Celtic Banter Archive January 13 2018

13 Jan 2018 21:19:19
is Odsonne Edouard worth the £7 Million replacement for Dembele?
At only 19 years old 🤔.

13 Jan 2018 21:44:49
There’s not a chance we will break our transfer record for this kid. Unless he has an unbelievable second half of the season however I really don’t see him getting much of an opportunity if the Mouse and Griff are still at the club beyond January. I reckon he will head back to Paris at the end of the season and will be extremely surprised if we don’t have an alternative replacement lined up for Dembele for the summer.

13 Jan 2018 22:00:00
Really can’t say on how much I’ve seen. Don’t think anyone can for sure. At the moment I’d have to be dubious. That said, it he was playing for Burnley, he’d probably be worth double that!

13 Jan 2018 22:21:24
Yeah EPL players are certainly valued treble compared to the SPL,
But what about paddy Roberts at £7 Mill too?
Serious money if we’re to progress in Europe but is it enough?

13 Jan 2018 22:28:32
Celtic won't spend 7M on a prospect. 700,000 mibees. He hasn't done much wrong the lad, but he's miles away from that kind of money. What did we pay for Ntcham? It is a really odd contract that--as if the buy out clause was there to deter us . . . .

13 Jan 2018 23:18:56
In all fairness is MD getting near the PSG starting 11 anytime soon? What would the move offer him.

13 Jan 2018 23:32:36
I was suggesting Edouard will be heading back to PSG at the end of the season Phlip not Dembele.

14 Jan 2018 00:34:33
Watch his movement, give him good service and he'll score goals, he'll improve his finishing over time and I think if he gets a run in the team when Rogic and Roberts are back he'll show his talent.

14 Jan 2018 08:55:06
I would be surprised if we spent £7m in total to fix the defence and team in general. I hope Im wrong, but to think we would seend £7m on the lad seems a non starter. he looks to have something about him, but is raw. He is only 19 and I believe he will develop, but £7m with our form seems a bit much.

14 Jan 2018 11:54:21
When I heard the fee of 7 million was agreed I thought we had got a proper player.

Seen nowt that sugggests he would be worth 1 million never mind 7.

Like you say Celtic won’t spend to improve and will continue to sign projects and cheap older versions.

14 Jan 2018 13:16:56
I disagree and think EO is worth the money. He hasn't had a run of games and every time he plays he is a threat, given a run of games we would definitely see his effectiveness and he will score goals for fun.
I think it would be less of a risk now after him coming over and understanding the set up how BR wants him to play and the culture and language and what it means to play for the club. Another reason for his slower progress is learning to speak the lingo. In other countries they buy players and don't automatically put them into the starting line up to allow them time to settle and then kick on. This seems to be the pattern that BR is taking and good on him.
Too many players with seemingly good attributes and qualities have come to Scotland and been expected to handle all that immediately and then have failed to make the impact, players with proven experience also. This is just a clever way of ensuring there are no obstacles and to give them the best opportunity of success. We have an abundance of talent just waiting to explode into the first team players we could never afford if they had matured elsewhere. I think we have exciting times ahead but truly need to sort out our defence. HH.

14 Jan 2018 18:08:04
I think even if we had spent £7m on Dembele, I would be questioning it. Don't think we'll pay that for a replacement.

14 Jan 2018 19:43:48
Not for me, not yet at least. I'll reserve my opinion until the end of the season. He may prove himself to be worth that, its really up to the lad himself.

15 Jan 2018 00:14:57
I am quite certain if Brendan Rodgers thinks he is worth the £7-£8 m and if the player is happy to sign for Celtic he will be signed .
Too many of our supporters seem to be only to happy to put our club down and try to cast doom amonst other fans .

13 Jan 2018 16:06:22
Typical Celtic. manager speaks of a revolving door. well someone better get some wd40 cause the door must be stuck.
Remember the guts of this team is John park and Ronnie players.
Why do we never strengthen when we are at the top.
Why not give ourself at shot at turning over zenit.
This is us when we are cash rich. things just don't add up.

13 Jan 2018 16:14:13
There's 2 weeks left of the transfer window. I'm pretty sure BR would have given PL a list of names to buy and sell prior to going to Dubai.

13 Jan 2018 16:29:39
The problem is I think everything depends on dembele leaving. this is were it doesn't add up.
I think we should be able to spend decent money without needing to sell.
We all now how it works. there will be a list if dembele goes and a smaller list if he stays. that's not right.

