Well this is going to sound like an extension of last weeks moan, groan, rant or realism, call it what you will while dancing to the sound of “She Said I love you bhoy I love you so, she said I love you baby ohh ohh ohh ohhhhhh ohhhhhh”.
With the sad news that Craig Bellamy, who was our number one target I have no doubt about that, has decided to head for the valleys of Wales and his hometown team Cardiff City. Where exactly does that leave us. If what I hear is true then the club were supremely confident of this deal going through. Only to be gazumped at the final hurdle by the Bluebirds impersonating a magpie and taking our shiny. I have mixed emotions about the entire episode really.
First off I am absolutely gutted that Bellamy chose them over us and I am positive it was a case of them or us. Then on the other hand I start to think I’m happy he is following his dream of playing for his boyhood heroes in a time when the mere suggestion of such an occurrence brings ridicule and mockery. They say in these days of golden purses and iPads that players are only about the money and wouldn’t stoop to playing outside the myth that is the EPL. Obviously I realise he will still be picking up a massive wage between his new employers and Man City, able to stock up on Apps aplenty but I’m sure he won’t have the same bonuses and tie-ins in his contract with the Championship side. I would wager he has had to take a substantial pay cut also to facilitate the move. So yeah happy he went there instead of an EPL side. Then again as I think on I’m pissed he has ended up in the hands of Dave ‘greetin faced hypocrite’ Jones after all the moaning he did about Celtic and the Ledley affair. I’ve mentioned before that Cardiff City have done the exact same thing as Celtic did in the recent past. So with Cardiff’s shoe firmly on the other foot so annoyed I am now that I hope Motherwell carry out their threat of sending in the bailiffs to recover money owed by the cheeky Welsh bollox. Who knows they might even buy some grass seeds with it. I knew the state of the Fir Park pitch was all Dave Jones’s fault. Pr**k.
As I say though what is now Plan B apart from The Defamation of Strickland Banks? I hope Celtic have one as the levels of excitement and expectations amongst the support as to who the next number 7 will be has reached fever pitch in some quarters. Not just anybody can wear the coveted, hallowed jersey and it was actually a bit of a travesty that Terry Butchers favorite nephew Scott McDonald wore it for so long. The problem Celtic have in my mind is that they have deliberately stoked the fire when prompted on the ‘name’ targets. We were more public than ever before in our pursuit of Bellamy while inviting Campbell, Bullard and James to come have a look at our nice back-garden and sample the Lennoxtown custard creams. Someone more cynical than myself might say the club were more than happy to show off the kind off guys that would eventually say no as they tried to hawk season tickets. I might be being a little unkind there as if the targets in question had said yes to the Lawwell of Del Monte then I’m sure we would have gotten the deals done. Still, I don’t recall many budget buys that escaped our clutches getting the ‘it was out-with our control’ treatment.
We have brought the guts of £15 million in transfer fee’s into the club with I expect another couple of million (probably more) to add to that if the likes of MAF, Samaras or Hinkel move on. What have we spent so far? Jaurez £3m, Hooper £2.5, Kayal £1.5, Izaguirre £0.6m. I may be wrong but I think everyone else came in on free transfers. Thats £15m in and £6.6 out so far give or take and remember we still have more fee’s likely to come in to add to that. I said last week there must still be £10 million in the kitty and it is imperative we buy a striker that is a proven goalscorer of a decent pedigree. They are out there despite what the people who can see no further than the english promenade will tell you.
Who? well that is the ten million pound question that even Steven Hanwking is stumped on. We have hopefully repaired the defence with the Majstorovic and Izaguirre shaped bricks and mortar, while we have more midfielders than the midfield factory up the road from me, we need to buy goals. The game against ICT proved that. Although we had a good second half showing, the difference between a 1 nil win and a 4 or 5 nil win was the lack of a quality striker. We were practically playing with four wingers without Hooper or Murphy in the starting eleven. Hooper looks to have goals in him but he’s out now for 6 weeks and he’s still a young lad that we can’t burden an entire campaign on. Murphy I already have a nagging feeling somehow is going to be the new Kris Killen and by that I don’t mean his ability but just that he is going to be on the outside looking in most of the time. I could be wrong and of course hope I’m wrong in that, I normally am actually so he should be good to go. There is no point going over the net bulging prowess of Samaras and MAF as it’s all been said all before.
