit and then move him on. Including wages its probably worked out even.
There are far more relevant unproductive costs in non playing staff costs.
A couple of things………..
Re Fat Charlie an’ The Gunslinger………………………Have we submitted totally on these two affronts?
If so. why……..
HH
.
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/patient-taylor-deserves-his-chance/
The Tierney replacement conundrum has seen Bolingoli dominate game time in the first part of the season. Hayes has been the preferred alternate and Taylor has had to fill in the margins.
How do the performance numbers help us assess the success or otherwise of the Tierney succession?
P67
No argument with a cost neutral(ish) coming in and going out of squad experiments.
The real and pressing issue at hand however is bringing in a handful of game changers.
Any news or thoughts?
HH jg
Ah well,no Carlsberg Friday then.Efes will have to do.Still ,Lenny informs us,that our chief scout is working flat out.I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear this news.You know,background checks,is he suitable,all sorts of stuff that needs checked before we buy.I just wonder what he was doing all of December.Obviously not what his equivalent at Liverpool was doing,as they had,Emperor Hirihito or whatever his name is,in on the first day.
Anyway,we have plenty of time,Kilmarnock away,is a week on Wednesday,and you know how new signings bed in straight away.You do,don’t you?.
We are 1/3 of the way through this transfer window. As yet we’ve patted ourselves on the back for offloading two players and saving money. It looks like we are going to the wire that is January 31st, as usual and hoping for a couple of loan players. None of the players we have been linked with are inspiring.
Our chances of winning the League are somewhere between 40-60%. Should we fail to take 3 points at Kilmarnock on Wednesday week, those chances will imo drop below 30%.
Neil said two players in this week, apparently. Where are they?
Absolutely no urgency whatsoever unless it concerns the balance sheet. Almost two weeks since a watershed defeat and we have done nothing.
Good business all round – he was not very good. Let’s get wee paddy back now from City. He’s getting no minutes at Norwich.
Chump change in the grand scheme of things.
Good luck to the boy. There are a few earners that are clogging up the squad that we can’t move on because no one wants them.
Such are the joys of football contracts. Nice work if you can get it.
Best position to make a lot of money without actually playing? Back up goalkeeper. There are numerous guys making 1-2 million a year in the EPL for this pleasure.
* since the glorious days of the blessed St Martin O’Neil, fixed that for you.
HH
Very sorry for Lewis that things didn’t workout. A really nice footballer, and a nice person. All the best, and you will always be one of the Celtic family.
Hail Hail Lewis!
P.S just looked up Sergio Romero’s salary as back up to De Gea.
Sergio is on 3.6 million a year.
De Gea is on 18 million a year.
OVERSEASBHOY on 10TH JANUARY 2020 12:40 PM
Good business all round – he was not very good. Let’s get wee paddy back now from City. He’s getting no minutes at Norwich.
=====
Pretty sure he moved to Middlesborough last week, also on loan, after Norwich deal was cut short.
HH
OVERSEASBHOY on 10TH JANUARY 2020 12:40 PM
Might be difficult. He’s just signed up with Middlesbrough
HH
I don’t think selling Lewis Morgan will dilute the quality of the squad but losing another forward minded player is a worry. Hopefully Neil Lennon has a couple of quality attackers lined up to replace Lewis Morgan and Scotty Sinclair (Peace be apon him)
Lenny is quoted today saying he wants to add quality and experience to the squad to augment the youth we have in our squad (which I totally agree with) . The day after Scott Sinclair ( who has both qualities in abundance imo) is allowed to leave after being frozen out of the team.
It really is a funny old game.
HH
As much as I liked the first Sinclair,as opposed to the shell who hung about for a while,I really can’t see where the “Celtic treated him badly”comes from.He was reputedly on 33 grand a week.Treated badly,give me a break.Giving him the extension to try and get a fee for him,seen as a bad thing.The planet some people are on,has not been discovered yet.
I liked Lewis Morgan. Was never given a chance to play in the position which made him a success at St Mirren. Two-footed players always give me hope that another Lubo is possible.
I read a suggestion earlier that if Moussa moves to EPL the Lyon may come a calling for Edouard. And the poster hoped the board would have the cajones/ cojones to hold out until the end of the season.
I can’t see that happening as it would make no sense to Lyon – they still don’t have a player to replace Moussa, Celtic would potentially have a player who is dis-inclined to give 100%, and we would then be on the hunt for another replacement at a time when we always hope we can go into Euro qualifiers with a settled team.
If he’s going to go, get it done quickly and get a first rate replacement in immediately.
Selling Lewis Morgan a month after starting him in a cup final obviously raises questions about the depth and quality of our squad.
A squad that has yet to be added to…
TURKEYBHOY on 10TH JANUARY 2020 12:56 PM
I sense your frustration.
