Ange seems to be systematically filling up these analyst/sports science roles. A lot of that knowledge left the building post Rodgersā departure and Lennon didnāt believe in that kind of thing. A football man knows about football and doesnāt need some data scientist advising him!
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Itās this lad here. Iām sure he canāt be judged by his twitter account but he seems more like a lower level analyst that a data mastermind.
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Iām thinking of transitioning into this area by 2025.
Could you recommend any data analytics courses with a footballing flavour?
There seems to be any number of these lads being plucked from Twitter these days, albeit Iād say the money is fairly shite.
Rodgers hired a 19 year old Celtic blogger called Jack Lyons and took him to Leicester. James Maddison gave him a mention last year and credited him with a goal he scored. Some movement or late run into the box or something Lyons thought he could add to his game and he scored from it.
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Yeah I reckon this new lad is more of that Jack Lyons type. But you need a few of those guys.
Iād like to see you become the first Stength and Conditioning and Data Analsis expert
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Iād advocate a constraints led approach to all aspects of playersā lives. Get them properly toughened up off the pitch so any hardship on it is a walk in the park in comparison. Iād arrange for people to try to run them off the road when driving to training and so on.
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Yes Mr Lawwell.
Ok Mr Lawwell.
Iāll do it first thing Mr Lawwell.
Celtic bailed out of a bidding war with Middlesbrough for Riley McGree after the English outfit slapped in a bid worth up to Ā£5million for the Aussie.
Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou thought heād landed the 23-year-old Charlotte FC star ā who he called up when in charge of the Socceroos ā after an initial Ā£2m fee was accepted by Major League Soccer. The deal looked set to be rubber-stamped but McGree did a U-turn after Middlesbrough returned to the table.
Chris Wilderās Championship outfit have been chasing the former Birmingham loan star for months and they upped their offer to secure the playmaker after offering Ā£2.5m up front and double the amount in add-ons ā and earn the player up to Ā£20,000 per week.
McGree is understood to have done his medical on Teesside on Wednesday and the move is set to be sealed in the next 24 hours barring any more last minute twists.
Celts were keen on the kid but the skyrocketing fee blasted above their valuation and Postecoglou will now focus attention on other targets.
Postecoglou has drafted in Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Icheguchi from Japan in deals worth up to Ā£6m and also added promising Irish youngster Johnny Kenny.
The Aussie is close to nailing down a permanent deal for attacker Jota while talks with on loan Spurs defender Cameron Carter-Vickersā representatives are underway over a full time switch to Parkhead.
Postecoglou is still in the market to further bolster his squad and has been linked with Iranian attacker Mehdi Ghayedi, who is currently attracting attention with Shabab Al Ahliās Ghayedi in the United Arab Emirates.
AZ Alkmaarās Albert Guomundsson has been touted across the continent as the Iceland midfielder moves in to the final six months of his contract in Holland.
Celts have also been credited with interest in Algerian international midfielder Ahmed Kendouci after his manager demanded his board at Entente de Setif refuse to sell him to the Hoops.
And the Parkhead club reportedly asked former Rangers favourite Madjid Bougherra for the lowdown on the 22-year-old.
Celtic have been linked with a move for Kendouci in Algeria and the speculation has caused his clubās manager, Nabil Kouki, to insist the club donāt sell, with Entente de Setif just two points off the top of their league.
He said: āLast season, we missed out on the title because we sold important players in the transfer window. I very much hope and expect that it wonāt happen this time.ā
Algerian outlets reported Celtic had even contacted Bougherra ā who played for Rangers for three years and is now a coach with the African nation ā for info on the playmaker.
Kendouci, who has two years left of his deal and is valued at Ā£1m, has been capped once for his country, but didnāt make the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Bring him home?
Off to Udinese apparently
So we are currently being linked with that Algerian midfielder, the Iranian winger and Gudmundson from AZ. The former two seem very much like the speculative punt like a Soro/Klimala type buy, they would probably be fairly inexpensive so Iād have no issue with that but they would not be kind of tailor made players for Angeball like the Japs or McGree would have been. Gudmundson is out of contract in the summer so probably unlikely to join in January.
The big one would obviously be Wolf. Iād imagine our interest was concrete and McGree had a very similar profile to him, perhaps we pursued McGree as he was the cheaper option but it will be interesting if we firm up our interest in Wolf with a bid now.
My priority would be to get Jota wrapped up on a permanent deal at the minute and maybe follow it with CCV. Iām pretty happy with the squad following the additions and return to fitness of the injured contingent.
Very interested to see if Dembele can force his way into the reckoning now. The right wing spot is very much our weakest area.
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Bit of an upgrade for them as opposed to their links to Welsh 
Ange has confirmed McGree is going elsewhere. Also doesnāt expect to sign anyone else in this window.
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Ange has trawled the World to be fair to them. Itās the right idea for Celtic I think, become a sort of Ajax bringing them in from all over for cheap and selling on. Ajax have shown that doesnāt mean you need to be shit either
I hope heās not ruling out permanent deals for Jota and CCV this window, would be nice to get them over the line and not be fuckacting about come the summer.
Ange said we werenāt in for anyone else before we were in for McGree so Iād say heās still on the hunt for signings. He just prefers not to do it publicly.
Ange Ange Ange
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- Griffiths not coming back and looking elsewhere.
- Jota back training but a few weeks away. No deal likely during January.
- Welsh not leaving.
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Montgomery heading out on loan.
Good news. He needs a run of games. Currently not up to standard but a loan or two can help him, weāve seen how long it took Ralston to emerge properly.
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Yeah, if we could get another winger in then Iād loan out Mikey too as he needs a run of games to get his sharpness and confidence back.
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Celtic have released Leigh Griffiths.
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