12 May 2013 23:08:03
I know the board won't break the bank on massive names so in our price range I think these would be great additions to Celtic mackay Stephens, Russell, Humphrey of Motherwell and a commanding centre half and I think this would be some team we have on our hands. What do you think ed? {Ed007's Note - I' like to see Mackay-Stephens brought in as a squad player but I'm not too sure about Russel and Humphrey.}
Humphrey? Noy for me. GMS yeah, talented boy nut maybe still a little in and out. ED. you surprise me mate. I think Russell could be the real deal for us, not as an out and out striker but playing off. I still feel we need a big powerful striker as plan B though. green jhedi {Ed007's Note - Would you be happy going into the CL qualifiers with Johnny Russell up front?}
Mackey-Steven, McFadden and Russell. Three cherry picked SPL top drawer performers for the squad.
Sorry Ed not often I disagree with you. but I have to just now, I think the young lad stevens should be more than a squad player, he gets game time he becomes a better player than any of our left sided players apart from ledley, I think stevens is a better player than sammy already. he would keep sammy out the team, he would offer more than commons does down the flank. I'd also be happy with a player like russell going into CL qualifiers, got to be better than some of the players we have, who would u rather have going into them. lassad or russell? Miku or russell? We have played in CL with worse strikers, he would improve the pool Ten fold, give hooper a kick up the arse if he isn't already away. I'd rather have a good young scottish talent, than some half witted no hoper from abroad, lassad and miku did hee haw all season. russell would offer us a hell of a lot more than they 2 put together. {Ed007's Note - I'd happily swap Miku or Lassad for Russell, look where they are in our squad, neither of them are anywhere near first team regulars so it wouldn't affect the team. Who would you rather go with, Russell over Stokes? Russell over Hooper or his replacement? Sitting on the bench over Tony Watt? I'd much rather have some half-witted foreigner like Hooper brought in.}
What's the point in taking a challengers best 3 players. We should hope that utd hang on to all three and therefore can provide a better challenge next year. If teams keep losing their best players the league suffers. Also I would rather mcgeough or Forrest than Mackey Stevens and watt than russel. Have faith in our own youth. The only singings I would make are replacements for wanyamma/hooper if they go. Plus a left back to challenge izzy.
I think McFadden is one injury away from retirement and although I like Russell, if Watt screws the nut and pushes himself, we won't need to splash out on Russell. CMS is something we don't have even though he is a bit light-weight.
I reckon we may need solid defenders as Rogne and Gershon may move on.
The bottom line for me is to replace the players that leave with better quality so we can continue to improve and grow.
Jungle Jim
Humphrey couldn't cross the road, McFadden maybe at a push, Russell is ok for the spl but I would take Mackey-Steven in a minute. Antony
I'd have russell over stokes any day, stokes is a decent boy to have in the squad but let's face it he's never going to be our first choice no matter who's in the squad. lenny or whoever is our manager next season will have to go without hooper, we won't get a player anywhere near hoopers scorin ability to replace him. we won't spend 5-6 mil on a striker to replace him, so in my book russell is a obvious replacement, russell is proven at euro level, has scored a few for dundee utd, whereas hooper was unproven when he came up from what league 1 or championship? Watt is a quality young lad waiting to burst onto the scene properly, not ready to be our main striker yet, where russell has held down a spot with utd until he broke his leg, for a few seasons now and again he is still a young man. And as for your half witted foreigner like hooper comment. would u much rather have a guy using celtic fc as a stepping stone to the epl or a guy that would join the club because he wants to sign for our great club? I know what I'd rather have, as I'm fed up with the hoopers and wanyamas, aye they will make us money but that shouldn't be our thoughts with every player that walks through the doors at CP its not the celtic way, well its not the celtic way that I grew up with. {Ed007's Note - So you think if we signed Russell and he scored a shedload he wouldn't be off to the EPL or even the Championship at the first £30k a week dangled in front of him? I don't know what this 'Celtic Way' you are talking about is, older fans remember Crerand, Hay, Dalglish, Nicholas, McClair, Petrov etc all leaving CFC to move to England. It seems your idea of the 'Celtic Way' is a bit different from the actual reality.}
Your right Ed. All players look out for number 1. Russell is no different. I do agree with the poster at the start though. I too would take Russell over Stokes anyday. I guess its just as matter of opinion.
Joeshmo1888
We have a striker with near enough the same scoring ability as hooper. Stokes. the lad had a long term injury this season. Take your hooper blinkers off, he'll be away in the flash of a EPL chairmans wallet. TTTS
Total p*sh I have watched the boy Steven & Russell every time we have played them very closely & they both have done nowt, only in the last fixture when we played them at hamdump did the boy Steven have a decent game. The price of 2 million or there abouts is far too much of a gamble especially for a guy who is LIGHTWEIGHT & produces the odd trick without any end product the vast majority of time. To compare Steven to Sammi a player who ran riot in the champions league is regarded by the top teams we played & managers of those teams as Celtics danger man is nonsense mate. The likes of mcgowan at st mirren have caused us real problems, consistently far better this season & last as well ( not that I am suggesting we re sign him). I think the boy McGinn is certainly one who's progression is worth watching imo & you will see again imo a handful of young Scottish talent next year comparable with Steven of utd if not better? Killie have a young kid built like a skelf full of talent & more of an end product Johnston I think? Harris at hibs is another whom impresses just about every time I watch him along with a handful more at various clubs in the prem. I guess I'm saying Gary Mackay Steven has not done it consistently enough & needs to do far more imo. HH AbS
Stokes is under rated and under appreciated as he is a very good SPL striker. Sammi is a european class striker. I keep telling it like I saw it. 3 top German defenders on him every time he went near the ball at the Euro QF they were doubling up with one patrolling nearby. You can't see that type of thing on the TV. And to remind those who are forgetful he scored against them. He does lose his discipline in themdiddy games but he is lethal if under estimated by opponents in europe. How anyone cannot see his worth both as a player and a guy who has overcome much just amazes me. We are lucky to have him. Sopotcelt
Russell will grow in to a real top drawer striker and if wr sign tge bhoy he will have to play regular or end up like riordon forgotten about on other 2 no better than forrest so wasting muni ed could we do worse thab look at tamas far west brom good experienced centre half?
Leigth griffiths of hibs for me I think this bhoy would be a real star for us
McFadden no chance. Ok player in a Motherwell shirt. Gbnl
For me we should be looking at players who would walk straight into our team and improve it I would be really disappointed if Celtic were seriously looking at the likes of McFadden surely we will be able to attract better calibar players than that
Dez
McFadden might not bet everyones taste but using 007's test about how would you feel with him up front in a champions league game, I'd say go for it. he's always up for the big game and has the bit of the unexpected about him. He can turn a game completely on his own.
Week in week out in the SPL not so sure. And is injury prone
Bianchi and Barbosa who we were after are both a free this summer. I'd take them straight away. In fact, transfermarkt details a list of all the players with expiring contracts, some of which would seriously improve the first team. Saviola, Pizarro, Amorebieta, Marica, Madlung, Joaquin, Armand, Bonera, Toni, Necid, Ari, Natkho, Honda, Douglas, Babel, Bouma just some of the players available. Again though, are the board going to be ambitious and reward the fans they praise so much? Doubt it. I'll really start to lose my rag if we end up with the same nonsense of not actually improving the areas that need improving. I've said it before but look at what we've achieved with what we've spent. If the board started showing some real b*ll*cks is the last 8 of the CL out of reach? Not in my eyes. Celtic Football Club has much more to invest in the team than they currently are doing.
Read last week that Russell is a done deal as already spoken with club directors.