Rodgers keeps putting it up to the board in his media pieces. Not throwing his toys out of the pram in public but consistently saying he wants to improve…to do that we need to strengthen…we have funds available…we don’t need to sell to buy…we have our targets…he’s pinpointed the areas where he wants reinforcements…he’s made the board aware…it’s down to them etc etc.
I think O’Riley leaving this summer was always likely after the interest last January & he’s one of those players who does his 2-3 seasons in Scotland but can then move to a top 5 league & earn multiples of what he’s on at Celtic. But you’d like to have the replacement(s) identified & signed. Is it Engels? Sanches? Bogusz? AN Other? Still no left centre back & left back signed. They’re linked with Dara O’Shea & an American chap called Auston Trusty who plays with Sheffield United for centre back & Owen Beck & some lad from Ajax for left back.
I don’t think Celtic would allow O’Riley & Hatate to leave at the same time but I see Manchester City are linked with Kyogo. I wonder if there’s potential to get one or two of their players in exchange.
At least they seem to be getting some of the squad filler moved on belatedly. The likes of Oh, Siegrist & Lawal have been sold. Mikey Johnston is being chased by Burnley & Sheffield United. Lagerbielke is off to Lecce or Heerenveen. Kobayashi has apparently signed for some second tier Portuguese side but it hasn’t been officially announced yet. Daniel Kelly & Rocco Vata off to the English Championship. There’s probably 2 or 3 more than can be shipped out too.
But fuck sake, they need to sign some first team players next week.
O’Riley leaving is inevitable. He’s been a super player, has never dropped his effort and can’t begrudge him the move.
But adding new players seems precariously close to the end of the window at this point. It’s hard to believe we’ll get (m)any quality players in next week after the delays on Bernardo and Idah
Engels seems reasonably highly rated. Same with Bogusz. And at least one left sided defender is vital.
You have an anxiety that the board have a tendency to peek across the Clyde and react accordingly.
Thing is, it’s easy to spend quickly on mediocrity, and they are absolutely correct, you are better off waiting, but there’s a balance.
It’s been fortunate that the huns have been mediocre and are skint and have stadium issues.
The amount of work needed this week is frightening, no confidence any of it will be done either. Pathetic McGregor spinning the PLC line yesterday on lack of signings
Brendan Rodger’s basically said it was his second time he was at the club so he knows what to expect.
Everyone thinking he’d bang the table for funds this time!
Lawwell is poison. The lad from Tyrone via Italy who kept getting banned from this site was right all along. @Rocko should apologise and appeal for him to return. @Bandage should come down from @Rocko’s hole and apologise as well.
Tierney back must be a near certainty? I was rounded on here when I said the jury was out on the success or otherwise of his transfer to Arsenal, but things have been on the slide a fair bit since. I’d say Arsenal will be happy to cover mush of his wages if they get a loan fee for him, and Celtic will be happy to have a club legend back. He is currently 5th choice left back at Arsenal.
O’Riley was brilliant for Celtic. Didn’t let transfer talk unsettle him & was delivering top class stuff right to the end. Leaves with everybody’s respect & thanks for a job well done. Very much like when I left KPMG in 2006.
So Valle’s (4?) seasons long loan to be confirmed tomorrow.
Bid for Engels rejected today. Celtic offered £6.5mn & his club want closer to £10mn. Sky Sports in Germany reporting the player wants the move & has agreed personal terms with Celtic.
Celtic pushing for Bogusz again too after he played in the MLS League Cup final last night. LAFC apparently looking for a premium on the fee as their transfer window is closed. Again the player said to be keen but the club to club side needs to be sorted.
Then it’s centre back & I fear it’ll be another late loan from England, ala Nat Phillips last season. Kinda domino effect stuff based on what way other clubs go & seeing who’s available at the eleventh hour. You’d think they’d have identified & signed a centre back to replace or compete with Scales to partner CCV. Lagerbielke on his way to FC Twente on loan.
Not sure if they’ll try to sign anyone else. Don’t think there’s much to the Lazio winger or Edouard returning rumours.
Lads we are an absolute shambles. Running around with our money hanging out of our back pockets to LA and Augsburg at the last minute. This board and Lawwell have to go
They haven’t even announced the Barca chap on loan yet, never mind any permanent signings this week.
They’ve done this before - haggled over a few hundred k & ended up missing out on players - but they can’t have it both ways. They procrastinate all summer, pissing around trying to lowball teams but these clubs can see Celtic have brought in significant fees for O’Riley & others. Of course, those sides are going to hold you to ransom in the last week against that backdrop. They know you need to strengthen & have plenty of resources.
So much for getting players in early to adapt in pre-season, to blend in with the squad on the US tour, to be ready to join up with the side on their return from the US & ahead of the first league game…now it’s the usual scrambling around in the final week.
@Jake_Stevens should apologise to Brendan Rodgers for getting the side playing so well amidst that shambles in the boardroom.
If it wasn’t Celtic, you couldn’t believe the biscuit tin mentality and ineptitude window after window. Rumoured £200 for the CL campaign to see hammerings again, give us a break