New Footy Season 2016/17 ..How's your team doing?

[struth]

Thought i would start a new thread for this season. Was looking through the gossip pages and see it being reported that ex Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers is after Liverpool pair Andre Wisdom and Joe Gomez.(on loan)
The Merseyside club will be willing to let full back Wisdom go if Celtic can match their asking price of £3 million.

Would have thouht that wouldnt be a problem for Celtjc. Not heard many transfer rumours for them so maybe they are on watch at euro16 for talent...or possibly the Copa tourney ?

Rangers i see have extended their policy of bringing in youngsters wbo add value by signing Clint(alas not eastwood) Hill who is 37...yes 37. Ah well he may be another late developer
They also seem to be cultivating 29 year old defender Adrian Mariappa ex of C Palace and a Jamaican international... He looks more like it and certainly looks tough enough ....brick outhouse comes immediately to mind

So, anyone got news on their sides

[Marco]

Thought i would start a new thread for this season. Was looking through the gossip pages and see it being reported that ex Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers is after Liverpool pair Andre Wisdom and Joe Gomez.(on loan)
The Merseyside club will be willing to let full back Wisdom go if Celtic can match their asking price of £3 million.

Would have thouht that wouldnt be a problem for Celtjc. Not heard many transfer rumours for them so maybe they are on watch at euro16 for talent...or possibly the Copa tourney ?

Yeah defo, although I've not heard of those Liverpool players, and I'm not really sure we need any full-backs. Tierney and Lustig are pretty solid in both full-back positions, so not sure what the thinking is there. Anyway, we'll see...

As I've said before, I like the look of Shaqiri, who would provide some much needed craft/playmaking in midfield, in the style of Lubo Moravcik, and feel we could prize him from Stoke City if he was willing to take a cut in wages. You reckoned he was on around £65k a week at Stoke, well as I said before Chris Commons is reported to be currently on £45k at Celtic, so not a massive difference, and Celtic can offer Shaqiri Champions League football and the chance to play in front of 65,000 fans every other week!

The stickler would like be whether he'd want to play in the SPL, but it'd be a new challenge for him, and have the added attraction of old firm games next season. That's the class of player I think we need to be looking at, not rejects from Liverpool, unless I'm missing something...

I've also been impressed with Bogdan Stancu, of Romania. He looks pretty impressive up front for them, and I feel would be a sensation at Celtic. Strikers we do need! He currently plays in Turkey, so I wouldn't foresee any ridiculously high transfer fee, and he may jump at the chance of playing for a club like Celtic.

He's scored some pretty impressive goals for Romania and Steaua Bucharest, including the second one shown in this video from the Euro qualifiers (you'll have to click the YouTube button and watch it directly from there):




Also in midfield, I quote like the look of Zoltan Stieber, who plays for Hungary, and who scored this cracker of a goal against Austria:



There are a few others, especially from some of the other eastern European sides, who've caught my eye, and shouldn't cost Celtic a fortune. I'll discuss those later. What do you think of my choices so far?

Rangers i see have extended their policy of bringing in youngsters wbo add value by signing Clint(alas not eastwood) Hill who is 37...yes 37. Ah well he may be another late developer

Yeah, that was funny (although not as funny as some of the antics of Joey Barton). Clint Eastwood would have a better chance in Old Firm games, of 'gunning down' the Celtic defence!

Marco.

[struth]

Problem is with some international managers, they dont like their players working in poor leagues, which is the case with Scotland, like it or not. Stoke may not be fashionable or huge but they will turn over more than Celtic and play weekly against the best players in world.. There lies the difference, and it matter to top players too.

Be good for game and celts attendances if that were to happen but its a huge wedge for Celtic...too much i think. Big transfer fees and massive wages are on way out even at parkhead. We just dont make enough......and we dont play top sides often enough to learn how to do well in Europe either, a factor in our regular demises. Both old firm at their peaks currently or very recent times may still be huge clubs but because they play in Scottish league they are fast becoming dinosaurs i am afraid.

[Stratmangler]

The problem with listening to any of the rumours surrounding Manchester City is that we're linked with just about every high ticket player that's available.
I just sit and wait for done deals to be announced on the club website.

