It was great, yesterday, to see our club’s reaction to the latest chaos over at Ibrox. The tweet about the progress of the Lennoxtown project – and in particular showing off all that steel – was ingenious and in particular for not mentioning them at all.
Nobody missed the point. Even the media have to give it grudging respect.
Still, whilst Ibrox flails about in a pile of its own mess, it feels like we could blow the opportunity to really put the cat amongst the pigeons. They announced the free transfer signing of Connor Barron on the day they dropped this story, in an attempt at deflection that fooled nobody, and they are due to follow it up early next week with the Moroccan.
We now know, at least, what the hurry was in them getting some of their transfer business done; without the appearance of some sort of team building plan over there already in progress their supporters would be in an anarchic mood right now. If they knew the full details of the stadium closure problem, I am almost certain they would be anyway.
Not one of their signings is exactly what you would call game-changing. It’s here and now with this in mind that Celtic has an opportunity to really stir the pot. If we made, and announced, a big signing at this point, a signing which demonstrated our intent, there would be ninety nine kinds of Hell paid over there as their supporters are already on the brink.
Their club has already screwed up massively, and they are uproarious about it. Celtic has teased them by showing them how professional operations gets projects to happen. But this is a football club first and foremost and a new signing now, whilst they are still furiously snapping at each other, should be the next priority for us.
We’re a matter of weeks from pre-season training. It would be good for the manager, and for the club, if we were not going into that missing a central midfielder, a striker and the goalkeeper from the squad which just won the double. It’s inconceivable that the boss should be asked to tolerate that after working a minor miracle.
Fans are being patient. I wrote about this earlier in the week, and congratulated fan media in particular for its calm. But that’s not an indefinite state of affairs, and this really is the time for a show of strength, whilst they are at their weakest across the city.
I cannot imagine us ever getting into the sort of mess they just have over there. Imagine facing a minimum of six games, including two Champions League qualifiers, playing away from your own home ground because an internal screw up … we’d be getting flayed for this even if we were signing the likes of Jude Bellingham.
This is the time to put in the boot.
Amusing updates about Barrowfield are all well and good and reminds them what amateurs they have running their own operation … but we’re nowhere unless we make the replacements to the team which are needed and then the additions which will progress us as a side.
So far, on that score, we are batting zero.
Time for everyone at Celtic to seriously up their game.
Xfer window been open 8 days I think , if we after anyone at euros which we should be, nothing till next week
Not sure any of the players they have bought would be an automatic first team pick, more project players imo and Barron would maybe be a squad man.
You gotta think also that there is more to the late contract work and possible asbestos story, I have a feeling there will be a bill for the fixes necessary that will be 2 or 3 times anticipated and include with that the revenue hole living out at someone else’s home will make. Catastrophic.
That has got to set back the player pot even further than may have been previously guaranteed with the Belgian waffler. This is a disaster for the Ibrox club and in the year Celtic can take their claim as the most successful team in the world (Scotland)…..
long may they self harm, Karma is indeed a biatch.
The Klan must be raging seeing what is unfolding and to your point James, 100% rub there noses in it with some money coming into the club, Oh, Mikey, Rocco and others leaving. Some old players moving and contracted fees to us for that, Giorgio, Frimpong etc AND get 3 or 4 big names in with real money.
There’s always another slant to the nose rubbing James. Right now they’re trying like hell to punt Tavpen and Goldust to Arabian Knight Stevie G. Selling Oh, who was our third choice striker for circa £4-5mil would have just as great a result. We sell bit part players, they can’t sell their “stars”, and remember Goldust, left, tried and failed then came back home. I do agree James with the new signing, however, I also believe a sale on the lines I suggest would have similar meltdowns.
We are miles in front of them, on and off the park.
And I forgot what is the latest projects up at Lennoxtown, good god when it was built the inside pitch was 3/4s laid ??
Maybe there is work going on at present to bring in players b Rodgers wants I would think maybe end of next weekend let’s see. Regarding the rangers 2012 why bother what’s gone wrong with the refurb of the bigot done or these world class” players they are buying or signing out of contract players .
it was indeed a dig at the ibrox club but so was the penalty to the rangers quip from the invisible man when asked a serious question. the celtic board need to be on alert here and watch every move from the sfa league regarding the problem the new club are facing. remember what they said in 2012 about civil unrest unless they get their way.
