14 Aug 2017 10:28:26
Ed, simple question:
Will we sign Paddy Roberts in the next 48 hours?
{Ed007's Note - No. Roberts is expected to fly to Spain with the City squad for a 4 day training camp later today.}
14 Aug 2017 12:22:37
Ed, simple question.
Why do we always f**k about when it comes to completing ANY deal?
{Ed007's Note - It's not always our fault, Niall. Deals take time these days and there'll be players we've scouted, even spoke to them, their agent and club and that we could sign today but someone at the Club has taken a step back from from whatever reason.
Celtic will have spoken to loads of agents and Clubs about players we'll never hear of this summer, when we do get a sniff of someone people think he should be signed that day while the reality is we might only have enquired if the player is available.
The majority of the players we're linked with is just made up stories by hit whoring websites, the papers, SLY to get you betting or on Twitter. According to Twitter Roberts has been signing everyday since last Monday when it was supposedly us or Nice.}
14 Aug 2017 12:24:08
Gutted. Really thought we'd get him in. Can you see anyone else coming on instead?
{Ed007's Note - Rodgers seems to think so.}
14 Aug 2017 12:32:37
Well ****! I was really hoping we would get a huge boost before the game on Wednesday.
14 Aug 2017 13:07:53
I think the player Rodgers was referring to was Paddy. Something must have happened in the last couple of days to delay the deal.
14 Aug 2017 13:10:12
Can't see it and even if we do they won't be match fit so won't play anyway all too late again I hope this does not mean we miss out on CL fingers xd we do get to the CL HH.
14 Aug 2017 13:10:25
Can believe we have still not got some signings sorted. We are going into the last round of the champions league qualifiers with two CB out, no real back up for left back (one if the best in Europe in my opinion) , one CF out till September ( who has been injured for a while now ) and our only fit striker have injury doubts with his calf. This is typical celtic taking a chance that they can get through by spend as little as possible but yet going on about getting to the last 16! What a joke. Fine if paddy's side of things is out of our hand but surely the board and BR ( who l think is superb before u say anything ) could have sorted out players before now. We are taking a huge game going into this game in certain positions. What happens if griffs calf goes in the first few mins. Forrest up front! This who thing is driving me mad. I hope l am wrong but l fear the worse.
14 Aug 2017 13:12:55
Ed any ideas if some players are lined up but are holding off till they see if we are I champions league?
{Ed007's Note - There could be but I hope not, Kev. If a player doesn't want to be here to help us qualify then he can get stuffed as far as I'm concerned. Is playing in qualifiers beneath them?}
14 Aug 2017 13:17:04
Cheers for the response Ed. I appreciate that deals take time to finalise. We all remember Eboue walking the streets of Glasgow for days waiting on his work permit coming through!
Just very frustrating that we appear to be short up top and at the back. Other reports also suggest we are keen on a permanent deal for Roberts but we are haggling over a buy-back option. Just seems that we love to haggle and it may end up costing us.
{Ed007's Note - I don't think we are short at the back, Niall. We still have Simunovic and Ajer, Lustig and Tierney can play in there too and Bitton will do at SPFL level. If we buy another CB because of the Boyata and Sviatchenko injuries we will be bloated for CBs when they return. A CB pairing of Lustig and Simunovic, with Ralston and Tierney as FBs will be more than enough to see off Astana. Or we could go 3 at the back with Lustig, Simunovic and Tierney there and play a 3-4-3:
----------------Gordon----------
----Lustig-----Simunovic-----Tierney----
--Hayes---Brown---Ntcham---Armstrong---
----Forrest----Griffiths------Sinclair
14 Aug 2017 13:33:28
Yes if players don't want to join B4 qualifying then F off we are Celtic players should be wanting to join us where ever we play so F them common the hoops HH.
{Ed007's Note - That's how I feel too, Rich. Just to get the chance to playing for Celtic is a privilege and an honour not many are lucky to achieve, there should be no conditions about tournament participation etc.
A bit off topic but I see VVD has said he wants to leave Southampton to win trophies and play European football - wasn't he doing both of those up here? Things like that annoy me, players saying they want to leave say an Everton or Southampton to play in the CL, well come up here and sign for us for £25-30k week and if you play well you'll be in the CL every year. It's all bollocks, what they want is the wages that the rich CL clubs pay.
VVD has really went down in my estimations these last few weeks but I then I remembered how he went on strike with us in 2014 against Dundee because we refused to sell him during that window.}
14 Aug 2017 13:40:10
Think I'd prefer the 4-2-3-1 to be honest.
Make sure Sinclaire and forrest stays wide rogic in middle at number 10 role.
{Ed007's Note - What would your back 4 be? Ralston at RB with Lustig in the middle or Lustig at RB with Ajer or Bitton partnering Simunovic?
14 Aug 2017 14:11:43
Ed what's the score with the young striker Atkins?
