The bare minimum
What a couple of weeks, overachieving on the pitch, rocked by a certain departure yet soon rocking to the tune of an old new arrival, bhoyed by the return of another departed hero of yesterday, qualification whilst shedding the fringe players,,the end phase of the window looked pretty straightforward.
A left back, a new striker, a central defender and ideally another midfielder.
Only one of those arrived.
The window now has a bare minimum feeling about it,,there’s the bare minimum of effort and imagination involved in bringing back an old player or recruiting a previous employee the manager worked with.
Was this the plan?
Apparently not given the knockbacks for strikers who fit our player profile,,,one a long term target known about for years, the other faced Celtic before. Their attempted captures signify the bare minimum of fresh impetus from a recently revamped scouting/recruitment department.
Celtic have not lived up to their own words this window, we didn’t emerge stronger but rather weaker in areas.
Why is the big question.
Someone official will have to answer the question of what happened but we shall only receive a stock answer with scant detail if any.
But everyone will draw their own conclusions, the nature of Celtic.
I don’t see the sense of only one recognized striker, a move which relies on Daizens versatility, and one of the two young guns stepping up sometimes.
Yet our two signings yell versatile,Jota either wing and Schlupp plays a couple of roles.
Is Brendan/Celtic looking for a slimmer squad with a lot more flexible players to plug holes?
We’re giving off that vibe.
But the window is now, and always will be, synonymous with Kyogo. Having basically been handed a 6 month notice period, Celtic couldn’t or wouldn’t reinforce the striking position with a like for like despite getting 8 figures for the wee man.
The phrase “you had one job” springs to mind. Months, not weeks or days, but months of prior knowledge failed to come with someone able to join for an acceptable fee right now? We must be one of the only clubs capable of such incompetence.
Hamfistedness others might say.
Any official plan is beyond me,,given we are back to qualifiers late summer, and tend to buy/attract based on said results,,,the summer window ain’t looking like our saviour. If anything we will lose some matchday squad members, more new faces joining putting more pressure on the existing players to step up, again.
That’s gambling, on the freshness and quality levels of the retained quality players, on the luck of the draw even, but it’s unnecessary gambling for a club that has the resources to avoid gambling but rather implement planning.
We employ people for said planning, sitting here now I’m wondering what’s the point. Depending on your own take, the qualifiers are the most important games of the season, they are for me, and given the new format and much bigger spoils I ask myself “Why do the board not see this? Why risk all that? Why not get ready now?”
Unfortunately I keep returning to an old saying “Celtic never let you dream too much!”. Once that genie is out of the bottle it’s hard to put back in, getting through the group stages with credible results helped by a couple of ten million signings has unleashed the genie. My fear now, is it’s rebottling,,just as the support starts to dream again. Just when the next level looked within grasp. Is within grasp. This team plus summer and this manager might just navigate the qualifiers, but before those games I for one would like to see a certain banner dusted off, the ‘on your heads be it’ one.
Brendan has been diplomatic, but he’s been very successful and deserves some of the spoils he captured. It’s a record turnover season, a renaissance season, he called for a replacement striker, team needs a striker, Europe calls for a striker and zip.
Aye, on their heads be it indeed.
For what it’s worth I believe both captures we’ve actually managed will be astute signings and impactful in a positive way, but at the windows conclusion Celtic walk away much in profit, more profit, when lacking in numbers on the park.
After the internal struggles of ‘24 and the sporting plus financial success those windows shall deliver, stoking the engine of the rolling train with fresh coal looked a no brainer, paddle harder and ride the wave.
Why that didn’t happen shall now be the years debate.
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
Last year,our charity drives raised over £4000 for deserving causes. You are truly a wonderful collective, giving selflessly to others in need.
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The bulk of the money was split fairly evenly between our two nominated causes, which were
Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust and Blood Cancer UK.
New Year, New Cause! From 1st January till 30th June, we will switch our attentions to raising funds for another source of wonderful work on behalf of those who need it most.
MacMillan Cancer Care
Once again, the donations page has been set up for us by CHALMERSBHOY, and my grateful thanks to him for doing this and so much more.
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Please continue to give generously, which I know you will!
*SENTINEL CELTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024-25*
*RESULTS FROM GAME #37 MOTHERWELL 1 CELTIC 3 (MAEDA, IDAH, JOTA)*
Good evening, friends.
