Celtic Banter Archive June 08 2014

08 Jun 2014 20:36:46
JC was one of the most technically gifted players that ever came out of Celtic park. His style of play was continental played with fitness and spirit, if he gets the job I will be thrilled. get him in now.

{Ed007's Note - Yeah that's a great reason because he really had Hibs and Charleroi playing well didn't he? Maybe Pat McGinlay or Stevie Fulton could be brought in as a fitness coach as well, remember Billy McNeil said Stevie Fulton was the new Baggio so imagine the knowledge and experience he could bring with him.}

If having a cultured, fit and motivated football coach at the club is not good enough, I don't know what is.! I rest my case

{Ed007's Note - You got any evidence to back that up about his coaching ability? You would think he would have a job if he was that motivated. Just because someone was a good player doesn't mean he makes a good coach, just look at John Collins for a perfect example.}

Stevie Clarke is available, we got rd on the cheap so make clarke an offer he can't refuse as I don't think anybody could question his credentials for the job

Gotta say I don't understand this rush from some Celts to wet their pants about Collins. Good, never great, player for us but absent from the sharp end for a few years. Would Willie McStay not be a better shout? Very highly rated coach when at the club and seems to be doing well where he is, which is the opposite of Collins.

He won the league cup as Hibs manager.

If as we are being told ronnys assistant/coach has to know about the scottish game then why not go for jackie McNamara and/or Simon Donnelly who have attachments to celtic and are also looking to progress clubs with limited resources. Some people may think they would be taking a backward step leaving management to become assistants but there is a chance of getting the job further down the line if and when changes happen

Yes Jim 1972, if we want to give R D the best opportunity to do a great job with us why not get one of the best young Scottish coaches in Jackie Mac . The thought of paying Steve Clarke decent money ie more money than R D is ludricous, as the assistant has to earn less than the boss.

09 Jun 2014 11:13:41
Oh god please don't let it be Collins the guy doesn't have a clue. Let's get big John Kennedy in he has been brilliant training the youths so he deserves his chance. what do you think ed.

JC is a top top coach and that is from first hand experience. My boys have worked with him a lot over the last 2 years and his attention to details is second to none. JC demands from his players and if they can't make it then he offloads them. Under JC Hibs played some wonderful football and he has been working with the Scottishu17-u19's kids for the last 6-9 months and they are all doing really well. It is about time that we had some guys in charge who have a real idea how the game should be played, how the players should behave, eat, sleep, basically everything that is needed to play at the very top. John Collins will ensure that the squad does all of this and that can only benefit the young players at the club as well. He will also ensure the coaching methods go right through the club, no more long balls, play through the midfield, fast attacking football, players encouraged to go and play. #3, Willie McStay was a decent coach at youth level BUT since he left the youth squads have got better and better, he is now coaching effectively junior football with loads of money, bit like SEVCO in the 3rd division! Collins has experience of Scotland, France, England, experience as a coach, manager and player. We have a manger who needs someone beside him who knows the game in Scotland, who knows the mentality of Scottish players. Would be a brilliant appointment.

Don't understand where the idea we got Deila on the cheap. Didn't we pay compensation for him reputed to be 300k, when we could easily have got someone who is free and not cost a bean.

Jesus Christ, the last thing we need as assistant coach is J C . The man's ego clearly exceeds his ability, if not why is he not gainfully employed by some club somewhere in England Scotland and France where he is so well known .

Allymac with all respects I am not sure if John Collins coaching your boys, no matter how well, guarantees that he is an ideal person to coach players from all over the world . Players of various years of experience as professional footballers and various levels of experience .

11. I didn't say him coaching my boys guaranteed anything but what I was highlighting is his attention to detail. Over the last few years our gripe has been the style of football. JC would work on the players to improve them technically and that would go right through the club. In Scotland we still have this "get intae them" attitude and when we come up against an average European team we spend the whole time chasing the ball because we can't do the basics. We are all raving about VVD, what doe she do that is so good, he is comfortable on the ball and that is down to technical coaching. In this country we think that big players means we will win. ideal if the big players can play with both feet, can passmove, take a man on BUT 9 times out of 10 they cant. JC is a great coach with brilliant experience of playing at the top level with and against some of the best players the world has ever seen. I cannot understand why people don't think that this would be a good appointment. Personality issues it seems like as opposed to coaching issued because I haven't seen anyone say he isn't a top coach! I don't care if he upsets people, they are there to do a job and are well paid and if they don't come up to scratch then they need to be told instead of being fawned over all the time.

