It looms on the horizon, it sits waiting for us all to get giddy about. It doesn’t involve presents, carols (not Vorderman or Andy), nor a hairy, rotund, jocular, red cheeked man and a dozen or so four legged animals. (No it’s not Sam Allerdyce walking his dogs)
For those of you who have not guessed what I am on about I’m talking about the transfer window, deadline day.
With young ‘Toon Army’ goalkeeper Fraser Forster confirmed as signed on loan it is time to look at what other possible players we could latch onto to plug our squad gaps.
Ok the debate opens, do we need another striker or not? I have lots of faith in Big Sammy, he certainly puts in a shift, works hard, doesn’t moan when hes not in the starting XI and represents what I call a ‘good’ team player.
The problem is for us he needs to score more goals. Sammy and Gary Hooper have the potential to be a good strike partnership, with Hooper the good foil to play off him, but obviously the jury (Not Gordon) is still out on that duo.
The bottom line is we are lacking ‘class’ competition for the striker positions. With contention for the striking positions scarce a decent individual is needed whether that be loan or other. Don’t get me wrong I would love nothing more than Sammy to hit top form and bang the goals in for fun.
So where would be Lennys 1st port of call be to look for strikers? The EPL? With some EPL teams needing to cut the ‘chaff’ as such it is worth our while looking at what best of this ‘excess’ talent is available in the transfer window.
Football for dummies part 3 – Transfer window
“What is the transfer window? Is it the piece of glass between you and the banker at the local RBS” some newborn rapscallions to the game might quiver.
Well in-correct you wee football un-educated half wits. The transfer window in a “nutshell” is the dogs bollocks of football other than the great in game moments we witness. The transfer window is the exchange of players for money or even other players and money between two clubs usually keeping both clubs happy, unless you are Cardiff shouting you owe us some compensation don’t you? as the watch Joe Ledley wave bye, bye on the horizo…..what do you mean “Sean shut the hell up”….Ok then….moving swiftly on…..
First stop Man City and Roque Santa Cruz. Proven on the continent, a big man with a great touch, great header and an eye for goal. He seems the perfect predatorial-goal-hanger that we lack.
He could be, if loved by the Celtic faithful much like Big Bad John, Big JVOH with a bit of Sutty with the proved potential to be as prolific. I have heard Lazio have been sniffing after Santa Cruz but with ‘Citeh’ looking to offload to a none premiership team what I say is why not Lenny? A cheeky bid, loan or other would be great.
Who else of the EPL players could Lenny take a punt on? To name a few that come to mind Diamanti from West Ham, Kamara again from craven cottage, Anichebe or Vaughan from Everton, Dave Kitson from Stoke, Garry O’Connor from Brum, Jason Roberts who is transferlisted at Blackburn, Loans of Di Santo or Sturridge from Chelsea, Keogh from Wolves, Leon Best on loan from the Toon and the one we would all love to happen Robbie Keane.
Which player do you think can solve our goalscoring striker puzzler? ? ?
Do you think Lenny will look towards what players are on offer around the continent? ? ?
Do you think Lenny will strengthen any other areas of the team before the deadline? ? ?
Put your answers on a postcard to:-
“Comment as you wish in the wee box below”.
thanks for getting everyones hopes up, shameful headline
@monthehoops
Grammar not being one of my strong points but I think when a question mark appears after a sentence means that the author is asking a question. In this case the author is asking a question where Santa Cruz is used as part of that question. So, what’s shameful? That you have been let down?
Goal.com is the site for you.
It’s a tough one. I can’t say i’m a football fanatic to the extent where i know enough about most players in the EPL. However, Gary O’Connor would be an interesting one. He’d change the dynamics of our attacking options and give us something we maybe lack up front- a big, powerful guy who can get on the end of a cross and crash the ball into the net at all costs. I know other names you mentioned could do exactly that (and more) but he’d fit in better with his experience in the SPL and we already know he suits the Scottish game. And just as importantly, he wouldn’t cost too much. But after all that, i’d prefer to see the existing Celts come up with the goals. Plenty goals will come from midfield i’m sure we all agree… so as long as Hooper, Sammy, Fotune etc pitch in and do their bit i won’t care where the goals come from as long as it’s enough to win us games and hopefully the title (or more). ¦-)
@ Michael D
Either Samaras or Fortune won’t be here next Tuesday. All these comments show that there is a complete lack of known options and barrels are getting scrapped.
Would obviously love to see Keane come back permanently. He would definitely give us the goals up front that we are currently looking for and would almost assure of us the title and CL soccer and money next year. When you do the math about how vital CL money is I think that the board would do well to put in some very serious bids in an attempt to land Keane as I firmly believe that he would pay off hugely in the long term.
It is going to be tough to find a legitimate goal scorer for cheap though because goal scorers are expensive. I like that we are rumored to be picking up Stokes as I believe he is a quality SPL player and will score goals when called upon. I don’t really see the need to buy another cheaper striker from down south with both Stokes (if we do complete the signing) and Hooper in the squad. I say go for big name (Keane) or pocket the money for something/someone else, like a permanent #1 in goal.
@ Boulderbhoy
Rumour is we all should be Yids tonight.
if we get chris eagles in then one more striker i believe would complete our squad. 1st of all i dont know why rasmussen was loaned out in the first place and i think murphy should get more of a run out. santa cruz is a bit of a long shot but i would try and sign nicky maynard from bristol hes a proven goalscorer in the championship and he would flourish in scotland. ps neill lennons a legend.
@jack
Eagles was never an option. Papers being cruel on lennon. Also, Eagles get poisoned by farmers up north. First trip to St Johnstone would have seen him found collapsed on the M9. Maynard? Love their wine gums.