A game where we played well enough in the first half but much better in the second and where one injury time moment elevated our happiness an extra notch.
Calum McGregor played his 500th game for Celtic whilst Daizen Maeda notched up his 100th and within 52 seconds opened the scoring with a Larssonesque header back across goal. Daizen is having his best season yet for us and now sits joint top of the goalscoring charts.
Celtic were comfortable without being dazzling. But some slack play in the 22nd minute saw Motherwell draw level. As the cross came into the box Carter-Vickers jumped to head and was clearly pushed by Armstrong. The ball then bounced off Trusty’s shin and Armstrong slotted it into the net. The push on CCV was soft but that’s all it needed to be to stop him getting the ball. A clear foul for me but not for the VAR.
But a few minutes later and Celtic regained the lead. Good link up play on the left saw Yang feed Hatate. Reo’s first touch played in Taylor who’s first touch crossed to Idah who’s first touch found the net. A great goal and we had our half time lead.
The second half was one way traffic towards the Motherwell goal. Twice we thought we had increased our lead but both were disallowed for very close offside calls. Adam Idah also managed a fine spin and shot but the effort came back off the post.
On the 74th minute there was an incident that I haven’t since seen anyone comment on. Engels was challenged and fell to the ground expecting a foul and so deliberately grabbed the ball. The referee disagreed and gave a foul to Motherwell for handball. It was clearly deliberate so why wasn’t Arne booked?
In the final 25 minutes Celtic made the usual substitutions including the one most of us were eagerly awaiting – Jota returned in the 65th minute, starting on the right but later moving to the left. He was equally capable on either side and, to me, didn’t look that rusty. Hopefully up to full fitness in the next 2-3 weeks.
With the game in it’s dying seconds we suddenly got our moment of the day. Engels played a fine path into Maeda and Daizen spotted Jota coming in on the far side. A great pass across the 6 yard box and Jota finished to the absolute delight of our travelling fans. And, of course he did THAT celebration. A moment that was written in the stars.
We have now played 37 games this season, winning 27, drawing 7 and losing 3. We have scored 99 and conceded 33 (domestically it’s 86-19 and in Europe it’s 13-14). Thank you so much to the 87 who voted this time around – the highest turnout since we defeated RB Leipzig back in early November. The total votes cast for each player are as follows, with my own nominations asterisked.
Schmeichel: 0
Ralston: 1
Carter-Vickers: 0
Trusty: 0
Taylor*: 21
McGregor: 1
McCowan: 7
Hatate*: 28
Kuhn: 2
Idah: 72
Maeda*: 84
Engels: 0
Jota: 38
Yang: 0
Scales: 0
Bernardo: 0
And so, the players receiving POINTS for the game against Motherwell are –
Maeda – 5 points
Idah – 4 points
Jota – 3 points
Hatate – 2 points
Taylor – 1 point
And the overall positions after 37 games played are –
58 points – Kuhn
49 points – Maeda
46 points – Hatate
45 points – Schmeichel
43 points – Engels, McGregor
41 points – Bernardo, Scales
31 points – Trusty
24 points – Kyogo
23 points – Carter-Vickers, Johnston A, McCowan
20 points – Taylor
19 points – Valle
14 points – Idah
7 points – O’Riley
4 points – Forrest, Yang
3 points – Jota, Welsh
0 points – Cummings, Holm, Johnston M., Kenny, Murray, Nawrocki, Palma, Ralston, Turley
*GOALSCORERS 2024-25*
I was asked to include a summary of our goalscorers for the season. I won’t do this after every game, but I’ll update it when we score another 10 (or so) goals.
*Goalscorers table*
16 – Kuhn, Maeda
12 – Kyogo
11– Idah
7 – Engels, Hatate, McGregor
5 – McCowan
4 – Johnston A
3 – Bernardo, Scales
1 – Carter-Vickers, Jota, Ralston, Taylor, Trusty, Yang
2 Own Goals
Total Goals – 99
Next up is a run of 4 home games in a row and I can’t remember when that last happened? We start with our rearranged league game against Dundee, postponed from last weekend. Kick off is 7.45pm on Wednesday evening. Hopefully someone scores our 100th goal before 8.30pm!
Hail Hail!
The bare minimum right enough.
Our CL fixture is obviously being treated as a jolly, happy to make up the numbers ,exercise.
A shocking way to present the club in the Premier competition.
