The story about Matt O’Riley and Southampton this morning may or may not be going somewhere, but we seem to be the only club in football who thinks you actually can have too many good players. Is O’Riley going to go to Southampton with a player coming the other way? And is the guy in question really good enough to step into his shoes?
Shea Charles has played one full season in his career. Granted, it was a high level in a good team and that should be encouraging to me if it turns out that he’s one of the players we want. But a makeweight in the O’Riley deal? In some way, I’m thinking, “yeah that’s smart.”
But a loan with an option to buy? What is that? How would that work? If he’s a makeweight in the deal, why is it a loan with an option to buy, and if we don’t take it do they pay us a certain sum of money to make up the balance of the O’Riley deal? I’ve literally never heard of a player being used as a makeweight in a transfer deal who comes on loan and you have to then buy later on.
I would have to wonder if someone at Celtic had lost his mind.
Why not just do the deal with him in it? If he’s worth having, take something in the region of £17 million with him coming the other way, and that gives us certainty, a new midfielder and a big profit on top of it. If this guy is some future star that’s excellent business. What’s the purpose of the loan with an option to buy? It sounds like a piece of nonsense to me. He just went to Southampton for £15 million. The option to buy would be enormous.
So, the reports today don’t make a whole lot of sense. It all sounds vaguely ridiculous. I think any deal on those grounds should be rejected out of hand for the nonsense it obviously is.
On top of that, he’s a defensive midfielder; 6’2 and strong, so I would welcome that without doubt, and I would think that was smart and it would fill a very big hole in the team. But this is a team that has lost Jota and his goals and assists. And it has lost Abada and his goals and assists. If you are taking O’Riley out of that team you’re giving up even more goals and assists to bring in Bernardo, who can’t replace those numbers, and this guy who has literally never scored once.
He sounds like a Rodgers type player, for sure, but where are we replacing those goals? Who are we playing in O’Riley’s front position who we know can score in that volume? McGregor has done it, and I have long lamented that Callum has to play in too withdrawn a role when his best, his natural, game is playing as an attacking player … our constant messing about with finding the right guy for the defensive midfield zone is what has cost us the best aspect of his game.
If this is an answer to that, I’d take it, happily, but you wonder if the years McGregor has spent in Scott Brown’s job have blunted his attacking edge. We’d find out I suppose, but that’s a risk and nothing will change the fact of that.
I don’t even know what to make of this transfer window any longer. A good transfer strategy when executed well is actually pretty uncomplicated. You know which areas you need players in and what the basic attributes you are looking for are. It’s paint-by-numbers. See, what Ange did in those two windows when he was in charge was brilliant for its simplicity; he knew the style he wanted to play, where he needed strengthening and he brought in the identikit players for each position.
You knew last season was an absolute mess because none of what we witnessed made a blind bit of sense. We brought in three central midfielders where we really only needed one good one, and the one who played in the spot we needed a player most – defensive midfield, exactly where Shea Charles plays – was a second-tier player for Korea miles from the first team.
We brought in two wide men for the same side of the pitch when we had both Abada and Forrest there already. We neglected the left back area completely. We didn’t strengthen the strike-force although that was begging to be done. Most people thought we’d buy a keeper. And we bought no fewer than three centre backs.
It was incoherent. It was shambolic. And this one has somehow achieved the unthinkable; this is shaping up to be worse than last summer, because last summer was incompetence of one sort and this is incompetence on a whole other scale, and this whole window has been an expression of sheer contempt for the fans and for the manager as well.
The big news stories of the day are of us bringing back last season’s player in a deal we’ve been trying to complete for two whole months, and the prospect of losing one of our best attacking players to bring in a defensive player on loan. And finally getting the left back in, and guess what? That’s a loan deal as well, and the “latest development” emerged on a discredited joke of a site which writes nothing but lies and shouldn’t be given a shred of credibility.
Which means that the left-back hunt is no closer to a result than it was before.
This has ceased to be frustrating.
This is genuinely disgusting.
I am appalled at the people “running” our club.
We are locked into a downsizing death spiral under these people. I see no reason to be optimistic in any of these reports today. We have nobody at the club capable of implementing any kind of strategy, because at the core is a board that cannot break free of its own reactive mentality.
‘I am appalled at the people “running” our club.’
