As Germinal Beerschot (has a club ever sounded more like athletes foot cream than that mob) gave a pontiff style blessing for their ‘diamond’ , Victor Mugabe Wanyama, to join us, I’m probably not alone in wondering why we are about to spend a considerable bit of our budget on another midfielder.
It’s an area that we have an embarrassment of riches. Ok, some of the jewels are not to everyone’s taste as we see with Niall McGinn making noises about leaving to a non-plussed audience who are wondering if Mick McCarthy will be daft enough to offer over a million for him again.
Are we going to see one of the main events leaving? Unlikely. Wanyama is a 20 year old that has only played 50 professional league games in his 3 years in non-descript Belgium and has only 11 caps for Kenya who, in a fit of ignorance and pithy, I’m rating as not the best side in on the African continent.
I’m not questioning the players ability. That’s for fools before he has kicked a ball for us. I’m also not going to look the gift of Scott Brown dropping down the pecking order for a center midfield berth in the mouth and refuse. I should probably meet Victor at the airport and hug him for this.
This is a long term punt. We are of the opinion that Kayal will continue at an extraordinary level of constancy next season meaning that him moving next year is more likely. We also have doubts about the long term future of Ki.
I watch a lot of Channel 5. The soft core porn and Jean Claude Van Damme movies appeal. I fully expect us to be on Thursday night Channel 5 a lot next season. This is not some dismissive view on the caliber of teams in the Zooropa League.
No, ALL teams are beatable, on paper, apart from some big guns who mop around and oil rich, usually racist, Russians. Last seasons foes in this competition were beatable. But the modern day Celtic awayday fuckwittery took hold on a new bunch of recruits. With a favourable draw I don’t expect this to happen twice.
In and around these games will see this signing cut his teeth. Games against teams whose names resemble an explosion in a scrabble factory. Suspensions and injuries will also see him get enough domestic fodder under his belt. That’s if he settles.
If he settles and spins the wheel then we have a ready made replacement for any of the movers in the midfield next summer. Victor will have a year experience.
That’s blue sky thinking though.
Here’s a video plus, having a look at him, do you think Kenya have the same lax laws of registering births as the Nigerians?
Previously on the Celtic Blog CLICK PICTURE FOR GOODIES.
very patronising article there chief..FOR A START, The Belgian league and in particularly the top teams, would wipe the floor with any SPL team at the minute…20 year old, 10 caps for a footballing country who would hammer Scotland is a mighty fine haul..3rdly, have you ever seen this lad play?
I trust the managers judgment ultimately and your summing up is embarrassing
I described Belgium as a country as non descript. Never mentioned the Juliper League. I state that I know nothing about how good the Kenyan team are. Yes, I admit I was ignorant. It’s there in the blog. I never questioned the lads ability. Just had a look at his stats and at look at our squad.
Judging players without seeing them is for fools. Oh, I said that as well.
My summing up? What’s up Doc? A humour by-pass when you clicked?
No they wouldn’t.
Who Belgium or Kenya? Or both?
i suppose in Lenny and the back room bhoys we trust, we all questioned whether we needed commons, who was this kayal fella and would an Israeli really cut it, whether Hooper was worth 2million and why on earth mulgrew was being brought back, plus that little izzy fella… I think they’ve earn’t the benefit of the doubt, i’ve no doubt he’ll add something to the team, and i think we’ll see Ki, McGinn, Murphy, Loovens, Jos, O’Dea and possibly Juerez out the door, although I’d love to see Juerez start to shine in the hoops, i’d hope lenny would give Big Ras a fresh start and bring thompson back in for another chance.
I’m not untrusting of Lennon. Just trying to fathom out why we have spent a bit of our budget in an area we are well covered in.
I’d have thought its because we have players that are going to be punted very soon, McGinn, Ki and Juarez – one main fella and two fringes. Plus this boy is too good to resist, a bit like commons was, if he’s already holding down a game in a league with an average standard above the SPL then he’s been tested. Plus next season we should have a bit of a run in europe, the midfield is were you tend to pick the injuries and the suspensions, its good to have options and competition for places. Its not the signing I suppose we expect to hear, but we’ve already landed another full back, and a center back. It looks likely that Kayal and Izzy are prepared to sit with us another season but their comments are not that of bhoys for life, and if the money is good then Lennon if he has the ready made replacements will seek to cash in – although if we win the league and hit the CL I reckon we’ll get another season from them as the big shop window will be theirs. Cant wait for the season to start, think we’ll start to see the Celtic we want in the majority of games and Ally will be sacked before xmas.
Thank you jbhoy. You have thought about it and proved that you can actually read and understand. Unlike the other posters.
Great points.
