The transfer window has been open for 15 days. Celtic has secured the signing of Carter Vickers and a free deal for the keeper Siegrist. But the manager was clear many months ago that he wanted his new players – not just a stand-in goalkeeper – to be with the squad when the pre-season training got underway. At this moment in time, he doesn’t have that.
In fact, Celtic will enter pre-season training on Monday weaker than we were when the last campaign came to a close. There is no deal yet for Jota. The Bernabei deal is on the verge of being done, but at the time of writing it isn’t done yet.
If Ange is being honest with himself, he’ll be a little bit frustrated by the glacial slow progress. Don’t be surprised if he expresses that. This is not a man for keeping silent when he thinks those around him are not pulling their weight.
In spite of what you might hear elsewhere, transfer business is not a complicated thing. Reaching agreement between two clubs is easy. Personal terms can be complicated somewhat by players and agents wanting to check out other options, but in the case of these guys they want to play for Celtic and it’s all about getting the deals over the line.
The days of playing transfer poker should be over with at this club. Lawwell was dreadful at it, and especially in the latter part of his tenure when we failed to secure major deals for players on a regular basis. Ange had to stick the current incumbents with a cattle prod last summer; will he be forced to do it again this year?
There is a difference between the fans being frustrated and the man at the helm being frustrated. We can all bitch and moan and it makes no difference to the functioning of the club. If the boss is unhappy that’s big. If he’s satisfied with the pace of negotiations, then nobody has anything to worry about. But that man wanted progress quicker than this.
Look, I don’t want to seem on a downer against our club. But we do take an eternity to get this stuff done at times.
Whilst none of us doubts, at all, that our two left-sided signings will be made, and under normal circumstances – based on the club’s situation in not having to play qualifiers – there would be plenty of time to do our business, I assumed, even based on the evidence of history, that our club would learn, at some point, how to do this stuff better.
January was nearly perfect in terms of how swiftly we moved and with what purpose.
None of our targets is wanted by an elite club, so that ought to take some of the difficulty out of the process, and I don’t buy, either, the necessity of holding off on signing the Argentine until he has served his ban. So he’ll miss a couple of league games at the start of the season; big deal. That’s a secondary consideration to getting him in, introducing him to the players and the squad and being on the plane when the team jets off for Austria.
It’s not impossible that we could announce something today or tomorrow, although I’ve never really known deals like this to be done during on a Saturday or Sunday when there were no games on, and the SFA is in mothballs for the summer.
So most probably now we’re waiting until Monday, until training actually resumes … ladies and gents, it’s going to be a long (and a little bit frustrating) weekened.
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Why on earth are Celtic tolerating this shit from Jota it’s almost as if Celtic are begging him to join the club ffs gell him to sign asap or fkoff as this is making Celtic a laughing stock I mean he’s not exactly a Pele is he.
Piss off hun.
Eugenio you are talking crap. Jota is a brilliant player who’s signing is imminent and he is definitely well worth the wait. Your negative thoughts are unfounded and are not welcome.
Still a lot of work to be done on the transfer front. Even if we manage to get Jota & Bernabei over the line in the next few days there is still the matter of replacing Scott Brown which we have failed to do to date. In my opinion its critical we sign a hard tackling ball winning midfielder who can play a bit wouldnt it be wonderful to unearth another Bobby Murdoch i can dream!! Reo Hatate albeit early in his Celtic career, i dont think is the answer and Bitton who filled in there on a few occasions and performed admirably has now left the building.
Chris Julien & Stephen Welsh are our two recognised covers at centre half. Welsh is young and has promise but is he ready for the cauldron of Champions League football? he may benefit his career with a loan spell and more regular football for a season like Kris Ajer who spent a loan spell at Kilmarnock which benefitted him and ultimately Celtic in the long run. Chris Julien there seems to be uncertainty surrounding him and does Ange rate him ? With Champions League Football looming an experienced ball playing centre half who is strong in the air would be a good addition.
Mikey Johnston, Albian Ajeti, James McCarthy? Ajeti & Johnston have had adequate opportunities and failed to deliver. Ajeti has been a waste of 5million and needs moved on somehow and off the wage bill. Johnston is still young and although he showed promise early in his Celtic career his form has dipped and unfortunately he has a tendency to constantly pick up niggling injuries. For me his Celtic race is run. James McCarthy experience may be valuable in a tight game and possibly European football but hes never going to last a full game in this Celtic side at the tempo Ange style of football demands. So hes another that the jurys out on. The squad needs to be strenghtened and some players moved on… the clock is ticking and in just a few short weeks we will welcome Jim Goodwin & Aberdeen to Celtic Park and lets hope we are not still discussing transfers at that stage and we have a decent pre season prep behind us with our new additions well bedded in.
So everybody at Celtic is shite then? Righto hun.
Who said everyone at Celtic is shite?? And I’m no Hun Ellis now put your keyboard away and go suck your thumb
That is of course frustrated still further by the fact that its frustrating not having our football team to watch. Summer doesn’t even feel like its started. Bored. I’m sure we’ll get the signings over the line this week with the fees pre agreed, unlike the McGinn and Toney situations. Look though at the forward players we did sign for the almost equivalent fee Toney was commanding. Last season I’d say it worked in our favour.
I’ve no real problem with waiting a few days for any suspension to be served or part served as Monday 26th, I believe, is his old (or current still) team’s first outing since the sending off. Non the less, that history of failed signings niggles away at the back of the mind. You’re right though, it would have been good to have them two now pre agreed fees over the line and signed up so as to move onto focussing on the CB and defensive CM we need. I still have some hope that Julien can do a job if Ange gives him a start should a CB injury rear up
Ooops I know I meant Sunday 26th…oh and also borelos has two years left on his contract expiring 2023
The Bernabei signing is almost certainly being delayed, with the managers approval, until he’s served his 2 match suspension. The choice is serving it now (for one week) and having a 4 week preseason vs signing now and missing the first two weeks of the season. He’s been playing regularly, so getting him in for the early part of preseason isn’t as crucial as it would be if he wasn’t playing the last few months. He’ll be fully match fit on day 1 of preseason, so the importance of getting him in early is getting him familiar with systems and teammates. 4 weeks is more than enough time for that, especially if he’s in the building before the paperwork is submitted.
Nah, sorry James I’m not having it. You have a go at the idiots in the press for talking about things they can’t know and then you tell us that Ange is frustrated? Did he call you up and tell you that? No.
I read your stuff religiously and I have done for years, but I have to pull you up on this, you’re putting words in Ange’s mouth that suits your article and that’s a cunt’s trick.
I remain a fan, saying that. Cheers.
Agreed. I think this article is a knee jerk coz we were “promised” a busy week on here last weekend.
Here are the facts. Transfer window has been open 2 weeks. We have signed CCV who, according to James, was the one we really needed.to sign out of him and Jota. We have got a quality back up to big Joe. Jota is signing, that is without question. The left back is here for a medical.
So if that’s not enough business carried out in the space of 2 weeks for some people then go and follow the huns coz you obviously love to moan and those cunts have far more to worry about than us.
That is all. FTQ