You’re not alone, James. And I’m including the manager in that feeling. Whatever strategy Postecoglu adopted, Rodger$ could learn from and use to get them to get players in early, cut the uncertainty and spend the hunners a money we have in the bank on the team, not disco lights.
If you’re earning 40/50 k a week in premiere do you want to come to Scotland for 15/20 k a week also do you want to pay him more than the rest of the squad so not as simple as just buying better standard than we have I think the management are doing great balancing on and off field activities if we were in the premier with their sky money they would be queuing to join us but until that day we must scrap around at the bargain basement
Shea Charles? Why would a young man, who played a significant role in Southampton’s promotion to the EPL, give up the chance of playing against Manchester City and United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs etc, in favour of coming to a relative footballing backwater up here? Unless he has no confidence in his ability?
The board needs to go. Even if by some miracle we actually produce a semi decent transfer window, they should still get the boot. Hatate shouldn’t be going anywhere, nor should o’riley, unless his valuation is met. BR should be raising hell about the lack of activity, we should be raising hell, flag day should be played out to an empty stadium in protest of this shambolic window. It won’t. I’m heart sick.
One more day… One more actual fuckin day…
Until they’ve saved another month of wages on players –
And then what ?
‘See’ what Sevco does ?
There has to be something in the water at Parkhead that makes them drag their heels as a snails pace like that…
Does this five way agreement thingy ban them from overtaking The Pathological Survival Lie…
Who knows – but as sure as night follows day there sure as hell ain’t something right for sure –
Then again we’ve given them ammunition by a tier being shut after Rangers (as they were then) died…
Perhaps they’ve not forgotten that and are toying with Sevco again…
But the only thing is Daddy Lawwell ain’t very good at poker whatsoever –
Lawwell n’ Lennon – The men that blew the ten…
I’m still fuckin traumatised so I am – But he’s also very capable of blowing The Pathological Survival Lie to pieces along with his tortoise paced prodigy Lord Lucan-Nicholson !
good stuff just what we need,peter is not there for the Celtic team he is desmonds guy brought in to make him money can you not see that
I’m getting angrier by the day. This board are hanging the manager and fans put to dry. We need 3 left sided players, Meada doesn’t have a final ball, Taylor lacks the physical presence for CL, and Scales is an SPL defender. 2 strikers, and a holding midfielder. Without proper investment in the team, we are in serious trouble for Europe, and they will whack a £200 price tag ob the 4 match package. No more additional money from me. My season ticket could be in it’s final year, I want to see the best team possible on the park, these charlatans need hounded out, they bring nothing to the table.
Peter Lawell has gone way beyond his best before date.
The boardroom stinks of his presence.
He and DD should remember the covid year where the 10 in a row was lost.
More importantly they should remember pre Xmas 2023 where the fans were calling for the boards heads, they were only saved due to the collapse of theRangers.
Money in the piggy bank does not improve the team or the stadium.
DD needs to get his act together and make Celtic better.
A band aid here and there does not work.
Hi James
I think you are calling it wrong for all the right reasons -because you are a fan of the club. But they do have a transfer strategy and it is very clear. Extract as much profit from big sell -ons; buy cheap and sell dear through project players; – it was the strategy last year, this year and will be next year until the board changes- by then we will fallen even further behind in Europe. it is way past time that some representatives of the fans were on the board to ensure a balance between sound financial management and the passion of the real shareholders of this club – the fans who go every week and hold small numbers of shares.
This is Lawwell payback for getting rid of his son while hoping that Rodgers walks away and the chairman’s pet manager ,Moyes, can take over.What the hell is Desmond doing allowing this to happen.
It really is shambolic James you are 100% correct. It’s hard to believe that we haven’t got a left back in yet although we have been crying out for one for god knows how long. Never mind a centre half, a decent midfielder and a striker x 2. Here we are days away from the season start and not one outfield player secured!! Tens of millions in the bank – positions that needed strengthening were evident months ago- is there any scouting network recruitment team ?? This board should be ashamed lining their pockets and laughing all the way to the bank. It’s evident these people don’t care.Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. Time for the support to stand up now and get rid of this mob.