{Ed007's Note - I've said he isn't a good coach and his track record proves it. Coaching schoolkids is miles away from the level required to coach professionally, if he was a good coach he would have a paying job, if he is that good why has he been overlooked for every manager and coaching job in the last 6 years?
You're saying he's a great coach with zero to back it up, playing experience means nothing, where did Mourinho or Brendan Rodgers play? And as an assistant manager he would act as the buffer between the manager and the players, he's not there to upset people, he's there to do what the manager tells him, going with his past record he would be stabbing Deila in the back any chance he gets.}

I like Ed007 am unsure that many people have applauded his ability to coach full time professional footballers many full internationals .
There has been reports of fallouts and training ground rows with Collins involved . Would he remember at all times he was number 2. I certainly don't share your optimism, Ally mac35 re his ability .
The fact that he hasn't been appointed yet gives me hope, that his name as been in the running is a red herring .

08 Jun 2014 16:18:39
John Collins spent 12 years in Scotland 6 at Celtic more than most and won a Scottish cup. He left to play with Lillian Thuram George weah and Glen Hoddle to name a few. I don't think Celtic payed top money back then he had a great opportunity and looked after his family. He never walked out on Celtic his contract ran out but unlike most he went to play with World Class players. He could have stayed and worked with some of the guys I grew up watching honest pros but really that team was poor.

The Monaco team was as good as anything at the time I can remember Collins playing for Scotland in the World Cup and looked like a totally different player a year later. everyone is shouting for a different method if they can't cut tough training and dedication to their career get rid of them all of them the days of keeping players for 10 years have gone.

Currently Collins has spent the last few years coaching Scotland's youth not sitting around Celtic park waiting for a job to come up I don't believe for a minute Collins would be a yes man and what Celtic manager in the last 10 years has had the experience everyone has been a novice.

08 Jun 2014 17:30:33
It was 850k if a remember and a Scottish inter clubs record @ the time be about 6 mill in todays money IMO

Yeah mate, nicely put. I would be happy with him as No 2 - he knows the game inside out/always speaks very well. When he joined Monaco I was gutted, only because he was a top player, and along with McStay our only good player, but it must have been super frustrating for him to play in that Celtic team, up against the team the other mob had at the time. The thing I like about him the most is he has super high standards, and sometimes we can't handle that in the uk. Most of the players like to train from 10-12 then head of for a bet. The players should be at the training ground until at least 3 o'clock doing double sessions most days. That's why we produce the average players we do, and Spain, Germany, France etc are producing players worth 20, 30, 40 million every season. Hopefully our standards go up big time with the new manager, because we are a million miles away from doing things the way I would like to see them done! Hopefully Scott Brown is now more mature in that he realizes when Collins was trying to get Hibs to work harder, he was doing it for their benefits/their careers. God, look at them now under Butcher-they were like a pub team from the 80's - punt it up the pitch and hope for the best.

Nobody wants John Collins, why should we be looking to give him a job when no other team in Scotland want them .

{Ed007's Note - What does that matter - he played for us 20 years ago! That means he knows everything there is to know in the SPFL... and probably the rest of the known universe.}