Every position in the team is important, none more so than the man whose main job is to put the ba’ in the onion bag.
Guys like Sammy and MAF don’t do that. Hooper I don’t know about yet. But I think it’s also important to look at the team sheet and see names that fill you with confidence no matter the opposition: Larsson, Sutton, Hartson did exactly that – JVoH also, but to a lesser extent.
Not sure that Keane is the answer, although at one point last year without his goals and his quality, second place was in doubt. So I wouldn’t say no, obviously.
Santa Cruz would fill the bill for sure.
Stokes or O’Connor don’t do it for me.
At the end of the day, judging by the players he’s brought in so far, I’ve every confidence he will bring in exactly what we need. Having played with some of the best, he knows exactly the effect that quality frontmen have.
That should read:
I’ve every confidence LENNY will bring in exactly what we need
@sixtaeseven
You know what. I agree. Something tells me, maybe his movement in the transfer market so far, that Lennon will bring in what we need. He seems to have a clue.
Dear, oh dear, oh dear!
Roque Santa Cruz and Gary O’Connor!
From the sublime to the ridiculous!
One a hopeless dream, and the other just hopeless!
Santa Cruz will NOT come to Scotland. Trust me.
Gary O’Connor on the other hand would, but under NO circumstances would or should Celtic supporters think of O’Connor as a solution to the striking position.
Des O’Connor would be a better bet!
@ Carntyne
Would Des bring his wife? Brighten up home games.
My view on Santa Cruz is that his talent is not worth his wage and never has been worth his wage.
Who would I have? Problem is apart from local knowledge, which names like O’Connor and Stokes are from, I don’t know who are the international bright young things.
Who topped the scoring charts in Serbia or Montenegro? We should be looking there.
For me you are seeing a quality of player arriving in the squad not seen since WGS first season. I fully expect the number 7 to follow that trend.
Right, off to park with Jnr….
Oh, Braga are still a Europa League team.
@LOTW
Dragan Mrða 22 goals in 09-10 season
Is he available? More importantly is he in John Parks little black book…
anthony stokes he would be our kris boyd
@peter
unsure if you mean Stokes being oor boyd would be a good or bad thing. the independent adjudicator states that you mean a goal scorer and not a fat hun addicted to monster munch, greggs and bookies.
i can safely say I have never seen Stokes as Boydchenko-Lite. No, thought really hard there and still can’t.
@LOTW
Well Dragan Mrða is the FK Vojvodina captain and he has been very influential to them. A leader and a goalscorer plus hes only 26. If he isn’t Parky should get him in his wee book :-D.
@LOTW
Well Dragan Mrða is the FK Vojvodina captain and he has been very influential for them. A leader and a goalscorer plus hes only 26. If he isn’t Parky should get him in his wee book :-D.
Shameful heading true but well worth speculating about hell even Robinho, problem is most of the said players are injury prone and we couldn’t afford 65k a week for someone to sit in the treatment room, as for Robbie Keane that’s a no because he has played in the Champions League Qualies so would be cup tied until at least the next round of the competition if Spurs get through. I do like the idea of a powerhouse up front but not the idea of a target man, we’re playing good football at the moment and long may it continue. But I do think a centre forward would be good for competition, may be a poor suggestion but watching the Champion’s League qualifier’s the other week and their striker Momodou Ceesay (though also cup-tied
) looked strong powerful quick and had an eye for goal, like Drogba but not the same class, maybe offer him a trial because I’m sure Zilina of Slovakia can’t match us financially
@ Chris
Keane did play last week? So would he be able to play in the Europa League at all when we don’t sign him? I need to pay more attention rather than watching re-runs of Bargain Hunt.
Momodou Ceesay. Never heard of him. Means he must be great. But…..trials are not an option at this late stage. Getting it right is.
Oh, is Stokes cup tied then?
Wasn’t Boyd in The Goonies….
I heard on entry to the hun changing rooms he would always bellow “HEY YOOOOU GUYS!”
Then Davie Weir would always go into story mode about his meandering chronicles travelling through ancient Persia in full armour on the saddled back of a laurel eating Griffin, ‘BC’ obviously.
Can i just say, when i stated previously that Gary O’Connor would give Celtic a bit of strength and a target for high balls into the box i was in no way suggesting he’d be a permanent solution. I just meant he’d settle in immediately and give us something different at a fairly low cost. I do think Celtic should always have a big-name, proven class striker… but Henrik wasn’t a big, expensive signing was he? No is the answer. We shouldn’t focus too much on the anticipation surrounding the signing of a Keane, Bellamy or a fu***ng Santa Cruz for that matter! We should simply relax, have faith in Lenny to bring in quality (like he has done in a big way) and just enjoy the show! Hail Hail!
I don’t think O’Connor would be low cost and that’s a bug bear. Someone so limited made so rich.
The Big Name is not happenin.
@lordofthewing HAHAAA! Loved your comment on the fat hun that is the one and only (thank f**k) Kris Boyd. Made me smile like a guy who’s just sneezed snot over the back of somebody’s Rangers top while standing in a queue ¦-)
Santa Crus, possibly the only player never to have medical insurance to sign for a top English Club
I won’t be too unhappy if we don’t sign a Big Player because i honestly feel we have enough ‘big players’ who will most definitely become ‘big names’. Juarez, Ledley and Kayal look almost certain to become players of great value- to Celtic as players and money-makers. If they (along with others) keep up what they’re doing then we can proudly say we have our ‘big name players’. I have a lot of belief in what’s happening at Celtic, i only hope Lenny gets a fair chance at taking the squad and the transfer market by the scruff of the neck and making the team he envisions. It MUST be his own work and it will take time, but stick by him and Celtic WILL be a magical, exciting and powerful team once again. (just add optimism).