Transfer Talk

Yeah I am sure that was right I don’t even know if it was as many as 5/6, Rodgers completely changed this when he came in and brought in Congerton as we used to have a decent network.

I think the problem is now the likes of Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and others are all viewed as at least as good If not better leagues to develop compared to Scotland. Which with the exception of Belgium probably wasn’t the case before.

The work permit arrangements also seem to be easier that is why I was suggesting a team in Central or Eastern Europe to partner with so young players can go there play a decent standard for a season or two and then we either bring them in if good enough or sell them if not which is essentially what Salzburg do (minus the work permit bit).

 

Because we have to win the title every year, it's not necessarily that they always have the better youth players, Ajax for example happily clear out every couple of years, , their success in the erdivisie has been relatively poor, they accept what they are doing will result in lost league titles. What a lot of people forget about the ajax model is yes they produce a lot of great quality players, probably more than any other team really over the past 30/40 years but they also have the ability to dress up fairly average players and sell them on to relatively big English Spanish and Italian clubs for decent fees. If you take rugby for example Leinster you would argue have by far the best academy in European rugby, but yet they consistently compete both in the European cup and in the pro 14. They give youth a chance consistently while also finding the balance between success and development. Personally I'd rather we beat a st Johnstone 4-2 and a Robbie deas got game time ahead of ajer or Robertson played the last 30 for McGregor rather than beat them 5-0 and have the same players playing week in week out. I do recognise that leinster/Celtic aren't really comparable my point is about finding the balance between immediate success and development in professional sport

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Yeah we can't afford to not win the league, it's not just a trophy it's bragging rights in the city. I would actually say at the moment losing a treble would be embarrassing. Ajax won the league in 2019 but prior to that had not won it since 2014. A couple of years ago they also failed to qualify for the Europa league as the team that came runner up in the Europa league got sold on. This season joint on points with AZ.

 

I totally get both points, I didn’t mean in any sense Ajax’ lack of success at the top of the team is what we should look to. What I was pointing at is if you look at the clear outs they consistently make every few years they have a player ready to replace in every single position it seems. That’s what I was hoping we should be looking at youth wise! We just hope for at least 1/2 players to come in every so often and usually they then have to fit into whatever system we’re doing at the time or totally change positions (Calvin Miller). How Ajax manage to produce consistently players of quality in each position is obviously down to their youth system and strategy which there is no reason we can’t adopt some of this. Our need for success every year doesn’t have to be changed for that to happen. I do totally see that Ajax having a second team in the division below is a huge help. Can’t see why anyone in Scotland has never wanted this; better Scottish youngsters across the board=better Scottish national team

 

I understand you don't think it's what we should look to but it's the risk they know they will take. I think it's easier for them to sell players at a high price as Dutch teams in Europe have done far better than Scottish. If a player wins a trophy with Celtic then many view it as a nothing win as who else is going to win.
Yeah the Scottish system needs changing. Holland has 2 leagues of 20 (4 in the 2nd league are colt teams) the leagues below are *. Ours is 42 teams in a country with a population less than a 3rd of theirs. We should have 2 leagues of 12 at most or 3 of 10 if some teams added Colts in. The whole system in Scotland allows for too many teams.

 

It's not something drastic or mental that would need to be done either, we managed to.bring frimpong in as now a established first team option this season, I'd like more than one a year but Robertson dembele and Welsh all featured too the odd game and seemed to be training fairly regular with first team. Think this season coming from the likes of Welsh and Robertson is crucial, if they aren't gonna play enough in a 10 IAR season I do believe they could attract attention from other spl clubs and in that instance they should be loaned to the right club. I sound like a broken record but I also feel Lee O'Connor won't be far away by end of the summer even though his favoured position is currently filled by frimpong/elhamed. The guy is an absolute baller ..

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Whats people thoughts on what we might do in the transfer market? Will we get in 3 or 4 will we sell a big player or 2? With what's at stake where do you see us strengthing?

 

Hope - we keep all the ‘main men’ including Forster , permanent or another year loan..
.. and bring in the likes of Hickey plus a few others if possible.. keeping what we have in the current climate is a good transfer window For me.

Dream - ‘Zlatman’ has had enough of pasta and fancies a fried haggis supper now and again... so phones Henrik who gets him told to do the right thing.

Possible - While we are all worrying about Edouard staying ... Lawwell accepts an offer for another player like CalMac telling us that “he did his best to keep him under the circumstances... And we’ve still got Edouard so stop moaning!”

