As the wait goes on, as the signs of life we thought we saw last week turn out to be more whisps ad vapours, the talk shifts to what strengthening will look like. The definition I have for it is a stronger first team squad than last season. We are nowhere near that right now. We are materially weaker and fan frustration is understandably growing.
That is going to turn into anger before long. Expectations were high going into this window, and in particular because the club is not short of money to spend. We’ve never had so much of it available to us and the club enjoys boasting about its robust financial position.
Not one penny of that money is of any good to us at all unless that strength is reflected on the pitch.
One of the obvious arguments is about what will happen if we allow Matt O’Riley to leave.
In my view he shouldn’t be allowed to at this point, since we’ve done nothing to make us stronger.
There are some who will argue that Bernardo is his natural replacement. This argument is ludicrous for any number of reasons, the most important of which is the obvious point that they were in the same squad last season and played together several times.
But there’s another argument.
He’s not the same type of player. O’Riley has provided goals and assists in abundance. There is no evidence to suggest that Bernardo can do the same and so if you are selling O’Riley it is incumbent that you bring in a direct replacement for him, not simply try to pass off the material weakening of the team as something we’re imagining because you secured a deal for the loanee who was here in the last campaign.
Bernardo did well last season. He did not perform to the level O’Riley did.
I cannot understand why so many fans are looking at him as O’Riley’s replacement in the side. Besides, if he’s O’Riley’s replacement then who is his replacement? Because both of them were here and if one of them goes then that’s a squad place we surely have to fill.
And this club cannot take the decision not to do that, and people should not be encouraging the view that we can.
It will be a scandal if O’Riley is sold and people try to palm us off with Bernardo.
The team will be markedly less potent without O’Riley. We already lost a lot of goals and assists when Jota was sold and even more when Abada went. You cannot keep weakening this team, over and over again, until something breaks. That’s not good management. That is self-sabotage.
If O’Riley leaves, serious money will need to be spent buying a footballer who can come in here and do a similar job.
A goal-scoring midfielder. A player of proven quality.
This club has been treading water for too long.
Our co-efficient slip is an under embarrassment and is the direct responsibility of those who continue to hamstring our European efforts to no obvious benefit. It is because of them that we’ll have to qualify for the Champions League next season because they have been content to allow this team to stagnate.
This was supposed to be the window where everything changed.
It was to be hoped that we would emerge on the other side of it a much stronger unit. That we have so far failed to do that so far is a complete travesty.
If we sell O’Riley, bank the money and do not go out and replace him in the team then we deserve everything we get.
I dont think it will come to that. It would be complete stupidity to make this nightmare scenario a reality.
It would lead me to believe the board are so entrenched in the rarified air of their bubble that the only thing that will make bubble pop is for Celtic to concede another title to Ibrox. I don’t even think Brendan leaving would make them think their strategy was even slightly askew never mind utterly fcking bonkers.
How horrific this thought is.
I can see the first tifo of the season being pointed squarely & directed at the board with a sharp warning of if you want the supporters money then you dam well better spend on the pitch & not on your crisp suits & caviar!
It won’t take long for the same scenes when Lennon refused to step down start happening again only difference being the squad won’t be the target this time the board will be.
While there is no debate regarding Matt O’Rileys contribution to the team last season, I think it is unfair to compare Matt’s 2023-2024 season with Paulo’s first season on loan. If you are making comparisons to support a point, then we need to compare like with like.
It is also unfair on Paulo to assume that he is not capable of a vast improvement next season (assuming he signs).
In his first full season Matt contributed 4 goals and 11 assists in 38 matches. Paulo’s contribution last season (on loan) was 4 goals and 6 assists in 22 matches. We can’t automatically assume that Bernardo is incapable of improvement.
The impact that Brendan Rodgers had on Matt performances last season was phenomenal. Perhaps Brendan sees the same potential in Paulo. We should be talking our players up, leave it to the Daily Record to run them down before we sign them.
Very good article Bernardo n Idah or another striker will be our lot with maybe a loan deal,this board have no intention of spending serious money.I also believe o Reilly will leave this summer n be replaced by some hambone or project,it would also not surprise me if this plays out that BR leaves ,they are treating him n the fans with utter contempt
I never believed that this window would be any different. With Liewwell in the building nothing was going to change. I despise the man and his silent lackey Nicholson. I still believe that the fan groups need to mobilise and oust at the very least these two. We will see Matt sold towards the end of the window and they will not sign a replacement saying they had no time to do so. With regards to Bernardo he is an average player who I would prefer didn’t come back and he isn’t on the same planet as Matt.
Schmeichel fur Hart, Bernardo fur MOR, Idah fur Idah.. Nae LB, Nae CH… NAE CLUE!!!! Boycott the CL 100%..Give these Tory Bastards NUTHING!!
The club is having a laugh, treating us with contempt. This weekend will be eight weeks since the Cup Final. CL money secured.
Since then, we’re weakened by the loss of Hart, Oh, Idah, and Bernardo. But we’ve signed a young Finnish ‘keeper. Two weeks until the new season.
Laughing in our faces while they p!ss on our chips.
Celtic fc board are a disgrace..more interested in £’s in the account than points on the board-CL points that is-they look across the river and see the ibrox shambles and reckon “we dont need to spend too much,if at all,too stay ahead” which is probably true….but we,the fans,dont want to watch more CL humiliations…which WILL happen…matt oreilly will be sold this window i reckon..adding more to the account…BR, if he has any balls at all,will walk-and who would blame him?..and if he is ok with the boards lack of ambition…then fuk him too..every fan knows what positions need filled…JUST WHAT IS IT WITH THE FUKN PENNY PINCHING ???
The Board DONT give a Fuk about the Fans m8 it’s as SIMPLE AS THAT! If the Huns weren’t Soo DELUDED they’d have built a team from scratch instead they hired ‘Del Boy’ Beale who bought ABSOLUTE DROSS which has CRIPPLED them Financially!! As I say give them Fukin NUTHIN.. NOT A HAEPNY for CL.. Wdnt be surprised if we equalled the Huns record of 2 yrs ago although this time it’d be 8 defeats & Nil Poi!
Spot on Waldorf. Boycot the CL games, fuk the board. They will be demanding top dollar for the privelage of watching an outclassed team not even try to compete in that competition, because the board aren’t interested. They like to pretend we are elite when it’s plain to see it’s all lies.
We seem happy to just do enough to avoid disaster. I’m happy with the keeper situation now but there are holes in the squad and opportunities for improvement in every position. Even if we get Idah we need to replace Oh and we might not get Idah. If we start the season with just Kyogo and probably some last minute desperation loan as our striker options I’ll be raging but not surprised.
Good article James, truthful if depressing 😉
Would you be interested in a free proof reading service? I have mild OCD and the wee errors drive me nuts lol
If Barnardo is good enough to replace O’Riley, why didn’t he replace him last year ?