Celtic Banter Archive September 01 2013

01 Sep 2013 23:23:12
I really can't understand all the so called Celtic fans on here slating the board for not spending, we spent close to £10m granted we may have sold players over £20m but that's what we are a club who sells buys young players cheap develop them and punt them for a profit! We have to remember we are an spl team punching far above our weight at the moment champions league 2 years running last 16 last season if we all calm down and look at it we don't have 4 rangers games anymore every season and that is a finicial burden to Celtic for match day revenue sponsors corporate hospitality etc so the extra £10m will plug the gaps also just being in the champions league should be good enough we do not have a god given right to be there every season because it us ans us alone that boost our countries co efficient that's why we have to go threw qualifiers every year so let's give the new boys a chance and get behind them and watch us win the treble and see what happens in the cl .
Tam

02 Sep 2013 09:44:26
You may be right, but is that what celtic is all about now, just get to the party and that's good enough, tell that to the Lisbon lions.

Can't live in the past mate. The biscuit tin holders almost took us the same way as the undead. Getting to CL group stages has to be our target. Our goal can be to win the tournament but realistic targets first. On the day it's 11 against 11 and the who is up for it. Real Madrid just paid 85 million for ONE player! That's what we are up against. We do well to punch abover our weight through good management and an excellent set-up. Can we ever win the CL? Yes, if we get the breaks and things fall into place on the day. Does not stop me hoping and dreaming. Hail Hail

01 Sep 2013 21:48:44
Can anyone tell my why the transfer window closed on Saturday 31st Aug @ 11pm and does this mean that over in sevconia that all the trialists that expected to sign on the 1st September when the Sfa sanctioned transfer embargo was to be lifted now can't sign. Or have they been given special dispensation again.

Ian

1 because the sfpl or whoever they are, are ar£3 holes
2 because the zombies signed dead wood out of contracts
Cha67

Sorry they've not signed yet it'll be the 2nd but who really cares apart few them
Cha67

The answer is eufa asked all FAs if they would like an extension to the current window and for some reason they didn't take it up, it is weired becouse the sfa are usually right on top of things like this and do every thing they can to help, what a joke they are

01 Sep 2013 21:01:02
Well Ed the dust has now settled on the closing of the transfer window so here his my honest assessment!

Not good enough I'm afraid! The board have severely let everyone down! To quote Peter Lawall " Our aim is to come out of the transfer window stronger than when we went into it" Well Peter you have failed to deliver this big time! The fans have played there part by season ticket sales, the team have delivered champions league football for the second season running against all odds but you my friend have been found wanting! With the money pulled in from last years CL and the sale of our best players all that was required was two or three more quality signing for this to be a good window! I appreciate that some players snubbed moves and some clubs priced us out of moves but for me there were still deals there to be done! Hooper made it clear last October that he wouldn't sign a new contract and wanted to leave! Surely then we should have set the ball rolling to find a replacement and to then on the final day of the window bid for a league 1 player with a poor goal scoring record is an ultimate insult! The fan and the team deserve better! Don't ever take us for granted! In the striking department we have lost 4 strikers (hooper, Miku, Lassad and Watt loan) and signed 2 (Pukki and balde) again where's the support Peter! What if stokes and pukki get injured?

Anyway I've said my piece and to echo you Ed I will give my full support and backing to the team because that's what they deserve! The board however should take a long hard look at themselves!

Ice man

Ice man in what way have they let us down? more than £9 million spent on new player's, according to a lot of our support big Kelvin was a dumpling, Hooper was a non trier, these two they would gladly drive them down to England. Wanyama £12 million come on who would not have taken that, all the rest I would have driven them to wherever they were going. I believe we have strengthened the team by bringing in the new player's. As you say yourself some player's did not want to play in the league we are in. Deal's to be done, WHO are you talking about?
Tambhoy

Tambhoy I've no problem with the signings that we've made and I'm sure the majority of them will be a success however I still think we required a quality striker and solid centreback maybe even a creative midfielder. Like I said 4 strikers have left and only two have come in! I believe we are not as strong as we were a year ago! In regards to deals to be done I feel we could have nabbed Finbogasson! I think if we had bid £5m or there abouts would have secured him! I didn't see any quotes from the player saying he didn't want to come nor Heerenveen saying they wanted £10m! Just my opinion!

My point is I don't feel we are as strong as last year going into this champions league campaign when the bhoys punched above their wait to qualify against all odds! And that is due to the board not delivering what was required!