I don’t expect Lawwell or Nicholson to do the right thing. They will do their usual and shafted the manager and fans. Replacements should have been identified and signed as soon as the window opened. But don’t worry cos we have all the steel
It’s been opened a week ffs
successful football clubs do not go bust that claim died in 2012 because of financial mismanagement in previous years when they lived beyond their means, in a way i am thankful for the thug souness persuading murray to take complete control. for every fiver lest we forget.
The spl will take care of itself. I would like tae see them makin signins, that are goin tae make us stronger competitors in Europe. This board need tae show us that they have ambition for the big stage and no just keepin ahead of ibrox every season.
The SPFL will take care of itself? Whit ye oan aboot mate? Last season was too close for comfort in my view. The reasons were well documented on here and the main reason, as we all know, was that travesty of a signing strategy.
Celtic should have had someone signed by now. full stop.
Here is what I would do.
Buy Shankland and Miovski and play them up front with Kyogo and Idah if we get him.
Insist that the midfield and the wing backs do their job and provide these guys with opportunities. We have no actual wingers to speak of so we can do without them.
When you have 11 behind the ball it is madness just to play one up and then replace him after 60 mins.
It wouldn’t work in Europe but admit it who else would love to see this week in week out.?
I just have that usual horrible feeling that Celtic are doing their usual dithering routine. Let’s see what that lot do to determine how hard we need to try.
You might be patient, James, and you might want to credit the Celtic support at large with patience. But it is as clear as day to anyone who knows anything about Celtic what business needs to happen as a bare minimum.
That’s one week down and no movement. We have till August 30. So no panic yet. But we’ve said that before.
This window has a familiar smell to it I’m afraid. Get away with as little as possible and never have a net spend. I have zero confidence in the suits.
I’m not overly impressed with the Barrowfield development either. Seems like a lot of money from which there will be zero return and will only continue to be a cost. Women’s football will never pay for itself and sadly kid’s development is still very difficult as the natural talent pool is getting smaller.
I heard someone say we are waiting til our financial year end – I’m no accountant but surely if you hit year end with the kind of trading profit we have you will generate nothing but a huge corporation tax bill? If we invest that profit not only do you improve the playing side but reduces tax payable. Why would a well run business do that – literally give money away?
As for waiting until after the Euros? Happy to be proved wrong but the idea of us signing players currently taking part in that comp are, I think, slim. Have you been watching our last few windows – not the market we are playing in I’m afraid. As I say happy to be proved wrong but have seen this movie before many times…..
See for a tax offset, if that’s what you’re looking for, we could loan money out to other organisations who need a quick pay day loan for home renovations. Exorbitant interest rates, of course, apply.
I am hoping we are at advanced negotiations with a few of our targets, but it has been very quiet on that front, but what do they say, “ no news is good news”. I have trust in Brendan, still early days, but here is hoping we get a few crackers in the coming days.
Hope always seems to spring eternal with you, mate. Lol
If we’re to have any impact in Europe at all we need the new signings, if we get them , to be 1st choice players with experience, lawwell has to realise fans won’t take his mismanagement any more, the meltdown at ibrokes is brilliant to watch daily but with lawwells previous, in his eyes keeping the team as it is would probably keep us several steps in front of sevco.
This is our time to leave them behind as the cheating hasbeens they are and us getting in the players we need to improve will make sevco an irrelevance for many years to come.
Hello, lackey.
Say ‘Hello, Michael. It’s lovely to have you back.’
Oh James – Sure Jeez Oh you most definitely need downtime to chill out (I know as I’ve got plenty thankfully)…
But how I miss your awesome journalism and most professionally written articles when they’re not there…
I guess that I’ve a serious addiction problem with being addicted to The Celtic Blog –
See what ya do to us Celtic folks ! – It’s all good good tho all the same !
The waiting for Idah should surely be over now, especially when there are a couple of better
players already waiting to be picked up in the SPFL. If he was so desperate to come back before now he could have forced a move in the same way as Gioukamakis (?) or Starfeldt,
who were getting first team football regularly, more than Idah was getting at Norwich (or was it Ipswich?). No matter what the new manager intends, he will probably be influenced more by the support there who, according to a few on their chat sites, are not too fussy whether he returns or not. He has been over six years there so I can`t see him being a first, or second
even, choice in his seventh year. Forget about him, sign Miovski or Shankland, or both even
and set their sights immediately on other targets.