Granted the likelihood of overcoming the opposition was beyond slim, but to approach the games by weakening our forward options, with a single recognised CF available looks like abject surrender before a ball is kicked. If Idah picks up a knock in the next couple of games it’s a youth player who wants to leave or Kenny who can’t get a game off our bench.
We will have enough to win the league- 9 victories will do it.
Less if our rivals drop points elsewhere.
We could lose both Hun games and still win the league.
Schlupp may turn out to be a decent addition.
Will cover a couple of positions, an older head and a bit like Aaron Mooy in age profile when he arrived. Hopefully with a similar impact.
Enough to get us over the line domestically.
The same farrago can be expected in the Summer as we scramble through qualifiers before recruitment.
I suspect almost certainly requiring a couple of mids as we lose Reo, and need another anyway.
We could possibly lose Daizen too.
The search for that elusive CF will continue.
However, all will be well as the return of KT is the board deflector.
Utterly disgraceful from our board. BR was quite clear he expected a striker to replace Kyogo and he got shat on.
Now that is either negligence or incompetence but either way I would like to hear Michael Nicholson come out and explain which it is. As IQ pointed out, Lawwell had to apologise for last January’s shit show yet we find ourselves here again. Why is that? We should be getting a one on one interview with our CEO to explain the process that has left us with one recognised striker for the remaining half of the season.
This window was akin to a game of poker. The board got dealt their hand and had 4 weeks to decide how to play it. The thing is though, they had the advantage of knowing the top two cards off the deck ie a striker leaving and a left back not coming this window. Who in their right mind lets their opponents know this before going into negotiations? Absolute amateur hour from very highly paid professionals. There are no excuses or apologies to cover this.
Atob absolutely agree regarding this transfer window, a mob of charlatans running the club, as my old maw used to say the could’nae run a raffle, I still believe we can do well against Bayern
Morning all,
What a shambles !!!!!!!!!!
Could someone from the Celtic Board not just come out and say what they are going to do with the £100 million plus in the Bank.
Certainly ain’t on players !!!!!!!
The Supporters are being treated like mugs.
Could be Brendan is totally pissed off with the whole situation and does a runner.
And I wouldn’t blame him.
The non transfer window might be the last straw.
ShitshowCSC 🍀🍀🍀
At a minimum Brendan wanted a replacement for Kyogo. Really, though, he wanted to come out of the window with a stronger squad. I suppose we could argue that point, we’ve brought in Jota and decent, experienced cover at left back, Idah looks like he might be unleashed now that he’s been promoted from his role as back-up striker but there’s no way this is what any manager would be expecting far less the manager of a Club with £100mill sitting in the bank. Brendan has been let down again, and so have we!
Auldheid…what lessons have you got for the doubters today?
As the window opened I posted an article about the recruitment at Liverpool during Brendan’s time there.
It seems the lack of a Plan B on the football pitch is replicated by a lack of a Plan B in player recruitment.
Surely we didn’t agree to let Kyogo go on the basis that Brønby would sell us Mathias Kvistgaarden. They’d apparently wanted £7.5m in 2023. His goalscoring had markedly improved.
If this was another Brendan Rodgers power play. It ‘backfired in spectacular fashion.’
What figure did Brendan/Michael Nicholson expect Brøndby to demand?
What terms?
– They knew the budget.
– They went to Dublin before the window opened.
Did Brendan and Michael really expect Arsenal to release KT (and at what cost?)
– The leak of that proposal in all probability led to Barca’s decision to recall Valle. They want him playing, not as third choice.
Changes are needed in our recruitment strategy before the next window.
Anyway, the following is a description of a previous Brendan Rodgers power play.
“Three months into his new job, Rodgers ended the transfer window with a power play that backfired so spectacularly it coloured the rest of his tenure.
He did not want (Andy)Carroll, nor the replacement that Fenway Sports Group had found for the striker, Daniel Sturridge.
John H Henry expressly forbade the manager to ship Carroll out before signing a “couple” of attackers.
On the penultimate day of the window, Rodgers loaned the big Geordie to West Ham United, pulled the plug on Sturridge’s loan move to Anfield from Chelsea and attempted to trade Henderson to Fulham for Clint Dempsey.
The next morning the Northern Irishman told a press conference that he would have liked to have kept Carroll around but “it’s one where finances dictate things.
The fanbase were furious.”
