So ends the transfer window. And it shuts with a dull thud.
There are people who will try to tell you that it was a great success.
They must think you button up the back.
One of the signings is a short-term loan. Another was signed to replace somebody who left because he missed his girlfriend. It took us over a month to replace Jota and we don’t know how successful that endeavour has been.
We signed four central midfielders, including Iwata because we had a deal in place for that. One of our signings, we might see again sometime in January, when he’s been moved out on loan.
But for the record, we now have Iwata, McGregor, Turnbull, Bernado, O’Riley, Hatate, Holm and Kwon all competing for three central spots. None of them is the experienced, powerful, ball winner the manager wanted and who we clearly need.
We have a head of scouting who must know that’s the brief.
He’s had the whole world to look at, and he hasn’t found somebody.
So instead, we signed four somebodies.
And people look at the size of our squad and our wage bill and wonder how it ever got so outrageous and bloated and over the top. This would be one of the reasons … this and our obsession with wingers.
We have seven wingers. Amazing.
We signed three of them in this window. Three.
And even if we hadn’t signed one to replace one who was leaving, that’s still two more than we really need.
It would be different if they were both obvious upgrades … but they were punts. That the one we’ve seen looks not half bad is something that I don’t feel in the least inclined to give these people credit for.
Neither of these signings was necessary when there were far more important places to spend the money.
On the left there’s Johnston, Maeda and Palma. On the right there is Forrest, Abada, Yang and Tillio. And for all that, we have two recognised out-and-out strikers.
One is just back from being injured and the other needs a shoulder operation. Did we strengthen that area? Of course we didn’t folks, because Maeda, Palma and Abada can play centre forward in a crisis.
It doesn’t seem to have dawned on our “scouting department” that none of these players is a penalty box bruiser in the Champions League mould, and which every good Champions League side has.
The guy we know we did make an offer for up front is a Danish Under 21 who is 5’8.
If you think the pieces don’t all fit then the manager agrees with you.
We have signed three central defenders.
Two of them by necessity, and one to provide cover and competition.
It’s the one area of the pitch which, but for injuries, I feel we’ve done worthwhile work.
Because we sure as Hell haven’t done it anywhere else, but much of that has been forced on us by circumstances.
So we still don’t know if we’re better off for it.
Which brings me to problem area number one; our left back options are Taylor and Bernabei, neither of whom is remotely good enough for the Champions League, and that’s hardly news as every editorial in every newspaper, every fan site, every forum, and every talking head has highlighted this as a critical area over and over and over and over and over again.
It is frankly scandalous to send the manager into the Champions League with those options, when there’s so much unspent cash, and when he knows as we all know that they virtually assure that serious damage will be done to us.
The only area where I think the left side of defence will have competition for mistakes that cost us goals is with the keeper … and that’s another glaring hole which nobody has bothered to fill.
If we go out of Europe because Greg Taylor, Alesandro Bernabei and Joe Hart between them conspire to assure that outcome, I won’t blame them. I’ll blame Mark Lawwell.
I’ll hold him personally responsible for that, because he’s supposed to be an elite level scouting head and he had the whole world of football to scour for an entire summer and he can’t find a better option to back Taylor up or supplant him than the guy we’ve already got and who it’s obvious to all of us is as much a defender as I’m a brain surgeon?
He’s in the wrong job if that’s the case, he’s no more ready for the role he has at this club than Rocco Vata is to cover for Kyogo while he gets that shoulder op. But it helps to have friends in high places.
Even more so if one of them is your daddy.
Unfair? So what?
Who cares whether it’s fair?
I said in an earlier article that they created the perception that this club is run on nepotism and cronyism and when mistakes are made that’s what people are naturally going to say.
They created this situation and they could have avoided it easily, by simply giving the job to somebody else. You will never convince me that there is not someone out there who could have done this job just as well, or better, than the chairman’s son.
I cannot say this enough times; this is how companies get into trouble.
This is how countries make catastrophic decisions which collapse economies and even lead to wars.
A handful of people, isolated from any but their own opinions, deciding everything … and these people have been in those jobs for so long the idea that they have fresh thinking to bring to the table is manifestly ridiculous.
The thing about giving the job to your own kid is that he has to be perfect.
He can’t make mistakes; he doesn’t get any benefit of the doubt.
But this is a Lawwell transfer window, just like the dozen or so we saw in years gone by.
It’s so textbook, it’s so on the nose, right down to the pissed off manager, that if you wiped my brain of the last 12 months and I didn’t know who the chairman was and who our head of scouting was, and you told me about this transfer window, I’m 100% certain that I’d be able to tell you the names of the people in those two high profile jobs.
