Likely summer signing number two, Virgil van Dijk, arrived in Glasgow this morning for a medical after terms were agreed with the player and his club, Groningen. The 6’4” player, who will be 22 next month, is a Dutch under-21 international.
Virgil is two weeks younger than Victor Wanyama and emerged into the Groningen team around the same time Victor pitched up in Glasgow, they have made almost exactly the same number of appearances for their respective clubs, 62 top flight games in total, in the case of Virgil.
62 games is an interesting figure. Enough to bed in, catch local scouts’ eyes and have well-travelled men from Glasgow watch several times before making a recommendation. Not enough to catch the eyes of less well-organised, but no less resourceful, scouts in the bottom half of the English Premier League, who Celtic now seem to compete for talent with.
If Virgil is the real deal, another couple of dozen games might have changed the competition for his signature.
Is there a 50-80 game window which can deliver sufficient evidence of a player’s talent, but not too much evidence, which evaporates the value gap? This hypothesis would be easy to test and if it holds would provide an interesting filter on the hundreds of names pushed to the club each year.
Have you booked for the Lions Roar event at Celtic Park tomorrow night? Last and precious opportunity to watch how the European Cup was won with the men who did the work. In short, priceless. Tickets available here.
Speaking of the men who won it, buy Heart of a Lion here:
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Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning!
14:56 on
20 June, 2013
HT
That’s a shame.
Agree that Izzy has other strengths, however, I like my fullbacks to resemble Tommy Gemmell.
——————–
I prefer them younger. Tommy must be at least 70 now!!!
@Geordie Munro
Of those players I think only Lassad will be there at the start of next season…I have no inside track – so maybe wrong- I’m just going on what I read in the news.
Rogne has said himself he thinks he is off- and the signing of Van Dijk emphasises that.
Kris Commons has talked about the SC being McCourts farewell game. Celtic directors and management have all talked about selling Wanyama if the price is right and he has talked to Kenyan papers about leaving. Makes financial sense to do so now.
Hooper hasn’t signed a contract. Would make sense to sell if he won’t.
Miku was a loan deal and it definitely hasn’t happened for him.
HT
I bet a70 year old TG would still be better in the air than Izzy!
:0)
A Stor…,
excellent thank you
ht,
I’ve no idea what would happen in such an event, there’s not a lot a minority shareholder can do, but I suspect if I was not happy then there would be quite a few more not happy either, I was hoping to form the questions in such a way to ensure the board are forced under their legal obligations to the shareholders to protect their interests, so if I achieved that and was not happy then it would identify real problems in the governance of our club, now more to the point how would you feel if the board admitted they were not properly protecting the interests of our club
Philbhoy
Mrs borgo prefers her fullbacks to resemble Maldini and Cabrini
What happened to the E.K community trust money?
Malarkey:
Don’t forget Filip Twardzik, it may not be a popular opinion but, from what I have seen of both players, he is a better player, with more potential, than Tom Rogic. I think, given his chance he could prove as good as an asset, if not more so, than Stan Petrov.
twists n turns
Alive alive oh wis my pick 3:05 nr….went with the fav.
canamalar
I’d expect that I would feel the same anger, resentment and frustration that you would.
Oh and maybe some on here are getting over excited about Celtics recent “Number 7” themed articles. I think its just to do with the new strip and its bands of 7 thin green hoops.
But hope I am mistaken and Ronaldo signs tomorrow.
Off oot
malone bhoy
14:22 on 20 June, 2013
Patience, my Mhan …….. We can only hope that signings ‘come good’….. Been GREAT recently….
Three weeks into the window and things looking really positive, especially if the big Dutchman signs. More to come in? I hope so.
I’m quite philosophic about players leaving and if Big Vic goes, he won’t be cheap.
I won’t lose any sleep over Hooper, good as he might be.
From where I’m sitting he doesn’t want to be here.
Hull City look a good fit for him.
He”l get a longer summer holiday there too!
DannyMcgrain didn’t have to be good in the air as Packy Bonner cut out all the crosses.
Jobo
Ronaldo Villiers?
A Stor..,
naw you didny its all there in you post, but I stuck the hyphens in the way you like it :o)
mirff mirff
Malarkey,
If Vic and Hooper are sold I’m 100% sure their positions will be filled with new personel.
Jobo, I quite like it too. I’m no longer a strip buyer due to my post match alcohol dependency but I could be tempted.
A Stor
I put 2/3 players to each position which maybe harsh on Twardzik and McGeouch. Twardzik i think has looked decent when we used him. Mcgeouch I’m not sure imposed himself when he had his chances last season.
…Are they Champions League standard though?
canamalar1:
There are more fans than Supporters, there are more Supporters than Season Ticket Holders, there are more Season Ticket Holders than Shareholders, there are more small Shareholders than large Shareholders, there are more large Shareholders then there are Directors.
It is a chain of trust and means and motivation that becomes vulnerable and brittle if not serviced. The weakest link is trust.
Big virgil dutch under 21
Think holland got to the semi’s and were beat by italy ??
Anyone see much of him.
Sounds like we have a bargain goin by most reviews.
Big vic to southampton my ar**.. I think he will stay another year unless a really big club with good offer come in for him.