13 Jan 2018 16:43:09
Oh I have no doubt PL has a list of targets Brendan wants. But PL has lost the keys to the padlocked money chest he keeps.

13 Jan 2018 16:43:09
Oh I have no doubt PL has a list of targets Brendan wants. But PL has lost the keys to the padlocked money chest he keeps.

13 Jan 2018 16:54:13
Jungle John we have a very decent chance against Zenit as it is. Why are people making this out to be an impossible tie?

13 Jan 2018 17:18:23
Our manager will hopefully know who he wants to get to keep us on top. Whether he gets them is a different story. You would like to think our board will back him, after all, with all due respect to Ronnie, Brendans a different kettle of fish.

13 Jan 2018 17:38:30
Yes we have a chance against zenith but if u listen to the manager he wanted bodies in to take on our Dubai trip. as he also requested openly in the press this time last year.
We all want the same outcome. by the end of Jan for the first 11 to be stronger. not just the squad but the starting 11.that means players to come in and hit the ground running. let's hope it happens.

13 Jan 2018 17:59:51
Let's judge our ins and outs on Jan 31st. There's more to us having a list maybe players don't want to come, maybe their clubs don't want to sell. It ain't as easy as let's go buy him before we go to Dubai.

13 Jan 2018 18:02:24
When you say revolving door it means when players leave it will free space to bring more in we have a over crowded squad as it is plus you want youth players giving a chance.

13 Jan 2018 18:05:07
We just made a nice wee bonus of £7.5 million with VVD going to Liverpool. Surely this money at the very least, should be used to strengthen the squad?

13 Jan 2018 18:27:48
The answer to your question is quite simple your owner has the spl title tied up Celtic have a firm grip on the spl the owner is happy enough with that so he will not spend millions to compete in Europe look at other teams spending 100 million and can't win a European cup the Celtic owner gets mega money in his pocket while the fans lap up the spl title it's simple.

13 Jan 2018 18:49:42
I’m hoping for at least two starting players will come in before the end of the window, but did Brendan or cd state previously we were far down the line with a few signings and he wanted them in early. Now he may have been talking about Morgan and Compper but one has been loaned straight back and the other is cup tied. I’m sure the rest will do the team a favour but I think we definitely need freshening up .

13 Jan 2018 19:31:06
Timmy88, you are right in what you say.
We're in a position where although we are in a position to spend money we can't spend enough to make any difference to the level of success we can get.
We are dominant at home but to go any further in the Champions league we would need to spend between £50-100m, there is no way we can do that.
I do think though that it shouldn't be beyond us to strengthen the team enough to ensure that we have an easier time qualifying for the CL, then if we get there, to avoid some of the heavier defeats that we've suffered in the last couple of years.
We will never be able to sign the Neymar's of this world, but it shouldn't be beyond us to find 1 or 2 players with ability who actually look as if they want to play at that level and don't just stand back in awe of the opposition.

13 Jan 2018 20:16:49
Cash rich my arse, if all the cash we have blew out of the window of any EPL club, their CEO would hardly bother going down the stairs to see where it went . Our cash would buy about one leg of a Championship striker .
Everton had a great summer window . They finished last season in 8th position in the EPL and bought in twelve players, things went so bad that they sacked their manager and employed an old man who wasn't a fit and proper person to manage in his last job and was sacked .
If B R was to tear asunder our Celtic team, first he would prove he wasn't a good manager as a good manager improves and builds his team, second the new team would need time to gell and the Celtic fans wouldn't give that .
Of course we probably could do with another player or two, but it isn't the size of the fee that's important, more what he can bring to Celtic.

13 Jan 2018 20:50:47
Not going to lie, when I heard the revolving door line, I wondered if it was just another 'manager says one thing, another thing happens' scenario. What I've eventually learned, the best thing to do bhoys, is don't expect anything. Then if it does happen, happy days.

13 Jan 2018 21:44:33
All this talk bye fans of we are so far ahead in Scotland, is music top the boards ears.
Does anyone really think we had a good summer window.
No gk brought in. no cover for kt. No c. b bought in. no cover at r. b. no play maker.
Am not asking for 6 or 7 new faces but we need players to walking into the team not to beef the squad up.