Probable - We get to end of August 30th with nothing firm other than a few out the door.. and despite fan frustration are told that “big clubs do their business late in the window.” ...
Edouard is yet to confirm a new contract and we are still haggling with Southampton over FF...

Meanwhile... Hearts are asking 600k firm for Hickey.. Lawwell is standing his ground at 570k...

Then.... the phone rings... “It’s Brendan Rodgers for you Mr Lawwell.”

 

Cant * around but very fearful we will.

Fact that we are releasing players shows there is at least some sort of plan in place.

Board * around this year and we dont do 10iar then fans will never forgive them.

 

You could have argued before the departure of Jozo and Hayes that our squad was pretty strong and maybe only needed 1 or 2 signings.

I think we need a few now. GK, LB, CB, LW, possibly ST.

Say this every year but I think it’s even more important this year that we get our business done early doors.

 

Don't think striker is where we need to worry CB LW GK 3 priority positions for me. I think that's a good start anything else is a bonus

 

First team Goalkeeper is an absolute must hopefully FF but if not a solid goalkeeper is a must (Copenhagen GK impressed me when we played them).

Centre Back, one if Ajer stays and we plan on playing 4 at the back or possibly 2 if he goes and we are looking to play 3 at the back. I like the look of Abdul Mumin, he looks quick and strong and he’s available on a bosman. Alternatively someone strong and commanding to partner Jullien, hopefully not McKenna.

Depending on formation Either left wing back or a winger. I liked the look of Elias from Houston Dynamos although I think he’s more right sided. However with his contract up in 6 months I would be trying to get him anyway for a good deal or even a Bosman. Left wing back I am not sure who I would go for.

Good players from big teams available for cheap, free or development fee, e.g. Moussa Sylla of Monaco sell him on the Dembele and Edouard path. Same for any other young talents who we think have the potential to break into our team like Frimpong did.

I would take Hickey if he was available for a reasonable fee and probably loan him out to a SPL team where he would play as I couldn’t see him being a regular for us. I would also take Hendrick for free if he would come and Ntcham was sold.

I don’t expect we will address all of the above and I can see a valuable player being sold (Ajer seems most likely) to cover our transfer dealings.

What I hope to avoid, not getting a new GK and giving Gordon a new deal, Ajer being replaced with McKenna, signing Hickey and expecting him to make an impact and a loan deal a player we will never be able to sign and youth players that are miles from first team quality.

 

Offloading Boli will be key to solving the LB situation.

 

See that maybe where Ajax get it right. Yes maybe a couple of years with no league, but they were one goal from a champion league final and also sold 4 players or so for millions of pounds. They see the need to recruit, restructure and rebuild a team maybe every 3 years and finance it by getting the right players to sell on. Our problem is without winning the league theirs no other route to CL football. Do we can't afford to do it their way and so we can only afford to get a couple of young players like Frimpong, Wanyama at 19 or so the rest we get guys around 21 /22 that have already been playing at first team level

 

By losing another player we will strengthen, how's that?? Taylor is not the answer and although Hickey, if signed, has the ability he's not ready for European level yet. Bolingoli had some good games then seemed to lose confidence. It didn't help that Lenny also couldn't make his mind up who to play at LB. Then when he did play Taylor it was in a 352 formation and his attacking skills are not his strength, whereas that would have suited Hayes or Bolingoli more so a very strange situation imo

 

Imo Hickey is good enough to play in the 1st team, already over 50 PL matches to his name, and would be better at the club playing and learning. Imo Mckenna is just a average centre back and if Ajer is sold we need to shell out the same sort of money we did on Julien to replace him. People forget that Ajer is the one player at the back that gets moved about to cover injuries, suspensions etc more than any other player. He's played all over the back line and to lose him would give us even more defensive issues to sort. Also he's never injured something that El Hammed seems to be constantly. Basically we are the same as last year really, same players required even though we signed 4 defensive last year. Neither Bolingoli or Taylor have convinced, El hammed only manged 10 league games, Foster may not be back. Add to losing Hayes and Jozo we have a big summer coming up and hopefully we can get the proper recruits in

 

Taylor is fine, and if we need to spend most of our money on Forster, then let's stick with Hayes, and invest whatever is left in another CB.

 

Hayes is gone.

 

Haven't followed outgoing transfers these days- I thought the window starts on July 1. ? In that case, Lennon has a decision to make on Boli. Last chance, or punt?

 

Hayes and Jozo are gone because there contracts were up