We NEED a striker, we could go for McFadden who would be an undoubted success but more in the supporting role as he has never been prolific in front of goal (Plan C?), we could go for Stokes who would score for fun in my humble opinion at Celtic but wouldn’t be the dream signing the fans are chasing (Plan D?), Let’s not contemplate (Plan E?) nobody wants another orc in the hoops.
Could we just go out and try and get Keane with the entire budget and would he want to come back? I’m scratching my head and I feel Celtic have backed themselves into a corner filled with the fans expectations. I just hope and pray it’s only us that are scratching our empty nappers and the renaissance of the SSM is about to appear and pull a masterstroke in the style of Hannibal Smith the master of all plans, B or otherwise.
This weeks blog was brought to you by the letter after A, we await further developments with interest Celtic…
Harper
(btw in the words of my mother for more of my amazing insights see www.LostBhoys.com)
Celtic have been public in there chase for the big name and no matter the reasoning we look stupid after being pied.
I fear a Plan F. Which is the return of Kamara. Though who is your Plan E?
Plus thanked Man Citeh for all the help in ensuring the move went through and that he is not earning less money at Cardiff.
Just need to accept we are not a draw anymore.
No got a plan E and I hope Celtic don’t either. I was merely suggesting that Plan E would be a player of lesser quality again down from C & D. This is like physics class!
I doubt he’ll be earning same at Cardiff but I’m sure he wouldn’t tell us either
The pursuit of the big-name, elderly men of the EPL was 90% smoke-screen, as they were all 90% guaranteed to say no. We were last possible option for Campbell. Bullard priced himself out of the market deliberately because he did not really want to come. It was not a case of we were second on the list and the heart ruled the head for Bellamy, again we were last. It was never going to happen. To a certain extent the SPL is the problem but the biggest selling points, massive crowds and CHAMPIONS LEAGUE INVOLVEMENT, are now gone. We can just about match lower level EPL/top of the Championship teams for wages for loans but not transfer fees. Surely the reality is going to sink in soon. The Huns are laughing at us as they have swallowed the bitter pill and have accepted the reality of where they are. And remember we were nowhere near them in the spending cash stakes. We need to do the same. The debt is creeping up the chances of Champions League football is disappearing before our very eyes, and with it the possibility of signing the kind of player we had even five years ago. I know I sound like a doom and gloom merchant but I am not. I feel we have signed some decent players, Juarez, Ledley and Hooper, as well as some real mysteries, Mulgrew and Murphy, but that is how we usually do things. Even in the challenging circumstances of today the likes of Murphy and Mulgrew should be nowhere near Celtic Park. An extra 750,000-1.25 million on top on the fee for Murphy would have secured Stokes already, and would have been a much better use of funds. Why would the manager turn to Stokes now with both Rasmussen, who appears not to be rated, and Murphy, who apparently is, on the books? Mc Fadden would be, in my opinion, a huge mistake. Typical EPL player vastly over-rated. I have mentioned Stokes above therefore we appear to be already at Plan E. Don’t mention Robbie Keane he will also go anywhere else rather than return. He has achieved what his name-sake also did, 3-4 months in the Hoops to say ‘I played for Celtic’. Nothing left to do, done. The taxi was ordered at half-time during their last game and they changed out of their kit en-route to the airport. If a quality player is not to be purchased we need to go with what we have and do all we can to get Hooper fit before the end of September. Surely Sammy, Shaun, MAF and even Big Murph can conjure up enough goals between them to get to the Europa League and fend off the challenges of the footballing superpowers that are St.Mirren, Motherwell, Hearts and Hibs. If they cannot then we are well and truly sunk, not only in a European sense but also domestically. And everyone of those players should resign and retire in shame.
I think we were only after Bellamy because he’s a superb EPL player and because of the situation he was in, we were in with a shout. The same as when we got him on loan the first time. It didnt work out. I dont know that we need a plan B, we have 5 strikers already and Bellamy/Keane were long shots that could not be planned around.
