31 Dec 2018 15:00:12
ED007 wanted to ask your opinion on a few things after the weekend debacle.
First subject is the manager, most of us fans agree that at times, he tries to be too clever with his tactics and team selection the recent Hibs match and the Sevco game being prime examples. On Sunday by playing McGregor at left back he surrendered the midfield to them, and he let young Mikey Johnstone down badly by playing him with little or no support. Also speaking to my Tim pals and reading online, some are saying that Rodgers deliberately threw the game to make his point to the board about new signings. I do not give this argument any time, although I am of the opinion if we had gone 6 points clear with game in hand, I am certain Lawwell would not sanction big money on new players. Complacency is what has cost us this season.
Next point is Boyata, Saturday proved he is not the player he seems to think he is and I think any decent offer take it and get shot. Ajer, Bencovic and Simonovic can cover until we sign another centre half.
Now to Brown, there is no doubt he has carried the team over the seasons but if today's gossip is true that he will be talking to other clubs come January 1st, then again say thanks for your service and move him on. Sadly, there is no place for him and Nitcham in same team as both slow our game down with sidewards and back passes, no Brown's time is gradually coming to an end, time to rebuild with McGregor, Christie in the middle of our team.

{Ed007's Note - First off, Tim I don't believe for a minute that Rodgers played the team he did to send a message to the board, he's had the reputation as a tinkerman all his managerial career - always mixing and matching players - and to be fair CalMac has played at LB before AND played well. So you think Lawwell would pull the plug on deals he's been working on if we had won? Hhhhhmm I'm not having that either and Rodgers and DD would have plenty to say about it if it happened.
Boyata's time in the team is up for me and he should spend the rest of the season in the stands if he doesn't leave in this window. We're going to need at least 2 CBs before August with both Boyata and Benkovic leaving and it's imperative that at least one of them is brought in during this window to get him settled into the team, as we seen under Ronny how risky going into CL qualifiers with 2 new CBs playing together after VVD and Denayer both left. With Lustig probably going back to Sweden, Simunovic possibly leaving and I'm hoping a new GK coming in KT could be the only first choice defender to have played in the team (does that make sense?) Ajer is a great young player and will be a star but he's like Edouard and shouldn't be playing week in week out.
Sadly Scott Brown is done, I know he's been out injured for a while but even when he has played he's been terrible to be honest, his first touch is atrocious so his second touch ends up either a tackle or him stretching to make a desperate pass that leaves his team mates exposed - I put Ntcham's loss of form down to playing beside Brown, he spends too much time back helping Brown and covering his mistakes that he isn't getting the ball with his head up and bringing it forward.
I've never bought into the theory that players should get a contarct because of what they've done in the past, Alex Ferguson showed that there's no place for sentimentality if you want to keep winning and dominating. The best thing for all concerned would be if Brown decided to go to Australia or the US.}

1.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 14:15:37
Happy New Year Ed (and everyone) . Agree about Broony, he has been magnificent for us but it's time to move on for him. The club have said they want him to think about his options so I guess that sends a message to him in itself.
Sentimentality has no place in football or any business for that matter. He has been terrific for us and has been one of our best signings in the last 2 or 3 decades. HH.

{Ed007's Note - Happy New Year, Bob. For me Brown's only second to Larsson as the best signing we've made in recent times. The years of service he's given us when he had plenty of chances to leave, the trophies he's delivered as captain and the way he bought into the whole ethos of the Club and the example and standards he sets for team mates and youngsters. Sure more skilful players have came and went but I doubt we would have the trophy haul we have without Brown on the park driving the team on - a true legend.}

2.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 14:32:17
Great post ed but if the board don't sanction the buying of a quality rb and cb as well as a striker then they're failing the fans big time and hopefully a quality keeper either just now or the summer because Gordon really gives me the fear.

{Ed007's Note - I don't know why people think the board won't spend money, it just seems to be a go to statement with no basis in what actually happens. It was hardly the board's fault that last January - when they delivered what Rodgers asked for in Hendry, Compper and Musonda - and the summer window were a disaster apart from smashing our transfer record for Edouard. We chased Piccini even though the player had said he didn't want to come here so the board had sanctioned that money to be spent but you're worried they'll change their mind now that it looks like Lustig will leave in the summer? It just doesn't make any sense. Do you seriously think the board would allow Boyata to leave and Benkovic to return to Leicester without sanctioning replacements being signed - even though we made a bid for Scott McKenna in August, and the board didn't blow the McGinn negotiations did they?
You can fault Rodgers, Congerton and Lawwell but you can't fault the board, they back the manager as best they can, everybody knows the money's there it's not as if they're trying to hide it and they've spent money when Lawwell can get deals over the line.}

3.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 14:56:33
Ed, that's a perfect summary of Broony. HH.

{Ed007's Note - Thanks, Bob.}

4.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 14:38:03
Great response Ed

I thought last season we where poor and it’s hard to say that with another treble. This year has been worse yet still won a cup and in Europe.