İlkay Gündoğan should prove to be a good addition, once he recovers from his injuries.

[Marco]

Problem is with some international managers, they dont like their players working in poor leagues, which is the case with Scotland, like it or not. Stoke may not be fashionable or huge but they will turn over more than Celtic and play weekly against the best players in world.. There lies the difference, and it matter to top players too.

I agree, which is why I think it's ridiculous that Celtic aren't allowed to play in the Premiership, (or even go in at Championship level and work their way up) as that's where a club of their stature and history deserve to be, instead of shackled to the poor man's pond that is the SPL, but that's an old story...

However, although you have a valid point, I'd don't think it's quite as 'doom and gloom' as you make out, otherwise someone such as Rodgers, with high ambitions as a manager, would've have taken the Celtic job.

Regardless of the relative paucity of the football standard in the SPL (although in some ways I think it's unfairly maligned), there still exists a significant 'pull' for any player or manager to come to Celtic, who are, SPL or not, still considered (and rightly so) as one of the biggest clubs in the world.

That, and the fact that they're not exactly 'skint', means that they still have the ability to attract some top players, and I'm sure we'll see evidence of that in the coming months

Be good for game and celts attendances if that were to happen but its a huge wedge for Celtic...too much i think. Big transfer fees and massive wages are on way out even at parkhead. We just dont make enough......and we dont play top sides often enough to learn how to do well in Europe either, a factor in our regular demises.

Yup, all undoubtedly true. However, it wasn't all that long ago that we were in the UEFA cup final, which Martin O'Neill took us to.

I certainly don't think that's beyond us again, with Rodgers at the helm, or perhaps even to go one better... And let's face it, plenty of top sides play in the Europa League, which is a hard tournament to win, and at the very minimum I can see us having a decent run in it, presuming that we don't qualify for the Champions League and/or get beyond the group stages.

All that, for me, is ample incentive for someone who currently plays for Stoke City, to come to Celtic, instead of playing for a team who realistically will win hee-haw (at Celtic you're almost guaranteed to win trophies every season, coupled with playing for some of the best fans in the world), and for whom playing in the CL, with Stoke City, is not far from being a pipe dream!

Both old firm at their peaks currently or very recent times may still be huge clubs but because they play in Scottish league they are fast becoming dinosaurs i am afraid.

Maybe, but let's face it mate, unless a miracle happens, Rangers as you once knew them, are no more - certainly in terms of spending power. The fact is, the ONLY club in Scotland with any significant money is Celtic. The gulf, in that respect, between them and the rest of the teams there, is about as big as it is (probably bigger) between Stoke City and Real Madrid!!

However, that doesn't mean that Rangers won't have a good season, at the level they're currently operating at....

Marco.

[Marco]

The problem with listening to any of the rumours surrounding Manchester City is that we're linked with just about every high ticket player that's available.
I just sit and wait for done deals to be announced on the club website.

İlkay Gündoğan should prove to be a good addition, once he recovers from his injuries.

Nice to be in that position, Chris. Let's hope though, that all the money you end up spending delivers the prizes that matter this season, as that's distinctly not been the case much so far

This season will certainly be a rather interesting one in the Premiership - I suspect the best one for years - so bring it on!

Marco.

[struth]

Yes they are effectively same level as Celtic... You have better players, more money and bigger capacity which all helps to keep you strong. Trouble is most of that has been wasted and a chance to get your club at a level Rangers or any other club would struggle to get near. I put that down to lawell and co. Celtic have not been coming close to filling Parkhead because the footy on display has been woeful on the whole and wouldnt have been tolerated at any other time since Auld Jock(who i met twice) nice man. They are also paying huge amount of wages to players that will not get a game.
I have to say im surprised at them not going for jugular but its history now.
Rogers was a fan so he got an offer which was probably his only good one with a chance of winning something and with a good wage he rightly took it. He has not really won anything so doing well there and at least against even a weaker than normal rangers will count for his record. Good luck to him too. I thought him a good manager at swans and initially with pool. Think pressure got to him a bit though.