Ice man

Pukki is pukka he will turn heads and turn out to be unreal he has drive and wants to play for Celtic and Lennon has only got celtics interest at heart that's good enough for me

We didn't want the dead wood like lassad and miku playing for us do why do you think we have to replace them, we've replace hooper with peeku give him a chance, blade for watt

You forgetting boerigter can play as a striker u have big samaras too ok he's bn used as a winger bt can still play up top really getting sick of all the moaning I for 1 am very happy abt our busniess too many fake times ready to jump down Lenny and the boards throat give them a break and just enjoy the ride another roller coaster European experience just relax and enjoy it could be worse we could struggle to win the ramsdens cup lol On the road again. Joe bhoy

@2 Well I believe we have made our squad stronger (McCourt Lassad Michu out for Myokolo who I did not think had a bad game against the Khasaks, Van Dirk, Boeriggter, Pukki, Biton) and once again I will state what you yourself stated, If they don't want to come there is nothing you can do. Quick question where is Finboggson, I rest my case. Sometime's you just have to accept thing's as they are
Tambhoy

01 Sep 2013 15:36:53
Well another transfer window closes and no sign of any other players, a real disappointment.hope this won, t come back and bite lennon on the arse.none of the players have excited me.what do you think ed, it had my juices going when buttner mentioned but why do we go for lower league players.WHAT A JOKE {Ed007's Note - Overall I am disappointed by this window but I will fully support the new signings and see how this season goes.}

Mixed feelings, wanted more /better but if they won't come ( are we correct in beleiving this ed?) then we can't force them so why bring in bodies for the sake of it, moko was always cover, van dijk looks good dirk bogarde wait and see but was a l/wing more important than a lb. imo no . biton and balde are developers and like dirk pukki is a wait and see, until they play a run of games we won't know but I like the look of pukki (albeit on you tube) but his range of goals are good as is his movement and balance allied to pace. so could the board have done more imo yes, have they done enough by the end of the group stages we will know,,, deep river bhoy

01 Sep 2013 15:43:32
It's a bit too quiet on here! Any one else not p*ssed off our lack of reinforcements? No new cf and watt on a year loan wtf? Fair play if a loan came in but none! What's the free options? Carlton cole or petric? Would rather we kept watt!

01 Sep 2013 14:05:45
Hi fellow bhoys and ghirls I think it speaks volumes when Marco Van Basten doesn't want to let you go but his board need the cash and say he can for £5 million then Peter Lawell decides let's haggle with Celtics reputation and unsettle Alfie Finboggason after getting £5 million for Hooper who played when it suited him anyway this club is our club and deserves better this guy is quality, quick, two footed, good in the air, and yes I nearly forgot plying his trade with no other than Marco Van Basten do the maths Peter.

Why was he haggling with Celtic's reputation?, he was haggling to get what he felt was a fair price for Celtic, after listening to John Park, if the guy is that good, how come no one else was in for him, or felt he was worth £5 million.
Tambhoy

The days of us paying £5m + for player are long gone, I don't understand why some are up in arms about signings, we should only sign someone who can better the team, there has been 1 or 2 poor signing for a few quid in recent years ie bangura. Jonny bhoy

01 Sep 2013 13:02:15
Hi ed, great site. Read every day. I was wondering since the window is now closed up here do you think we will be looking at any free agents? I had a quick search and there are still some good players up for grabs. Guys like Benayoun and Petric would be great options I think. Cheers AK47. {Ed007's Note - Yes free agents can be signed and registered at any time.}

01 Sep 2013 11:50:27
Why have we brought in a keeper on loan when we clearly needed a lb and striker hope big forster isn't leaving.

01 Sep 2013 12:58:24
Celtic supporters let down by the board. NL last week said that we were short of bodies. Last night we were supposed to be going for a LB and a CF. NOTHING. I know we were in for a CF, BUT Peterborough. So those 2 didn't come in, but Tony Watt goes out on loan. Our squad IS STILL short of bodies.

01 Sep 2013 12:40:13
I'd honestly like to see us play in the irish league. We don't need the Sfa(what have they ever done for us?). I'd rather the irish fa had us and we'd obviously still qualify for CL. Before people say its a step down from spl. Think

I really can't stad the sfa, this latest f**k up of shutting the T.W early is just the latest Stupidity, ., .kbarry

We are a Scottish club and this is where we belong.

C'mon mate, leave that kind of talk about leaving the league to the zombies. Scotland was good enough for Mcneil, Larsson, Burns and jinky so its good enough for me.

