Current Avatar:
No Avatar image uploaded
No Avatar image uploaded
Celtic Rumours Member Posts
APcelt's Profile
APcelt's Posts and Other Poster's Replies To APcelt's Posts
To APcelt's last 5 banter posts
To APcelt's last 5 banter replies
APcelt's banter posts with other poster's replies to APcelt's banter posts
11 May 2021 12:06:06
Interested to read a post from yesterday's banter that stated, "the academy produces very few players who go on to being a first team pick". Does anyone else see that as a very serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately?
1.) 11 May 2021 12:38:42
We have the structure, we have the facilities and the network of a huge club, but we don't seem to have a conveyor belt of outstanding young players that are 'first-team ready', like other massive clubs. Even when we bring in promising prospects from other teams, they never seem to make the breakthrough and many end up out the door. Obviously the demands and expectations for success may lead to fewer chances, but at the same time, over the last decade we have bought and taken in loans that have been well short of the quality required. That defies not only logic, but lowers the standard of 'Celtic Class' players and wastes money. Whatever restructuring takes place for next season, it's going to be a huge squad rebuilding exercise and imperative that the academy and first team work totally in tandem with the scouting network, for maximum efficiency and basic economic sense.
2.) 11 May 2021 13:38:40
the youngsters that are good enough are seeing that there pathway to the first team is limited so when the big boys from europe come in for them then its a no brainer for them to make that move.
3.) 11 May 2021 13:45:00
Agree OAB2 ðŸ‘
This season alone we've lost young players to Bayern Munich and Man. City respectively therefore, someone within the scouting set up at these two clubs must have seen something in those players?
At the same time there's no guarantee these players will make the breakthrough especially at clubs the size of Munich and City who seem to stockpile young talent just to ensure no one else signs them.
I do think an overhaul is needed and also a clearly defined pathway to progress into the first team put in place or more young players will leave when they get the chance.
4.) 11 May 2021 14:47:45
Who has progressed to and held down a place in the team from the academy in the last 15 years?
KT 5 years ago.
McGreggor 7 years ago
Forrest 11 years ago.
That to me is utterly woeful. Something is wrong. The overwhelming majority get a few games, then are moved on and for most, not all, but most never reach a level that suggests we made a mistake in letting them go. We have to go back to Marshal nearly 20 years ago for a keeper. No right back, no striker. Producing a real class player every decade, with nothing inbetween of note, tells me it's not even close to working. For the last twenty years we hear of, this great prospect of 5hat but when they need to step up they are found to be nowhere near good enough. Howe, if he ever arrives needs to look at the stats and ask, why so few? Why can't we produce top class players regularly? It has got to the point where every single time I hear a great prospect inn the Academy, I say, heard it. We sign better from smaller clubs. This isn't even the the same universe as good enough. I've said it before, but we produce 9kayers for the Dundee's of this world and as long as that continues the Academy is failing. It needs a long hard look at and changes to improve the return. Welsh has come through, but if we want a really solid defence, he doesn't look good enough either imo. I hope he improves but he can't win a header at set pieces either. If anybody has anymore class players I missed please flag them up.
5.) 11 May 2021 15:09:25
Not like you to be negative magicpole lol.
We have had Hazard, Welsh, McGregor, Forrest, Johnston, Henderson play for us this season that came thro the ranks.
Thats 6 players, not too mention Montgomery, Dembelle, and Otto on the verge of stepping up.
There are not many big clubs across Europe who have this, only the smaller clubs bring thro youth regularly like Hamilton for eg simply because they have too.
So compare us to the comparable we are doing well.
6.) 11 May 2021 15:14:46
I'm with Magic pole, of the 6 you mention Rayman 4 are not good enough and the other 2 came through the youth system when the "Old Firm" still existed.
7.) 11 May 2021 15:54:43
chinks who are the ones not good enough from what im taking your meaning welsh Henderson Johnston and hazard. welsh is more than good enough and so is Henderson Henderson is a cracking player just does not get his chance Johnston is good just to injury prone and lightweight could maybe do with a season loan hazard is a decent keeper. from me Henderson and welsh definitely deserve a chance next season.