Hooper
Samaras – Who was superb the other day
Fortune
Murphy
Rasmussen
Also, not alot of interest in Hinkel and its 18 august already. He’s been frozen out cos Celtic want to sell him now as his contract expires next year. I feel sorry for the guy, one of our best players last season and being treated a bit shabbily tbh.
Funny thing that everyone was talking about Rasmussen as the type of guy that would get the ugly goals we needed only a couple of months ago. Now he barely exists.
There are often reasons why a player chooses to go to a club other than Celtic.
Bellamy had said as his career is nearer the end than the beginning, he wanted to ‘go home.’
Home is Wales, so why should we be surprised he chose Cardiff?
Making the decision easier for him was his wife, who also wanted to go home, after traipsing all over England…and Scotland!..during the last ten years.
Who but the most selfish can blame them?
It is always disappointing to a Celtic supporter when a player we would like ends up going elsewhere, but some things, like your family, are much more important than football.
Re strikers- surely Celtic can be a bit more positive and outward looking in their search fora striker – Bellamy on a one year loan deal was ridiculous anyway – he didn’t do much for us against Motehrwell on the last day of the season a few years ago; and why hang your hopes on Keane? there has to be other players available and you have to be joking about Stokes- not at all Celtic Class!
Problem is Celtic have been stumbling along without a coherent plan for years.
Agree with uzi about Hinkel, freezing him out like this seems petty and if no-one signs him, what then? Also, isn’t Brown going into the last year of his contract?
Second half on Saturday was encouraging but most of us would still like 3 or 4 of those players to be replaced, problem is, can we afford to replace them? Celtic need to decide where they are willing to BUY (not loan) some quality – need continuity. If not, give the youngsters their chance. Losing 2 titles in a row means this probably won’t happen but for years we were running away with U21 and U19 titles. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. As we’re seeing with Forrest. Another side to that – he did miss a sitter on Saturday but wasn’t crucified for it as others may have been.
Ah fu*k, I don’t know. All I’m thinking is, either buy quality or give youngsters a chance. If the youngsters aren’t ready, we need to ask why not – what is wrong with the coaching they are receiving? After all, our manager was their coach for most of last season.
No more desperation signings, please.
Yeah we have 5 strikers, Rasmussen just doesn’t seem to be in Lennon’s plans at all. Samaras as good as he played as a winger against ICT is not going to bag 25 goals a season, ditto Fortuné. That leaves us on Hooper & Murphy to get the majority of the goals, or all the goals. Need more firepower thats been tried and tested elsewhere I think as good as these guys may or may not be.
Stokes as a bargain buy knows the way to goal and imo would score for fun at Celtic.
McFadden is a player I have always liked, I think it was Neil Lennon that said last week “some players are born to play for Celtic”. While maybe a bit OTT I know where he’s coming from.
@jpd
I think you win the gold star for the post I most agree with. Though..The Huns (should we really capitalise Huns?) accepting the bitter reality pill?
They still believe they are bidding £4m for a player that will not play in Europe for them.
@Uzi
I agree I like Hinkel. I think we have weakened the team with Cha Du Ri.
Rasmussen? Seems he exists in the Biggest Loser Wins reality.
@ Carntyne
The surprise is that Cardiff are skint.
@ Frank
The old 2005 jibe. I’m sure there was another 10 that didn’t do themselves justice that Sunday in Hell.
Plus, there are many things in the world that need solved. Cancer, the common cold, why Bernard Matthews turkey burgers are tasteless and what the feck is ‘Celtic class’.
Like hover boards it doesn’t exist.
@ Cheifinkorea
Celtic seem to have a plan. I have seen it. It’s on the back of a beer mat but they have a habit of using that beer mat and they can’t read it when it gets wet.
@LOTW I think your being a little harsh in your early judgement of Cha Du Ri, he looks promising I think. Hinkel does find himself in the unfortunate situation of we want money for him before his contract runs out. Good going forward (most of the time) but average defender and pretty powderpuff in the tackling area.