Coco pops

#1. Spot on. The window did not shut early. It shut on time. The English FA asked for an extension. don't let your hatred of the sfa hide the truth. {Ed007's Note - UEFA wrote to all it's member associations recommending that the window be extended. England never asked for anything. They, along with the majority of other FAs, like Italy, Germany and Spain they agreed to follow the recommendations. Don't let the facts get in the way of your anonymous opinion though.}

Kbarry,, if the window was open till next monday do you really think we would have done more business,,, deep river bhoy

Drb your probs right mate,, sack the board, ., .kbarry

Also if window was extended it would have meant the rangers transfer embargo was nil an void as they would've been able to pay for players tomorrow

01 Sep 2013 12:10:27
Really Frustrated after last night. Just feel a couple of quality signings would really have completed the squad. Now we look like we lack a bit of depth and quality in a couple of areas.

2011/12
Club turnover 51.3m (EL and £1.5m player sales)
Expenditure 54.4m (£3.5m player purchases)
Net loss £3.1m

2012/13 Estimated
Club turnover 74.5m (CL and £6.5m player sales)
Expenditure 55.6m (£2.6m player purchases)
Profit £18.9m

2013/14 Estimated
Club turnover 82m (CL and 21m sales minus 4m season ticket reduction)
Expenditure 62.3m (£9.3m player purchases)
Profit £19.7m

Now I am not saying the players we have bought aren't good players. Just the fans deserved more. Surely with the figures above we could have afforded £5-6m more spent and the marquee number 7 we are all crying out for.

Also, does the fact we have now had so much profit going to lead us with a big corporation tax bill. Surely a better idea to invest it again rather than give it back to the tax man.

What's everyone's thoughts. Is our squad big enough for the treble? Is it good enough for a decent champions league campaign? Are you disappointed in the board? Are we lacking Ambition? Or do you think the fact we are probably one of the most financially stable clubs in Europe at the moment is more important?

AB

Yes we can! We have brought in better players from better leagues and looks like we have another 4 gems, our bench is much better then last years when we had the McCourt type of players on the bench. Maybe there is a bigger plan at foot and ext window or year we spend big plus need to sign players we have now on new contracts.

01 Sep 2013 11:53:54
But we can still sign free agents up until the Champions League cut off yeah?

It seems a no brainer to go for Carlton Cole or Mladen Petric to bolster up front. You may bad mouth Cole but he has experience at high level, could lead the line and has decent quality. Petric, he would give experience and has a decent eye for goal. Dangle a a one yr contract (with possible extension) that will give them Champs League football plus at least one medal (let's be honest). They could both it either do a job.

Before anyone mentions wages, 2 things, they are free so that would offset higher wages and there would be defo be barter room anyway with them at this late stage.

Thoughts?

Why at this stage of the season are they still free agents?
cw-88

How do you think Scott Brown would feel if Carlton Cole got 40k a week 15k a week more then him, Celtic are on a wage structure.

My main thought is Cole is a dumpling mate. green jhedi

01 Sep 2013 11:38:33
Just checking out the current unattached players who we could still sign. Anyone for Bob Malcolm, Evander Sno or Filip Sebo?
CBP

01 Sep 2013 10:51:49
The lack of quality additions has me worried. It seems that the out of control transfer fees and wage structure down south is having a serious affect on celtics ability to attract the players we need! I know this has been the case for a while but the lack of a goal scorer, left back and centre half yesterday tells me celtic are getting held to ransom by clubs and players who know championship and premiership will pay what they want! Read today that uefa are looking again at different countries amalgamating leagues after Belgium and Dutch women leagues joined, Roll on the North Atlantic league!

01 Sep 2013 10:38:35
Now that the window for buying is closed, it is time to reflect on a few things.
FINBOGASON. While I would have loved to see him in the hoops some of the posts on here have made him almost in the "Messi" category. I have no doubt he is a good player but I believe we offered £4m+ for him which is about his value. His club were hoping for a bidding war with us and EPL clubs.
OUR SQUAD. As I posted a couple of days ago I genuinely believe our squad is stronger. I base this on the players that left about 11, how many were genuinely first team players? Wanyama, Hooper, Wilson, maybe McCourt at times, but the others were bit part players, who will remember Lassad, Miku or Gershon etc. in a years time?
The 6 new players are ALL first team players and can go straight into our team. Myoukolo is recovering from a serious injury and when he regains full match fitness I believe he will be a welcome addition in our defence. Pukki, Boerrighter, Van Dijk, Biton are all good players and even Balde will come on once he settles to our team system and Scotland.
THE SFA. It is a disgrace they have closed our transfer window 48 hours before all other countries. The governing body should be helping our clubs not HINDERING them. Is it incompetence? Or as a "paranoid tim" is it something else? Look at who are office bearers in the SFA and you get your answer.
Let us know what everybody else on here thinks.
Timalloy

Incompetent b*stards, pure and simple. Not fit to run a bath, this organisation needs to be sorted or Scottish football will slide further into the abyss.
An absolute farce!