13 Jan 2018 23:00:08
zenit spent £77.8m on 9 new players since july 2017. i hope we do turn them over, but this shows how far behind we are when it comes to transfers. we spent £5.8m on Ntcham and Hayes.

14 Jan 2018 03:56:00
jesus old man chris. take a night off eh.

14 Jan 2018 09:21:34
Why do people continually go to the, even if we spend £100m we wouldn't compete in CL? The inference of this is the well why bother at all? We're all going toddy anyway.

We are not talking about "competiting" we are talking about incomeental yer on year improvement, that ensures we stay ahead at home and when we, if we, qualify for the cl we can do so without being humiliated.

Getting out of that group was an achievement, but does anybody believe if Anderlecht hadn't been in turmoil we would have beat them at home?

We can now earn another circa £5m with this extra tie, or even if it was only £3m, add that to the £7m for VVD and surely five from the new £70m the last two CL jaunts have given us and buy players.

Another point of irritation for me is the referrals to the "list" and that some of the players might not want to come.

They shouldn't be on the list then should they?

The first thing you ascertain is wether they would consider it and we can pay them what they want. Again, if they are on £60k a week, they shouldn't be on the list either. Our market is in the £4-5m bracket for players outwith the mental wage range who see us as a step into a bigger league. A list needs to be realistic, saying we had a list but couldn't get anyone tells me they ad the wrong list and that level of incompetence needs addressed.

Get a list of better than we have that we can afford and can offer a route to bigger things. Any name on the list that doesn't want to come should e found out the day the window opens or before if that were possible by making equities to the club.

Is the list used by the board to do nothing? I wouldn't put it past them. Is it the people complitlig the list need to get real? that's possible too. What is vital is we address the glaring gaps in class we have and using the considerable sums we have generated to ensure we continue to pick up the CL money.

If we don't we slide back, yet again. As we always have.

Less move away from the £100m and list problems and get a better list, and go for players in the target range of what we can afford.

To say there aren't players out there who cold improve us is nonense. Our team needs improved. This it. Finding a way to do that is why Rogers picks up £45k a week. Start earning that by identifying and securing players. He is achieving success with other peoples players. Its time he put his won stamp on his team and that means players.

14 Jan 2018 12:43:40
I think people are overreacting about the lack of transfer activity, there is still 17 days. Once the squad is back from Dubai things will move along. Players will be sold and we will move on replacing them. If they aren't sold then we will see out the season with them until the summer window. Certain players won't want to move until late in the window as they will want to weight up all their options. It is likely only going to be 2 additions to the squad unless others are sold.

14 Jan 2018 13:25:54
MP isn't achieving success with other peoples players a sign of a good manager?
It proves he can improve players, systems, intelligence etc.
Maybe just maybe he will only bring in players who fit that bill.
While supporters like yourself continually whine about getting players in, its not about getting players in its about getting the right ones in.

15 Jan 2018 00:30:22
No matter what the topic is, some fan from another club seems to infiltrate and put in a post about Dembelle leaving . You would think after 18 months these clowns would be fed up. All Celtic fans know that Dembelle isn't going to leave now when his form has been poor and value only about two thirds of last summer's rating . Celtic and Dembelle are confident he will be banging in the goals again and his value will go back up to high thirties or higher.

15 Jan 2018 16:55:25
Raymn I know its about getting the right/ better players in. that's what everyone wants. I know Rogers is a good manager, I also know we need to improve the defence. I want him to do that.

I want us to be better prepared for the CL. I want us to go into games and not be hammered due to a defence that is vulnerable, even at home.

How many players has Rogers brought in compared to how many hold down a first team place?

That ratio needs to change. if they aren't playing can we call them the right players? We need players right now as well as planning for the future. If we don't then the CL money is gone, if that goes our ability to dominate goes.

It is whining Bourne of years watching our club hesitate then decline. Or haven't you noticed that too?

15 Jan 2018 17:00:15
Struth! I agree with Chris on this. I said in another post, you don't sell your car with its wheels off. Everybody from th hun pass trying to devalue him to prevent us getting good money the ill hurt their beloved Gers.

Right now his choices are reduced because he isn't firing. He knows that the move he wants means he has to score more and play better. Both of us will be better if he stays until the summer.

If we improve the defence and our star players regain the form of last year we have a chance of beating Zenit, without that I don't think we have a chance.

