The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Pat Mustard]

A 'target man' should still be able to score goals, especially in the SPL.
Jelavic signed for Rangers for £3.5million a year ago. Them being cash-strapped doesn't affect his pay. I do expect him to move on at some stage though despite how 'cash-strapped' Rangers are they've managed to hold on to most of their best players - Davis, McGregor, Naismith, Papac. Bougherra being the only big loss to them.
I'd never give Murphy or any other Celtic player abuse from the stands, but it's my opinion he is not the required standard and I don't understand why he was signed.
Agree with your last point, I just don't think we have the funds to get such players.

[lynchbhoy]

JVOH (Jan ven of Hess) was a target man and scored fcuk all, was also a dutch international ( a lot higher than croatia).
Some of these centre forwards score the odd goal but target men are expected to create more so than score.
lets face it, a long high ball from the back , with your back to goal, its not ideal for scoring goals.
knock downs to the likes of Larsson, bellamy, keane, Hooper etc - thats what they do and do well.
Celtic can afford to spend but wont, they are too scared of speculating.

[Pat Mustard]

JVOH scored 13 in 21 in his first season, 15 in 32 in his second. In his last, where he looked absolutely brutal and slow as a carthorse, he only got 6 in 25 but it at least included the crucial one against Rangers. Not exactly scoring fcuk all though. Plus when you consider Braafheid and Loovens are Dutch internationals it doesn't say a lot for them.
I doubt it. Realistically, I can't imagine us being able to afford any "experienced international strikers" as you put it. At least, not for quality national teams.

[lynchbhoy]

JVOH scored 13 in 21 in his first season, 15 in 32 in his second. In his last, where he looked absolutely brutal and slow as a carthorse, he only got 6 in 25 but it at least included the crucial one against Rangers. Not exactly scoring fcuk all though. Plus when you consider Braafheid and Loovens are Dutch internationals it doesn't say a lot for them.
I doubt it. Realistically, I can't imagine us being able to afford any "experienced international strikers" as you put it. At least, not for quality national teams.

yes, JVOH scored in his first two seasons because Celtic actually crossed the ball in for a centre forward to score headers. This was a legacy from the MON era (when they were used to having Suton and Hartson to aim at).
WGS wasnt a fan of this kind of attack and eradicated it form the side - a problem that still exists - do you recall the last time you saw crosses let alone decent crosses into the box?
Murphy woul ddo a hell of a lot better if Celtic used their wing men to actually diversify their play and cross into the box the odd time to spread the defense- same goes for shooting from distance.

I didnt know Loovens went to the world cup ? Braafeld is only a notch behind player of the year Izzaguire imo. Great going forward, cant defend.

by the way - Davis, McGregor, Naismith, Papac,  -do you seriously think any of these are good - maybe davies is english championship standard at best - a great athlete but not much in the way of football in him.
Bougherra  - is a good defender- but hasnt he been sold now?

[Pat Mustard]

Murphy is crap in the air, as are most of our players. The stats of goals from corners/free kicks show this. Rightly or wrongly, getting loads of crosses in to the box isn't our style of play. Even if it was, as I said Murphy is like Peter Crouch in the air - piss poor for his size.
I'm not sure what point you are making with the Loovens and World Cup thing, or if you are just genuinely querying it. I don't think he did go. Much like if Ireland qualified, Murphy wouldn't go. He is a Dutch international though.
Braafheid is one of the worst players I've seen playing for Celtic. Izzaguire is the best leftback I've seen for us. He can't defend? When was this exposed? Name one winger who got the better of him last season?
Regardless of whether they are 'good' or not, they've been Rangers best players over the last 3 seasons. 3 seasons in which they won the league. However, I'll answer your question. McGregor is probably the best British goalkeeper at the minute. Davis was a regular in the premiership before he went to Rangers. Naismith isn't the most technically gifted player but in the SPL he's very good and he does a great job for Rangers. Papac is a decent defender.
Bougherra has been sold, as I said.

[take_yer_points]

Murphy is crap in the air, as are most of our players. The stats of goals from corners/free kicks show this. Rightly or wrongly, getting loads of crosses in to the box isn't our style of play. Even if it was, as I said Murphy is like Peter Crouch in the air - piss poor for his size.
I'm not sure what point you are making with the Loovens and World Cup thing, or if you are just genuinely querying it. I don't think he did go. Much like if Ireland qualified, Murphy wouldn't go. He is a Dutch international though.
Braafheid is one of the worst players I've seen playing for Celtic. Izzaguire is the best leftback I've seen for us. He can't defend? When was this exposed? Name one winger who got the better of him last season?
Regardless of whether they are 'good' or not, they've been Rangers best players over the last 3 seasons. 3 seasons in which they won the league. However, I'll answer your question. McGregor is probably the best British goalkeeper at the minute. Davis was a regular in the premiership before he went to Rangers. Naismith isn't the most technically gifted player but in the SPL he's very good and he does a great job for Rangers. Papac is a decent defender.
Bougherra has been sold, as I said.