Maybe Lenny is being cautious, Ki, Brown, Ledley and Kayal are possible targets for other teams, if they stay and play as well as they did last season then we could really start seeing interest from bigger EPL teams, he’s 1 for the future in my opinion and i can honestly say i trust Lennons judgement, haven’t had this much trust in a Celtic manager since O’Neill.
I fully agree. I never in the article questioned the bhoys ability or Lennons judgement. He has been a long term target. It’s just interesting to see how this pei e fits into the jigsaw
Doc.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
saved you from thinking then.
dear ghod?! what is this pish of an article doing on newsnow????? as doc said – embarrassing and patrionising! i hope to never have the misfortune of reading one of your articles again
Thank you. You’ve found the door then. Watch the road as you seem not to take responsibility for your own actions. Tell me why it’s embarrassing and patronising? Don’t hide behind Doc. I’ve answered his points.
“. Watch the road as you seem not to take responsibility for your own actions” wha??????
You not answering my questions?
Terrible article such a patronising tone throughout, Looks like Lennon will play 3 CM’s next season, Hence why he’s bought Wanyama, Or possibly just wants strength in depth as Brown really is more of a RM now.
Again show me where I have patronising? To make it difficult for you leave out the paragraph where I admit my ignorance of African football.
You make valiant points. Like I did. I see this signing as one for the future who will get game time.
As soon as I saw the title of this blog I knew who the author was before opening the link. Yet another knee jerk piece from ‘lord of the wing’ in a long history of knee jerk blogs.
How long before he posts a blog to the contrary this time? 3 months? 6? His over the top criticisms last season were laughable, even more so with end of season review which seemed to contradict every point he made during the season.
Has all the insight of a drunk teenager, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that is the case.
Why are Celtic so keen to sign this boy? Because he might be quite good; it may be too good an opportunity to pass on. It’s that straight forward. The players speculatively picked up last season seemed to work out quite well for us; and even if this one doesn’t it’s hardly a Jordan Henderson case.
In Lennon We Trust.
Hail Hail.
Fuckface. I wonder if a moniker has every been so truthful. You bleat about the insight of a drunken teenager while having a moniker of Fuckface. The ironing is not lost on me.
My criticisims last season were justified at the time. Those times when it didn’t look like we were getting it right. From Jan onwards we made great strides and that shaped my view and opinion. No blind faith from me.
This bhoy maybe good. Point to me where I say he isn’t? So, here’s that FACTS so there is no confusion.
1) I’m not saying and can’t say if this bhoy is good or bad. I haven’t seen him play. Didn’t I make that clear?
2) I clearly state in the blog that I fully expect the player to play next season. He will get his chance.
3) I never said Lennon was making a mistake.
So, I see no need for a contrary blog in an alloted timescale.
Plus, knee jerk….this blog ASKS a question about the wider picture of his place in the squad. Where’s the knee jerk?
mate you ask why we spent a big chunk off our budget on this guy well is being reported ata mil and if thats a big chunk im shitting myself if gers are spending 12 then we shoud spend well 12
What do you think our budget is? I put it at £4m plus sales.
Our budget last season was not very high, this season it isnt either. We cannot blast 6million plus on a player anymore.
Belgian league is stronger than SPL. Their government ruling allows citizenship to any young footballers from anywhere in the world. Their league is technically ahead of SPL. Their equivalents of st mirren & inverness are blessed with talented Africans & South Americans. The SPL is arguably the weakest ‘big league’ in europe. We only have old firm & thats it. A weaker celtic & rangers than previous years & no more marquee signings. We’re probably closer to Norwegian league than Belgium league
That’s a point but just because the footballers come from Africa and South America it doesn’t mean that they are any better than coming from Peterslee or Darlington.
Again, I made no comment about the strenght of the Belgian league.
* I meant to add in terms of crowds & support too. if you got youtube theres clip os Standard Liege v Anderlecht makes average old firm game look a tea party
I have seen such a feat, nor does the crowd or run upto to such a match rival an all Glasgow encounter.
Incorrect, but your opinion respected.
Oh and FYI in terms of league strength the Belgian league is stronger in depth buts that is expected as the SFA and SPL couldnt buy a pick and mix without sending it to a commitee and sub-commitee and then taking a vote first.
The article was a wee bit patronising and insulting to any Belgans or Kenyans who happened to be reading it. But, I think it’s a good discussion point for Celtic fans.
It’s great that our fans are so loyal, but we shouldn’t confuse loyalty with blind acceptance of every decision that comes from the management or board.
NL’s done a brilliant job so far, but he’s not infallible (yet) as he proved at a couple of crucial points last season.
As for the board, I’ve learned through years of bitter experience to take everything they say with a pinch of salt. They’ve never been shy at trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
We’re all 100% behind NL and his team, but there’s nothing wrong in letting the powers at be know when we dont agree with them, if they make mistakes, or take our loyalty for granted.
