Its pathetic to be scratching around looking in the bargain bucket for signings every window, Celtic must be the only team in world football who get a surprise with every transfer window having not being prepared with potential targets.
Two of Lawwell’s famous lies “we spend every penny that comes in” and “we aim to exit every window stronger than we entered” come back to bite him every six months. All the while there has been cash stockpiled for years now at an increasing rate resulting in corporation tax being paid every year. Lawwell runs a great business, but a terrible football club in terms of ambition, growth and progression. Its depressing the lack of ambition
One of those…I might be clutching but better to receive the warning shot in pre-season than taking the bullets in the CL qualifier. It’s been noticeable that Rodgers’ messaging has changed slightly over the past week about being confident first team signings would be made by the end of the window as opposed to in advance of that qualifier. I half feared the win against Newcastle might lead to misplaced confidence they COULD chance the qualifier round with the squad as it is now. Equally a humbling tonight COULD give them the kick up the arse to get signings in asap. It’s a source of constant frustration that they budget for Europa League participation, hoard cash & release some of it to sign players after they qualify for the CL. They should be signing players in good time to contribute to the qualifiers to ensure the CL qualification is secured. It’s still a very conservative outlook…you’d like them to show more ambition & look to establish themselves & act like a CL club now rather than tentatively tipping around & just banking the cash.
Palma (left winger) - season long loan to Lech Poznan with option to buy
Kwon (centre midfield) - permanent sale to Nantes
Another of the summer 2023 batch of misfits, Marco Tilio, is meant to be joining Rapid Vienna (I think) on a loan with buy option too. Seems it won’t be done until/unless Celtic get signings in. They probably need to hold onto him for the moment as cover in case of injury.
Shin Yamada was apparently handy enough in his 45 minutes at the weekend: 1-1 draw with Al Ahli in Como Cup 3rd/4th place play off before Celtic won the shoot-out to claim the prestigious podium place.
The “we’ll strengthen the squad further if we qualify for the CL” attitude still pervades instead of the “we’ll strengthen to ensure we qualify for & can compete in the CL” attitude that supporters want. It’s more than a bit annoying.
The current links that appear to have anything behind them are:
Jakob Breum (wide attacker) - Danish U21 international, scored 10 goals for Go Ahead Eagles in Eredivisie last season. Herald Scotland reporting Celtic have bid £1.5mn, £1.75mn with incentives & £3mn for him but his club have a firm £6mn asking price & turned down each bid. I get you don’t just agree to whatever fee clubs are asking for but…the bids are ballpark what Celtic paid for the likes of Palma & Tilio. They’ve just sold Kuhn for £16.5mn, yer man is a Danish U21 international with a lot of upside, has impressed in a decent league & these 3 bids have reportedly been made over the past 2-3 weeks. If they think he’s any use & they’re targeting him in the first place then move quicker, up the bids a bit & get him in.
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (centre back) - linked with a loan for 19-year old Manchester City player. I’ve never seen any Pusey myself but he had 6 first team appearances last season during an autumn injury crisis & was Premier League II player of the year. He says he wants first team football now & there’s a host of Championship clubs looking for him too. I’m never too keen on Celtic just taking straight loans to develop other clubs’ players & the club in recent seasons has been getting buy options in these season long loans (CCV, Jota, Bernardo were all initial loans that were made permanent) but it remains to be seen if City are open to an option. A compromise might be one of those buy back options on their side too. You’ll have a section of the support seething that a loan for a young player looks like the extent of the centre back upgrade, but I’ll wait & see on this one…he might have something about him. Unfortunately the jocko league isn’t an attractive option for young talent from outside the country so you’re hoping the prospect of European football trumps a loan at Norwich, Middlesboro or somewhere.
I still think a starting level centre back, winger & striker are needed.
Rodgers upped the ante today in his press stuff ahead of the league kick-off at the weekend. He was still fairly measured midweek when SSN were at the training ground, but his frustration was pretty apparent today. Definite echoes of first time around in saying he must not be a good enough job at persuading the board of the need for signings. And re entering last year of his contract: that if Celtic want somebody to maintain current status then he’s not the man for the job but if they share his ambition to push on then he’s up for it. So either the board deliver on signings asap or this dissent could grow with the contract situation becoming a distraction.
He’s like the priest who runs in from the back of the fight with a kick in father ted. Sits on his hands all summer before a strongly worded email just before the season starts so he has a stalking horse
The Huns have signed Moore from.spuds I see and are showing more ambition* without a pot to piss in. Trouble is the Celtic board don’t really care about winning or losing as long as it doesn’t trouble the P&L
Are we allowed to press the panic button yet after today’s lethargic performance? You’d think today would mean investment is essential but this board has previous and will have seen the huns mess up yesterday as well. It just a shambles really, unforgivable from a positon of strength
The power struggle being played out between Rodgers and the board is fascinating to watch. He really doesn’t/didn’t want the two new Japanese players and today made that abundantly clear. Yang and Idah are miles off the pace and the lack of creativity is really obvious. If the Champions League qualifier goes wrong, which it could easily do, then there will be savage blood letting and Maeda(presumably) will be sold to make up the shortfall. As Billy Shakespeare once wrote ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’ I wonder is there a feeling amongst the board and players that BR is leaving so why spend a load of money or bust a gut?
Paid a lot for idah did they not?
They looked a side that once again will usually struggle against any good side which is interested.
Forrest was the only player who looked dangerous today really.
Still, three points is three points.
I don’t think they’ll do much no matter what happens in the champions league qualifier.
In fairness, they’ll never compete at champions league level consistently because the players would need to be local lads to be that standard and stay in the SPL, and there aren’t many around (it’s not like a Spanish academy), but the Huns will by hook or by crook claw them back, and will do everything they can to do so. I was surprised at the sevco managerial appointment mind. They’re already turning on him for not “wearing the rangers suit” (and presumably brown brogues) in the dugout.