Chris Sutton appears to be a little bit concerned by how slowly Celtic is moving in the transfer market. That anxiety has started to creep into a lot of Celtic fans I know, who look at the team at the moment and the one signing – Jonny Hayes, after losing Patrick Roberts – and sees that we’re actually weaker than we were before.
Big Chris loves our club, I understand exactly why he’s voicing his frustration. The fans have put up their money. I understand why they are voicing theirs.
But are they worried for nothing?
My feeling is that a lot of folk are looking across the city and wondering how that lot, who are skint, can bring in eight players whilst we appear almost lackadaisical. The Celtic fans have done their bit, in greater numbers than ever. The team and the manager have done theirs, with last season’s outstanding campaign. Brendan’s transfer market judgement is sound, and everyone knows it. He is entitled to the backing. We’re entitled to expect it.
But there are mitigating factors here, and here’s one of them. The reason I am still not terribly enthused about the signing of Jonny Hayes is that he wouldn’t have gotten into our best eleven from last season. He’s a squad player. Had Roberts been available he’d have been on the bench. Our bench would have been stronger for it, but that’s not the kind of signing we want to see. It’s not the kind of signing that will move us one step forward in Europe.
Whomever we sign, for whatever position, has to be someone who improves us significantly. Who would get into the team every week. Someone who would put one of last year’s stalwart Invincibles on that spot on the bench. And that’s the issue here, that’s the problem. Because yes, we’d all like a deeper bench, a better squad, but if what we do in this window is sign a bunch of squad fillers that will be ridiculous, and wasteful of our resources.
Look at the manager’s signings thus far.
Eboue is potential. Take him out of the equation at the moment. He signed Gamboa to provide right back cover. He signed De Vries to challenge Gordon. He brought in Kolo because he wasn’t yet sure if Simunovic was any good and Boyata had suffered a nightmare season under Ronny. Kolo was insurance.
Those guys enhanced the squad, in key areas, and were necessary signings.
But he also brought in two footballers of such quality that they were able to dispossess people already at the club. Scott Sinclair made that left-wing slot his own and won every player of the year award out there as a consequence. Moussa was a revelation. Those two players elevated the overall quality of the first team, them and what he got out of the guys already here. They were exceptional signings, game-changers, and Brendan wants more of the same.
So I won’t worry about this yet. Yet. The team flies out for pre-season training shortly, and we have a Champions League match coming up, of course, but we should have the squad required to get past Linfield without too much difficulty. It’s the tie immediately afterwards we need to be far better prepared for, but those games are still a month away.
Of far greater concern to me, right now, is the failure to get the Armstrong deal done already. What the Hell is the delay with that one? I’d like to think that would be wrapped up shortly, or people at Celtic Park are going to have to start making contingency plans.
But worried about the transfer business, or lack thereof?
Not yet, but the clock is ticking, and I’m sure Brendan wants to see some signs of life.