8.) 11 May 2021 16:11:01
As does Luca Connell.
9.) 11 May 2021 16:26:55
Not sure about hazard Johnstone far too slight and not sure he puts in the work Welsh imo is OK but too small for cb might be a decent rb Henderson again not sure he struggled for game time on loan at one club, Montgomery I haven't seen and Connel falls into that category it's OK doing well at qp but this is celtic, more questions than answers.
10.) 11 May 2021 17:29:44
The last time we rebuilt a side using many of our own 'youth' and nurtured players was probably 'The Quality Street Kids', way back when the Lisbon Lions was dispersing and that is ridiculous for a club of our size and resources. One or two every few years, shows we have went backwards in youth development and fast-tracking.
11.) 11 May 2021 18:47:30
From studies into academies, statistics show that less that 0.1% make it (that's less than 1 in 1000) . That's a high attrition rate, but you would expect our coaching staff to be aware of this, and, probably more importantly, so do senior management.
A good kid can not only save you a lot of money, but make you a lot of money in a subsequent transfer. Don't be fooled that a kid that is good enough will want to spend his career with Celtic, so transfers are inevitable.
So, you would hope that an appropriate level of investment is made. If our academy is not the best in Scotland, that should be the first objective. Then see where we go from there!
12.) 12 May 2021 09:14:41
Hazard isn't good enough, Welsh, imo, not good enough if we want a defence worthy of that name, Henderson and Johnston too slight to hold down a jersey. I suppose it depends on how good you want us to be, none of them at four woukd get a game apart from subs. And if they did, we woukd never progress to be able to either qualify for the CL, never mind not get horsed in it if we did. Its not be8ng negative, it's just not being sentimental and giving players a bye because they came from the Academy. The academy is broken and has been for years. Forrest, McGreggor and KT in over ten years. That's it. And that just isn't good enough.
13.) 12 May 2021 12:58:43
The colts team will be a big help but can they get promotion?
14.) 12 May 2021 16:00:01
It will help, but if the class isn't there, it isn't there regardless of games. Our recruitment at every level is awful. You have more chance getting into our team if you start at a smaller club. We miss these players and the place us bursting at the seams with players who aren't good enough. Stop signing them. Sign fewer who have a chance.
04 May 2021 13:37:50
I'm new to this forum, but have been reading it for a long while. Frankly, I'm not surprised by most of the comments after such a defeat, it's normal. However, I do get annoyed when we turn on ourselves!
If there are Sevconians viewing this site, they are laughing their asses off now, and we've only ourselves to blame.
We lost TIAR in the summer of 2012. Think what happened then and what we did/ didn't do, and you'll find the answer.
Earlier, someone said the league was gone in January and stopped watching. Fair comment, as I also realised this in January, January 2020, not January 2021. Didn't you all see it? After we somehow won the League Cup in the December, we knew we were poor, outplayed, etc., so you expected a positive reaction at the New Year game. What we got was a continuation of the League Cup final.
It's down to coaching, modern day coaching. They've been coached, and have progressed accordingly. Does it look as though we've been coached? We have two central defenders running into each other!
When Duffy arrived, everyone said, "this is what we need". He came from a well drilled defense, and his CV did not say, "careful, this guy's useless! ". He came into a team that appears to be undrilled, and if that's so, what do you expect!
We don't need to waste money (any more money) on players, we need to invest in coaches, kids, and lots of them. We need to find a way, a Celtic way, of playing. One that's effective in Scotland, and transfers to Europe. We start with 8 to 10 year olds and go forward from there!
You never, ever, build a team round one player, never! What do you do if they get injured? Unless, of course, if that player happens to be Diego Maradona, but I don't see any Diego's at Celtic Park!
