Transfer Talk

A goalkeeper is a goalkeeper buddy. At present Celtic do not have one worth the money they get, to be first string keeper in Europe. I have been following football all my life, so I do not need you and your patronising comments. You are entitled to your comments and I am entitled to my INFORMED comments as well based on experience. Having relatives in Australia has no relevance in this discussion. I am sure they enjoy living here . Hopefully you will be able to do the same one day - it may give a brighter outlook on life.

 

He was a back up keeper to nathan coe when ange was there, he was even behind Tando Velaphi for the full season Ange was there.
Thomas didn't even become a mainstay until Nathan coe did his back on the eve of the finals in 2014/15. So to be fair Ange knows him and worked with him a little but not really in a playing capacity.

I love LT and he just might surprise people, I mean the club and supporters in Denmark clearly love him, and I think he could get to Celtic but it wouldn't be demanding a number 1 spot. Could he take it from someone, you bet.

 

Fair enough, accepted. You have made your point.

 

We both know there is a pecking order with keepers at clubs. The younger ones need to be patient and wait for their time to be no.1. That is what happened with L.Thomas also.

 

Seriously doubt Thomas will get much game time in the WCQs now that it's reached the serious phase.

He is a decent keeper - far superior to Barkas - but Celtic should be aiming higher. Thomas has had the odd error in his game in the past. Ange would definitely know about him so if he hasn't moved you can assume he doesn't rate him.

 

Meanwhile, Aussie journalist pushing Olyroo backs at Ange after Argentina victory...

Olyroos: A Pause for Breath in the Group of Death - FTBL | The home of football in Australia

 

Not really sure what point you’re trying to make with your “a goalkeeper is a goalkeeper” comment? Goalkeepers have different qualities that make them better suited to different teams and systems, the same way players of any other position do.

You may well be informed about the game in Australia, but you seem to lack understanding of the levels required at Celtic and that’s glaringly obvious through many of your suggestions.

 

To be fair to George, Australia does produce excellent keepers. Thomas though is not in the top tier.

Ryan, Langerak, Vukovic (and a handful still in Australia, eg Birrighitti, Margusch, Delianov) are at the level where Celtic ought to be interested. They're all way above Thomas.

 

Hey George, I may have limited viewing time of him in comparison to you, but I really don't trust your judgment and don't like how you come across to people you disagree with, very condescending. You said he was a regular starter, definitely not under Ange. He became the main goalkeeper when Kevin Muscat took charge.

I never said he's a bad keeper, he seems a really good shot-stopper but not good at the ball with his feet. This is why I asked did he do this at Melbourne Victory because it does not look like his style of play but that could be the club style. You've either misread what I've said or just dismissed it and want to show you know more.

I have access to possibly the best stats in football because of some people that I know, and Lawrence makes on average 18 passes per match with a 57% completion rate... that does not seem very good to me.

For Melbourne Victory, in his last season with them (2019/2020), he made an average of 17 passes per game with a 71% completion rate, though this was not under Ange obviously. In comparison, Yokohama Marinos's goalkeeper was making 30 passes per game on average with a 92% completion rate, under Ange. That seems more like a goalkeeper Ange wants for his system.

Although I have limited viewing of him, the data suggests he is not the type of goalkeeper Ange would be looking for and from my limited viewing, I agree with that.

 

I wouldn't say Australia produces excellent goalkeepers, Bosnich, Schwarzer and Ryan are the only ones I can think of who are of a very good standard and have done really well in Europe. Maybe Brad Jones at a push, probably not though.

I'm not saying the keepers you have listed aren't good or won't become good but are there other Australian goalkeepers who have done well in Europe?

I don't think any of them are good enough for Celtic right now though, maybe in the future (the younger ones you listed).

 

No way I'd include Brad Jones in the top tier.

Personally, I'd rate Langerak the best Oz keeper of the last decade and I'm a Mariners fan (where Maty Ryan started).

Vuka is really good also - would be so far far beyond Barkas. I think he's in Belgium these days.

 

Kalac at AC Milan. Vukovic should have gone to Europe as a young man but his character was tarnished the day he put his hands on a referee in the A League. He went late to Gent and went well, got injured and is a bit on the old side now.

Australia has had a top 5 league keeper for about 25 years now.