Pax, everybody's opinion is going to change, so no point trying to convince!
Our new manager is in place, who will be the coaches and DOF dare I say it?
I'm guessing but a good few don't want Collins? Neither do I, but I didn't want Keane or Larsson or Moyes or so and so to be manager!
End of the day we could all be wrong but if it works then fantastic, only the persons will be negative.
Keane, probably one of the best players I've seen in that position (I'm relatively young) but mince as a manager and I didn't want anywhere near parkhead, I would have totally changed my mind if he had helped change celtic for the better, Larsson not ready but would have wanted it to work for us and him.
I don't particularly want Ronny but same again I'll love it if it goes well.
Unfortunatly Collins will be a yes man as will Ronny Deila if for whatever reason we appoint a director of football?! Unbelievable, but that's my opinion.
Collins is a great coach, coaching coerver for the last 3/4 years which is the way forward and helping trying to change our game from grassroots up, which is why I think board are looking to tie him up to work alongside Deila?!
Collins has coached myself and we've coached alongside each other at performance schools and community clubs so I've no problem him being at the club. BUT. Is it where the club should be looking?
I think we've hit a wall and supporters could be expecting more, me included!

When have we ever had more all the successful appointments in our history have come from within the club. Only during Martin and Gordon's tenure have any good choices come from elsewhere. I don't really care if John Collins is appointed but I trust his work ethic and the way he conducts himself you want a big glamorous name look at the managers in our history they good ones put the time in that's what matters.

{Ed007's Note - An assistant manager/coach job has nothing to do with his work ethic or the way he conducts himself, if that's the case we could get George Clooney in. The work ethic comes from the manager, I don't want a big glamourous name, if we can't get one as manager we won't get one as an assistant, I want someone who has at least some knowledge of the modern game, someone who has had recent previous success in managing or coaching and has experience in coaching.
Does nobody else think it's strange that Collins has been out of a job and overlooked for so long? Considering the turnaround in staff in Scotland and England, nobody has given him a coaching job since he came back from Belgium 6 years ago. He has done NOTHING to merit being considered for the job except play for us 20 years ago. I thought we were trying to move away from the 'jobs for the Bhoys' days, obviously some of the fans still think playing for CFC means you deserve to get any job you want, even better if PL picks you for it, he's got years of experience choosing assistant managers and knowing what the job entails after all.}

I'm probably at risk of receiving the wrath (again) but how can a guy who's been involved in professional football for over 30 years not have this:

'I want someone who has at least some
knowledge of the modern game'?

Not really gave the John Collins situation much thought but he's an out and out good football man and I do think Ronny will need someone with good knowledge of our game.

{Ed007's Note - Sepp Blatter's been involved in professional football for 40 years, him and Craig Burley might even fancy job-sharing, that more experience AND 'an out and out good football man' - whatever the hell that is. Burley and Collins have a lot in common.}

Totally agree with your "jobs for the bhoys" point Ed. Another one is "Celtic Minded", what a lot of sh!te. Best suited/most qualified man for the job should get it

Great post BBJ good hard facts!

The fact that John Collins was allowed to play for Celtic for Six years is something he should appreciate for the rest of his life. Many players as good or better than John Collins were never so privileged .
Surely it was down to John and his colleagues on the pitch to ensure they had more than one trophy in his six years . A bit of collective responsibility .

08 Jun 2014 15:51:51
Now ED here IS a BIT of fun b4 your favourite FEMALE sports star of the last 25years and why?

Keep it clean folks

Mines would be most of the Australian Women's Beach Volley Ball team :-)

{Ed007's Note - At a push I would have to pick Stephanie McMahon or Eve Torres from the WWE. I don't watch women's sports, there's a lot of things women are good at but sport isn't one of them.}

08 Jun 2014 04:28:56
Hi Mr Ed,

What's your problem with John Collins coming in to support the new boss. Looking back over the last 30 years or so Celtic have never picked top notch guys for the job even the blessed MON was a second rate guy. The only thing the board got right was Martin stayed for 5 seasons. The Goose would have been 2 or three maximum The PSV team he built was class with real world class players in it.

Thats why Larsson and Keane can go and throw their own faeces to the moon. They have no true feeling for the club in my opinion other than if it suits them Owen Coyle at least had a good job to keep and good for him for being loyal.

John Collins is a strong minded character a player who showed loyalty and class when pulling on the hoops not 10 games like Keane. No player can ever question number sevens heart or lack of class apart from the charging the fans for the photographs at his charity gala return the last time.