I just wonder if we don’t strengthen now then will next season see our bubble burst.

I look at our squad and see a lot of mediocre and past it players. I would love to see an overhaul start in January for a proper push at 10 in a row.

5.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 14:51:29
Very well put ed couldn't agree more about the Broony situation. It would be interesting to here the stats on Brown this season. I'm sure he played in all our abysmal performances against Killie Hearts Hibs and the Sevies away. And I know the spell where we were playing some great stuff for a few months from the League cup semi at Murrayfield until the beginning of December he didn't feature. Agree that Ntcham isn't the same player when Broony plays. In my opinion Calmac is our main man and couldn't believe we played him left back at Ibrox, thought he was still our best player on the day tho. Love Broony but we can't afford to be sentimental when new contracts are handed out. Getting away from the Broony scenario would like to see us signing a John Hartson type centre fwd that can hold a ball up. In my opinion we have the perfect players in Christie, Calmac, Forrest and Sinclair that would thrive running off this type of player and would enable us to mix our play up a bit.

6.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 16:47:53
I think some things have went against BR Dembele leaving put a downer on what I believe was going to be the way ahead this season we played 3-5-2 with Dembele and Edouard that would’ve ran riot they two up top but did not see it through so that put us back yeah Nrown not being write has hindered the team at times but the RB has been problem for a while few have came in but no wear near what we need. Hopefully January will see players go out on loan or leave. I would like to see S. Allan been given a chance I think there a player there just needs games.

7.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 17:08:04
I know I should agree with regard to Brooney but living in Rome and having seen il Capitano, Totti, play until he was 40 (25 years with AS Roma) I would love Bronney to continue. If he decides to leave I wouldn't stand in his way and he would go with my gratitude and sincere thanks for all that he has done for and delivered to us, I just wouldn't want to push him out the door. The strange thing is that whilst I believe it is valid "Brown is done" as far as Scottish football is concerned I believe he could still play in the Seria A or other top leagues where the game is slower and the players have more time on the ball.

8.) 01 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 15:45:12
Spot on in your posts ed👍.

{Ed007's Note - Thanks mate.}

9.) 02 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 15:19:10
Well said Ed. The time is right for Brown to leave with his head raised high especially having led the club the last two seasons which have been the most successful since MON's era. Would hate for him to stay on too long and tarnish his legacy. Lustig falls into this bracket too.

10.) 02 Jan 2019
01 Jan 2019 15:22:24
Ed agreed there is absolutely no chance Brendan Rodgers sent a team out weakened to lose and force the boards hand with respect to signings. However, I’ve just today finished his autobiography and there is no doubt the man thinks very deeply about every aspect of the game it’s a very interesting read. It backs up your tinkerman description as perhaps he could have a tendency to over think things. That being said his decision to play a player who has been the driving force in our midfield at left back when Jonny Hayes demonstrated he could fulfil the role perfect well at Pittodrie and to play two players beside each other when there is a question mark over there ability to play together is totally baffling. And maybe you can enlighten me on another aspect and calm my fears Ed. From reading his book he’s obviously coached players at every level including the highest at top clubs and knows the game. However one thing that didn’t come through was whether he had ever identified players to bring in his focus has been and is very much developing players that were at the clubs he has been at. That makes me slightly concerned about the January window particularly as many of his signings to date haven’t exactly set the heather on fire. I’m a big BR fan but have you any awareness of his experience and reputation for spotting talent as one of the Ed’s alluded to the answer to my question being no. With regard to Brown you’re spot on an absolute legend and a Celtic great but perhaps the end is nigh. Thanks Ed.

{Ed007's Note - I wouldn't say that Rodgers can't spot a player but I would say that he certainly prefers working with (younger) players that he can develop rather than the finished article - even good players like Suarez & Coutinho became great players under Rodgers' tutelage and look at the turnaround in players like Forrest, McGregor and Christie for us. But the risk there is the players not developing the way he (we) want. Look at Kouassi as an example, he looked the part when he was a young raw kid playing in Russia but over the past 2 years he doesn't seem to have progressed at all and I don't blame the coaching for that, it's just the gamble you take signing a load of youngsters, some work out and some don't.
One thing I would say is that I think Rodgers is prone overthink things and is always planning for the future rather than the here and now, sometimes you need to buy a player at 29/30 even though in the long term you won't make money but you have a good player for a couple of years. What would be better for Celtic right now, a loan for the likes of Ollie Burke or signing James McClean for a couple of years?
At Liverpool there was a transfer committee (he refused to work with a DOF there) that decided who they bought and that just muddied the waters, even though Rodgers was part of the committee it became a case with the fans that any successful signing was put down to the committee and any poor signing was deemed to be a Rodgers signing, a bit like the arguments we all used to have about whether John Park or Neil Lennon was choosing our signings.}