 

Scots need to understand that the main reason Oz Celts suggest Oz players is that they'd be cheap.

Oz managers have always been undervalued (which is why we're excited about Ange) but so are our players. The Euro equivalent (in ability) of an Oz player is typically valued 5x or 10x

There are options for Celtic way under the standard Euro value, but - as I've said a thousand times - I think Ange will be very wary of bringing in Australians. He didn't do it in Japan but that was a very different situation the way transfers work. Doubt he'll do it much, if at all, for Celtic.

 

Kalac was never ever a top quality keeper or first choice at Milan. He only ever played due to Dida having become unreliable and injury prone in his latter years and tbh was widely regarded as a complete dud.

 

Vukovic, I don't know much about, he has just signed for Nijmegen in the Netherlands, but he's 36 so wouldn't see him as our future keeper anyway.

I don't know if Langerak is better than Ryan, but Ryan has been Australia's number 1 for a long time, I can only really go on that and the fact Langerak is 32 I doubt he'll be the number 1.

When you say top 5 league keepers, how many have actually played regularly? The only keepers I can think of in the last 25 years are Bosnich, Schwarzer and Ryan. Kalac didn't really play that often for Milan to be fair.

The Oz players might be cheap and possibly underrated, we get that with a lot of our players just for being in Scotland so can understand how you feel about that.

Australia has had some great players in the past, Kewell, Cahill, Viduka, and a few more. We had a few Australians play for us, Rogic, Arzani, Viduka, McDonald... but right now, there are not many who would be good enough to improve us. Mooy being the obvious one who is good enough, Tilio looks a good prospect and there are a few others that seem good but just now quite at the Celtic level, in my opinion.

 

Totally don’t see why people are bringing L. Thomas. Dude is nowhere near what we need, we need a ucl calibre player not Australia’s 3rd choice Goalie.

 

Ange keeps his cards close to his chest and does his homework. For all we know Thomas may be one of his options.

As to the WCQs Thomas is in the squad on merit. G.Arnold is very methodical as a manager/coach and knows what players he wants. Sickness and injuries and loss of form can take their toll, and there will be many games before Australia is in a position to qualify for Qatar. Not one player in that squad is a dud.

He is better than what Celtic have at present friend.

 

TBF Kalac had over 100 appearances for AC Milan in league, CL, UEFA SC.

With regards to Bosnich, Schwarzer and Ryan, they pretty much all followed each other, all playing in a top 5 league or maybe Ryan was at Brugge and about to go to La Liga.

Also agree, Thomas not up to it. Vuko is done, ruined his potential moves abroad by laying hands on a ref. Ryan is the only one but he’s gone. As far as other Aussies only Mooy. But this is done to death.

I honestly only weigh in when I’ve got something to add, and in this case I wish the other Aussies would stop putting forward names. They aren’t good enough.

To put it into perspective, we have signed Furuhashi(21 games 15 goals 2 assists) and Abada (36 games 12 goals 4 assists) who were scoring and assisting regularly. None of our players are performing at that level. That’s what you need to be doing to be a Celtic player.

 

I don't think Kalac played over 100 games, had a quick check and he made 56 appearances for Milan... not a big deal though, I don't think he wasn't a bad keeper or anything to be fair, definitely had a good career, so would add him to the list and say 4 really good keepers that I know of.

Everything else you've said is pretty much spot on though.

 

I want to add that my intentions are in Celtic's best interests. If I mention a player it is in Celtic's best interests. If I believe that a player I am aware of, would be a good fit for Celtic, it is in the club's best interests. Others do it on this forum, and I also when I want to express an opinion regarding a player I believe would be good for the club. I am on the other side of the world and giving my thoughts on what I know here regarding good players that people in Scotland have perhaps never heard of. Players that can be bought for a reasonable price and would be a good fit for Ange ball.

I have previously mentioned Mat Ryan, Marco Tilio, Lawrence Thomas, Divock Origi and the Camara lad. All good players.

If some want to disagree, then do so, but give reasons why, not simply dismiss the comment.
It is also my choice to agree or disagree with you. Let's have some civil responses instead of some of the demeaning responses that get posted.

Remember, it is a world game. By the way, like some of you, I have had a ball at my feet from the age of five. I am also a Secondary College soccer coach for over 30 years.