Brendan Fraudgers!

BR: “We’re happy to have qualified. European football is important and this competition has a great history. We’ll look forward to the draw when it comes and the great many football rewards that come from the competition.

BR: “We deserved to get through. It was much better compared to last week and a good intensity, particularly in the second half. I was pleased with the goals and it was another clean sheet for us

BR: “The second half, we had a greater tempo to our game and moved it quicker and were that wee bit more aggressive. That allowed us to create more chances.


BR on Griffiths’ 100th goal: “It was a great free-kick. He’s obviously a specialist in that position and the last few times he’* the target.


BR: “To get it up and over was great. It’s a brilliant record he’s got here. At a club of this size, to be so consistent and get his goals is great and I’m delighted for him.”

 

Keep the faith. If we retain Boyata and Dembele, we continue to have far and away the two best players in their positions in the country, with an exceptional midfield, and 3 strikers of amazing quality. He is handling a very difficult well, in my opinion, and while question marks may be drawn on him selecting Boyata again, I think he is being pragmatic and seeing us through this cloudy patch.

 

BRENDAN RODGERS insists Moussa Dembele and Dedryck Boyata will NOT be sold before the transfer deadline.

But he warned Celtic supporters Youssouf Mulumbu and Filip Benkovic may be the only arrivals before the window slams shut.

Leigh Griffiths netted his 100th club goal in a 3-0 victory over Lithuania champions Suduva.

Celts now go into the Europa League draw – but Hoops fans are nervously awaiting news of transfer ins and outs.

French cracks Lyon tabled a bid for striker Dembele which was rejected and they’re planning another raid for the hitman.

But Rodgers said: “We’ll see over the course of the next 24 hours where that is at.

“The club has had a significant offer, it’s been ongoing for a couple of days and we’ve taken Moussa out of it.

“We don’t want him to go. We understand the offer is significant, but it’s no good for us. It has to work for both.

“If we don’t have someone of a certain calibre and quality to come in, then, unfortunately, it can’t be done because he is not a player we want to lose.

“We’ll see how it goes.

“I’ll speak more to him on Friday about where it’s at.

“It’s difficult, a difficult situation for him in terms of the possibility he has.

“He’s a very talented player and the time will become right for him to leave here and go on and take the next steps in his career.

“But it has to work for both.

“And that’s something he’ll understand in time, if not now.”

Asked about Boyata’s future, Rodgers added: “Those guys, there’s been a lot of distraction for them. They are young guys who have been playing very, very well.

“But I think the whole thing will close and we will see those guys here, then we can really push on until Christmas and then it all begins again in January.”

Celts will now push through a loan deal for Leicester stopper Benkovic and ex-Kilmarnock ace Mulumbu.

Asked if Celtic supporters should expect more business done Rodgers added: “No. I wouldn’t have thought there would be anything more.

“I always thought there was never going to be a big influx of players in this transfer window.

“It was key to keep the players that we had. That was always going to be up there with the players coming in.

“You want to get a certain type of quality into the building.

“If we bring in a dominant centre half and an aggressive midfield player, time might run out for anything else.

“So we’ll just go with that and get on with it.

“With Youssouf, what I’ve been after over the course of the summer was a number eight, a strong running aggressive midfield player.

“Youssouf showed in his time up here last season with Steve Clarke at Kilmarnock that he was outstanding.

“He came up with good legs and good energy and he’s got great experience.

“I saw him obviously down in the Premier League when we played down there and he’s a very good player.

“He has had options and took his time to * everything.

“But for us to get someone of that experience in – of that quality – is great as it will help a lot of our younger players.

“He’ll come in and play a part for us.

“With Benkovic I’m not sure if it’s totally confirmed yet but he’s one we’re interested in.

“Again, he’s a young guy with a bright future at Leicester but we’ll hopefully take him on loan and develop his game.

“He is a big threat in both boxes, a big presence, and that’s something I think the team nee

 

It is hard to believe that someone who has won six out of six domestic honours can be so * amateurish in some respects.

 

Pretty obvious Mulumbu and Benkovic are two more board signings for me...

 

We badly need a DOF. A sporting director and a couple of actual football people on the board wouldn’t be bad either.

Couldn’t give a single * if it * him off now. If he’s that angry about his fraud off a pal getting punted he can resign.

Shambles just now.

 

There's no cryptic message. I find your comments distasteful. In my opinion you are young, Naive or lacking morality. Maybe all three.

 

Nae bother Yoda

 

No sweat jarjar binks

 

A free transfer with no sell on value. A loan. Holding Boyata to either walk on a free next summer or sign a one year extension to make a little bit off him. Holding Dembele until maybe next summer to cash in.

Does it suggest Brendan is off soon enough and all monies been banked and saved for the next manager in summer 2019?
Brendan wants back into the Premier league, I believe that to be 100% certain. There's no way he's getting a gig down there off the back of a bad season with us. He needs this to be another successful season, maybe thats why he's digging his heels in over Boyata & Dembele. Squeeze this season out of them, win the league, walk away a success and the squad issues are no longer his problem.

 

This could be closer to the truth, than we know.

 

Well he's the one who wanted the 4 year deal so he's another 2 after this year. If he won't let the players leave were no letting him leave

 

Hey Brendan time for your press conference. 'Send out Kolo'
Kolo comes out dancing and singing the Yaya and Kolo song and the press join in with him.
20 mins of dancing and singing later they realise Kolo left ages ago. Look around bewildered.
Again no one has a * clue what's going on. Roll on Sunday.

 

45 minutes late for the presser

 

Oh no the drama going on

 

BR on
#CELRAN
: “It’s not so much the manager or whoever you’re up against. It doesn’t matter. It’s about the players on the field.”

BR: “It’s mostly going to be
#CelticFC
fans so it will be an interesting dynamic to the game. It’s a fantastic game and I have no doubt we’ll be ready. It’s about staying calm and focused.

BR on
@EuropaLeague
group stage draw: “An interesting draw. Both Red Bull teams then back to Rosenborg. They’re all great games.”


BR: “It’s a wonderful competition for us. Our plan is to do the best we can.

 

Was always gonna lose the dressing rooms respect after backing down in the Boyata fiasco..

I expect more than just Boyata and Dembele to pull these in January, or until Brendan goes..

 

I dont think it's linked tbh, Dembele was pulling this regardless. If anything Boyata not getting the move proves that the club decides when you'll move and (possibly) when you stop sulking you can start playing again.

 

We just don't know that 100% though..

Player's talk. They'll be pals as well. I've no doubt they've discussed * off this week the pair of them..

Ntcham as well which is why we're already offering him a new deal..

I agree it does still show that the club does still hold weight when you're under contract, which isn't always the case..

 

Probably, but they are gonna talk wether we accept bids or not. If they are pals, they will still be in group chats, texting each other, on the phone.

If we just bent over and let Boyata and Dembele leave, it sets a precedent. Ntcham then for sure would follow suit, maybe not so much now..

Rodgers and the board are now rejecting bids they aren't happy with, before hand our managers and board were lambasted for not dealing with transfers the way Boyata/Dembele has been handled. Strong, firm and we are setting the parameters.

Despite the Boyata offer being very acceptable, without hindsight, it was correct to refuse it and we seen that with the consequences of the AEK game. Boyata throwing the toys out of the pram wasn't in the script. We needed him for the quals, and on that basis it was thrown out.

Dembele bid in the last minutes of the transfer window knocked back, another right decision. If someone wants our player hours from window closure, then they need to deal with the inflation that comes with that.

I'm happy with the way the outgoings have been dealt with, I think the criticisms are mad!