I wouldn’t even need to phone a friend.
We had a Champions League windfall. We sold Jota for a major sum. We sold Starfelt for a decent amount of money. We’re coming out of this with a starting eleven which is arguably weaker than it was at the end of last season, and we have a net profit.
To say this board has backed the manager is nothing but a barefaced lie.
They gave him the backing they thought he should have, not that which he and this team needed.
We haven’t even spent the transfer cash we brought in.
And those who say “Aaah but we kept our best players and some of them signed new deals”, I’m afraid that’s not going to cut it either because you’re asking that I praise these people simply because they didn’t further asset strip the side.
Brendan Rodgers, on the day he sat down in front of the fans, said he wanted pace and power.
He said two weeks ago we needed some experience.
They gave him a Benfica youth midfielder yesterday and you heard what he said about it, expressing his feeling precisely in pointing out that it’s another young player to “develop”.
They call this many things, but when you are so laser focussed on doing things in one specific way, even when it’s plainly leading to mistakes, that’s not a coherent plan, that’s a fetish, that’s no longer rational. They couldn’t just have given the guy one, just one, experienced footballer? And why not? Because it doesn’t tick the boxes on their wee checklist?
Are these children or grown men?
He’s the goddamn manager of this football club … and they’ve treated his opinions with nothing but contempt. They’ve heard his pleas and very publicly given him the finger.
They failed this guy, and there are no two ways about that and what makes it worse is that they plainly didn’t even try on his behalf.
They didn’t try on our behalf either.
The minute he said that they were making the transfer decisions I knew how this was going to end, and yesterday was a depressing walk through a very familiar landscape I hoped we’d never have to pass through again … a transfer window run by the bean-counters in accordance with “the strategy.”
It doesn’t serve the needs of the manager. It doesn’t serve the needs of the team.
It’s an ego trip for those who think the football department is their own personal plaything.
Well, they’ve got their share of my money for another season. They had the cheek to send out advertising for a new shirt yesterday and it doesn’t even matter that I like it, it’s a piss take and they can sod off.
I’ll wear the one I have until it comes back into style rather than give these people more money so they can stuff a mattress or heat a driveway or whatever the Hell else they’re going to do with it so they don’t have to give it to Brendan Rodgers.
Champions League money? They can get that from me when they take the competition even semi-seriously, and since they don’t then I’m not going to either. They’re getting nothing else.
That’s the only language they understand and they used to be able to hold over us the idea that if it wasn’t for our money they’d have to weaken the squad. Wow.
They’ve rendered that an empty threat since that’s what we now expect anyway.
Doubtless you will hear excuses for this window along the lines that players don’t want to come to Scotland, and how we can’t afford to pay big fees and how it’s difficult to do business in the summer (remember when they told us that about January transfers? Last January, and every January?) … it’s all bollocks, I’m afraid, that and this peculiar lunacy of leaving stuff to the final day when if you fail to fill any of the key positions you are essentially out of time.
Don’t let anyone kid you that this is somehow enforced on us, that this is the way we have to do things and that there’s no other option … this is a choice. This is deliberate.
This is how our club chooses to do this.
We haven’t been pushed into anything, we’re here because of conscious decisions made inside our own walls, to limit our spending to the point where we’re run for profit, to sell our best players the moment an acceptable offer comes in, to force every manager now to accept projects and development players and hope that their coaching can make something coherent out of what is all too often a mess of names and bodies in positions where we don’t need them.
When Brendan Rodgers sits there and tells you, himself, that the club has “a strategy”, well folks this would be what he’s talking about.
This strategy which leaves us short of a midfield enforcer, a left back, a backup striker and a decent goalkeeper, going into a Champions League Group where we would have a chance of getting at least third if we weren’t hamstrung by the policy, and this at the end of a window where we’re posting a transfer trading surplus in spite of bringing in ten players and which leaves us with six centre backs, seven wingers eight central midfielders and a manager who looks increasingly pissed off.
You’ve nailed it James. I shuddered when I heard that Rodger$ got the job. I almost threw up when Lawwell came back through the door. We might challenge Sevco for the worst CL results ever. And there’s no guarantees we’ll win the league with that squad either. Praying for a result tomorrow.