The difference is of course that Brendan was acting unilaterally at Liverpool. That doesn’t seem to be the case here.
John H Henry wrote a letter to the Liverpool support to clarify things.
Have a great day everyone.
A decade of Fenway Sports Group at Liverpool: Part One | The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-fsg-ownership-decade-hodgson-dalglish-rodgers-transfers-epl-b1011948.html
I obviously don’t have a clue what happened during the window, only what didn’t happen.
I’m just a supporter with as much power as a dead battery.
Only thing I know for certain is my ambitions for this season.
I wanted to approach the Bayern games fully believing we could win!
I wanted to wrap up the title at the earliest opportunity and give everything to win the treble.
Right up until yesterday I was confident those things were within our capabilities…
I now have a nagging doubt in my mind!
What happens if Adam pulls his hamstring in the first 5mins of the first leg V Bayern?
Also thought qualifying for next year’s champions league would have been right at the top of our priority list, but maybe it’s just at the top of MY priority list.
What a farrago
HH 🍀
Another omnishambles of a transfer window, and if we’re p*****d off, I wonder how Brendan feels. Or is it part of some masterplan which we know nothing about, but will all become clear soon…no I didn’t think so either!! Today’s presser will be an interesting listen. We could be hearing the 2025 equivalent of the “enough wingers” quote.
Enjoy your day all.
Just seen Everton’s new stadium for the first time.
It’s something else.
We have lost so much revenue, kudos, coefficient etc over the years by not qualifying for CL simply because we won’t risk spending on players without the holy grail secured. Is this gonna start again?
Genuinely thought we had turned a corner in the summer with the realisation that we can make more money from Europe than player trading.
Now I have the fear all over again,
Folk we really need to hear from
Michael Nicholson
Paul Tidsdale
Rodgers will get his piece at the presser today but I could write his script for him.
Morning all
I never expected much from yesterday but hopefully Jeffrey Schlupp is a decent addition. I won’t hold my breath though.
I know the market was quiet as a shut library and that the supporters of plenty of other teams will be at least as underwhelmed as we all are but why we sit on such a large bank balance remains a mysterious concern. Still no hot water for us hoi polloi too.
Had some close family news last night which is more concerning than any of the above but the above is still infuriating all the same
Jimbo
Jimbo,
Hope things work out ok pal 👍
This is only football and there are way more important stuff to think about.
All the best.
Jimbo,
There are things way more important than football.
Hope things work out well for you and your family.
Take care.
Keeping Kyogo became Impossible, it’s known on recent weeks he demanded a move, in his usual polite fashion of course.
Our attempts to find a suitable replacement faltered as teams either refused to negotiate or refused our offers.
I’m assuming BR was relaxed about this, otherwise I’d expect him to be shouting from the rooftops. I assume he’s content with Idah, Kenny and Cummings. Not the worst options, especially when you throw in the threat of Jota, Maeda and Kuhn, we certainly have enough firepower and skill to see us through domestically.
Europe, well thats another matter.
However, for me, not signing a much needed defensive midfielder is the biggest fault of this and recent windows and , until we do, we will remain soft touches in Europe and in games v the Huns.
We have known for 6 months that Kyogo was going .
A fee for £10m was agreed early in January with Rennes. To be concluded if we qualified for the playoffs.
We then try to sign a guy who we’ve been chasing for 18 months and still can’t get him signed.
As I’ve said many times Nicholson , is out of his depth .
BMCUWP
As you say , Brendan will not be a happy chap.
And we all know who is hanging about waiting on a call from his pal Peter.
If we beat Dundee tomorrow we restore a 13 point lead. We are almost certain to win the league. So why spend? We are more than happy with what we have earned from Europe. Who cares what the supporters think.
This seems to be the attitude of the board.
Hope all is ok jimbo.
Btw if we had signed a young guy with 6 goals in conference league (higher standard than spfl ) we might have felt quite good about it.
But Kenny hasn’t had a sniff since his recall. Might see him against Raith
“You can sign a player for one or two million and you might sell them for 10 million. You can buy a player at seven or eight million and sell him for thirty or forty million. It’s the same thing. It is all about trusting the process and the team of people.”
Brendan Rodgers August 2024.
Where are these £8m/£9m players Brendan?
– Whatever Brendan says in his next press conference don’t think Brendan will be as bullish as he was in August 2024.