And share it.
If S.S was performing well enough , why was he not getting a game ?
Sentiment doesn`t win you games.
Jobo Balde,
From last blog.I totally agree with your 3-5-2 line up.Simunovic Jullien,Benkovic,would look good to me, in whatever order.El Hamady,and Ajer,as back up,factoring in we probably won’t even try for Benkovic.
Wanyama,Benkovic,on loan,Striker bought in to PARTNER Eddyis still my dream window.Get the 9,next season will take care of itself.I might be off course,but a line up of
Foster
Simunovic,Jullienn,Benkovich
Broony,Wanyama
Forrest,Christie,Mc Gregor
Striker,Eddy
must ,even to Lenny look like a team capable of getting the 9.
Just a thought.
Turkeybhoy
He was frozen out the team for non footballing reasons imo. He is a Hunslayer, excellent goal record for us, clearly dedicated to his craft, great fitness levels, quality player who never shirked responsibility on the pitch, looked liked he loved being at Celtic throughout his time with us.
Why do you think a guy like that should be shunted out of the first team plans?
HH
I am satisfied that we have moved Lewis Morgan on when it was evident that he does not have the quality required to be a Celtic player. Too often players in his boat hang around far too long.
We urgently need to sign a couple who do have what it takes though.
If we can get them in the positions required we will be in excellent shape. But its a fine line between being in excellent shape and leaving yourself vulnerable.
HH
Very busy ten days of the window and the ole revolving door Scott Sinclair Lewis Morgan Lee O’Connor all out or on loan, with deals lined up
UNCLE JIMMY (last thread)
Cheers, I, like you, do not want “reckless spending”,certainly not a ‘Kamikaze’ approach, and also like you, at this juncture, I don’t believe we are “all we can be”, on the pitch, or, in the dugout.
However I would like, and expect, a new centre-back, a new midfielder and a new striker – all first-team ready.
I would also like to see us coached differently, set up differently and being a tighter looking unit.
This is our first real domestic challenge since 2011 – that’s a nine-year lead time to deliver the required riposte. To fall at this hurdle will be gut-wrenching.
DBOY
Maybe he lost form.
All this talk of “Wingers”.In the past few games against the Huns,it was the wingers who were non-existent.Seethin has our card marked with this line up.Two strikers,and match them up in the middle.A blind man can see what we are doing wrong.Considering the games against them will be decisive,we should be recruiting in this window with that in mind.Not to get a result at Ibrox in March,could be fatal.
That frustrating feeling when you log on every ten minutes looking for something, anything, from Catman and/or Lenny.
DBHOY,
RE Sinclair.He was a shadow of the player he was with us in his last 18 months.No idea why,but he was.You must have seen it.If not,well,everyone has an opinion.33 grand a week is not being treated badly.
Turkeybhoy 12.56pm
He was frozen out the team for non footballing reasons imo. He is a Hunslayer, excellent goal record for us, clearly dedicated to his craft, great fitness levels, quality player who never shirked responsibility on the pitch, looked liked he loved being at Celtic throughout his time with us.
Why do you think a guy like that should be shunted out of the first team plans?
HH
Anyway,off now.Still scunnered.Watching the brilliant,Messiha on Netflix.
Turkeybhoy
Oops just seen your reply.
I agree his form did fade. But he is a top quality player, that ability will never leave him until old age comes knocking. He still has so much to offer and is exactly the kind of player we need right now imo.
Anyway, as you say it’s all opinions.
HH
I would be delighted to see O’Connor go out on loan and get some experience for 6 months.
Every chance that Moritz Bauer will return to Stoke City in the summer and free up a spot in the Celtic squad for him.
I could not disagree with Paul67 more .
The Scottish championship is not where we should be scouting for players than can hold down a regular 1st place at Celtic .
At a Celtic who want to attain CL qualification and win the SPFL.
We have lost most of our match winners and regular goal scorers from the invincible season.
Dembele,Armstrong, Roberts, Sinclair.
Just count the goals that have been list.
Then add in the loss of the phenomenal KT.
It’s not hard to see why we have looked second best in most of the Derby’s played in the last 13 months.
Lewis Morgan is not an adequate replacement for any of the aforementioned forwards.
How Lenny can use him as a CF in a cup final one month and the next month sell him to a circus team is baffling.
The boy should NEVER have been ahead of SS .
We were showing SS the door , to get him if the wage bill.
We were the luckiest Celtic team that I have ever seen to win that LC final.
Watching Bolingoli gives me chest pains.
Lenny is in real danger of blowing the 9.
This is a big window .
Will we bring in the quality required ?
Recent history says No .
TT
And all the negativity , nay panic , on the back of one bad result against them.
A game we nearly drew and had opportunities to win .