The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Someone want to tell Brown that it's good for a goalkeeper to come off his line sometimes!! 

f**king dreadful display yesterday, but it was a disaster waiting to happen.

[T Fearon]

Strange yesterday. You'd have thought when Mc Donald equalised Celts were going to go on and  win the game. But the defending was desperate. Caldwell lets people (even crap like Warren Feeney) get in behind him far too easily, and I hope that wasn't Mark Brown's career destroying "Ian Andrews" game. Still I suppose the Dons were due a victory over Celtic and the huns will surely leave Pittodrie empty handed on Saturday as well

[illdecide]

I suppose we can't complain to much as that was the first time in 8 years that Aberdeen have beaten us but they way we bent over and took in up the ass was shocking...the central defence was/is shocking and are going backwards, the keeper was only really at fault for the last goal and Nick the Greek is really starting to piss me off with his lazy approach, his first touch turns into a tackle. Celtic need some quality and quick, we may still go on and win the league but for champions league next year we must be having a laugh

[T Fearon]

Samaras' first touch is the worst I've ever seen, even when he receives the ball in space under no pressure. Its his ability to score goals that keeps him in the team but with JVOH back to full fitness his starting days are surely numbered. Mc Manus and Caldwell are good enough but they seem to lose confidence very quickly. I am expecting a big response on Saturday when I'll be at the Hibs game.

[off the laces]

i know pittodrie has a bad surface but why could we not use the keeper more, i counted four times caldwell just humped the ball out for a throw to aberdeen, we where hurting them playing the ball down the wings and getting crosses in, when samaras was on then jan came on and we started running at defenders and losing the ball, why can we not stick to a gameplan that is working and use it?
i have been quite about WGS but now i feel he should be out and spending some money on a centreback to help McManus and a left back, hinkel is showing form now, therefore having a midfielder fill in at left back should not be on.

[carribbear]

i know pittodrie has a bad surface but why could we not use the keeper more, i counted four times caldwell just humped the ball out for a throw to aberdeen, we where hurting them playing the ball down the wings and getting crosses in, when samaras was on then jan came on and we started running at defenders and losing the ball, why can we not stick to a gameplan that is working and use it?
i have been quite about WGS but now i feel he should be out and spending some money on a centreback to help McManus and a left back, hinkel is showing form now, therefore having a midfielder fill in at left back should not be on.

Strachan bought Milan Misun recently, will have to wait and see if this youngster is going to get a start at left back.
That was painful to watch yesterday.





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[under the bar]

I am expecting a big response on Saturday when I'll be at the Hibs game.

A win required coupled with a the Dons to get a result against Rangers.

[longball]

any word of niall mcginn? is he training with youth team still or has he stepped up to the reserves?

[Rav67]

McManus was injured early on and you'd have to wonder if he should have been subbed.  I've never seen a team defend as badly from crosses as that, conceded all 4 from crosses and there could have been a couple more very easily.  Brown being in nets certainly didn't help as he's so hesitant but he wasn't the only person to blame as some shocking marking for the first 2 goals.  Naka was dire for a man of his ability.  Only Skippy shone for me, with a few flashes of genius from Mcgeady.  Scott Brown was steady enough too I suppose.  On a positive note, for all the doom and gloom of the result Aberdeen are in good form and I can't see the Huns getting 3 points up there next week.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Strachan about to strike an ace deal
    
by Ronnie Cully
CELTIC'S transfer window business has finally kicked into gear with the club closing in on a £1.2million deal to sign Welsh hitman Ched Evans from Manchester City.
Chelsea's Morten Nielsen should also be tied up within the next few days, and a decision on a £2m deal for American midfielder Sacha Kljestan is also expected before he heads back to the States on Friday.
Loan bids for another couple of English-based players - at least one a defender - are also being stepped up.
The result of this activity will add a fresh injection of young blood to Gordon Strachan's squad at a time when operating in the transfer market has proved a real challenge for Scottish clubs.
 
And Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell today admitted this has forced the SPL champions to radically rethink their approach to recruiting players.
Lawwell explained: "We'll always compete in the transfer market where we can, and we've shown that in players such as Scott Brown, Georgios Samaras and Shaun Maloney coming to Celtic.
"But a new strategy was required and we're trying to find and rear other exciting young talent, at a financial level that is manageable to us."
Milan Misun, the 18-year-old Czech signing, fits with this approach.
Lawwell will not allow Celtic to be sucked into trying to keep up with the much-richer Joneses of the football world.
With many clubs over- exposing themselves in the most difficult trading conditions for decades, Celtic's prudence is designed to pay off in the long term.
Lawwell said: "The economics of football have changed radically in recent years.
"It had got harder and harder for Celtic to compete with the clubs from the major European powers of England, Spain, Italy and Germany, so we knew we had to try a different strategy.
"The top transfer fees and salaries today are pretty much out of our reach. But what we've got is a great club, a great brand, and 60,000 people coming to watch us every week.
"We've also got a decent chance of playing in the Champions League most seasons, so all of these are aspects we can sell' to a young player.
"At the moment it is the way ahead."
Strachan is working hard within the parameters of this signing policy, and is committed to developing the raw talent being delivered to him.
Evans - who, despite having five caps for Wales is still only 20 - will be another youngster who can be improved by the club, just like Misun, Nielsen, and possibly 23-year-old Kljestan.
But the manager knows there are no guarantees when dealing with youngsters and admitted: "Some of these players are gambles on our part. But I think it's an option we have to pursue."
Strachan has agreed in principle to allow Darren O'Dea to join Burnley on loan, but will want assurances about the fitness of John Kennedy before sanctioning the deal.
Publication date 21/01/09


Interesting bit of honestly there from Peter Lawwell.

[Clown]

im surprised O'Dean is being allowed to leave when our defence was a shambles on sunday
he hasnt really been given a chance after performing brilliantly in the san siro 2 years ago in the alst 16, and any chance he has got he has looked assured i think

[lynchbhoy]

im surprised O'Dean is being allowed to leave when our defence was a shambles on sunday
he hasnt really been given a chance after performing brilliantly in the san siro 2 years ago in the alst 16, and any chance he has got he has looked assured i think

I'd play O'dea and loovens as the central defence.
Hinkel on the right and mcmanus on the left - in a def mode - hinkel pressing on up the right...mcgeady is all you need on the left - though pref a hinkel type left back who can get up, support the attack and put in god crosses/passes/shots - wonder where mulgrew is...oh I forgot, he wasnt any good 

I think O'dea is a great prospect, much better than the over hyped kenedy, caldwell and mcmanus. I dont think its green tinted glasses either.
His lack of game time is def impeding his development. Otherwise he'd be Irish centrre half along with Dunne by now.

[Clown]

i meant o'dea
not sure o'dean is 

[Main Street]

Good news for O'Dea if it goes through, playing at a decent level with Burnley and under the tutelage of Owen Coyle.
Everything else in that transfer news report would underwhelm me if I was a Celtic fan going through a period of doubt.
And probably nothing of substance there, to convince those in despair with the current state of play.

[T Fearon]

How many times have we recruited teenage proteges from the likes of Milan, Barcelona etc only to never hear of them again? Far better to spend 5 million on a player of proven ability in my opinion than buying three or four players no one's ever heard of for the same amount