– Unfortunately examination of Brendan’s profit and loss account at Liverpool & Leicester reveals that his signings made considerable losses.
Let’s hope he acknowledges the support he has received, accepts responsibility and agrees to take onboard the lessons from this window.
Till later.
I’m surprised that anyone is surprised by the events of this window.
We’re a player trading business, football is secondary.
This board don’t care about you, or Celtic.
They only care about money. Specifically getting money from elsewhere into their pockets.
Gombeen man
I dunno where these 8 or 9 million players are but that’s not my job.
I do know we have signed dozens and dozens and dozens of low cost players who have flopped. We never hear of them from all the moneyball experts.
As I say the only reason we are obsessed with player trading is because we have no trust in our ability to make a dent in Europe unless we have automatic qualification.
if we ever want to move forward we need to break this cycle of buying lots cheap in hope of finding one diamond and look to be constantly trading up.
As Ange said you don’t replace a £25m sale with another project, You replace them with someone better than they were when they first joined the club,
Good morning, friends.
Although Celtic moved 6 players out in the window, only 4 of them (Kyogo, Palma, Valle, Welsh) have left holes in our Champions league ‘A’ squad. The other 2 – Holm and Bernabei – weren’t registered for Europe.
We are only allowed to bring 3 in, so that will be Jota (for Palma), Schlupp (for Valle) and Kenny (for Kyogo). So really it’s only Welsh who we haven’t replaced.
We can call on any of the youngsters in our ‘B’ squad although for most of them that’s very unlikely.
The attachment is our official list lodged with UEFA. The asterisked players are the B list.
A couple of players aren’t in the category that I’d expect – apparently Hatate is a defender and Ada Montgomery a striker. Who knew?
Celtic | Squad | UEFA Champions League 2024/25 | UEFA.com
Mahe
Agree with most of what you said in your article. And expect many mixed views on the outcome, and plenty of ammunition provided, to be aimed towards the board yet again.
The biggest focus for myself anyway is upon Rodgers claim, that the objective of the window, is to finish it stronger as a squad, than when we entered it?
So looking at the decisions made, which can’t be confirmed either, at this point, so the guessing game remains intact, as to whether successful or not at present?
Jota
Would still say he has the potential to be an upgrade upon Maeda, within the position, even if possibly right now, but shouldn’t take too long either imo.
Schulpp
Again I would say is a stronger option than valle, and even Taylor.
With the added bonus of able to fill into the Hatate role also.
So a welcome addition, even if it has to be proven upon the pitch.
Kyogo replacement
This is the area that potentially most anger within our support, may well remain.
Looking at the decision taken that a striker role, that could involve Maeda being regarded as the main replacement for kyogo.
Again to close to call if it will be beneficial for ourselves, and don’t believe that a better option than Maeda was available for the price bracket we operate within, especially mid season imo?
So overall, I would claim that Rodgers intentions have been met,but very uninspiring and underwhelming in the manner that it has been achieved.
Our core group of the squad still possibly remains at 14 still, regarding the game time available.
Still a small number of suitable back up players to call upon.
Still to many within a 25man squad that could be regarded as not enough for ourselves, are even capable of earning a higher squad place.
So a total lack of planning still exists, especially with potentially less than 14 for a core group, with question marks surrounding schlupp and Hatate, during the summer, and CL qualifying games to contend with?
The money in the bank, with ongoing making profits during a transfer window, is a growing anger point.
Don’t believe any excuses, warrant the lack of planning that has been on show during this window imo?
Plenty of guessing games will remain in place as to why?
But as usual it will take time to be revelled, if ever, and don’t expect the explanation to be satisfactory also.
A board playing Russian roulette with its supporters, is a mix that I personally don’t feel comfortable with in it’s existence at present.
Biggest failure within an operation that goes on behind closed doors.
Still has to be that of Paul tisdale imo.
To deliver nothing, that was considered good enough to pursue, remains a massive failure within the workings of how our transfer window is meant to be operating imo.
May be a congested market within our price range, but the lack of planning involved, on his behalf is of great disappointment and concern at present.
Looking like another huge and busy transfer window remains in store for ourselves yet again.
So calls into question strategy, along with ambition.
Unfortunately seen nothing to suggest that it’s actually getting tackled, so the guessing games remains in play for ourselves.
Made even more complicated with CL qualification games to contend with.
Do we deserve better for our support?