Think this was purely designed to limit teams bringing in players as the need for sevco to have a cup run is now crucial and their supposed transfer embargo and trialist rule gives them an edge this sfa are corrupt hope belguim win on friday

Timalloy

All 6 first pick players? How many minutes have the 4 who have been in before this week played in total?
Moyokolo is 5th choice with Ambrose, Virgil, Mulgrew, and even Lustig in front of him. Balde makes Bangura look like a player. I do think Virgil and Boerrigter will get more games once match fit.

Niall

@2 What's all that pi$$ about, you hope Belgium win's, it's not the team's or wee Gordon's fault the SFA are full of mason's
Tambhoy

01 Sep 2013 10:23:01
So with Watt away to Belgium we are left with Pukki, Stokes, Samaras and Amido as our strikers. In my opinion that's a little light seeing as Lenny liles to play Sammy out wide. Are there any free transfers that could happen?

01 Sep 2013 08:17:48
A lot of people saying we should have signed a proven striker for Champions league but after seeing who we have to play its very unlikely we would play an out and out striker against these teams anyway. I think you will see the tried and tested Sammy up on his own with support behind from Commons and flood the midfield. Good luck to the new signings.

01 Sep 2013 05:00:44
I think a lot of tic fans really need a reality check. Have you any idea how hard it is to attract real and even potential talent to play in our crap league? These guys are in it for money and a decent place for their familes to live. (I'm talking sunshine etc here), Celtic just doesn't stack up in a lot of ways. We do still manage to punch above or weight, but please don't harp on about NL and PL not pulling their weight or trying their hardest. Both have Celtic in their hearts or they'd both be off elsewhere earnings considerably more. We don't have the old firm as a draw for players anymore and let's just look over to Ibrox to see what happens when you don't cut your cloth accordingly. Come on bhoys we are doing great, just get behind what we've got, for its a grand old team. HH joe

01 Sep 2013 01:50:45
Lose - lose situation for fans and the current squad. Why say with 8 hours of the window to go you are still looking to strengthen the team? Gets fans excited only to be let down and questions the quality of the current players. I think Lennon has made an error of judgement here. Mouth should have been kept shut until he knew these deals were tied up. If the fans wanted Finbogansson and he wanted to come, why did the deal not happen? Surely the fee + wages for Pukki and Tomlin is enough to secure Finbogansson? Someone tell me if I'm wrong here but this would have given the fans what they wanted and added undoubted quality to or frontline. All the best to Pukki btw not dissing him but I fear he was bought because he was the cheaper option.
cw-88

Why don't you just trust on the people who have got us to two group stages of the champions league in a row and accept that you like me know cock all about what is or isn't a good buy in the current transfer window based on our circumstances/finances ILWT HAIL HAIL

Its time again for a change of personnel at the very top. Get these money grabbing *******s out of our club. These effing guys drive about in effing 100,000 cars live in million pound homes. Theses *******s(the board) don't EVER listen to us the fans(wage payers)who don't have nearly what these c**ts have. We did ask for Finbogasson, not only on this site therfore somec**t on our shambles of a crooked board must have knew we wanted this guy, yeah if he'd come out and said no, then fine but our crooked board should let the fans know instead of letting a guy who's never kicked a ball in his puff, tell us he ain't worth 5m. Or is the a fabricated story/lie?. I believe a little bhoycott of some kind(?) is now needed as it looks as if we are being ignored, sold down the river and pissed on by our crooked board,,, enjoy your round of golf today dermot you sly crook of a man.Peter, hope your kids have the best,, free strips, ticket and other stuff that me and my kids struggle but still pay for. let's open our eyes and mouth's it's a scandal. We really outta be asking the same question as the zombies,, where is our effin money going and I don't mean the 6m we spent on 6 players. SACK THE BOARD!, in lennon we trust, ., .kbarry

So we should take your player judgement instead of lenny and |Park, get real

Faithfull through and through

Dannybhoy

Are you honestly trying to tell me you believe Pukki was no.1 target for CF position?
Incase you hadn't noticed the spine of the team from last year has been ripped out and sold to the tune of about 20M .
Talk about knowing hee haw about football. I know that since Lenny has been in charge Tony Stokes has not been trusted in the big games, especially in Europe even at Europa League level. Now this season because of a lack of investment by the board to give the manager and fans what they wanted he will have to be the main man for these games or all pressure falls on new boy Pukki who has been nothing more than a squad player for the past 2 seasons to come in and hit the ground running, scoring the goals that will get us to the last 16 of CL again as well as domestic cup finals.
cw-88

