The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

Rav67 · January 19, 2009, 10:30:41 PM

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 · January 21, 2009, 11:43:16 AM

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 · January 21, 2009, 11:48:39 AM

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 · January 21, 2009, 11:53:41 AM

Quote from: Clown on January 21, 2009, 11:48:39 AM
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 · January 21, 2009, 12:47:12 PM

i meant o'dea
not sure o'dean is

Main Street · January 21, 2009, 01:16:58 PM

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 · January 21, 2009, 01:19:45 PM

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

Main Street · January 21, 2009, 01:25:58 PM

It works for teams like Porto and Benfica. They manage to have a very profitable trade in buying, developing and selling on the cream of the stock.

Off hand I can only think of McGeady, a player who came through the Celtic "system" who would attract a transfer fee more than £2m.

T Fearon · January 21, 2009, 02:36:33 PM

Surely Mc Manus would fetch over £2m. But I agree bringing in unproven young foreign players at significant fees is not the answer.

Gaoth Dobhair Abu · January 21, 2009, 03:27:47 PM

Can anyone answer me why Ben Hutchinson (who seems to be scoring for fun in the reserves) is not able to make it onto the bench even!!

Is Strachan racist as well as being anti-Irish!

Main Street · January 21, 2009, 03:34:44 PM

Surely he would have sympathy for those discriminated against because of a certain colour

T Fearon · January 21, 2009, 04:33:19 PM

Hutchison is the type of player I'm referring to. Signed in a ball of hype (if he was any good would mighty Middlesbro have let him go?) then never heard of again,although he did come on against Man Ure in the Champions League but then again anyone who could walk played that night). Same as Paddy Mc Court and loads of others. Are any of these players really any better than those coming through the various Celtic teams at youth level (which always seems to be thriving)?

carribbear · January 21, 2009, 04:44:12 PM

Quote from: T Fearon on January 21, 2009, 04:33:19 PM
Hutchison is the type of player I'm referring to. Signed in a ball of hype (if he was any good would mighty Middlesbro have let him go?) then never heard of again,although he did come on against Man Ure in the Champions League but then again anyone who could walk played that night). Same as Paddy Mc Court and loads of others. Are any of these players really any better than those coming through the various Celtic teams at youth level (which always seems to be thriving)?

Unfortunately not that many of the youths have gone on to greater things.
Miller, Bonnes, Creaney, Whyte, Maloney, Crainey

Only top class player we actually let go was Given. Maybe i'm missing someone here.

As for the future stars we've bought in the last 10 years, Sno (shite), Petrov, Viduka, Tebily...it's been a bit hit and miss but in the absense of cultivating our own you don't have much option although i'd rather buy these young lads than gutless players like Henri Camara.

Give the rangers their dues, they seem to have unearthed some good young talent over the years like gattuso and arteta...they just couldn't hold on to them

lfdown2 · January 21, 2009, 04:58:48 PM

Is tony swaying to the anti-strachan camp....

Disappointed again, although its always good to get new blood in i am still extremely disheartened at the lack of defenders coming through the doors, instead it looks like we may be getting rid of o'dea, surely everyone associated with the club can see where the deficiencies are, or can they......

the colonel · January 21, 2009, 06:40:24 PM

celtic are gettin abuse on clyde 1 for letting o'dea go. lennon said that morton nielson will be coming back on trial in the next couple of weeks, the american, played in a reserve game and said he's doing ok. and that ched evans is just one of a number of players celtic are looking at.

and he'll not go out in glasgow on his own again!!