Larsson and keane have so many zeros in their bank accounts they don't need the grief of having half of Scotland hating them and the concerns that go with the job.

Sad to say but Lenny left it just in time it's time for a change and Ronny could be the man to change things if he is abused as Lennon Strachan before him well its time to chuck it. Ronny and JC sound good to me I hope this guy has the staying power that's needed to build a team as he has stated but one things for sure if not John Collins will push him that's why I think he will be appointed he knows all the best young talent in country lives and breathes Celtic and won't go running to what ever spin the Daily Ranger or spin he has a dream to manage in the BPL. Personally I don't think Neil Lennon will ever manage a team in that league my opinion.

Let the people sing

{Ed007's Note - My problem is that he is nowhere near good enough or experienced enough for the job, if he had so much knowledge he would have been working as a manager or coach in the last 5 years, or does a disastrous year as DOF at Livingston make him an ideal candidate?
I think you need to read up on the situation when Collins left CFC, I hardly think walking out of the club on a Bosman was showing loyalty, do you?
It would be interesting to see the reaction if Fergus McCann's opinion of Collins was ever made public.
Collins was a great player, there's no doubting that, but again some CFC supporters are getting misty-eyed and trying to rewrite history to romanticise a potential appointment.}

08 Jun 2014 15:18:57
Pax udder shoite! 2 say that Keane & Larsson have no true feelings for the club

Larsson left the park in tears & keane turned down Real Madrid to sign for his "boyhood heros"

Two of the greatest to wear our jersey is there any fan really expecting a player like above to play for us in the next 10 years?

I think you make some good points pax apart from the bit about the King and Keane, but JC IMO would be a good appointment he does know the Scottish scene and is currently working for the sfa coaching, as far as bein a disaster at the mighty Livingstone wasn't our own P Lambert a disaster there as well, oh and let's not forget Dick Guff and big yogi all did pretty poor so I wouldn't be to quick to beat him with that stick, and how do we know he's not been offered jobs and maybe didn't fancy them, he also has great experience from his time at Monaco CL semis and then playing in the EPL . JC will do for me

{Ed007's Note - So you think he has been turning down jobs as a manager and now he is happy to be an assistant at CFC, get a grip of yourself. When was the last time he has even been mentioned or touted for ANY job?
If he was so highly regarded and has great experience then why has he not been working except for free at the SFA and playing for Gala?
Nobody is out of the game so long if they have ANYTHING to offer, he's failed miserably at every job he's had since he stopped playing, yet all of a sudden he's perfect a very important position for CFC, why not base your opinion on his management record rather than his playing one.
Deila should be allowed to appoint his own people, the fact Collins seems to be being forced on the new manager I think -clearly indicates one of the problems people had regarding the job.}

Sorry for havin a different opinion to yours and my grip is fine, aren't Manchester United tellin Van Gal to make Ryan Giggs his assistant based purely on his playin career so it's not to unusual, as u seem to have a lot of inside knowledge of JC I'll leave it at that but as I say he'll do for me.

{Ed007's Note - As usual you're miles wrong about Giggs but what has Man Utd got to do with anything? Man Utd bought Juan Mata for £37 million, why aren't CFC buying players like that, Man Utd spent nearly £18 million on a GK, why aren't CFC doing that? Man Utd have consistently qualified out of their CL group, why haven't CFC done that?}

Neil Lennon has left the Celtic, Celtic are in a much better position after Lennon left than they were before he came . I think that he has now left and doesn't need snide remarks from Celtic fans .