Better believe that we do imo?
What a bunch of moaning minnies!
Jeffrey can play LB, LW, DM and CF. So, not only have we replaced Kyogo, we’ve replaced Danny McGrain and Neil Lennon tae – and it hasn’t cost us a penny!
Now that’s what you call The Celtic Way!
Sorry, guys, I came on for a rant but everything I was going to say and more has already been perfectly expressed.
Yes, we have enough to clinch another treble but we have a season defining CLQ in July and this is is our squad for that.
That’s quite a gamble I think.
Personally speaking yesterday was a line in the sand for me. I think its time the support got mobilised again like 94 and put pressure on this Board. (I know, Auldheid, I know!). I’ve not purchased my Bayern ticket and I won’t spend another penny on Celtic this season. No merchandise, no fast food – “not one thin dime” as someone once said.
HHH,
We broke our transfer record twice in the last window, on players that have not delivered consistently.
Our wages bill is at a record high. It will be an issue if Brendan fails to get through the qualifiers.
Brendan and the CEO sanctioned the transfer of Kyogo.
Brendan stated that he wanted to sign a replacement.
We haven’t.
Why not?
Who did we target? Was there a realistic prospect of signing our target within our budget?
Targets need to be realistic. We are in the market for European players that the Big 5 leagues don’t want. They are players that we can develop and sell to the bigger leagues. We are a middle-man.
Brønby were always going to push back. They’ll hope to sell for considerably more to a top league.
As far as we know Brendan controls the recruitment process.
In circumstances like these there surely has to be nailed on alternatives in waiting.
Brendan and the CEO agreed to sell and didn’t deliver.
In a club like ours, profit from player trading is a necessity.
Brendan Rodgers has no history of delivering this.
Plan B at Liverpool and Leicester was always to spend more money.
It left a mess at both clubs
Player recruitment is simply not Brendan Rodger’s strength.
Kyogo confirms his reason for leaving Celtic in an interview with Japanese media. I guess he must have thought he had little chance of making the squad if he remained at Celtic. A big gamble moving to Rennes on his part given their perilous league position but best of luck wee man.
Wants to reach the next World cup in Canada, USA and Mexico next year.
He said: “I think that if I can prove my strength here in France by playing every week I will be called up by the national team again and I will be able to show a different side of myself. I cannot claim to be called up with certainty, but if i can demonstrate my ability at Rennes, it definitely adds to my chances. I just want to make an impact here and create chances for my teammates. I’m very pleased we won in my opening game. There are a lot of players in France with very high technical abilities and I know I will challenge myself every day.”
“ Ever get the feeling you’ve
cheated ?”
John Lydon.
Anyway… onto tomorrow night.
Mahe
What system is in place?
My thoughts based on past observations inside the tent.
BRTH.
I’m with you on personalising blame is a waste of time. Getting the system and process right is what matters.
Then you hire individuals with relevant experience to manage the process. Not accountants nor lawyers.
It’s been a while since I’ve been inside CP on ideas like a membership scheme, but I was struck by the lack of due process to make things actually happen.
That was down to personality, PL’s personality and I wish to feck that a man who lied to shareholders at AGM was taken to court to prevent his return. But hey ho £20k pledged by shareholders to go legal was never taken up.
PL created a systems vacuum and I see no signs of fit for purpose systems being implemented since.
That does not mean there are none but it should be a requirement that every AGM report should contain a specific section on recruitment over the year. Details like positions scouted for. Players pursued. Outcomes. Reasons for success and failures.
In short a degree of transparency that makes accountability possible.
If only the likes of HB or PB (who is as bad for Celtic as his puppet master) could organise along with the CST.
In the absence of the capacity to put focus on the issue of lack of due process, every Jan is Groundhog Day.
McCaff
What lessons?
Get off yer arses and act instead of moaning then turning up to pay for what you moan about.
See my post re systems.
Absolutely shocking transfer window. Whoever is in charge needs their luv spuds slapped.
PS and they still managed to make a decent wee profit on player trading😮🤐
Westcraigs
February 4, 2025 9:50 am
If we beat Dundee tomorrow we restore a 13 point lead. We are almost certain to win the league. So why spend? We are more than happy with what we have earned from Europe. Who cares what the supporters think.
This seems to be the attitude of the board.
===
It is. So what are you going to do about it?
