It looks like we will have 3 with options to buy which makes it more palatable (though the two full backs both look like good players and weâve no options on them). And one could argue that with multiple long term injuries (CCV, Johnston, Jota, Osmand (at a push)) that loans make more sense than normal.
But none of that excuses the failure to replace Kyogo or Kuhn properly. Or the failure or actually strengthen areas we are weak like midfield. And the young defender seems a very strange signing.
Hope the new guys are good and we want to make them permanent. But it will be very surprising if we happened upon some quality unexpected quality rummaging around in the heart defects bin.
In fairness araujo and the tarantula both look decent. The lad at Brentford could be good. Half interested cultured footballers are not what we need though. There are only so many thoroughbreds you can manage into a team. Need the dockers.
That came up in early January. Tony Bloom isnât going to cannibalise his investment in Hearts by allowing a title rival to get a Brighton owned player. Similarly Celtic reportedly enquired (inquired?) about Joel Piroe at Leeds a couple of weeks back & were laughed out of it because of the huns & Leeds having the same ownership.
Yeah Iâm left with the hope the three bhoys signing today add something positive despite Mkuvaâs stats being pretty poor & the kid from Brentford having no experience at all. Thereâs been occasions when the heralded January signings in Glasgow havenât worked out - Aaron Ramsey for example - & someone unexpectedly emerges as a quality addition. At least the frontline looks better equipped for the last stretch with Cvancara, Junior & Iheanacho.
I dunno though, I agree totally on the midfield & right wing. With the vast resources available & all the time since the summerâŚsurely, surely they should have been capable of having targets lined up & signed early in the month on permanent deals. A couple of midfield additions would have given them leeway to accept the crazy Engels money when that interest came yesterday. I also donât buy that line that was trotted all month about it not being practical to sign players permanently as weâll have a new manager in the summer. A quality player is a quality player & both managers & players come & go these days.
I do take the point on players being long term injured & coming back complicating things but I think equally you need to be planning better for the future. Like have we seen the best of CCV at this stage? Should we be thinking about selling him in the summer when he gets back fit? The clubs from mid-lower tier leagues who have success with this develop assets/player trading model have the ability to have the replacement already secured before they sell someone. CCV tore his achilles in early October. I donât think itâs unreasonable to expect Celtic to be signing a first team centre back to pressurise Scales & Trusty rather than a kid from an EPLâs club academy just to take the 4th choice CB role vacated by Simpson-Pusey.
The ambition to push on just isnât there. And the Desmonds try to frame it like fans are demanding extreme financial recklessness when thatâs not the case at all.
The rebuild required will be akin to Angeâs first season when he had to sign a full team between summer (Hart, Juranovic, CCV, Starfelt, Jota, Kyogo, Abada, Giakoumakis etc) & winter (Maeda, Hatate, OâRiley etc). If MON wins the league itâll be an outstanding feat but a sticking plaster too. Itâs a win by any means necessary scenario now.
Seen it mentioned that the new scout that joined at the start of January with a good reputation from Chelsea was likely to have recommended the lad from Brentford but I dunno.
Dermo has looked over the books and decided the medics are paid too much
âGet rid of them for cheaper ones, they do fuck allâ
âWe canât Dermo, theyâre under contractâ
âWell go out and get a few crocks on loan. Make them earn their keepâ
I donât think ccv and scales play well together as Iâve said before. They both slow the ball and together itâs amplified. Scales and trusty look better albeit youâll get the odd disaster. I donât mind the Brentford signing. He may well be ok. Iâd be wary if theyâre willing to sell though.
Yes, that was 2021, quite an anomaly whether due to the drastic situation Ange inherited, maybe his strong personality or even the fact Lawwell was in between retiring as CEO & being appointed Chairman. But that one batch has been sustaining the club to a large degree ever since. Some of these are clearly on the way down now too but theyâre not being adequately replaced.
They did. Apparently we used CAA Base (an agency) to do the whole window pretty much. Theyâre Angeâs agents and we just got them to do all our work.
Theyâve addressed to some degree at least a lack of pace & physical strength/aerial prowess in the squad.
Mvuka is meant to be rapid, even if his output is questionable. Cvancara has already showcased pace at Hearts & heading ability in his goal yesterday, while Junior is tall & fast too.
Missing those attributes in centre midfield though.