As usual you'll be right then, iam making a comparison with ronny bein told who to appoint and van hal bein told also, and a think we all know the money Utd spend and what we spend are a wee bit different

{Ed007's Note - So what has Man Utd got to do with anything going on at Celtic Park? Giggs was appointed as LvG's assistant because a) he has been at the club for over 20 years, knows it inside out and will help LvG and the rest of his staff settle in, b) he has coaching experience at the club and knows the youth players strengths, weaknesses and attributes c) Man Utd are hoping he will be ready to step up and replace LvG when the Dutchman leaves.
Celtic want John Collins because a) he played for us 20 years ago.... well that's me stumped.
Thanks for the acknowledgement that I'm always right, it's always nice to hear people admitting that.}

Nothin at all I was making the comparison that both managers are being told what assistant to appoint, and I couldn't care less what goes on at Utd, it's all about opinions and time will tell who's right or wrong

{Ed007's Note - I still don't see why you brought Man Utd into it, David Moyes cleared out all the backroom staff and brought his own in if that helps you out.}

08 Jun 2014 22:07:13
Ed he has a point about Giggs being forced on LVG , A don't want JC a think he is being touted because of his recent work with Scotland and obviously his Celtic Connection , If it is to be JC then they're going to be a lot of unhappy players at CP , because RD & JC are both ott with conditioning etc and we are going to have a lot of unhappy players @ CP who IMO would rebel/under perform , you could count on 1 hand who would subscribe player wise in the current team and us as fans would suffer :-( The remit for the Asst manager job is "someone who knows what it is like to play Inverness @ 12.15 on a Sat" so goodness who that is? am expecting asst man + 1 coach and am expecting him to be someone RD knows and trusts IMO

{Ed007's Note - What's his point about Giggs appointment and what the hell has any of it got to do with CFC's situation? LvG brought Frans Hoek and Marcel Bout with him, he met with Giggs and agreed to him being appointed. Giggs will be the buffer between the players and LvG, he knows the club inside out, has the respect of everyone at the club, knows exactly what is expected from the players and will know if any them are at it, he watched AF at work for over 20 years before working under him as a coach.}

08 Jun 2014 23:35:11
Ed you are defeating your point here in waxing lyrical about Giggs he was a Moyes appointment and that never worked! Delay in LvG taking the post was the Kluivert/Giggs factor it does not matter who / what club but it does appear that someone is forcing RD's asst there you have it so who would you like as a number 2 &3 enlighten us please

{Ed007's Note - Craig Burley or Chris Morris. Morris has been successfully coaching the Bodmins College team for years and even at Exeter City's Centre of Excellence working with 12-16 year olds.}

08 Jun 2014 11:28:53
What's the story with Fridjonsson. He joined in Dec and we were told he wasn't a project but a first team player.

The other Icelandic boy that came on trial with him and wasn't signed is top scorer in the Norwegian league

08 Jun 2014 10:48:57
Ed did a hear that commentator right in the England game when big FF saved the ball say "the big gigantic celtic goalie who is just about to sign a new contract with his club" anyone else see/watch/hear that? thnx

08 Jun 2014 13:10:49
Was he not talking about izzy, I'm sure the commentator said that after he put the boot in to sturidge and the ball

08 Jun 2014 14:03:14
He was talking about izzy after he took the shot and ff saved it

08 Jun 2014 14:49:57
thanks folks

08 Jun 2014 02:51:26
The time has come to tell Lawwell less to get to eff. Celtic run under him and his PR machine is trying to reduced our club down to the level of the new trying to emerge persons from govan . Our so called leader has agreed to redirect much needed funds to a TV company to promote something that should be directed to room 101 . Its hard to suggest that this man is delaying the progress of our great club to allow some third tier followers of the Klan to play catch uppsies but it seems so .
NL bleeds Celtic and was hung out to dry by a carefully (dance move, a bit drunk to spell the word )by Lawwelll .
Hook line and sinker some have fell . NL sold Hooper and co, and bought Pukki and co .
Make no mistake about it NL left because Lawwell wants to make his next 20 m and replace with the crocked goalkeeper and another .And make no mistake about it Dalie was to be NLs nr2

08 Jun 2014 03:17:18
PS did anyone ever ask Lawwell if he was a free mason

{Ed007's Note - Pedro never does anything with 'free' involved - he started off in business selling 'Hire Nelson Mandela' T-Shirts.}

08 Jun 2014 08:17:40
I'm giving him this summer to change the way we operate. If he doesn't, I'll be calling for change and lobbying others to as well.

Hooper wanted to leave mate so your way off the mark there.We will also be getting 10% of any sell on, latest seems to be he will go for £8m.

