Caldwell (Threads Merged)

to be honest i think caldwell is only good enouth to be on the bench and as a emergency option and he has always been playing crap at right bac

 

Caldwell is good enough

 

In terms of the quality of players we have had in the past then Caldwell isn't "Celtic Class" however, given the budget and environment that we are operating in just now then we are never going to afford those type of players.

I think Caldwell is a hardworking player but then put me in the Hoops and I would work my bollox off - doesn't mean I am gonna be any good!!!

In his defence he is a centre half playing at right back which isn't ideal for him - as proven yesterday when the mini-Huns had there chance in the 4th minute and he rushed (in centre half mode) out leaving the winger all on his own.

Imagine asking an out and out centre midfielder to play out on the right or even asking a right back to play centre half - I am sure they may have problems as well.

 

I think Caldwell plays better at RB than in the centre.

The fact is we should have bought a quality CB in the summer.

 

Hes a decent sqaud player nothing more than that! his biggest problem is he thinks hes better than he is!!!

 

He wont get a game CB, well at least i would not give him a game.

 

Totally agree.

 

1:Caldwell is a whipping boy and I don't like it one bit.As Keltoi has said numerous times,Caldwell is no better or worse than our other centre backs.His mistakes in Lisbon last season are still held against him IMO.Theres some utter * who just find a whipping boy and won't leave him alone.I'm sure our players would play a lot better if they didn't have to deal with the pressure of these 'supporters'[and I use that term loosley] hoping that they will give the ball away so that they can have their moan.GET BEHIND THE PLAYERS.MOANING AT THEM IS NOT HELPING ANYONE.

2:There is no such thing as Celtic class.We have had so many average players playing for us over the years it's untrue.In the past I've suggested we sign players like Danny Gabbidon,Moritz Volz and Paul Konchesky.I've been hit with the 'Not Celtic class' response.These people need to wake up.At least half our first team regulars would not get a game at a struggling EPL side.I don't want to get into the business of Sky money or anything,I'm just stating facts.

 

I don't think that Caldwell is good enough to be first choice in the defence but he is a more than adequate squad player who can do a job at centreback, rightback and defensive midfield. I don't think he is domineering enough to be a good centreback but i have been pleasantly surprised at how well he has played at rightback. He is solid defensively in that position and his runs forward and crossing have been decent as well.

Look at our defenders:

Mick - youth
JFK - youth
Naylor - 600k
Wilson - 500k
Caldwell - free
O'Dea - youth
Doumbe - free

These players have delivered 2 titles and a last 16 in the CL. They have shackled the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo and Rooney. They are the class that we are dealing in as we can't afford to spend any more. I think the problem about saying that Caldwell isn't "Celtic class" is that WGS can't find anybody to replace him at the same price and wage level.

High quality players cost a lot of money as there aren't very many of them. We are only just now recovered from the financial foolhardyness of the early MON years where we gambled in progressing in Europe and failed. We cannot afford to pay players, especially defenders, 30k plus a week. These are the average wages of a mediocre EPL centreback.

For people that call for Bobo to come back and play - get over him, he's never going to play for Celtic again. Why would WGS pick a player who he is going to try (yet again) to offload in a month's time, and even if he can't then, will definitely be freed in the summer. Simply put we cannot afford to keep a defender who earns 28k a week. Also, people tend to forget how poorly Balde played in WGS's first season. He was far worse than Caldwell has been, passing directly to opposition strikers, being caught in possession and being found out of position. He had been a great player for a couple of years but lost his ability to defend. I'd rather have O'Dea or Cuthbert in there than Bobo.

WGS is trying to build a team. All of our centrebacks are under 25. They are probably only at 50% of the potential they could be in 5-10 years time. The amount that they have achieved already is testament to what the can potentially be.

I find it sad that some folk slate players in a young team that is ravaged by injuries forcing players into unknown positions and are still delivering trophies and European success.

 

top post fella

 

Swoop i agree with most of your post, but on Balde is it not better to play him and put him in the shop window, we'll have more chance of selling him then and for more money.
I mean what manager is going to pay 1m or so and 28G's a week for a player who can't get into our team.
Also how can we free him if we can't get anyone to pay his wages, unless we pay him out in full. I can't see where we benefit from this current situ. regarding the big fella.

 

if he plays and costs us the league,it would cost us more money

 

Ill admit from min one in any game I dont give Caldwell a chance, so I guess he is my personal 'whipping boy' (Kinky ). I blamed most things on him.

I dont like him, as my previous post on this shows. Mainly, on top of being reckless, I think he gives the ball away to the opposition too often, my humping it up the park, or uselessly down the flank - I really hate that from defenders (especially ones whos passing is supposed to be their strong point), Im not talking about clearing your lines, I mean when ou have time on the ball have a wee * look up - instead of treating the ball like a hot potato, grow some nuts and don't look for the easy way out.

But a few point have made sense in this thread, he is young as are most our defenders, and with time he should can cut out his bad qualities, as GS is trying to develop a team, rather than by one.

But at the same time, Id rather gave a 3/4 mil spent on a genuinely class centre half to compliment mick.

 

great post. I think there were two periods that unrealistically raised expectations of our ability to get top players: Tommy's last two years when we gathered the best collection of international class players (apart from the defence) we have ever had AND MON's first two seasons when we bought a core of several good EPL players at their peak. Could we now afford good EPL players at their peak or the top portugese striker ot a german international winger from a top Budesleague side or a genius like Di Canio from Serie A. No way. We can get the odd top quality signing like Artur, Naka etc who were underappreciated before we got them but we cant afford to buy many good peak-years EPL players or European internationalis. Way out our league in money terms.

 

All these long winded, moany *, * dry yer eyes posts about how penniless and skint we are and how we can't buy good players are distracting everyone from the real point of the thread..

That is that Gary 'It wisnae me' Caldwell is utterly * and will forever be utterly *. In fact I may do a vBookie special that he gives away a free kick that leads to a goal on Tuesday, or even another pen.

 

an outlandish minority view according to the poll:icon_mrgreen:

 

The slim majority is hardly a ringing endorsement of him.

I'll post another poll after he costs us the game on Tuesday with yet another cheap free kick.

 

Why would Strachan pick him? Maybe because or defence is * and because even tho Bobo had his bad games he had a fair share of good ones and knows how to clear his lines. Wether he is leaving in january or not dosent matter if things need changing you play him.

 

optimistic i see. i still think that pressley-Mcmanus partnership should be given a shot but at spl level i think gary is a good player - better than every other defender in the spl bar weir and mcmanus (and is stilll only 25 with minimal experience). i agree he plays RB like a centre-back but otherwise does a job when we have no fit full-backs. i do think however that it would be a waste buying a CB in the next window because that is not a priority when in past european games our defence hasnt been a problem really - just look at last year, O'dea had to play but we didnt let a goal in until sno made a forgivable mistake.

Caldwell gets way too much stick - he is just trying to do a job but i agree pressley has more experience and played well against the Huns Mk II

 

The problem with Bobo is that all is good ones came in a big patch about 5 years ago (just before he signed a 4 years deal with us) and all of his bad games happened 3-4 years ago.

He is a spent force. Get over it. He was my favourite player 5 years ago but things move on. Or do you think he'd be good at rightback?