01 Sep 2013 01:32:55
Can any of the experts on here tell me how they managed to secure purchases of top European strikers in the past - I assume they have been extremely successful in the transfer market as they all sound like they have experience of spending squillions, negotiating with Real Madrid chairmen and know what they are talking about.
As a realistic non-expert I see the biggest problem as getting them to come to play in Scotland which is next to England where the bottom team (losers, relegated, 20th) get a £60M parachute payment while our winners get a 30th of that, second 'minor' problem is our players have to pay all their taxes, third problem is we don't want to go down the path of other 'successful' big spenders, fourthly if any prospective signings go online all they read from Celtic fans (and others) is the governing bodies are corrupt (very attractive).
I would asks the 'experts' advice how we get these players in but I already know their answer would be offer more money i.e. £10M for a £5M player. These 'experts' obviously have millions to burn and sound like they are fast becoming the new peepul!
We have to stop moaning. The club is in the best shape ever, we live within our means, We rise to challenges against the odds, we don't need big money or corruption. It's the Celtic way.


Foxy

I've had beer again!

Foxy. Couldn't have put it better myself. Just tried to in a post before I got to yours. HH joe

Spot on Foxy, With the moans and groans on here they are either deady bears or we don't need or want then as Celtic supporters

Dannybhoy

01 Sep 2013 00:50:21
Very disappointed with our activity this window. So much money brought into the club with CL revenue and players leaving and very little spent. Seems like quantity over quality and the fact PL refused to back lenny again shows a real lack of ambition. I can't see any signing we have made that will put bums on seats. someone like finboggason would do that and still no competition for izzy. Obviously I will 100% support the new lads but I am starting to doubt weather I can support mr Lawwell any longer! Every window we should try and come out at stronger at the end but there is no question we are much, much weaker this time!

Thomas

What you talking about? Complain complain eh. Van dyk, bor and now pukki and isrial kid all look good and some gems, we got them all from better leagues then we normally get. And we have spent more then any other window from what I remember, close to 10mill. Fin would have been nice but you can't blame the board for not paying a fee that is over priced and we bid in the 4-5mill range, when was the last time we did that!? Lawell is great and of course he is always going to get a hard time but his job is to keep the club going making decisions fans won't like and understand. So calm down shut it and support the club and see what these new players give us. But let's make the club go bust just so more bums can get in the seats right.

The squad is what we have now, not who we like to have, so let's accept it, and give them our support. Jonbhoy.

31 Aug 2013 23:44:30
Surprise surprise we were unable to sign anyone else before the transfer window slammed shut at 23.00 hours .
We have known the positions that needed strengthened since the start of July, but as always on the last day of the window we are "supposedly" busy trying to get players in!
I'm sorry but we have been sold short once again by Mr Desmond and Mr Lawwell, Nir Biton I'm sure will be a fine prospect and Teemu Pukki is I'm sure a decent player, but not the prolific goalscorer we needed, we have let our 2 young strikers go out on loan Tony Watt to Lierse and Atajic to Partick Thistle leaving us with little or no cover for injuries, I only hope there are no big bids for any of our players before Monday! As I'm sure Lawwell would take the money for them . Drewzybhoy .

100% agree with you PLC shafted the fans again, all this talk of this player for that position ect, we did spend over £11 million but we shipped out 11 players and brought in 6, with the possibility that 2 more could leave.
Sometimes I think most celtic fans heads are buried in the sand like the zombie.
j88

What a joke some of you are, saying we shipped out 11 and only brought in 6, out of the 11 how many of them were you complain that why did we buy or we should get rid of them. They were mostly McCourt type of players that gave nothing to the club except our main 3. Now all of a sudden your mad they are gone cause the 11 were better then What we have now? The players we brought in are from better leagues and from good clubs, so we have brought in fewer but also better quality then normal. Yes things could be better but you don't know what the negotiations were, we have like the best board in the game and they can't please everyone and have shown we will not fall for over inflated prices. When was the last time we spent this much? Your type of a fan are the ones who want the big names in the game as if they all want to play for us so it should be easy to get them, but your never happy cause that won't happen just yet. You are letting the club down yourself for looking to bash our board when they have done a great job. Maybe there player is only free in the next window or next year and are saving for a big investment, not to mention sign the Ledley's of the club to new contracts, stop crying cl to bed and just enjoy the games and cl. Bashing the club before we got in and bashing it now that we are in cl, what's next?

31 Aug 2013 23:32:25
Can free agents still be registered for the champions league


green hornet {Ed007's Note - Yes.}

Wot about john arne riise


green hornet