Where I do agree with you is the sevco situation which has been niggling me for a couple of years.He should have went flat out to bury them, and covered the grave with cement to avoid the zombie rising to which we are being subjected to.

Sorry for the length of this first and foremost. I have been reading the page for a long time but I have only just registered. My favourite fan page as it happens. Anyway;

Lawwell is definitely splitting fans opinion. Very few, if any, have doubted or questioned his business acumen. My issue is that he has turned into the ******* child of Alistair Campbell and David Blaine. He is now some smoke and mirrors spin doctor trying to enforce what we should find acceptable as paying fans.

It sticks in my throat when I feel like I am being asked to buy the propaganda being pedaled at the minute. I sincerely hope that the new manager turns out to be an inspired choice, but he is an unknown quantity to us all. He's a risk and I only hope he pays off.

We are told that he was top of the list of candidates. Maybe he was 1st, 2nd, 3rd or worse. It's all guesswork on our part. I personally think he wasn't even in the top 5, but again that's only a gut feeling. It is hard to swallow that we are now considered a inferior option to an assistant post at a struggling EPL team. I think that tells it's own story.

You begin to wonder if candidates came, heard the constraints they would be working under, then left.

Maybe the other candidates didn't fancy trying to negotiate 3 qualifiers on a maximum annual transfer budget of 5 million? Maybe they didn't fancy buying or developing a squad worthy of challenging in the group stages only to be sold on to the highest bidder at the end of every season? Maybe they spoke to Lawwell and realised that he was an egotistical autocrat who would interfere in team affairs and undermine the managers role at any given time?

Reading this page the one thing that disappoints me most is that "Lawwell's Way" or "The Club Model" has now been accepted by the vast majority of fans. Most people seem content to be shopping in Poundland every window and hoping that we hit the jackpot. Not only that, they seem happy to accept that we are a selling club who will then punt the quality from the squad on as soon as money men come knocking.

I don't know when it happened but that's not the Club I have grown up watching. If Dermot Desmond (who has done a lot of great things), feels that he is not the man to provide the financial backing the Club needs to compete in Europe then maybe it is time to pass the baton.

08 Jun 2014 03:53:36
Getting a bit fed up with the anti PL posts on here. Let's look at the bigger picture ghuys. Wether we like it or not, the death of Rangers has had a significant impact on our revenue. (I personally am glad we will NEVER face them again, but am worried about Sevco coming back as it will re-introduce all the old shit. This has been a far better and peaceful country in the last few years). Anyways, PL HAS to maximise our income. Less people paying at the gate equals less money. equals less funds to buy. blah blah blah. Fact is we DON'T NEED TO SPEND ANY MONEY RIGHT NOW. Only thing I would say is stop buying 'rough diamonds' and give the young bhoys their chance. What about the Twardzik bros.been there for ages. any progress?? I was really impressed with R Deila's press conference and I really think credit should be given for once, to the board. Left field yes, cheap, yes.Better bet than Larsson!! GB YNWA!

Davie Blantyre Bhoy

I am voicing my opinion and your reply sums up part of my point. I am a realist, I know the domestic competition and television revenue is low. I know that it is impossible to compete with English money or the might of any other major league.

I also know that we have a Billionaire owner and that we have also accumulated a significant pot of money from outgoing transfers over the last number of years. I would say that there is a positive deficit aligned to that when overheads are taking into account. Reinvest 10-15 million on some decent players and see how we go. I don't feel that is much to ask for given the club's bank balance.

If the money is there and it is not being reinvested in the product we pay to watch then that will result in a half full stadium. It's simple, if you aren't entertaining your fans or giving them value for money then they won't turn up. Look at the gates last season for proof.

We don't need to strengthen? I have heard it all now. If you are happy with the squad we have then good luck to you. I find that a very shortsighted comment. Reading between the lines, are you happy to win domestically and be whipping boys in Europe?

Regardless, good luck to Ronny and the Bhoys for the coming campaign and hopefully they purse strings are loosened for him.

