Matt O'Riley

Wow. Expect him to leave at the end of the season, but * me if we let him leave now we're handing the huns the title

 

Only club in the world who after holding our hands up and saying we need quality to improve we may end up coming out the transfer window a good bit weaker. It's absolute madness but not at all surprising.

 

I think when clubs like Atletico come calling it’s very difficult for us to hold on to him.

I’d push hard to keep him until the summer but it’s a massive opportunity for him and I think he’ll be keen.

If he goes now they pay a steep January premium or no deal.

 

We probably would jump at that but we should be upping the ante. The ceiling here seems to be 25M, we shouldn't be listening to anything under 30M.

 

We can’t sell him now no way. I know it’s hard to turn down and he will want to go most likely but we have a league to win.
Matts a level headed pro aswell, I’m sure he’d understand that he just needs to give us 5 more months then he can get his move.

 

Mate I honestly hope that you’re right with the debates we’ve had and the board pull out an absolute master stroke and get some really good players for the end of this window…


But it’s probably more likely we see Anton Rodgers paraded around CP as the new left back than us having a bit of foresight and planning when it comes to recruitment.

 

You could easily make the argument he's a level headed pro so knows he has to take his chance while it's here and back himself. If he stays and finishes the season with us on a high, does that earn him a bigger move than Atletico?

 

Could Atletico give us a loan with an option to buy on every single one of their non first team left backs and strikers? We’ll find one eventually right?

 

I'm not sure.

To be honest, you go through our squad and we are completely bloated with average or players with promise. Here's a list of both players we want to move on, players who are not good enough and the projects who aren't ready YET.

Siegrist
Bain

Lagerbielke
Kobayashi

Bernabei
Montgomery

David Turnbull
Kwon
Liam Shaw
Odin Thiago Holm
James McCarthy

Mikey Johnston
Yang
Tilio
Hacksabanovic
James Forrest

Oh

You look at that and it's ridiculous. What we talking there? £125k a week?

Imagine having a squad size of say 22 players then the rest topped up with youth players. Players like Vata, Kelly etc. Get these guys into some squads. We have an overall squad size of nearly 35 * players(loan players included)... that is completely unacceptable.

The whole club needs to change. The whole transfer model needs updated. How many times have we complained about bloated squads? We've been doing it for nearly 15 years and it's because we take far too many gambles on players.

You reduce the overall size of the squad, it means you can pay bigger wages to players. Yes, it will cause some unrest but that's where a "healthy, agile transfer system" comes into play.

 

If you had played on the disgrace that was our pitch at the weekend and you were offered the chance of multiple times your current wages, in a far better league, in a city like Madrid - 99 times out of 100 you’re going to take it. Especially if you didn’t grow up a Celtic fan.

Sad reality of it.

 

We’re also in a position where we should always have a long list of potential replacements for everyone in the squad in case * like this happens, but that would be far too much like common sense for Celtic and the old boys club that runs it.

 

From MK Dons to Atletico Madrid in 2 years would be incredible. He surely and to be pushing for this, it’s some opportunity. We would’ve known about interest so we should be prepared but you wouldn’t be surprised if we aren’t. If they say Paulo B is his replacement that’s a load of * as had Hatate been fit we wouldn’t have seen him hardly, also Turnbull was ahead of him to begin.

Bernardo may be the man to replace him though but that defo wasn’t the board/scouts planning.

 

No necessarily but apparently he’s had offers from EPL teams before we got him like Liverpool etc but he chose us as he probably considered playing time and an environment for him to develop. He’s backed himself then to still ultimately get them moved but in the future. I know it would be extremely hard to turn down and he might want to go but he’s contracted to Celtic at the end of the day and we would be 100% right not to sell now. I think because he’s so level headed n professional he would understand and accept that and know he will still get a big move. That’s what I’m hoping anyway

I wouldn’t judge him if he forced it but I’d rather Celtic shut the door on it, get Brendan to have a chat with him and his representatives about how important this season is etc and wherever he wants to go in the summer once a bid is over 20mil he can go

 

See the Anton Rodgers comment is just hyperbole imo, I know it's probably tongue in cheek but that type of over the top comment is everywhere at the minute.

In reality Rodgers knows what he wants and will be telling recruitment who to go for. The problems come with trying to land these players. Most think that the board aren't willing to put the money into it, which is probably true to a certain extent. They'll not want to lay out mega bucks, preferring to stay relatively safe.

That doesn't usually bother me, but this situation is different. MOR is * sensational and has been all season, it will take a massive statement of intent by the club to resolve it I think, sticking to the strategy thus time ain't gonna cut it.

 

Bernardo is not the replacement for O'Riley and don't allow these parasites running the club into believing that. We lost Mooy in the summer and Bernardo was his replacement.

 

Loopholes then , certainly no need for him to go this month though did he not sign an Extension last year. I get the Pull going to Atletico but he’s always came across as a guy with his head screwed on so more than likely he will have to push for this to Happen but then again the board are * and May accept which makes no sense imo. As I said he’s pivotal for the League this year and the CL money it brings in another 4 months and the season is over and he can Go with open arms that’s the best case scenario. Inter & Villa are also reportedly interested and that’s just the ones being Leaked no Doubt many other Clubs with Vast Fortunes are Monitoring Him. Would be disappointed if he pushed for this but the board could also push him as they have previously Done Apparently.

 

Is he likely to go straight into the team, or at least get plenty of game time straight away, if he goes to Atletico? If not it's a possible crack we can pick away at to persuade him to stay till the summer.

 

In fairness it's looking like Bernardo is like for like replacement for oriley if he signs permanently and keeps developing

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That’s exactly what I said.

But Bernardo does have the potential to be his replacement, and they’ve just got lucky.

 

Excited to see our bank balance at the end of this year