Again, I have said plenty of times, I absolutely believe we will buy better players ready step int the team this window. There is no choice.

15 Jan 2018 21:28:06
Magicpole U take the bucket, of all the posters on here you are the only one that states BR wages from Celtic . I think u know as much about them as I .
You infer that he should start earning these alleged wages by buying players .
However I and many others feel he has already earned his wages with treble last season , winning the only trophy that can be won so far this season and losing only 1 game in approx 75 and qualifying for Europe after Christmas .
BR record stands up to most of our top managers but with your depression its obviously not good enough for you .

17 Jan 2018 00:17:52
O shut up you tart. Now you're a mental health professional as well as Celtic's greatest ever fan? Where do you get the time?

13 Jan 2018 13:22:44
Although Kris Boyd rubs many posters up the wrong way with his columns, I'd like to wish him all the best with his new endeavour which is a charity in memory of his brother that will help people with serious mental health issues.

13 Jan 2018 14:17:34
Too true Kev,
Mental health needs as much support as it can get. The NHS is on its knees thanks to years of mismanagement and it’s us who bear the brunt.
For far too long mental health has a serious stigma attached to it. People suffer at all sorts of levels: depression, break downs, schizophrenia etc and everyone needs support.

I encourage anyone to read up and find out how they can support anyone who’s suffering chances are we all know someone who needs it.

13 Jan 2018 14:56:29
Totally agree with u both, and good on the guy fir doing something, had my battles mentally in the past myself and as u say i. c resources are poor, luckily had family to fall back on, since then iv learned of tons of freinds who had suffered in silence prior and since me and have always lended an ear when possible, 🇮🇪✌️.

13 Jan 2018 18:32:53
Yep many people need all the help they can get good luck kris.

13 Jan 2018 10:39:54
I read this morning, with a sense of aw naw, Rogers talking up the defence. I sincerely hope he was trying to give them a boost and not alluding to a position that we don't need anybody.

How could the board expect the fans to fork out near on £50 for a ticket against Zenit if they don't address the farcical defence we have?

The only people who can derail our superiority sit in our boardroom in my opinion.

I can't see them mess it again, but with Celtic boards you never can tell. History is on the side of complacency and hoping.

13 Jan 2018 11:48:03
I get a bit frustrated when folk bang on about mcginn etc, good players but again going by our track record we don't sign loads of players at one time, so if we focus on midfielders again - we are not addressing what everyone knows we should be addressing.

I see "a this is a bad window blah blah. " coming - so we should be getting good defenders lined up on precontracts for the summer then? no?

13 Jan 2018 12:27:21
Digibanger its more than good defenders. The reason Celtic have gone backwards this year is down to the form of Sinclair and Roberts, but mainly Sinclair. Dembele got all the plaudits but look at him this season. Average at best. Why? When Sinclair was playing he was often unplayable. Carried the ball forward, opened up defences got the ball through to the front men. So did Roberts but to a lesser extent. Sinclair one side Roberts tbe other. Whomever played up front Dembele or Griff we got goals. Now Sinclair is struggling and Roberts missing we are not the same threat. So we need Roberts back and try to get Sinclair back or we need new wingers either for this season or next but that for me is the fix. Then 2 CB's and a keeper and by and large sorted.

13 Jan 2018 12:58:30
Every 6 months for as many years as I can remember the Celtic maanger always says that he wants to bring in as many new players at the START of the transfer window. IT NEVER HAPPENS. So far we have brought in a defender who is cup tied for Europe, a winger back out on loan and a 17 year old for the future. Our squad is no better than the end of the year.

13 Jan 2018 13:13:03
@ Johnnymac
I think it's unfair to name individual players as the reason for Celtic not reaching the heights of last year. What the invincible's did last year was exceptional and anyone who expected them to repeat that phenomenon this year is a little bit Naive if you ask me. I think Celtic as a whole have not been charging on all cylinders this season and is probably down to tiredness and perhaps a little bit of complacency. I find your comments with regards to getting Roberts back or a new winger more than a little disrespectful to James Forrest. Roberts might be ready at the end of February but that is no guarantee that he is going to walk into the starting eleven.

13 Jan 2018 13:39:36
Players get paid a lot of money to play. It is not disrespectful to point out when they have lost form for a prolonged period. Its up to them to sort it. Sinclair has been a shadow of last year in an attacking sense. He is to keen to play the safe ball and his finishing has been less than what we expect.