Only the really deluded ranger’s supporters believe they have a chance with the Rapid striker, most believe this to be a bit of Bain-spin. Both Celtic and Rangers are at it with their supporters simply because they have to be. The truth is too painful. Last year is about to be repeated by both in Europe. I believe we will go through against Utrecht but only just and I certainly would not put my house on it. The best Rangers can hope for is that their supporters behave themselves on away trips because on the park they will get hammered. And they all know it. Both will be out by Christmas. The real business is the League and the next 10 days of the transfer window will be crucial. If they hold on to their ‘spine’; McGregor, Weir, Bougherra, Davis and Miller, we will struggle to win the League back, in my opinion. They have only lost two main players in Boyd and Thomson and both of them were not regulars in the largely irrelevant run-in. We have lost Boruc, McGeady and to all intents and purposes Hinkel, who looks like he is either off or will only be a bit part player. Unless Du-Ri really gets caught out. The greatest need is a goal-keeper and a striker but the right choices have to be made. I totally agree with others contributors, panic buys and squad-fillers should not be looked at. This will require spending the dosh. With the financial results just posted and the boards previous record would any of us have confidence that this is going to happen? We all know that a conversation will take place over the next few days between Lennon, Reid and Lawwell and Neil will be asked if he can win the League with what we have or at least remain in contention until the January window opens. If he answers in the affirmative then we will be lucky to see another 1 or 2 squad-fillers arrive. Given is needed but again is a long shot…if someone offers the money he will be sold to one of City’s rivals if not they will hold on to him. He will really have to push it to come here on loan and I would be delighted and surprised if he pushes that hard. Stokes would cost 1.5-2 million why pay the money without giving Rasmussen and Murphy (I personally don’t rate him but what do I know and if he is playing for Celtic he will get 100% backing from me until he has proven without a doubt he cannot do it) their chance.
There spine is not going anywhere. The market collapse has seen to that. I fully expect them to strengthen in the next 2 weeks. Both us and them will take advantage of the 25 man rule in the EPL that will see loan bargains appear.
We know our club will take this route. I fully expect The Huns to go this route because they can’t afford anything else.
I welcome them keeping the best players and strengthening. I’m one for no excuses.
I don’t want them to keep their best players, not this season. It is without doubt the most important season for years and we must win the League. If we don’t Celtic will be playing in front of 25,000 at the beginning of next season and the spiral downwards will continue and may be difficult to arrest. Also Rangers will continue to claw back their finances and before you know…it could be back to the 90s. No, I want to win the League by 23 points and the last Old Firm game played between a rampant, rejuvenated Lennon-created outfit playing a load of 16/17 year olds with a smattering of 39/40 year olds in the blue. The beginning of a 10 in a row run for Lennon and the Hoops. This is no time to revel in the cut and thrust of healthy competition. Weak opponents and easy triumph is much preferable for the time being.
Football banter was apparent in the establishment I was playing pool in.
“Oi Lenny get a striker the noo” was the parting comment of a chap from the pub in that I reside frequently.
I said to the fella before he exited “And what striker do you think we should go for?”
His quick reply “Gary O’Connor from birmingham…SPL proven and has a presence we lack…”
Now I know hes not a shirt seller like Keane or other targets but I thought not the worst call I have heard but big feck wouldnt let us have him surely?
@ Sean
I’m sure he has just signed a new deal with Brum. But if Stokes gets the mythical not Celtic Class thrown at him O’Conner fully takes that pie in the face
36 in 54 spl games for stokes….might not be celtic class what ever that is these days but thats more than 1 in 2 in the spl at teams who dont create as many chances as we do…
stop fannying about trying to get a name…get in players who will do a job.. stokes ticks that box
@Boh67 Can’t disagree, Stokes would be a success at Celtic
I am not sure who to go after, I just hope that we don’t needlessly throw money at players who are garbage just to spend money. I think that we have a decent squad so far, especially in regards to winning the league. I rate Hooper highly and he will be back before the first Old Firm match, until then we should be able to do with what we currently have. There is nothing wrong with not spending money when there are no players worth spending it on. I wouldn’t mind seeing Stokes in the Hoops, he could be decent for 1.5-2M. Agree with a couple other posters earlier with the no panic buys sentiment.
Brags beat Seville? Seville must be shit.
Stokes no longer seems an option. Joseph Yobo is, maybe. Dear, dear.