I want a top keeper, now.
I’m not saying Lennon is making a mistake or this signing is a sign that our policy is wrong. I just wanted a debate to where the guy would fit in. FFS, I’m causing people to jump to the defence of Belgium and Kenya when I admitted my ignorance about Kenya and described Belgium as bland…..I wonder what would have happened if I described Scotland as a bigotted wee shit hole….
I defitnetly agree with green brigade. The spl is an absolute joke with only scottish people watching it. the leagues in the likes of belgium, norway and sweden seem to have far better atmospheres when theyre lower teams play than when the likes of our lower teams face each other. I have seen this new signing play a few times and do believe we have unearthed yet another talent even if he does not break through this season ( and we all no how hard it would be to get infornt of brown, kayal, ki, ledley ) but i am sure lenny would have let this bhoy no how hard it would be.
A very negative colum.
Hail Hail.
Thanks for the educated info that you rate the player as you have seen him. I haven’t hence no comment on his ability. Where’s the negativity in asking where does he fit in?
Hiya, just think you are as entitled to your opinion as anybody else. People must have the right of reply but come on bhoys, the guy has put something together for us to read. We need to stick together as the Celtic family and if you have negative things to say, say them in a constructive way. Just an observation
The blog has comments because we want the right off reply. Doc used it and I answered. Is that not the point?
i agree with Jim, this is an opinion blog after all it isn’t a published news article, and i actually agree with LOTW’s point on where he will fit in next season. to go for another CM is quite strange to me as we already have 4 of them, i would have thought Lennon would favour a RM to come in, as Forrest has dipped in form and mcginn hasnt cut it this season, and he’s probably leaving too. With this signing coming in we need to offload, but at the same time i dont want any of our CMs to go. Some people say Ki should go but i think he’s brilliant and is so close to the first-team-regular stance, with just kayal keeping him out.
“i agree with Jim, this is an opinion blog after all it isn’t a published news article, and i actually agree with LOTW’s point on where he will fit in next season”
Same here, Jim and Mark.
Where and how will he fit? I dont see Lenny resorting to new tactics for a new player unproved in the SPL?
Ki like the rest of the team grew towards the end of the season.
Agreed – that is all!
We signed the boy because we need height and aggression in midfield.
He is also a vary hard tackler and can play in the anchor role
In Europe with a midfield 5 he will be a valuable player
Brilliant signing.
Aye, hard tackler. His suspensions prove that. Only jesting. I have to put that in as I will be seen as poo faced.
Can you see him replacing any of the current midfield? Lennon likes to play a hard 4 not 5 in certain games.
“I have to put that in as I will be seen as poo faced.”
Grrrr anyway Kenyans and Beligians are after spilling your blood now…. *shakes fist*
I think Waynama Is a punt, but more likely a squad bolsterer. Depth and Strength – possibly pending maybe once tested in the SPL climate.
Aye, the Belgians can drown me in chocolate and Van Damme.
Everytime I read LOTWs blogs, I have a sick bag ready.
ONLY JOKIN.
Its opinionated, funny, some of which tongue in cheek plus he’s explained himself to many of those who you can tell have obviously skimmed read the piece.
Lighten up fholks, LOTWs opinion is granted here, its a blog FFS.
I wear incontinence pants when I read yours.
Aye cos you shit yourself laughin
It might be an opinionated blog but that’ o k, we are all entitled to an opinion, thought it was very witty and a good read. Lenny and the Staff have had a testing season and they must see something in this lad that will be needed for the coming season because i think our midfield will bear the brunt of the hard work to come. In Lenny we trust.
LOTW just keep on truckin, everyone else chill out and look forward to a successful season.
This 🙂
Did folk not get there complimentary pinch of salt with this blog?
Underlying point- why are we focusing resources in our most covered are?- totally agree.
At the end of the day we are par with with Belgian league as we are side by side in the last uefa league rankings so to conclude it must be pretty shit too. A few more promising players however due looser immigration laws and I hope this chap is one them,never seen him play so will not comment on him until I see him in the flesh.
Welcome Aboard Wanyama.
They missed the vinegar.
lordofthewing…u r so stupid and u know it
Heh, love the name. Nice conclusion you have came to and not one I will disagree with.
What’s your conclusion on Victor now? did he fit in your jigsaw expectstion or was it a waste buy? Am a Kenyan and was waiting for the young man impact on the SPL, he really has won the confidence of the Kenyans just like his elder brother who plays ay Inter Milan now with Parma on Loan.
He has been an absolute star for us. A real find. Will go on to bigger and better things with our blessing as he is a really likable bloke and we have took him to our hearts like a decent lodger who tidies up after himself.