Auldheid with the comment of the day, if not decade, albeit no one will do heehaw that is apart from the much maligned and oft wrongly accused Green Brigade who may have a wee home truth banner for the board.
“Get off yer arses and act instead of moaning then turning up to pay for what you moan about”
👏👏😏☘️
It’s a funny old game!
By most metrics we are in great condition.
League Cup – winners.
League- leaders by a distance
Cup – home tie in round 5 against lower league opposition.
CL – qualified for play offs.
Despite that we are all hacked off. We all know we could and should be so much better. No point in me stating the reasons why.
If the board are so focused on money rather than improving the team why don’t they just sack the scouting / recruitment department and save the wages. They don’t seem to be doing much anyway.
Jimbo, hope things improve.
https://readceltic.com/2025/02/03/celtics-most-idiotic-window-of-the-21st-century-thats-what-were-looking-at-if-we-dont-have-a-new-left-back-and-a-striker-by-11pm/
TMG
This is turning into a bit of a BR witchunt.
Who is behind it and why?
” In a club like ours, profit from player trading is a necessity.”
Oh no it isn’t. The days of having to sell a player to balance the books in event of not qualifying for CL have gone thanks to the healthy reserve built up over last few years that BR contributed to by reaching a play off stage against a club whose resources dwarf ours and render the idea of the signing of one player will cost us progress as football fantasy.
We needed to upgrade on a number of positions to make any difference and it would be folly to waste the reserve cushion in Jan on a gamble that makes us dependent on player trading.
As I said why the witchhunt on BR?
Oglach
If the GB produce a banner that brings the issue of how Celtic treat the support up front, it will be a first.
How would you personally go about making change happen?
I’d like to know what the alternative to selling Kyogo was.
Not replacing him is a separate point.
As far as Kyogo wanting to leave to go to France in this window, I don’t see how we had any other option bar selling him.
I’d also like to know why moving to a club fighting relegation gives him more chance of making the WC.
Billy Bhoy
February 4, 2025 10:44 am
What a bunch of moaning minnies!
Jeffrey can play LB, LW, DM and CF. So, not only have we replaced Kyogo, we’ve replaced Danny McGrain and Neil Lennon tae – and it hasn’t cost us a penny!
Now that’s what you call The Celtic Way!
Sorry, guys, I came on for a rant but everything I was going to say and more has already been perfectly expressed.
Yes, we have enough to clinch another treble but we have a season defining CLQ in July and this is is our squad for that.
That’s quite a gamble I think.
Personally speaking yesterday was a line in the sand for me. I think its time the support got mobilised again like 94 and put pressure on this Board. (I know, Auldheid, I know!). I’ve not purchased my Bayern ticket and I won’t spend another penny on Celtic this season. No merchandise, no fast food – “not one thin dime” as someone once said.
=/===
Thank you for pointing out the need to mobilise.
The problem is the support itself is so fragmented there is no locus to mobilise around.
So it is down to each individual to act in their own interests or just put up with how Celtic treat supporters.
Auldheid
I believe my own wee form of personal protest is well known on here. True it is more aligned with the presence of a certain individual within Celtic but i am of the opinion that his malign presence is manifest in this window, it has his MO all over it.
Go yer own way CSC
Auldheid, you are completely correct, I didn’t know about taking the board to court.
I also understand you are only trying to give both sides and explain the thinking of where you see the board coming from.
In my defence, I will wager a pint that khun is punted in the summer irrelevant if we make CL or not, and also that if good bids come in for Reo and Daizen then they will also be taken up.
It was only the GB that chased PL out of town during Covid, in the same sense that PL may have been fearing for his safety if he did push for titles stripped. I can forgive this.
But to leave, and once we got rid of Dom and then appointed the lapdog lawyer, it stank to high heaven, then back he came. Appointed his son as Head of recruitment, and I was being told that he had nothing to do with anything anymore.
Fool me once, and all that.
You can’t blame people for going to games. This is unfair.
And if I can be completely honest, you do sometimes come across as a board supporter. When you blame the supporters, but then give reason not to blame the board and ask for forgiveness.
I would forgive every supporter for buying a ticket to what they love.
But the board needs to earn its forgiveness, and with forgiveness, you should repent. I don’t see any repentance from the board just downright greed.
Stay well and all the best.
Gombeen man
i don’t disagree with everything you say but I have to take issue with the fact that you say we broke our transfer record twice and they have not delivered consistently,
I would be interested in what your expectations were for the first 6 months for Idah and Engels.
