CELTIC PARK EXTERIOR
The most significant bit of transfer business yesterday might have been a signing that didn’t happen, and not one of the ones we failed to do at Celtic but the one they failed to do across the street. The Ibrox backline, which should have the word “shambles” next to it every time mention of it appears in print, remains exactly as it was.
There was no area of their team which needed greater work and this was obvious in the summer. They, like Celtic, have spent much of the budget on areas of the pitch where they were already well covered for options.
They have actually let Sakala, Hagi and Colak go to bring in players who don’t appear to be all that much better. They have signed four forward players and three midfielders, and in the meantime their defensive reinforcement is limited to a project player who looked like one against PSV and an aged centre back from yesteryear.
Their transfer policy this summer was as boldly, vividly incoherent as ours. This is the only reason our board is not being subjected to greater scrutiny. At a time when we could argue that we stood still, Ibrox has revealed an astonishing inability to make any forward progress, and this is why I still believe we’ve come out of this window better off than them.
And you only have to read the last piece I wrote to recognise the depth of my disbelief that this has proved to be the case.
The biggest sigh of relief I had yesterday was when I found out that they were not going to pull some last-minute rabbit out of the hat and shore up that leaking defence of theirs. If you watched them the other night, you’ll know how easily they were pulled apart by the Dutch. Our own defence will go to Ibrox tomorrow missing key players; the back line they put out in Eindhoven is as good as it gets for them. They look far more suspect there than we do.
If we get anything out of that game tomorrow, they are in a lot of bother having to rely on that defensive unit until January.
They couldn’t even get Davies off the books, and so he’s there as the backup to the backup, knowing nobody at Ibrox rates him or wants him. He’s never looked that good, but imagine how confident and committed to the cause he feels this morning?
Pete Townsend couldn’t get a tune out of that guy now.
If their forwards don’t start scoring, consistently, they will have squandered a huge sum of money on a rebuild at one end of the park when it was blatantly obvious that it would have been better spent at the other end.
That’s the sort of stuff that gets people sacked. And unlike at Celtic, where the transfer policy cannot be blamed on the manager, this is The Mooch’s grand design, this is all his own work, these are the choices he made.
But of course, look past that and you’ll see that the real blame lies above his head, with the people who hired him in the first place and that’s where life gets interesting, because although the Celtic board in its present form hired Brendan Rodgers the people who hired The Mooch at Ibrox are no longer in those roles, and that’s where the danger lies for him.
It’s also where it lies for us, because our directors have confirmed in this window that their entire strategy depends on staying one step ahead of Ibrox but no more.
The continuing mess that club is in is all that keeps this from being a genuine contest and as much fun as I’m still getting out of these Banter Years, I know that at some point there will be genuine professionals over there who put in place a coherent plan … and at that point we will need to use the considerable power at our disposal to put some real distance between them and us.
We have the ability. It’s about a willingness to do it, a willingness which this board has not demonstrated this summer. We cannot indefinitely count on them remaining a shambles … at some point they almost have to get their act together.
And when they do, our directors are going to have to seriously up their game, and I don’t think these tired old white men have it in them. That makes me very nervous.
Lawel has agreed to keep the old firm brand alive so he will make sure celtic don’t Bury them
First of all a half decent Celtic side would embarrass the Rangers tomorrow . I don’t know if that will be possible through the huge injury list or not . They really are rotten ,aren’t they and are there for the taking !Secondly , I still believe that Lawwell thinks Celtic FC and Scottish football needs the tribute act for strong competition every season . The evidence tells us otherwise ! Is that the reason why the board refuse to attempt to pursue proper European class players ?Gambling big on a team full of back up ,project players is way, way too risky for my money considering what’s at stake financially in next season’s Champions League spoils . There will be all kinds of businesses desperate to give Celtic FC money and sponsorship while success continues on the park ! It’s time for a new attitude regarding parting with money …. Whatever you spend on players and salaries Mr Lawwell, you will at least double your investment stakes ,with a pre requisite to be winners !It’s not quantum computing …is it ? I can’t wait for January !
This could have been written after every transfer window in the last 20 years, except the Ange windows.