Look at other teams/ coaches, and learn/ adapt. Look at Guardiola, Klopp, etc. Look at Barca, Ajax, and see how they operate. We should have at least half our squad home grown, more than half. We should be prepared, ready to sell on our best players, as that is the way it is. Accept it! We need lots of kids, hundreds, because the percentage of those that make it is small, so you must give yourself the best chance. Invest in kids, and if it's not working, invest more.
Then maybe, just maybe, we can produce a team that can do something, even if only for a year or two. I can dream, but not with the current set up!
18 Dec 2023 17:01:25
When a new coach/ manager comes into any club it is obvious that there will be changes in how a team plays as they will have their own ideas. It is human nature!
I hear many say that BR has turned a treble winning team into whatever, but it is not the same team. Ange was pretty consistent in team selection, but for large parts of this season only 50% of outfield players have been the same. We lost Jota, CCV, Starfelt, Maeda, Hatate, and Abada, most through injury, so how can it be the same team.
Ange stated before he left the squad needed strengthening, but I see nobody we brought in that is doing that! So who identified what we brought in?
I cannot see BR being responsible as he doesn't really have a track record of signing Far Eastern players, and I'd guess that is a market he doesn't know much about. There lies a debate in itself.
What I do see is lots of chopping and changing of the team, and many on this forum have also observed that. No real consistency in team selection. Is that affecting the players?
We all seem to agree that most in our oversized squad shouldn't be there, but at the moment we have to go with what we've got. I'm not too bothered about our GK, more the fact that teams are getting to our GK. When they do, Big Joe has done a fine job.
I look at our midfield and there is no real strength. Most are attacking orientated, totally, so struggle with the defensive side of the game, and thus leave our defenders exposed. Calmac should be further forward as that is his game, but we've nobody else to cover!
We don't need midfields to bully the other teams, but midfielders who cannot be bullied. Our current crop are too often knocked aside, don't know how to turn with the ball, and have no idea what is behind them, i. e., they ball-watch!
I'd like to see more of Bernardo, but how often is he selected, and what does that do for confidence. What I have see is that he can turn with the ball when a defender is on him as he has good control. I think he just needs game time. However, it is even harder when those around are not performing well.
For me, just get to the transfer window without losing any more ground and hope that what we do bring in hit the ground running. We need our injury list cleared, but that always takes time as you can't be out for a couple of months and be on it immediately.
Right now, we just have to start winning again and see where it takes us. I'll take a half dozen 1 - 0 results on the bounce at the moment! (It would be poetic if they were all penalties! )
24 Nov 2023 18:26:52
I was at that game when Lennox broke his leg. It was at the Celtic end (no cover) . To this day I though the ref didn't give a penalty and have cursed him ever since! I didn't know the linesman gave offside.
Great goal by Craig.
I also remember around the same time when we were denied a stone wall penalty and while our players were remonstrating with the ref, they run up the field and scored. The ref gave the goal. we were going nuts! We were refusing to kick off and big Jock had to come on and tell us to get on with it. Can't remember the final score. Too pissed off!
24 Nov 2023 18:15:14
For Maeda, I understand the ref saw a "still" of the incident! You ever seen the stills where it looks like someone has a horses head?
If you believe that, god help us all.
VAR should look at realtime, not stills.
What VAR does show is that the offside rule needs changing. How can you call offside for somebody's elbow. It should be the full body, not an elbow or a toe.
16 Nov 2023 12:23:28
You cannot disagree.
Looking at other selections, I realise it must be an age thing, because unless you seen him, I do not think people know just how good Bobby Murdoch was.
Also, Lennox was phenomenal.
21 Oct 2023 16:49:06
Does paying the fine exonerate your actions?
Does paying the fine exonerate Celtic in EUFAs eyes?
EUFA don't fine the fans, they fine Celtic Football Club. It is Celtic who have the black mark with EUFA, not any fan group.
If you love the club, don't do anything that blackens the name of the club. In my eyes, the club comes first! I go to Celtic Park to support Celtic, and see waving some other flag as supporting something else at the wrong venue! Take it away!
Celtic Calling - I hear Hamas, Hezbollah, Isis, and the Wagner Group are looking for recruits. You up for it?