Engels is clearly being developed (but from a higher starting point) and has shown signs of being a rolls Royce to these amateur eyes.
Idah hasn’t had a proper run but that is to be expected when every top team needs two top strikers. If lewandowski had scored those two CL goals at Villa we wouldn’t have batted an eyelid, one of which involved a pass from Engels which was absolute top drawer. We have just had our best CL campaign for 13 years.
So I guess I just don’t agree with your view that the money wasn’t well spent on Engels and Idah. Who, btw are young guys who will likely fetch us far more going forward and arevprecisely the trading up strategy we should be following.
Brendan doesn’t do the deals, it’s the suits,he will identify which players he wants,and give a rough idea on their valuation,it sounds like Brondby were at it,but we should have found this out at the start of the Window, and then moved onto another target.
Jeffrey Schlupp is an even better acquisition than I thought. Not only can he play in 4 positions he hasn’t started a game this season (15 subs appearances) so he’ll be as fresh as the proverbial daisy!
👍
I dont understand the fascination with the guy from Brondby. If he was as good as our people think he is the top clubs in Europe would have snapped him up. After 18 months of trying we still havent come close to signing him. The time to move on was when his price doubled weeks or maybe even months ago. Its that kind of nonsense that has seen us without a replacement striker.
I also cannot believe the negativity towards Brendan continuously. He has definitely improved the team this season imo. What he did at other clubs is a total irrelevance as I dont believe any of us have proof of any workings internally at them . What he does here is what matters or what should matter. The big problem as I have always said is above his paygrade and no one will ever change my mind on that fact.
Managers manage. Board member decide in my experience in all walks of life.
Until yesterday we were in a good place. Now because one man leaves without a replacement we are facing disaster.
Im not swallowing that one until the season is over and Im forced too.
Celtic, who have 1 true striker and need to buy, wont. Sevco, who have 3 striders and need to sell, wont. The ying and yang of Scottish football.
what happens if Idah gets injured? Maeda, who BR plays and clearly sees as a winger? Kenny, who BR hasnt played? Or Cummings, a kid who BR hasnt played and is for the off (so isnt going to risk injury). And Cummings wont be here for CL quliifiers.
And David Srelec, who was apparently one of those strikers who clubs wouldn’t sell, is now said to be moving after all. Some countries’ windows close later than in Scotland. But you would think selling teams would get highest dollar when most clubs are bidding ….
why risk CL money by not bringing in someone now? Risk 30 million CL money to save a few million.
or is this another case of Celtic waiting to see what the zombies do before deciding its own policy? If Celtic were to qualify for the CL and Sevco dont, there is another 20 million gap, and they fall farther and farther behind. 20 million is not massive in modern football, but in. Scottish football , it is. Cant have that gap growing too large ….
Auldheid…I’m not accepting it’s my responsibility to mobilise and call out the plc. I’m as entitled to be as unhappy or as happy as the next guy and I also understand we are going through a fantastic, incredibly successful period in our history. If the plc refuse to match the ambition of the wider support, for whatever reason, unless there’s a mass downturn in ST sales nowt will be done. That’s a fact and I can admit honestly that I don’t want to give up my support for Celtic. That doesn’t mean I cannot complain or moan about issues where I feel the Club can do better. Not everything needs to be as dramatic as the Res12 situation.
Oglach…your wee private one man protest against Celtic but happy to line the pockets of drugs barons and sweatshop owners! Hmmmm! 🤨🙄😃
McCaff
you are correct in that actions not words count. No one is forced to pay money to Celtic. This isn’t a situation like taxes, where I may not support the government’s policies, but still pay my taxes. I have no real choice about paying taxes, so the act of doing so does not necessarily equal support for the policies. If Celtic fans weren’t at least sufficiently satisfied, they wouldn’t hand over their money
unfortunately, the fans spoke and wanted the Old Firm, even if it meant curtailing European ambition. And the fans got what they wanted
at least that is how I see it, which is why I choose not to fund it
i realize my boycott doesn’t mean anything to Celtic, but, after calling for fan action for years, I would have felt hypocritical if I didn’t do so myself
BBC reporting that bottom of league two, Carlisle United, want Slippy G as their new manager
how the mighty have fallen
he must really have been hoping that PC would get the Belgium job …,