Not Actually that Crucial a Summer as of August 2023...beginning to now think everything isnt fine!

Urhoghide is absolutely *, I have absolutely no idea why people want him to be given a chance. Welsh is significantly better. Urhoghide was part of the second-worst defense in Belgium last season that conceded 76 goals. Having him as backup to CCV would be criminal.

Don't get the fascination with Doig either. An average player, but nothing better than what we have. We should be looking to upgrade on Taylor, not buy a backup for him.

edit: Also, where's Abada?

 

* *. That's absolutely grim.

LW options are *. Defensive options are nowhere near good enough. Doig is not cover for centre back so putting him there is baffling. What makes you think Urhoghide is ready for the first team? Been watching him regularly in Belgium? Unless he's massively improved then he's nowhere near ready for our bench. Still no physicality in midfield.

If we go into Europe with that squad then there's no hope of doing anything. I know some of your takes on football are wild but that's brutal.

 

It would take a massive summer of coaching from Rodgers to get Abada anywhere close to Jota's level. By that I mean overall play, not just goals and assists.

I'm sure he'll improve but we cannot go into this season with Abada as our best winger.

 

Brendan Rodgers inherited a strong Celticsquad from Ange Postecoglou.

The Northern Irishman does, however, know that to compete in the Champions League this coming season he needs serious strength in depth and capable talent in every position. The manager also has a £30million transfer kitty to dip into to bring in readymade recruits who can do the business at the highest level. He has already landed Odin Thiago Holm and Marco Tilio as he aims to strengthen, but there are other positions needing bolstered.


Football Scotland understands the Hoops' recruitment meetings have shown up the goalkeeping position as one area in particular the club are hoping to add to in the coming weeks.



With Conor Hazard reportedly on the verge of a move to Plymouth for a six-figure sum, that's one keeper down. Joe Hart has been the number one for the past two years while Scott Bain and Ben Siegrist are well behind the Englishman in the pecking order.




Hart, though, is 36 and won't be starring for the club forever and Rodgers and his staff want serious competition for him and a keeper in the door who can play out from the back with the ball at his feet.

 

If I had to put together a somewhat realistic and ideal lineup that I would like us to have next season, this would be it.

This is assuming that Abada, Forrest, Welsh, Mikey and pretty much all the other fringe players move on. New GK, LB, MF, and LW options are the priorities IMO.

With that being said though, I don't expect us to sign four starters, so would be fine with even just two or three of those positions addressed as long as it's with real quality.

 

We'd end up with 20 non-homegrown players and 5 homegrown (including 18-year-old Vata). Long story short, 3 of the non-homegrown players can't play in Europe.

(I'm assuming the new GK, the new LB and the new CB are non-homegrown)

 

Fair point, didn't take HG quote into account. Probably could leave Hart off registration, but still 2 would have to miss out. I'd be fine with Welsh staying as the backup but don't think he would.

 

Vata or any of the current B team players don't need to count to our Homegrown, they qualify on the B list for us.

Lawal and Dawson will count as B list this year and if they were still here next season would still count on B list I believe but would also qualify as club grown by that time.

Anyone we sign for the Youth academy this year would need 2 years to qualify as B list for us or 3 for homegrown

 

Getting Maeda and Kyogo on long term contracts is excellent news, gives us some stability for the season ahead.

By all acounts we're definitely looking at a GK, a CM and a Left Winger, but I'd like to see some CB's linked soon. CCV out injured and Welsh potentially away to Italy means we start with Starfelt and Kobayashi with no back-up, and I don't trust Kobayashi currently even against the dross.

Suspect we'll need to move on Bernabei before we look at bringing in another LB, and I don't see us bringing another RW in (excluding Jun) unless Abada leaves.

 

No way we drop Hart from the Champions League squad. I could see us buying a new #1 though. Rodgers is reportedly looking for a ball-playing keeper.

Perhaps you now ''get the fascination with Doig''.

 

I don't think anyone gets your obsession with Doig. He's bang average.

 

We are limited to 17 non-homegrown players in Europe and we need at least 8 homegrown players. Needless to say, Doig is homegrown.

Current first-team, homegrown players: Bain, Taylor, Ralston, McGregor, Forrest, Welsh, Turnbull, McCarthy. The last 3 are reportedly on their way out.

 

Yeah but it's always Doing, at one point you said we should pay 10m for him.

You don't need at least 8 homegrown, you just can't have more than 17 foreigners. You require at least 4 club grown to get to 25 to. We have 5 with McGregor, Welsh, Ralston, Forrest and Johnston.

 

Welsh is reportedly on his way out. Basically we would end up with a 21-man european squad (including 3 GKs, Mikey and Forrest). Feel free not to like Doig, but we need serviceable home-grown players.

 

£5 million plus for Doig. Expensive for a backup.

 

This is Rodgers first week of pre-season so it would be remiss of him not to take a week or two to evaluate the squad. I am sure Kennedy has him well informed already so running the rule over the squad for a week or two will give Rodgers the idea of exactly what is needed. He has obviously given the green light on what we have bought do far trusting the scouting network. Let's hope over the next month or so we can make a couple of big marquee signings in preparation for the CL in particular.

 

5m is expensive for a player who isn't as good as Taylor.
How would we have a 21 man squad, you have Calmac, Johnston, Taylor, Forrest, Bain, Ralston that's not including Welsh, McCarthy or Turnbull. That's 23 plus Vata and Summers and two people rumoured away.

 

Mark Hendry saying GK is an area we hope to improve within the next week.

He's fairly reliable, and it makes sense. Hopefully we start seeing some names crop up.

 

I'd like us to spend 10M on a goalkeeper. More would be even better.

 

So long as he's no a Brazilian goal keeper tho...