Terrible transfer window, with the project players , the looking to develop garbage once again. I just can’t see us doing anything in the champions league at all, I’d imagine the other sides have strengthened. I feel as though we are in a real battle to even win the championship never mind doing anything in Europe. They will say we have signed about 8 or 9 players or whatever it is, but the majority will sit on the bench and get maybe 15 or 20 minutes here and there. It had been a shambles, and an embarrassment as usual. The amount of money we have, we should be winning the Scottish league by 15 points every season, but with our transfer policy we are letting rangers compete, it’s an absolute disgrace, but that’s what we are dealt with. I am hoping that this young boy turns out to be like a Jota, but I’m only hoping. There should have been experience, but as usual it’s players under 21, who might become good in about 2 years or something, just an absolute joke.
100% agree with you james. We were led to believe we were going to make some serious first team ready signings and we have plenty funds todo so before we sold players. We now have a nett profit of 13 million from player trading this transfer window this on top of the significant funds in bank before we started flogging our best players. The bonuses/ dividends will be sky high in the lawell
household .
I was a season ticket holder for more than 25 years NO more I’m not spending one penny more to line the pockets of people who do nothing for our club except look after their own personal bank balances.
I wish they were as keen to fight celtics corner regarding a number of issues with the game’s governing bodies (refs and more)as they are to line their own pockets . Please disappear mr & mr lawell
Signed
Digusted fan ,
@BJM and ah hope the Celtic support take the same attitude mate.
I agree with everything you say.
My question is, why did Rodgers come back?
He knows how PL operates. Was he duped by promises? What made him think it would be different this time?
I expect he won’t stay long.
Excellent point Robo. My first thought when Rodgers arrived was he has been made promises, here we go! If he has been suckered I hope he doesn’t hold back when he does go. Which is most likely to be this season some time.
Absolutely spot on mate.a totally shambolic transfer window.we needed more power up front steel in the middle a strong left back and goalie upgrade and after the deadline we still do.disgraceful.lawwells mark all over it.
I totally agree with you on this. I feel Rodger’s has been had by Lawell I think Lawell’s ego is detrimental to Celtic and Rodgers we will get skelped maybe on Sunday but definitely in the champions league. This team is weak in midfield and will be run over we have been crying out for a big ball winner for years and if we win nothing this year it’s not Rodger’s fault I will blame the board.
It does have a whiff of Oldman lawell and lennon to it when we were buy any player dot com,, Europe is going to be very tough even to parachute into europa after Xmas,,,I hope I’m wrong,,,
If I may play devils advocate for a minute… the cost-benefit ratio of progress in the Champions League is weighted heavily towards the later stages. The prize money for making the last 16 is (I read, and I accept sources may vary) €9.6m. Quarter finals is €10.6m, semi final is €12.5m, runner up gets €15.5m and winner gets €20m.
In my mind, to be certain of that €9.6m you’d have to spend a good bit more, probably exponentially more again for each round. Which is why the later rounds are now dominated by state-funded petro clubs and the traditional super clubs. There are also a lot of basket case clubs who wrecked themselves chasing the dream (there’s even one in Scotland). We might not like it but that’s the way it is – the majority of clubs in the group stages haven’t an earthly of winning it and just milk it as a cash cow and spend enough to stay on top domestically. Even Arsenal qualified year after year without realistically having any chance of winning it and used the money to pay for the new stadium instead. This is the end point of ‘professional sport’. The fairytales are fewer and further between than ever before, and even then they usually aren’t really fairytales and more a case of sportswashing on the sly.
Absolutely no excuse for having holes all over the team and if we fail domestically, these people should pay with their jobs. This shambolic policy has to be at least tweaked to support the team that can then support results. Crazy way of operating.
This is exactly how I feel this morning, the big question I have is how did rodgers agree to this when taking the job he knew what they did the last time
As a 76 year old supporter, I’ve seen this movie many times. Celtic are a club run for profit first and football success second. This “strategy” has been in place for decades – the only notable deviation was during the Stein years when the manager’s ability triumphed over the intransigence of the “Board”. Celtic are financially successful, but are “also rans” in the European sphere of football success. There is no serious desire to progress beyond winning the SPL and secure Champions League finance, supplemented of course, by buying “project” players to further enhance the financial position. The excuse of not being able to compete with the “bigger” leagues due to superior finances is simply a lazy acceptance of that position without bothering to try – by planning for the longer term, by investing wisely while preserving the financial stability of the club, and by building a football team capable of competing at a much higher level than recent past and present teams. I keep waiting for the movie to change, but it never does!
Utter disgrace. Disgustin. Nae crucially needed, defensive midfielder, but ah’ve lost count on how many wingers, nae new gk, left back or striker. Spl up for grabs now between rangers and us and even tho when we’ve managed a decent draw, ah don’t even want tae think about Europe. All down tae a bunch of profiteerin bastards who once again, rakin in the cash wi nae real ambition for the team. Absolutely gutted. Nae fkn surprise tho.