I don know of any other work arena where if your performance slips nobody mentions it. They are supposed to be men, are we hurting their feelings? that's a shame.

Everybody knows we haven't been at it and its due to players not performing, when they stop taking their wages they will be exempt from criticism. Until then man up and find the form. Dembelle has been awful, his touch has deserted him so far and that in itself could cost us a few million if we punt him this window. I would see him and hope he regains his touch and sell him in th summer. Its like trying to sell your car when it has had it wheels stolen, not the best time.

The reason they are getting flack is because they aren't even playing ok never mind like last year.

As for Roberts, if he is back on form he leaves forrest in his wake.

13 Jan 2018 15:43:56
Donjim. What a load of tosh you sre talking. Everyman and his dog knows Sinclair is behind last season. Unfair to name players? Why. The reason we are not as good as last season is because Sinclsir, Dembele, Roberts not as good as they were. Fact. Forrest doing better is great but what has that to do with my comment on Roberts and Sinclair? As Magicpole says if Roberts gets back to last season form he is on the team sheet before Forrest.

13 Jan 2018 18:11:01
Don’t forget apart from KT and hopefully Ajer improves year on year that Our GK and defenders are total Shoite and need replaced for us to progress.

Zenit will win home and away - seen nothing this season says otherwise.

13 Jan 2018 19:48:04
Johnnymac can we assume that as we are not as good this year it is because as you say Sinclair, Dembele and ROBERTS are not as good as they were, that the others such as Armstrong, Griffiths Simunovic etc are as good as they were if not better. this was my point, not that 2 or 3 are worse but the whole team has gone backwards a bit and unfair to blame anyone in particular.

13 Jan 2018 20:31:25
Magicpole, posters like yourself contribute to the " defencive rubbish "as you describe of our defence . Brendan Rodgers has many strings to his bow which makes him the good manager he is . One he places a lot of emphasis on is confidence building . If u ever become a parent you will quickly learn that your children will react positively to praise and confidence building . If u are a Celtic supporter u should want Celtic team to react positively .
We know Dembele reads Celtic forums as he taunted forum users in the summer .

14 Jan 2018 10:41:46
Well he was praised generously old man. But unlike children, adults need t be told the truth, and supported to return to the previous behaviour or form. If you ever had children I hope you didn't bring the up thinking everything they did was brilliant even if it wasn't.

Thats lowers standard, not just in football, but in life. Sometimes the truth hurts, if Dumbelle can't take criticism when it s based upon the actual reality then he is nothing more than a child, with a feeling of entitlement. Praise me praise me when I'm great, look the other way when Im not.

Boo hoo for their feelings. If he thinks he is going t avoid negativity then he is in the wrong business, in football and life. He is in control of the bar by which we judge him. You obviously support and encourage them to get back but you don't ignore the elephant in the room because it might make him sad.

Posters like you encourage happy clapping and no criticism because you think it hurts a team. Did you not criticise your children when their behaviour wasn't up to it? In case they were sad.

You give them the coping mechanisms to overcome bad times by getting them to believe in themselves, not pretend everything is brilliant when its not.

14 Jan 2018 13:02:50
A lot have took a dip in form this season. Jozo, Armstrong, Griffiths, Dembele, Tierney, Lustig, Roberts, Sinclair you could list more. Definitely due to the amount of games we have had to play. Some didn't get a full rest over summer because of the ridiculously scheduled international fixtures. Lustig seems to be suffering most by it as his age and legs are catching up on him. He needs a rest but can't due to the injury of Ralston. Moussa and Leigh are struggling for different reasons as both have had plenty of rest as has Armstrong as he gets swapped a lot for Newham. To me I think Sinclair has been sussed out as have Celtic which is another reason for the dip in form. Pressure on the defence seems to turn into goals now so hopefully with the rest a few additions and a tweak in tactics and style of play will help is rediscover last seasons form again.

15 Jan 2018 00:42:00
You are talking nonsense Magicpole . When my children were playing footbaii and camogi I supported then and encouraged them profusely .
Also when they were preparing for exames right up to their degrees ( all five got fist class honours ) even whe was studying and attaining her Bar examples wive and I encouraged and supported all five into their professional jobs .
As children we reprimanded them for the things children need reprimanding for.