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

Even if CCV is fit for the first game, CB should be our main priority, along with LW. Would hope we have 2 major signings + Jun at minimum to be completed by the end of June.

I'd expect a RW (unless we get Tete), CM, GK and LB to come later in the window.

 

I hope we are further forward in our player search than it feels.

 

There is still plenty of weeks before the window closes.

 

I think we'll be making signings so I'm not worried per say about the lack of movement at the moment, my only real concern is the quality. I hope we don't feel we have to make a big statement signing just for the sake of it. Don't want an Ajeti or Barkas situation.

Everytime I hear us being linked with Holding from Arsenal my heart sinks. Spending big on him would be an absolute sickener.

 

Boy I do miss Ange's no-nonsense "get them in early" transfer strategy

 

I’m not one for panic-merchantry normally.

but seriously, * is going on here.

this squad is not fit for Europe, and will not win the league in my opinion.

 

To say we wouldn’t win the league with the current squad is a bit of a stretch.

When everyone is fully fit, we’d still be strong enough to beat the Huns. Jota is the only big loss from last season’s side.

But definitely not dismissing the Huns. They’ll be better and more physical with the signings they’ve made. I’ll be worried about them if they manage to sign Cifuentes and Danilo too.

 

It is the 14th July tomorrow- the window shuts on like 1st September. Calm down. What we have now will not be what we have by September- that is a fact. I am actually sort of excited by the lack of movement. It can only mean one thing- we are shopping in different markets and with higher quality players. Players who have other offers or who require a good deal of negotiation. Let's give it time.

 

Ange getting his business done early isn't even really true, bernabei was June, kyogo, abada, starfelt and mooy were from mid July on, ccv, GG, JJ, jota, haksa all through August right up to deadline day, yeah our Japanese lads and AJ were ready to go for the start of the winter window, but O'Riley and Oh came in later, majority of our signings were as spread out as usual.

 

The arrival of a new manager understandably poses fresh questions about the future of certain players. At Celtic, under Ange Postecoglou, it was fairly straightforward in picking out the likely lads in the starting XI. But with the Australian now at Tottenham Hotspur and replaced by Brendan Rodgers, the whole squad has a clean slate.

Postecoglou had a preference for stockpiling players. The style of football he deployed asked a lot of the team left a physical toll, which is why there were always strong options on the bench, but even then, there were solid options left out of matchdays entirely. So far, out of the first team, only Jota has departed, while Marco Tilio and Edin Thiago Holm have been added. Count the senior players in the squad currently and it sits at 31.

Some of those are likely to depart. Defender Osaze Urghohide, midfielders Liam Shaw and Ismaila Soro and forward Albian Ajeti were farmed out on loan last season and don’t look likely to trouble those in front of them. However, the futures of others, such as James McCarthy, Liam Scales and Mikey Johnston are less clear.

Rodgers knows his captain Callum McGregor very well from his first spell at Celtic Park between 2016 and 2019 but the only other players he has worked with previously are forwards James Forrest and Johnston, goalkeeper Scott Bain and defenders Stephen Welsh and Anthony Ralston. “At this moment in time, I am assessing the squad to see where they all fit and where it's at,” said Rodgers. “I have only seen a lot of them from a distance before coming in so this is a chance to see up close.”

Rodgers gave Johnston his senior debut and now an Irish international following last season’s loan spell at Vitoria Guimaraes, hopes were high he could augment Celtic’s attacking options given Jota’s exit until another setback. “I'm not sure if it was directly picked up on international duty but he felt some issues when he came back for pre-season,” revealed Rodgers. “Sadly for him, three months was the timescale. It's just about availability. He has fantastic attributes, he's quick and direct. He can score goals, he can create and has a lot of tools that I like for guys who play in wide areas. But you have to be available and that is going to be important for him. Hopefully this season, when he gets over this back injury, he can have a sustained run of fitness to perform.”

Another player whose time at Celtic has been handicapped by injuries is McCarthy. The central midfielder has English Premier League experience but having made just 12 appearances in two seasons – the last of which was in October 2022 – there are understandably doubts he will feature for Celtic. "I have known James since he was a young player and he spent a lot of his career in the Premier League,” said Rodgers. “I know his qualities and sadly for him, since coming back to Celtic, that has been hindered by injuries he's had. But I saw a lot of James down south and I know his qualities.”

Scales, on loan at Aberdeen last season, is also back with Celtic. “I am just assessing at the moment,” continued Rodgers. “From afar I could see he is a very good footballer and he's at the stage where he will want to play. I just need to assess his qualities and see where he will fit into the squad.”

 

Checked KDS to see if there were any updates, and the main discussion over there is how we should be upgrading on Alistair Johnston.

Jesus wept we need a rumour.

 

Well, that’s disappointing…

 

I don't know if that does mean he's nailed on number one next season tbh.

He can be all those things without being a regular starter.

My issue will be his wage. He'll be on a decent weekly wage that probably means he warrants being played regularly, unfortunately.

He won't be number one come season 24/25, that's for sure.

 

Today's the day troops. Buckle up

 

Will be some coup if they get Danilo, a great player and record so far in his career

 

back in action on the 5 aug and we have done * all ,was hoping the two guys that came in were just flying under the radar but it looks from rodgers comments they are very much projects .time to get the finger out

 

Need to get a good young prospect in for back up now. Oluwayemi doesn’t look like he’s gonna cut it. Bain;no. Get rid of siegrist. Bring in a good up and coming keeper from the Dutch league or any that specifically is comfortable with playing out from the back as well of course as being a good shot stopper

 

We fly to yokohama on Sunday so as expected it will be no new faces on the plane. That's us then away to 24th July and back to glasgow for a few days then over to Dublin for wolves game. 3 weeks tomorrow to the real stuff starts not ideal with Johnston x2 and tilio out for a few months but it is what it is, squad still bloated too pretty sure work in background will be thundering on but deadline should be imposed for this CM and RW

 

He's supposedly only on like 10/15k so not a crazy wage, he'd made his money already and came here to play, nothing wrong with being phased out, he's in the last year of his contract now.

I still think he's good enough there but we do need to plan for that succession. Bain is very much 3rd choice material and not more, Siegriest we know is good from his Dundee United days, he was the best in the league away from us really so was a smart call, was injured at a bad time last season and then whatever happened that kept him out of the side after, fresh skate this season for him