Be very interested to see how BR plays this.
Does he stick around and turf it out or get out of town quick ?( again ).
He very obviously hasn’t got what he really wanted in this window ( or maybe even expected ).
Sundays result will be telling.
Scandalous window. Not a single permanent signing would have got in that team last year, a team that by season’s end was in desperate need of 1st team starters. Only Phillips has any sort of pedigree and he’s a 4 month loan. The rest may be good in time. But they don’t have time. They have to be ready for Ibrox tomorrow. They have to be ready for the Champions League in 2 weeks.
Lawwell should be sacked Monday morning. If Nicholson is too spineless to do it cos daddy is upstairs then he can go too.
Champions league club? Their actions don’t match their words. No ambition whatsoever.
Time to Chill a Win 2moro takes the Heat off BR the Board are Quite Happy to Dominate in Scotland If We the Fans think about Europe we should All just lie back down DD and the Board have never shown any Ambition for Europe and THAT’S THE WAY IT WILL STAY!
The situation is lamentable, failing to improve the team from a position of strength. Same old routine, the board and especially Desmond take us for mugs. No steel and a dearth of experience. I liked the comment re the January transfer window and remember BRs last season when we were due to play zenit, we signed nobody of import and they told us, The market is very difficult in January.
That’s got to be the biggest bit of garbage I’ve ever read since I started following Celtic 70 year’s ago. Used to think Charlie Nick talked a lot of crap, but this is worse.
Thanks for reading.
Hard (but good) read. There’s nothing I can say to counter any of that. The power we were “promised” has not arrived. The point about our bloated midfield is sickening. Definitely a case of numbers over quality. The sad thing is we had a chance to something in the Champions League. That is no longer the case. We are woefully short.
I was a season ticket holder for the last decade but gave it up this year because the two older men I attend with struggle too much with their mobility now! I was kind of glad to take a break from the pre and post match drinking and to get my weekends back. Your article (although it seems negative is a brutally honest assessment I’d agree with you on). Rodgers has been brought back to appease the fans for the loss of Ange. What better way of replacing a 5/6 domestic trophy winning manager but by bringing in a 7/7 domestic trophy winner. The 0/1 on his return can be understood given the lack of support he seems to be getting from lawwells boy to make signings. There always seemed to be a tension between Rodgers ambition and that of those holding the purse strings previously. Their failure to buy McGinn the final straw in a long drawn out recruitment process! It’s obvious Lawwell and Co see value in youth and development of young cheaper players and maybe Rodgers is aiming too high in the players he’s targeting or identifying for them to chase! A five million plus experienced player is going to come with high wage demands we might not often be able to meet. The board loved Ange because he knew the Far Eastern market inside out and we were able to buy some really good players at reasonably low cost but with Rodgers, there appears to be a lack of trust from them on his targets or a clear failure to be able to get them! There has to be a tier system whereby, if they can’t get his first choice £10 million player, there’s one at £5 million he likes or one at £2 million he would consider fairly decent etc if we failed getting the more expensive two etc. As the transfer window closure drew closer, surely they could have brought in the cheaper options at least? When I look at Rodgers on his return, I think his body language says it all. He seems pissed off, frustrated no smiles, moody looking and glum and I think this lack of support could lead to an early departure! Rodgers will not allow Lawwell to play around with his reputation. He’s returned here to try to recapture his mojo. I said it previously and I was right, I knew he’d quit around the time he did previously and if they don’t start backing him by spending some of that cash, then he’ll be gone sooner than you’d imagine with a parting shot about the lack of support. I’m glad reading your article, that I haven’t given the club my hard earned cash this year because you are right! Of course Dominic McKay came in briefly around the time Lawwell quit and signings were made of those Far Eastern players around that point, whether credited with signing them or not! The Lawwell’s own wage and bonus packages will always be their priority it seems! So the need to spend the club cash might not be their priority!
Wow, great piece James, truth and passion. I guess it’s up to the fans now to air their displeasure about the Lawells before it is too late. Champions League package = £120 to watch the love of your life get made a fool of.
And a blogger James, who seems increasingly entrenched in his own version of the truth!
For a person who can come across as an articulate, thoughtful commentator you do rather come down very heavily on one side of a discussion about our club, which you usually admit as to being very complex.
Maybe time to take a step back, reflect etc.
Your recent articles can appear, to me, to be less introspective than your normal.
I’m not here to be a cheerleader. It’s a role I don’t play well and that’s all it would be; a role.
If you’re happy coming out of this window you shouldn’t care what I think of it.