There's a richer man than Desmond a shareholder also .
Not asking to pump in millions maybe just prop up a few wage bills for that special player or 2 .You can imagine the return in a Last 8 appearance .Get that length and none of them will need to prop up anything only the weight of their share price .

@6: You say reinvest 10-15m on playing staff, would that be the total or are you omitting wages? Say you buy a player for 5m, put him on a three year deal at 20k per week. That now becomes an 8m deal, which is over half on what you expect, this is without NI contributions and medical insurances. You spend more the player will want more in wages.

You also claim the squad needs strengthened, might they just need good coaching? I would use the games v Hertz and Motherwell away as a point here.In both games we were superb to watch, slick passing, pressing all over the pitch and on it from the first whistle.So things, squad wise, are not as bad as you think.

08 Jun 2014 14:44:42
@6 Great nametag. I can't disagree with anything you've said. You have summed things up pretty well. Probably put across points better than myself. All in all, let's get behind Ronny and keep our great club GREAT!!! :) YNWA

If havin no debt a great stadium and training complex plus one of the best academy's in Britain is a negative then am missin something, PL has been nothin but good for Celtic hence the reason Arsenal tried to get him, maybe he'll be appreciated once he's gone

@8: I would be happy with a proven striker who would give us the goal threat we need in Europe. I would also love to see the playmaker we have been crying out for since god knows when. Would £10-£15 million guarantee that, who knows? But the chances would be a damn sight higher than it would buying a League 2 player and saying a deceit of the rosary that he makes the grade.

The squad is big but there is a lot of mediocrity running through it. I know I am sounding negative here and it is not my intention. It is just borne out of frustration. I would love nothing better than Celtic to buy 11 £100k players and turn them into world beaters but that is highly unlikely. The truth is you need to spend what's needed to get top class players.

@10. No debt - great. Our business is to support a football team not a financial institution. I don't applaud my bank for giving me 0.4% interest on my savings so I won't be applauding Celtics accountants for doing their job. It is admirable that we are secure and in the black. I am not asking them to throw caution to the wind and spend £100 million. I am asking them to take a calculated risk to make us better.

The stadium is amazing, so is the training complex but what am I missing? One of the best academy's in Britan? Really? It is a regular conveyor belt to the first team! I can count on one hand the number of players it has produced in the last decade and I lost my finger and thumb in a work accident

{Ed007's Note - That's a belter of a sign-off mate! :)

Academy products - McManus, mcgeady, mulgrew, Maloney,
Kennedy, marshal, Wallace, watt, fisher, Forrest, Henderson, Fraser made debut and unfortunately got injured but there is high hopes for him, Herron, twrdzick also look good but need a chance that's off the top of my head so the academy is workin, been there many times I've a son who plays with another spfl pro youth team and everything at Lennoxtown from the facilities to the coaches is first class.

As far as managing debt goes we are where we are, unless we get out of Scotland we are limited to what we can spend or we could go down the Sevco route and spend what we don't have, the present squad should be good enough to win the treble next season no probs , but as far as the CL is concerned last 16 is about it or we could go out and buy two 8 million pound players and probably still only make the last16, eufa have it sown up the elite clubs are spending 80 to 100 mill so where does that leave our paltry 16 mill it's the same clubs contesting the latter stages of CL every season for a reason. We are a victim of our environment unfortunately.

08 Jun 2014 01:32:57
Liked the post reminiscing about players of years gone by. Got me thinking about what I miss from the current game and one of the main things is the lack of proper striker partnerships. No one seems to play with a front two anymore. The best I have seen growing up were Yorke and Cole, Larsson and Sutton, Raul and Morientes, in that order. Players who knew each other's game inside out. Anyone think of any better?

Sturridge and Suarez

{Ed007's Note - Away you and chip $h1te at the moon!!!!}

08 Jun 2014 08:49:10
Sutton and shearer

Shearer and Sutton were good too. Klinsmann and Voller? Or even Berkamp and Henry. Shearer/Sheringham for England was decent too. Or even Shevchenko and Rebrov when they played for Kiev.

Not saying they are better than the other 3 at all, just pointing out that you do still get good partnerships