30 Jul 2015 02:51:34
ED, any chance of a poll along the lines of
Are CFC investing sufficiently to merit Champions League Group football. or paying sufficient wages to attract the necessary quality to get us there?
Some brilliant points re last nights game; we are too rigid. We are predictable. Our players play to a "system" and have virtually no license (or appetite), to do anything that would be considered "maverick". This makes us very easy to read. Scott Brown IS NOT CREATIVE and we did nothing to thwart our opponent's set-up which was designed to give Scott Brown the ball. He'll be thinking that they're a poor side; wrong .
.they were smart to give celtic the middle of the park with lots of bodies 30 yards out from their goal with SJ stifled.
{Ed007's Note - Our polls are down while Ed033 reprograms the sites mate.}
30 Jul 2015 14:20:30
Obviously everyone would like to see us splashing a lot more cash in the market but that doesn't guarantee success. If we qualify then the answer will be yes, if not the answer will be no. There's no real way of judging whether we're investing enough until we're either there or not. So far we've won 3 games out of 3 with 7 scored and only 1 conceded, so you could argue that so far the investment has been more than enough.
30 Jul 2015 14:46:51
Ed, you're more screwed on with the dealings than anybody, but everybody feel free to help me out. Total packages of transfer fees and wages of players in to players out this window, have we actually 'spent' anything? On face values and guesstimates i'd say we've actually trimmed costs.
{Ed007's Note - We've spent £3 million, £1.5m each on Boyata & Ciftci and the undisclosed fee for Bailly which is rumoured to be £300k + add ons. We've brought in £2 million for Adam Matthews and £1m for Pukki (£500k loan fee for last season + £500k transfer fee) so we'e spent £300k, or whatever Bailly cost, on transfer fees so far.
We've certainly cut costs with regard to wages and I still expect a couple of high earners in Scepovic and possibly Stokes to be moved on before the end of the window.}
30 Jul 2015 15:20:20
The bottom line is that u get what u pay for! We'll continue to struggle to get in the CL unless a better calibre of player is brought in! The standards have dropped season after season! And next week will be a real struggle I think! That's before we even find out who we get if we get in the play off round! We are really lacking sum creativity in the middle of the park and our build up play is far to slow and to easy to defend against! It was exactly the same last year! Half decent teams who can actually defend find it easy against us! The only game that we actually looked dangerous in was inter Milan at home,we played with pace and power that night and if it wasn't for sum poor defending would have beat them! Just find or play to be uninspiring to be honest! Doesn't give u much to shout about at the game! Remenber the days when we flew out the traps in European games and gave as good as we got! Seems like a long time ago!
30 Jul 2015 15:50:24
Cheers ed. So we will certainly have trimmed 300k by the time you take of Guidetti, Tonev, Wakaso, Balde, Zaluska too.
{Ed007's Note - Over the season yes, easily and when you add in the young players who's left wages the club have raked back a few quid this summer.}
30 Jul 2015 18:17:57
Few million really. If we don't see significant investment I say we all sport the vendetta masks and start a revolution. It worked for Lazio.
30 Jul 2015 18:23:16
Our business model ensure we impose a glass ceiling upon ourselves. PL talks of being back where we belong. He seems to think that investing buttons somehow equates to CL. Every time we are nearly ready to move up a notch we sell, returning us to mediocrity in European terms.
Ambrose being able to get a place on the bench is synonymous with our level, awaiting Forrest to reach potential only the reality challenged see also reflects a position at odds with PL's pronouncements of our place in football.
VVD will leave and we will again take a step back. We need a left back and CB too to try and reduce the impact. A total expenditure, net , of £500k tells you all you need to know.
Once again we are on a knife edge against at team no one had ever heard of. The prize of up to 20 million involved an investment third division teams in England make to compete in the Gregg's Pie League, so, it shouldn't come as a surprise when we get our baws parted, but strangely is because of our own aspirations.
I still think we will progress against Quohog's finest. But I won't be wandering the streets in a shocked, numbing stupor if we exit.
Celtic in the 21st Century. Hope for the best, but don't expect it.
30 Jul 2015 18:34:03
You don't need to spend big to get quality. You need a scouting network that is effective. John Park is not the answer as he cannot identify a striker
30 Jul 2015 18:44:29
I really worry at where the trimming and cutting will stop? Below I mentioned the Strachan era when he inherited, huge earners, ageing stars and a bit of unrest along the way.
He was given a limited budget and a clear-out mandate and still managed to attract European class players, maintain our domestic challenge (with a strong rival) and had some amazing European nights and results against the cream of Europe in the group stages.
OK he made a couple of iffy signings, but he was able to keep the bulk of the team together as opposed to now, where we sign lesser players, struggle with a lone striker and any potential stars can't wait to get out the door.
The club has been in a unique position since 2012 with virtual certainty of CL football and we have failed to make the most of this by not consolidating and strengthening.
30 Jul 2015 20:36:51
Well said Jungle Jim, I can't disagree with any of the points you make.
I noticed Middlesbrough, are spending a bit of money in an effort to get to the Premier league in England, their chairman has been there for years and loves their club, he wouldn't put their future at risk, but is prepared to invest in an effort to try and get his club to the next level.
All the Celtic fans want is for our board to do what they can to get us to the next level, it wouldn't cost a fortune, and I doubt it would bankrupt the club.
{Ed007's Note - But... but ... spend money... look at Rangers... liquidation...wibble ;( That's the usual standard reply to anyone who mentions Pedro should loosen the purse strings, Gerry, do you think he has the club and the fans best interests at heart or are is his own personal interests and power trip now his priority? Is his bonus affected by player ins and outs?}
30 Jul 2015 22:56:06
The bottom line is that it does'nt matter how much you spend if you play the wrong system,RD has been to the mountain top and he has had a dream ,playing one up and a pressing game is the way to salvation,he does'nt understand that ciftci is a very good old fashioned inside forward, play him and Griffiths together and Griffiths will score a barrowload against anyone,creativity in midfield is the most important thing lacking,I would suggest playing Henderson instead of Johannson.
31 Jul 2015 00:53:36
Aindoh, the fact RD has LG and NC to choose from is kind of the problem. It's not about which one he picks. It's about him having to pick one of them. Or both.
31 Jul 2015 01:00:38
Wasn't young Johannson player of the year . Wasn't young Hendeerson sent
out on loan , and has come back with injury . Rogic is a likier replacement for
Johannson in the near future than Henderson
31 Jul 2015 03:46:24
Didn't we get Johanson in to cover for Rogic whilst he was injured? :P
31 Jul 2015 18:58:01
Sorry for taking so long to reply to you ED.
I can't help wondering if Lawwell would rather win the league but make a loss, or finish runner up and make a profit, I suspect it's probably the latter, as he gets his bonus, and he can lay the blame at the manager's door.