Saw the link with this lad last week. Why are we signing lads like this? We have the likes of Sheridan coming through from the youth team but itās strikers who are the finished article that we need.
Maybe the same reason Reading signed Kevin Doyle - maybe weāve seen something there thatās impressed us.
By the way did Cuthbert play in the U19 Cup Final by the way? I saw him playing in the reserves against the huns and he was excellent, so hoping he didnāt get a roasting by Furman or someone.
I think we have our McDonalds, Sheridans, Beatties of this world. Now we need to go and get a Torres tp partner Jan.
Seems that any time a club signs someone on the cheap the Kevin Doyle reference will be used.
Iām not suggesting that heāll be as good as Kevin Doyle or that every cheap signing will be as good as Kevin Doyle. That said thereās nothing inherently wrong with signing a young striker if we think heās a prospect.
I donāt think Sheridan is ready for the first team next season. Heās a good prospect but heās hardly played for the reserves - and in fact he hasnāt even played that much soccer at all.
But thatās my point. I donāt envisage a youngster from Dungannon Swifts will be ready for the first team either. The Irish League appears to be a lower standard than the Eircom League too with the hidings some of their teams have taken in the Setanta Cup in recent weeks. The lack of goals scored by our first team strikers this season is a real concern, thatās why Iād prefer if we signed a renowned, proven striker rather than signing a youngster who, while he may have some ability, in all probability wonāt be any way better than what we have already.
But thatās my point. I donāt envisage a youngster from Dungannon Swifts will be ready for the first team either. The Irish League appears to be a lower standard than the Eircom League too with the hidings some of their teams have taken in the Setanta Cup in recent weeks. The lack of goals scored by our first team strikers this season is a real concern, thatās why Iād prefer if we signed a renowned, proven striker rather than signing a youngster who, while he may have some ability, in all probability wonāt be any way better than what we have already.
I edited that picture - scroll up to see it. Is that the same guy? I think it is.
[img width=203 height=152]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42635000/jpg/_42635717_mark_mcallister_203.jpg
I donāt think heās expected to become a first team striker right away either. But I think itās time we decided that the Beat isnāt going to make it and sold him on somewhere. McAllister might make it, he might not, but if weād signed him as a 15 year old nobody would have a problem. As it is weāve let him mature and Iād say heās as fit as anyone at the club for his age.
Iām not angry or anything. Just think we should be concentrating on signing a striker(s) who can come straight into the first team. Also fearful that signing lads like this can halt the progress of a player like Sheridan if this guy jumps the queue.
I donāt think just because itās likely a Park and McStay signing that itās impossible to have a problem with it. Iām merely expressing my concerns in a quantity over quality context.
Itās impossible to have a problem with the quality of the signing if you acknowledge itās a youth team signing. If we signed a 15 year old from Ireland you wouldnāt have a problem with it. As it is weāve allowed the guy to develop and weāve signed him when heās still a teenager. If weād signed a no-mark 19 year old Swede or Icelandic from a semi-professional outfit I donāt think thereād be complaints.
I disagree. I thought the whole point of a youth academy was to get players at an early age and then coach them in the manner the club deems appropriate to give them the best possible opportunity of making the first team. I would think thatās the favoured option when signing young players rather than taking a player who has already completed his early development at semi professional/amateur level in the north. Again, not annoyed by the signing but of course I reserve the right to express my opinion one way or the other - just because itās a youth team signing it doesnāt automatically follow that itās above being questioned. I repeat my belief that the emphasis should on signing first team strikers given the dearth of goals scored by our current ones this season.
Itās preferable to have most players come up through the academy. That isnāt always the best route though - see Doyle. Even Sheridan only signed for us last summer. He wasnāt brought through the underage ranks the way most guys were. Itās also possible McDonald didnāt want to go anywhere until he finished school and minor football. I doubt it will have harmed his prospects.
I donāt think it has any relevance to our first team signings. Itās not instead of a first team striker.
Doyle was ready to play first team football immediately though, I doubt this guy is. Thatās why I mentioned youth signing policy and why I questioned the signing. He might be excellent with oceans of potential or he might not. If weāre signing players of this age then Iād like them to be capable of playing in the first team straight away.
Has he played representative football for either 26 or the 6? If not has he expressed a preference for which Irish team he will choose should he be good enough.
Arsenal are signing the 'keeper that replaced Boruc at Legia Warsaw. He was heavily linked with Celtic in the last few months in the event that Milan or somebody come in for The Holy Goalie. Fabianski is meant to be a superb prospect.
From Breaking News down the side:
Arsene Wenger has confirmed Arsenal are set to sign Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Fabianski, 22, is about to join the Gunners from Legia Warsaw and will challenge Jens Lehmann next season.
That will be done, Wenger told the clubs website www.arsenal.com.
He will be our new goalkeeper. He will join us next year, be in the squad and compete for a position.
He is one for the future. We have identified him as having all the qualities to challenge here and be one of the future great goalkeepers for Arsenal.
It looks the McAllister deal is all set to go through. I also read today that Strachanās gone in for hip surgery and is likely to miss the last 2 league games. He hopes to be back for the Cup Final though. Surgery was initally scheduled for the summer but The Gordfather doesnāt want it to impact on his transfer activity and pre-season plans. Good stuff from him
From the BBC:
Celtic are set to sign teenage striker Mark McAllister from Irish League club Dungannon Swifts on Saturday.
The 19-year-old will fly to Scotland to complete the formalities along with Swifts manager Harry Fay.
Celtic coach Tommy Burns contacted Fay on Thursday night to confirm that the deal was going ahead.
āTommy Burns said it would just take a few days to formalise the arrangments and details of the transfer and heās been true to his wordā explained Fay.
Burns and fellow Parkhead coach Willie McStay watched McAllister in last Saturdayās Irish Cup final against Linfield.
McAllister failed to score in the 2-2 draw and missed the vital spot-kick as the Swifts lost in a penalty shoot-out.
Cardiff City, Norwich City and Leeds United were also linked with the forward, who scored 15 goals this season.
McAllister and Fay will be joined by the playerās father on the trip to Glasgow.
But what if Milan take Boruc now? The belief was that Arsenal might take Brouc and weād get Fabianski but now our back up option is gone if another team comes in for King Artur.
Here comes raven again. Any time any of the Celtic supporters criticise Rovers the toys get thrown out of the pram. Your tactics are incredibly predictable and a bit pathetic.