Problem is noone wants to do the heavy lifting – stop giving this regime money, and who can blame them, there’s a 15,000 ST waiting list(the extra capacity that completing the stadium would add, which is why this present regime will never do it) unless there’s something else you’d suggest?
HH
No more of” Ange” please! That Aussie was at it for months as was well documented in Australia land of the sychopant of anything London based or American trust me I know as lived there long enough Australia I mean. On the stadium that should be completed years ago never happen under this regime lawell micro managed us for Desmond he no self made man ,no visionary all he did was look after his family and losers like Lennon as he was useful to control now it’s full on nepotism with his son recruiting just like his dad did unofficially of course! The man stand should be completed years ago to give us 72,000 seats they be bought but maybe not if lawell is around as he oversaw the decline in our attendance from 2009 till eventually Desmond got Brendan in 20016 The club will be ok if we keep showing ambition fan wise but lawell should be nowhrre near our club we need that board out success in Scotland or not our club has the biggest real fans!!support On the planet fact!! Under that charlatan it’s been run like his corner shop that transfer window has his fingers all over it! No real net spend and with no left back!! When it’s been obvious for years taylor not good enough and big ” Ange” the chancer! signed an utter clown in Bernibie wrong spelling but who cares!
Lawell should be nowhere near our club I meant
They’ve shopped at Poundland and Wilko’s sale, we’ve been to Primark and the Coop.
Better buys but still not good enough to improve situation in European competition.
The board are getting a free ride mainly because to much of our focus seems to be placed upon the scum still.
In the 1st part of the season I’ve classed the 1st Glasgow Derby as out 7th most important fixture in the 1st half of the season.
This has been the case for a number of years now, that only stands to increase next season.
Why so much focus remains upon trying to keep such scum relevant, remains beyond me.
The 2nd half of the season is when the preference of smashing the scum into the ground, if our European ventures are no more.
The club remains in standstill mode with maintaining Scottish dominance remains an acceptable level?
Personally believe now, that Scottish dominance is only a back up plan for ourselves.
I know we continue to put up with the shite of the survival lie, etc etc etc but is this foresight the real height of our ambitions for the club?
Seems that way, yet again and very disappointed that it remains the case.
Many are already fearing a CL group, when as a club we should be looking forward to and hoping to thrive and progress within it?
Yet its not happening, which is a disgraceful way for our club to be run, and an increasing level of discontent at a process not improving by the looks of things either.
We remain so far ahead of anyone within Scottish football, and the biggest challenge to ourselves, remains ourselves.
Will them ambitions ever change?
Not convinced they will at present, which in turn doesn’t make for a great prospect for the season ahead, with such a lack of ambition from the powers to be, still in play
Our keeper is poor, likely a makeshift defence no matter who is picked, our captain and Kyogo of the boil, I think we should be worrying about us and not them, I can’t see us getting anything from the game, just hope I’m wrong.
how dare you mock sevco james…how dare you !
don’t you know, sevco are the very measuring stick that the board of celtic fc use to gauge our club by…?
as the huns say…”FAIL FAIL” !!!
I believe our board think a close run league sells season tickets and spending to win games in Europe is a gamble they don’t fancy. They will take their chances on the “old firm” producing a better balance sheet. No ambition beyond a shareholders dividend
what a load of nonsense, idiots complaining about transfers without having any knowledge about them. Injuries have plagued us this season so far and there is nothing that can be done about that. We dropped points against St Johnston because players missed half open goals. Killie well that was just one of those games which we get now and then on that awful pitch.
Ange did not start great and yet fans criticized now here we are again he same negativity especially before a derby match.
This board and all others for a long time have made our club lesser. What I mean is we end up having g a good squad at the end of a season with some great looking players and we get excited for Europe but without doubt our best leave and the process starts again. There’s been multiple teams in last 20 years that if we managed to keep certain players and added a gem here and there ( we never put the boat out for a gem even with Europe money and trebles etc) and I honestly believe we could have been a regular past last 16 but the greed and more scarily the reluctance for the board to make a stand against the spl and refs and var is disastrous and the no loyalty is not our way. Unfortunately I think k I will be saying these things in another 20 years.