And as long as Pedro the Hun is involved, and folks keep buying season tickets, it will always be so…
Or at the bare minimum, havin organised protests at the beginning ½ time and the end of games, whether we win lose or draw, ti put concerted pressure on the board, ti make them feel deeply uncomfortable, ti want to leave ti avoid the pressure and uncomfortableness, nothin is gonna change
HH
If we don’t get the players we need in this window we have to start boycotting club merchandise coz the season books have already been sold for this season and also and this is down to The Green Brigade and The Bhoys as soon as we have put a game to bed say going 3 up then is should be Sack The Board and Lawwell Get To F##K ringing out of the stands
You can see what’s coming: MOR and/or Hatate get sold,
and neither are replaced with a ‘quality’ signing before the
window shuts.
The Board communicates with the fizzing, paying punters
to claim – again – a difficult transfer markey, ‘bids rejected’ etc.
Our transfer policy seems to be:
wait and see what sevco does first.
And you only really need quality signings if you have European ambitions…
🙁
It ia all to do with the impending implosion at sevco they are going into adminastration. FACT. All the lies obstifacation and statement o clock from the trancendental bennett the media know it blazers and broques at hampden know it boards at every club know it thats why there is no invesment and eventually every sevco zombie wiill accept it.to prepare for 3rd club/team out of auld hoor of edmiston drive
Tbh right now, ahm thinkin o’riley will be away, more big millions in the bank and we’re goin tae end up goin intae another European disaster (humiliation) with players like Mikey Johnston and Liam Scales and if so, that’s no BR, that’s lawwell and Desmond. Then again, what WE the support think, doesnae come intae it.
Maybe it’s time to do a Man United and let someone invest who will take over the football side and put a better system in and let the current board count our money.
Well Said James, You are one of those Celtic Fans that has the Interlect to work out the Celtic Board. I Personaly can read them like a Book. I don’t even get angry anymore.
I am still not getting it James. How do you know we don’t have a transfer strategy in place for this season? How do you know the situation at LB isn’t any closer to being resolved? You keep banging on about how disgusted you are with the lack of action in the transfer window.
For me, it’s all about getting the right people in at the right price and on the right terms. That’s what Celtic have managed to achieve with Bernardo. Would you rather we shelled out the £6M or whatever it was Benfica were looking for just so we could get him in a few weeks earlier?
The Celtic team, as it stands, has more than enough in it to get to the end of the transfer window plus the game v the Huns on September 1. Admittedly having Kyogo as the only recognised striker does expose us to a certain extent but not to a disastrous degree in terms of playing Killie at home and Hibs / St Mirren away.
If we get the players we all know we need in before the end of the transfer window (at the right price and on the right terms) then surely that is a successful transfer window. I am not saying that is what is going to happen but I won’t be able to make that call till August 31.
As for players leaving, Celtic cannot control paper talk. And that’s all it is.
Come on mate, screw the bubbin.
U are fuckin jokin right?
So what’s your solution if Kyogo gets maimed in the first game against McInnes’s knuckledraggers?
Maybe just play Magic Johnstone upfront ehh.
This isn’t just about the NOW, it’s every fucking season since Pedro took the reins over.
No ambition.
Fuck all Communication from the Board. Come last day in the window it’s “ we tried, honest, we really did. Cross ma heart and…blah blah, blah”.
Silence all fucking year. Till AGM then it’s ‘we wuz pure dead brullyant at gettin the dosh ion. The End’.
Rinse n’ Repeat the next year.
If they have a Strategy then tell us. We’re not weans.
It’s the antics of the invisible man CEO, everything’s a secret. Must’nt tell the Customers what we’re up to.
Well the board are not going to change the system of buying and selling they have banked millions over the last few years cl player sales share price highest for years.So nothing will change Rodgers will go along with it till he leaves and will get a shot again in pl the Chelsea new manager if he does not produce I would bet they would try rodgers
Good piece James and agree with every word. There is no doubt now that Celtic fans need to campaign against this shambolic board.
Have booked flights, hotel for flag day but am getting really frustrated with this transfer window to the point of thinking of not attending. The boards handling of transfers this last few years has been frankly dismal and gives any manager no chance of progress in europe. They are a disgrace to the supporters and have no interest in improving the club only to stay in front of “The rangers” and if this carries on could come back to bite them, then the white will hit the fan.
Flag day is the perfect day to let your voice be heard , all the pricks will be lined up at half mast! Let them fuckin have it. Parasites all
Don’t let those PLC bastards spoil your enjoyment of Celtic, John.
Hail Hail.