{Ed007's Note - Aitchison, remember he's just a kid, Kev but I am surprised he wasn't on the bench against Kilmarnock last week. Here's an article I found last night btw:
https://goo.gl/ZD2Fhz
14 Aug 2017 14:12:44
Ed ad go with young ralston and lustig in middle as he's got a defenders brain and won't take any chances unlike bitton whos did ik btw.
{Ed007's Note - It's a big game to play Ralston in, it's not a difficult opponent but the importance of the game and the pressure that comes with that would need to be taken into consideration. I'd hate to see the lad make a mistake that cost us a goal in such an important match. The lad - and the manager - would get slaughtered by some people.}
14 Aug 2017 14:16:08
So do u think that Rodgers was hopeful of PR joining or do they have something up their sleeves I am thinking it was Roberts and we will b lucky to get in anyone before window closes ED?
{Ed007's Note - Yeah I think Rodgers was hoping something would happen with Roberts. Who knows, they might pull something out the hat today but I don't think so. There will be signings before the window closes though so I wouldn't be worrying about that.}
14 Aug 2017 14:40:58
Anyone of they combinations would do me ok ed.
Think Ralston biton and Ajer all capable in there.
{Ed007's Note - And remember we beat this team last year with O'Connell and Janko playing.}
14 Aug 2017 15:31:45
Ed, as long as the PL keeps getting marketed the way it does, our club becomes less and less attractive to players who haven't grown up as fans because the level of competition and exposure is very poor. Young players these days just see the PL as the be-all and end-all (with Barca, Real and Bayern chucked in there too) . The sad reality is some players (mainly foreigners) would rather go the Championship down south than come to us if we didn't get CL football because of the crazy money and, of course, their "dream to play in the PL" - regardless of whether that's for Man Utd or Huddersfield! Take Onyekuru for example, Everton are a good team but I get the feeling he would have joined ANY PL team before us.
14 Aug 2017 15:35:25
Got to disagree about Astana not being a difficult opponent ED, think it will be a real battle to reach the group stages mate! Especially if we go with bitton at the back! They knocked out legia Warsaw in the last round to so they'll be no mugs! Think they'll be a step up from rosenborg to.
{Ed007's Note - I've watched them, they're no better than Rosenborg and Legia should have beat them.}
14 Aug 2017 15:39:09
Hi Ed. Would love to see the young lad ralston play at right back to allow lustig to CB or else Ajer play CB and leave lustig at right back. I think bitton has done well but my only fear is he seems to take a touch too many which in mid field u can get away at times but at the back like at the weekend he got caught against Partick. European ref would definitely have given that as a penalty. Plus not sure he would have the pace against a quick CF.
14 Aug 2017 15:49:24
Ed that would be my only concern ralstons lack of experience but a think ad risk it mate.
{Ed007's Note - I'd be confident that he would handle it especially at home.}
14 Aug 2017 16:09:05
I actually thought rosenborg were bang average ED! lol. i seen a bit of Astanas home game with legia, not world beaters but thought they done ok. would be much more confident if we didn't have these injury problems and Sinclair rogic and Armstrong were all flying! Do u think we can afford another 0-0 going over there ED?
{Ed007's Note - Rosenborg played like an SPFL team against us and were really difficult to break down, they were pretty pish but I didn't expect anything else. Astana will play a more open game and we'll be able to find space and hopefully hurt them. I wouldn't like to go over there at 0-0 but if we did I'd be confident of us scoring and not losing. I'm confidently hopeful for a 2-0 win on Wednesday.}
14 Aug 2017 16:39:47
I would rather Lustig and ralston but Rodgers will go with NB at the back. With the view of the transfer activity we always seem to hang on until CL qualification is confirmed which is not the way any of us want it, it would be nice to see the commitment and belief that what ever our plans are we follow through with them. I get we can get better deals at the end of the window but would of been nice to get Roberts or another RW IN.
14 Aug 2017 17:41:29
Big thread Ed, Nice to see been a while since seen one (y)
1) Ralston is very easy for me to play in there it is his natural position built like the side of a tenement IMO could easily let Gamboa go now ( nobody even mentioning him! )
2) VVD Doesn't surprise me big Pierre did the same must be a Dutch thing getting what they want or demand
3) See the auld Celtic shares jumping the day again as predicted/ advised mate DD stake alone in the club nearing the 40 mill mark now! (Y)
14 Aug 2017 19:24:43
Ed
This is a bit like a Balague Q&A.
Only differences are you know what you are talking about and your tongue isn't up Messi's backside!
{Ed007's Note - Cheers mate lol}
15 Aug 2017 00:04:22
Yeah aye know I've been f Roberts but easily how long if things were possible ok to come out n how long would it take PR to get to Celtic park not long there is still hope but a faint hope haha.
{Ed007's Note - Patience......
14 Aug 2017 23:56:54
no such player called atkins.
15 Aug 2017 07:11:07
Ye jb67 ed corrected me about 6 messages back.