Articles

If Celtic Are Going To Have Just Two Main Strikers, We Need To Aim Higher Than Idah.

|
Image for If Celtic Are Going To Have Just Two Main Strikers, We Need To Aim Higher Than Idah.

Back when the summer window opened – does it feel like ages now? – there was much optimism about what it might bring.

Big signings seemed virtually guaranteed. Amidst all the speculation, I think many of us thought we’d get Idah and then turn our attentions to a third striker of quality, and I must admit that I was eager to see who it would be.

I would have taken Idah and Miovski. I think that would have prepared us well. Now, in light of what Rodgers has said about needing a third striker who is more of a project player than not I don’t think we should be signing either of them.

If it’s going to be two main strikers and a backup we should be moving on to bigger and better targets.

Signing Idah and Miovski would have cost us in excess of £10 million.

The chances are that we’ll opt to go for a younger striker in the £1-2 million bracket. That leaves us a larger sum to spend on the main player. Some will say that we should give it to Norwich, or perhaps to Aberdeen, but neither of those two is worth a sum like that whether it’s within the budget or not.

At the £7 million mark, we can do better than either of them and that’s what makes the Adam Idah situation suddenly much easier to navigate, I think. At the right price he’s a good signing, and as part of a high quality three.

As a main striker competing with Kyogo anything higher than £6 million would have been a stretch to justify in the first place. When you’re talking that kind of cash and looking for a player to take us to the next level his signing makes no sense at all.

Adam Idah is a good footballer. I will not cry bitter tears if we get the deal for him done and the price is right.

But I’ll not celebrate it as if it was a game-changer either, because in light of the manager’s statements it will be an opportunity missed. He may surprise me. He may develop into a genuine European level marksman; I don’t think he’s that at the moment, and with these Champions League Groups looming that’s what we need.

The only reason to want it to be Idah at around the £6 million mark is that this will free up that little bit more money from the budget to allow us to push the boat out a little bit further in another area. But we’ll be selling ourselves short at a time when there’s enough money in the bank that we don’t have to do that, and yes, this will be typically Celtic, and so no surprise at all.

It doesn’t mean that it will not be one big disappointment.

The club appears to have been dragging its feet on the Adam Idah pursuit.

Perhaps though we’re simply viewing this with incomplete information.

If it emerged in the news tomorrow that in fact we were lining up a deal for a whole other striker, of higher quality, it would certainly explain why we made an opening bid for a modest sum and then didn’t follow it up with a higher one. Is that what’s going on here? I hope so, that would at least explain it in a way that doesn’t suggest that someone at Celtic is simply trying to make it look like we were busy.

If it’s not Idah a lot of people will be disappointed. I will feel a touch of it myself because I really did like the guy.

But that disappointment will last only as long as it takes whoever we end up with to start hammering the ball into the back of the net, and then we’ll be able to live with it. A short time, and some more goals, beyond that and we’ll have forgotten it completely.

Such is the nature of football fans. The hero is gone, long live the new hero.

Share this article

15 comments

  • Pat says:

    Shroedingers striker. We both have and do not have Idah all at the same time.

  • Kevan McKeown says:

    As you’ve already mentioned, I can see this board thinkin Mikey Johnston. Again it’s no meanin any disrespect for the guy, tho this would be so typical of how detached they are. Hope i’m wrong tho i’m actually expectin it.

  • TicToc says:

    1st premise: Adam Idah seems to be prominent in Brendan’s thinking.
    2nd premise: Brendan knows more about football and footballers than most.
    3rd premise (if needed): Adam Idah is young and can be developed further and has already shown his coolness and ability on the ball and scoring.
    Conclusion: Lawwell, ya fat slug bastard, get Adam signed and STOP interfering with our progress at Celtic FC. You’re as plastic as your favourite team, the new huns, born 2012.
    Do us all a favour, you’ve lo-o-o-o-ng been sussed, just GTF and take your chosen ones with you!

  • John Bennett says:

    I fear we won’t be signing anyone of note.
    This board hasn’t the ambition.

  • Joe McLaughlin says:

    I’m sure there are quite a few centre forwards in the English Championship at least as good as Idah. After all, he is a third choice at Norwich.

  • John says:

    He scored some big goals for sure, but in my view he isn’t next level. Low risk for sure given the boss likes him, but I agree we could do better.

  • Daniel Lyttle says:

    Who exactly is better for £7m then?

  • DixieD says:

    Lets face it James this board is not going to make any significant signings other than Idah if they can get him for under £7m n Bernardo. We’ll be starting the season at best no stronger than the squad that were able to lift a double. This board don’t care about the CL as they know the fans rage will be there during the early season CL embarrassments and will have long subsided by the time BR and his limited squad are parading another probable double or treble. This board has no shame. I’ve said repeatedly that it wouldn’t surprise me if they sell O’Riley, bank the cash, and complete the Bernardo signing as if it’s a great piece of business. Therangers are a basket case and look like they’ll struggle to maintain the kind of challenge they were able to muster last season. That’s music to the boards ears as they can gamble on another piss-poor transfer window, whilst stockpiling more tent of millions of pounds. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s happening on repeat, every, single, fekn, window!!

  • Jim M says:

    Why are we not looking again at Man city youth players, they have a wealth and depth of talent stagnating down there , we’ve done alright with their players before, we’re playing against them in the USA FFS, maybe lawwell can do something useful for once rather than feather his ample
    nest for a change , junior worked there !

  • Clachnacuddin and the Hoops says:

    I just cannot see them paying megabucks for a ‘Champions’ League level striker at all…

    It probably won’t make much difference anyway, still it’d be good to try especially with the new format that’s gonna be in place in it…

    That said it’s one bloody rigged competition that I wouldn’t pay one red cent to see…

    Even if I was still going to Parkhead on a fortnightly basis which I’ve not been for around nine years now !

  • Alan Smith says:

    There’s definitely a decent loan player or a free transfer or two coming up the road in the next week.
    I think the board have put the money in the bank into a long term savings bond.

  • Kevin Dunne says:

    I like Idah for what he did in the short time he was there ,but he also missed some very good/easy chances like so many others , I reckon 3/4 mil is around fair for Idah ,prefer we get miovski done more ,all round better player

  • Dan says:

    The boards mouthpiece speaks

  • Donnybhoy says:

    For the level we aspire to, Idah is bang average. He missed as many that he should have scored as he actually scored last season.

Comments are closed.

×