Bad thing is too keep vic we need to keep his buddy efe :-( hopefully a rest will sort efe out.
Malarkey,
I’m not sure we are big enough to have 2nd and 3rd choices for all positions who are champs league class…
…yet ;)
Geordie Munro
I agree.
I’m happy with our business so far but replacements for Wanyama and Hooper really have to work out — or we will be a much poorer Champions League team.
Malarkey:
I forgot Dylan, but to answer your question, in my opinion, not yet though I think both have the skill and ability to go on and grace such a stage and I hope they are both given the opportunity to do so with the Celtic Crest on their hearts.
The Battered Bunnet,
Just catching up with today’s blog and I have to say that’s a tremendous result for EKFC. Absolutely delighted to hear that.
I know how much time & effort (not to mention money) has been put into trying to bring some sort of Senior football to East Kilbride and your news certainly is a huge step in the right direction.
However, it saddens me somewhat that the Town’s Junior Club, East Kilbride Thistle, are not involved in some way. I had 3 spells at the Club totalling 8 seasons (including a season with Auldheid’s bhoy who, by the way, is a helluva player) and have some wonderful memories of playing at the Showpark.
Sadly, from what I hear, the Club are in total disarray and have barely enough money to heat the water for the showers post-game never mind pay their players. You just have to look at their results to see what a shambles they are. i don’t think they’ll survive much longer which would be tragic.
Ironically, the money men (I’m sure you know who I mean) behind EKFC approached Thistle some years ago with proposals of investment and development but were dismissed out of hand. God only knows why. I think it got some local press coverage.
They moved onto EKFC and the rest is history. The K-Park set-up is fantastic and I’ve seen the plans for the Langlands development (they’re hanging on the wall in the K-Park changing room corridor!) which also looks great.
So, good luck to all invloved, I’ll be keeping an eye on what is happening and will most definitely catch a game or two.
UF
” Bad thing is too keep vic we need to keep his buddy efe”
Really!!????
Remember ghuys n ghals on this occasion I’m honestly not out to get the board, I’m hoping the board have been waiting for us to force them into action, as long as no one is asking them to act then any action would be deemed by the meeja as the club being unreasonable in this “time of crisis” however if shareholders are pushing the agenda then like any Plc board they must respond to the shareholders concerns.
geordie munro
15:15 on 20 June, 2013
” Bad thing is too keep vic we need to keep his buddy efe”
Really!!????
—
Only joking but the 2 are very good mates apparntly.
I liked efe but cant believe how downhill his performances have been since he came back in january.
Hoping he still comes good.
Geordie Munro
Common in football. Gary Neville was a decent player but got a career out of Man Utd being Beckham’s mate.
Beckham liked having him there and they played well together. Happens in football a lot.
LB
Been offline for a while, any update on Stokesie? Sure hope him and Hooper dont both leave, that would leave a giant hole in our forward line.
Malarkey
If those you say will leave do so, and I agree with you they probably will that leaves us with
Forster Zaluska
Lustig Matthews Izaguirre Mulgrew Ambrose Wilson Van Dijk (should signing go through)
Brown Ledley Kayal Rogic
Forrest Commons Samaras
Balde Stokes Watt
given we generally played 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 last season we probably need a back up left back, a creative attacking midfielder/winger and another forward. That would give a first team squad of 22, backed up by the best of the development team, e.g. Fraser (when fit), Twardyck, Antjic etc.
“Our financial model is to buy and sell players.”
Has to be one of the most pathetic and disappointing things that i have heard in relation to the club.
What is the point of even trying to compete in the European arena,this being the attitude of those running the club?
So all that the club is now is a business,it’s only function is to buy certain players and sell them on for a profit – not like it has been a resounding success so far now,has it? Ki is the only player i can think of that generated a serious profit…Aiden obviously,but sure he came through the ranks.
It may be moneyball(stupid Yank tripe term anyway),but it sure as f isn’t football.
proudbhoy
Efe will be fine. I think the Bhoy has something to offer.
Can’t turn on the Bhoy after a few bad games. He will come good again.
LB
Proudbhoy, I though ye were going all Enoch on us. Lol
I’m one of those who couldn’t imagine the team v juventus without big efe.
Ive no problem admitting that.
Hopefully he quickly returns to his pre African nations form.
A Stor..,
yer on fire pa
hail hail
the weekend is here and I’m out on the razz, will have a read back later and copy paste all relevant suggestions into my book of justice questions :o)
canamalar1:
And only a fool would ever forgert the immortal words of Mr. Jock Stein…
Football is nothing without Fans.
Just seen the new look home strip.
It makes the boys look gift wrapped in sellophane.
canamalar1
Remember ghuys n ghals on this occasion I’m honestly not out to get the board, I’m hoping the board have been waiting for us to force them into action, as long as no one is asking them to act then any action would be deemed by the meeja as the club being unreasonable in this “time of crisis” however if shareholders are pushing the agenda then like any Plc board they must respond to the shareholders concerns.
##########################################################
Keep on trucking pal. Were behind you.
Hx2
Dontbrattbakkinanger
I thought it looked like an advert for toothpaste.
I seem to be in the minority. REEEEELLLY like the new strip