Id expect Gers to get top 4 at least. Dont think there are 4 teams better over season to what they will likely field although proof of that is in the eating. But you never can tell. They might get second which would be a coup. The fact that in ladt few seasons Rangers Hearts Hibs Dundee utd etc have all been or will be missing from the top league kinda says it all about the state of the game here. Stoke will get the boy plenty game time on camera v best players and if he does well then he will be off to likes of madrid or barca

[Marco]

Yes they are effectively same level as Celtic... You have better players, more money and bigger capacity which all helps to keep you strong.

I'd question the "same level" thing, but I know what you mean, as both currently play in the SPL. The major differences being that Celtic are financially stable, not continually teetering on the edges of bankruptcy, and have been playing at a far higher level of football for the last few years.

Trouble is most of that has been wasted and a chance to get your club at a level Rangers or any other club would struggle to get near. I put that down to lawell and co.

I agree totally, but perhaps that's only because, in the absence of Rangers, they haven't needed to? I'm not defending that mentality, though. This season, however, could be very different, and so Celtic may be ramming home their superiority in that respect...

The problem is that Celtic 'boardrooms' have always suffered from somewhat of a 'biscuit tin' mentality, and unless something changes, that will always be the case. Undoubtedly however, no real progress has been made since Neil Lennon was in charge (whom I was amused to see is now Hibs manager), and that's something I think will change for the better under Rodgers.

Certainly season tickets are flying out the door, as the fans sense something exciting is about to happen, and I suspect are now all but sold out. No doubt, therefore, that Celtic Park will be heaving this season, and that alone will make a big difference, trust me!

Rogers was a fan so he got an offer which was probably his only good one with a chance of winning something and with a good wage he rightly took it. He has not really won anything so doing well there and at least against even a weaker than normal rangers will count for his record. Good luck to him too. I thought him a good manager at swans and initially with pool. Think pressure got to him a bit though.

Yup, I don't disagree. However, lets not forget that he took Liverpool to within the brink of winning the league for the first time in years, which many other arguably better managers than him (such as Benitez) couldn't achieve - and it was no accident either. It's *that* aspect of his managerial ability that excites me, and also other Celtic fans! This guy is certainly capable of creating something special at Celtic.

Id expect Gers to get top 4 at least. Dont think there are 4 teams better over season to what they will likely field although proof of that is in the eating. But you never can tell. They might get second which would be a coup. The fact that in ladt few seasons Rangers Hearts Hibs Dundee utd etc have all been or will be missing from the top league kinda says it all about the state of the game here.

I think they'll do much better than 4th, and fully expect them (along with Hearts and Aberdeen) to run Celtic close. Teams are always capable of beating each other during individual games throughout a season. At the end of the day though, the best team always wins the league, and the points tally accrued at the end, tells the true story of where any team is at.

Stoke will get the boy plenty game time on camera v best players and if he does well then he will be off to likes of madrid or barca

Sure, although I don't think he's quite Barca or Madrid quality. Anyway, it's all pie in the sky - I'm simply identifying the quality of players Celtic should be looking at in order to significantly improve the team and make them properly equipped for the CL qualifiers and Europe in general. Whether Celtic could afford such players or not, or they would want to come to the club, remains to be seen.

Can't wait for the start of the season, though. You lot have got a nice easy one (on paper) at home to Hamilton, whereas we're off to Edinburgh to play Hearts!

Marco.

P.S It'll also be interesting to see how Celtic get on in the forthcoming 'Battle of Britain" friendly against Leicester City, on 24th July....

[struth]

Not really a fan as such now. Like to keep my eye on things etc though. Was once though, but the bigotry in football, and its everywhere in Scotland, put me off. In rugby you support your team but dont attack opposition as without good opposition you cant have a good side to support. Simples really.. You used to split at gate to your side and meet again after game. Odd bit of banter but nothing nasty.
Tbh it used to be a bit like that in footy too once. Rugby may not be that way now of course. Not been to a Gala game for some time or my fav, the Melrose Sevens.

[Marco]

Yeah, I hate all that bigotry shite too, but I guess it is what it is (and not as bad as it once was), but it's certainly not enough to stop me supporting a team I love dearly and have supported for years.

There's green and white blood running deeply through my veins, but only in a football sense!

Marco.