13 Jul 2024 13:02:24
Hi All hope you are well
I think Kasper is a great signing. We obviously had a few options we had been. Working in and they didn't come off to fruition. yet. At my last count 19 goal keepers were linked with us, some I'd never heard of, some class and some not sure. We might even bring in another or promote from our reserves.
The arguments against Kasper all sound like groundhog day again. It's the same as the criticisms thrown at Hart when he signed. I hope Kasper proves the doubters wrong, and they will be singing his name with the rest of us when he leaves.
Just on this notion that the last 20 years the board have been bad, or "we haven't fulfilled our potential", the stats alone decide that argument. Though the question of "potential" varies massively across the support. I agree we could do better in Europe, and we have been unlucky in recent years in Europe, but I'd say we hit about 90% of our potential. That takes into account signings, youth development, selling players at higher profit and Europe.
The extra 10% or so, requires a bit of luck, youth talent staying, and scouting system full sport science including mental health and / director of football type. Ultimately, the levels of expectation I think some fans have, will only be met if we leave the league we are in.
13 Jul 2024 13:42:13
ED007 my "Joe Biden" mind cannot remember if Schmechiel was at leicester when Rodgers was.
If so Brendan will know all about the keeper.
{Ed007's Note - Yes, Schmeichel was Rodger's No.1 apart from his last season managing them.}
13 Jul 2024 14:42:18
I would be delighted to get Schmeichel.
Fabrizio Romana has mentioned that we have agreed terms for a One year contract with the option of another season.
According to Salary Sport,
Schmeichel was in £130k a week with Leicester in the EPL and £65k a week with Nice in France.
But they only have Schmeichel on £4k a week at Anderlecht last season.
Surely that can’t be right ?♂️.
13 Jul 2024 15:19:22
Maybe he's that player we always fantasise about that's playing for glory not cash. Maybe he was first choice but like most 37 old isn't the only decision maker in the family unit. And we were waiting for his decision.
13 Jul 2024 15:27:43
I'd take a free Schmeichel at 37 over a £7-8m Dubravka or Jensen any day of the week.
13 Jul 2024 16:54:37
My first choice would be the Croatian keeper followed by Schmeichel.
13 Jul 2024 16:54:37
My first choice would be the Croatian keeper followed by Schmeichel.
14 Jul 2024 13:43:23
Most of us accept that our European form over the last 20 years has not been good enough . I may disagree with some about the reason we haven’t done as well as our fans would hope . Of course there is no doubt Board could have bought more players in quicker, but no fan has an accurate reason why that didn’t happen . Explanations given by SMSM are most likely incorrect. Players and their WAGs may have preferred almost any Country than Scotland with 9 months severe winter weather and 3 months winter weather. Agents may have advised their players about the two sets of rules in Scotland and quality of pitches. No matter how good our recruitment team is, and to be honest many fans don’t rate them too highly, but if a player and agent decide they don’t want to sign for us in Scotland, no matter how good the recruitment team are we can’t make players agree to sign if they don’t want to .
I just won’t accept that our Board is too miserable with the wages they are prepared to pay . The proof is there, clear to be seen, we sign a number of players every year . Some perform to various levels from acceptable to very good . But unfortunately some for what ever reason, perform below what is expected of a Celtic player . Every transfer window Celtic do their level best to rid the club of these players, no team in Scotland or lower English leagues are prepared to pay their wages, therefore we are paying at least the wages these players deserve and very probably more than they deserve.
If it isn’t the Board and the recruitment team who are fully to blame, where else does the blame rest . I would place blame on our managers who for the most part over the last 20 years have tried to take the to teams from top 5 leagues and other teams who were currently strong in Europe . Manager’s personal pride was to attack top teams and get results. Our teams often did very well, creating chances and eliminating opportunities of conceding goals but at the end of the day we were too often gallant losers, our attackers went close but either failed to score or scored just 1 whilst our opponents confined to very few chances managed 2/ 3.+ goals and we went home with heads high but no points . Of course we also got a few hammerings when the superior team showed how good they were .
Mind you it isn’t always managers fault either, some games manager can have team set up properly to control their better players and give our attackers opportunities. Alas we fail again, a player or two can make an SPL mistake which we could get away with but not against the top European teams .
It isn’t just the Board and recruitment team, nor is it just the manager or the players but it is a combination of all three and probably others
One group who deserves better is our fans home and away . There isn’t as supportive a set of fans anywhere in the World as our fans on an European night . Thankfully even in the last 20 years even with a poor European record we have had some memorable nights, we need more, many of us remember Fortress Celtic Pk, we deserve that again.