They don't get any smaller than Wright Phillips...

[SLIGONIAN]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/65707/

[lynchbhoy]

Murphy is crap in the air, as are most of our players. The stats of goals from corners/free kicks show this. Rightly or wrongly, getting loads of crosses in to the box isn't our style of play. Even if it was, as I said Murphy is like Peter Crouch in the air - piss poor for his size.
I'm not sure what point you are making with the Loovens and World Cup thing, or if you are just genuinely querying it. I don't think he did go. Much like if Ireland qualified, Murphy wouldn't go. He is a Dutch international though.
Braafheid is one of the worst players I've seen playing for Celtic. Izzaguire is the best leftback I've seen for us. He can't defend? When was this exposed? Name one winger who got the better of him last season?
Regardless of whether they are 'good' or not, they've been Rangers best players over the last 3 seasons. 3 seasons in which they won the league. However, I'll answer your question. McGregor is probably the best British goalkeeper at the minute. Davis was a regular in the premiership before he went to Rangers. Naismith isn't the most technically gifted player but in the SPL he's very good and he does a great job for Rangers. Papac is a decent defender.
Bougherra has been sold, as I said.

while I am laughing at the pic of wright-phillips 'outjumping' Murphy, I wouldnt say he is crap in the air. Have you seen him play.
Jeez, I'm not saying he is the best striker Celtic have or even that he is brilliant, he is just getting bad service and is not far off jelavic. my point is that loovens is an international but didnt get called up to the world cup. IF Murphy gets game time somewhere maybe he would get a proper run IF Irelad were going to play a system that suited him - but they wont under Trap.
Under the current celtic system, Murphy will remain poor. Celtic are toothless and need to do something to change that system though- where I was starting out initially.
Izzaguire was poor against rangers and other games early last season - think it was in the euro games...cant really remember, but what I saw made me worry about Celtic if a decent team ewent at him, as he is too one footd and cant tackle, goes to ground too easily and is often caught out of position. thats not a top quality left back.
Papac is a poor mans izzaguire, and the rest of those rangers players apart from bougherra - I really will never agree with you about them .If they were any use they woul dhave played for better teams than bolton or wigan etc.

Interesting you say that murphy was poor in the air, its something I look out for. Niall quinn was not great for his height, crouch is dreadful for his height, JVOH was poor enough for his height also. Murphy I would not categorise in that company. I'd like to see him get a run in the side and get some decent service from the wings in a 352 or 343 formation.
Celtic need something different as they ae all huff and puff this past few seasons with no penetration, incision and not enough goals. Euro results this year and last plus the 'lost' leagues should surely prove this.
Lennon is still a rookie and just doesnt posess the requisite knowledge yet. Will he ever? Dont know. Time is ticking by and Celtic have not improved a whole lot since the wgs  and mowbray days.
all imo.

[whitegoodman]

No harm to you but murphy is shite, he was shite at sunderland, he was shite on loan at Ipswich and he is shite at celtic.  I know a few sunderland fans and they couldnt believe that they got their money back for him.  If u were bored enough to look at any of the sunderland fans forum they wouldnt have much time for him either.

He is incredibly slow and for a man of his size isnt great in the air and has absolutely no aggression.  He shouldnt even be mentioned in the same sentence as Niall Quinn as a footballer.  Quinn had a touch ffs

[Pat Mustard]

Murphy away on loan to Ipswich :lol: I'm happy that he's off the wage bill but we seem incapable of getting a fee for all our surplus to requirements players.

[lynchbhoy]

Shaun maloney next I hope.

[Pat Mustard]

Maloney, Samaras, Hooiveld, Rasmussen. All need to go.

Nervous about tonight, looking forward to it though which isn't a good sign.

[whitegoodman]

Murphy away on loan to Ipswich :lol: I'm happy that he's off the wage bill but we seem incapable of getting a fee for all our surplus to requirements players.

He was on loan at Ipswich whilst on sunderlands books, am afraid he is still at celtic

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Murphy away on loan to Ipswich :lol: I'm happy that he's off the wage bill but we seem incapable of getting a fee for all our surplus to requirements players.

He was on loan at Ipswich whilst on sunderlands books, am afraid he is still at celtic

No, he's gone for a year long loan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14654088.stm


Just looked into a Ipswich discussion forum and nearly all are delighted at their capture of Murphy on loan.

[SambaSaffron]

Give them 2 weeks.