Despite what seemed to be a blast of common sense from Ronny Deila, and another indication that he is playing his cards close to his chest regarding possible transfers, the Mail has to report it as ;
Ronny Deila has to operate in bargain basement but declares quality still the key for Celtic
What Ronny actually said was;
‘To pay £5million or £6m,I don’t think that will happen. If we get in the Champions League and we earn money over time then of course things can be changed.
Well, you don’t go shopping shouting about how much you have to spend, that would be silly.
‘But now it’s more important to find the right player in the category we can afford. It’s not £5m or £6m we are talking about. Because you are talking about what kind of salary a player like that will have.
‘Are they going to ruin the whole structure in the club? There has to be some correlation between salary and transfer fee as well.’
And if a structure is in place , you don’t upset it by bringing in someone who may cause resentment in the ranks. It’s not worth the hassle.
So you let the players you want to keep know that they will be given a chance;
‘We have said all the time that we are looking for different options up front, We shall see. But then the whole of Europe is chasing strikers. We are satisfied that we have good strikers in the squad. If we can see a striker than can make a difference and is affordable, then we will look at it.’
Jelle Vossen , the Belgian striker from Genk, has been mentioned in the press as a possible £2m signing. Deila didn’t pour cold water on it, but certainly held the jug over it, tilted slightly.
‘He is one of many names which have been mentioned.
‘It is important now I keep focus on the team and not comment on every name because that is going to take a lot of time. It is not fair for the clubs either.
‘I am looking for quality. What is quality? That’s for you to find out.’
Well, as long as he knows, I’m happy. He certainly knows what he wants to do, and has a different outlook on signing someone just because he can. Which is no bad thing, given the donkeys that have been brought to the club as panic buys.
‘I am very happy with the squad We got in (Dedryck) Boyata and that was a good signing, someone we needed because we lost Jason Denayer.
He didn’t hang about there, so there is a feeling that there is a plan in place, which is a novel and refreshing way to do things at Celtic.
‘I am happy to get Boyata He was my priority signing, the player we always wanted. Again, I would rather have one and save energy and money, rather than just taking in players. They would need to be quality.
‘And it is hard to find players better than we already have. We are looking but, again, to keep players is the most important thing. He would need to be a first-team player, not just someone to add to the squad.’
‘Do I expect to strengthen? You never know. My message is that the most important thing is consistency. You will never see five, six or seven signings by Celtic this year. I don’t think that would be right.
‘We need to make the squad smaller. If we do add players then they have to be those who will make a difference, or young players we can develop over time.’
One wonders if Saidy Janko is a young player to develop, or will he make a difference to the squad. The word on the street is that he will be joining from Manchester United.
Janko joined Manchester Utd in 2013, but hasn’t made the grade, he spent the last few months on loan at Bolton, where he didn’t make the grade either.
A right back first, but with the flexibility to play further forward he sounds like he has potential, but we’re not exactly short of right backs. Unless Adam Matthews, as his body language seems to indicate, wants away this summer. He has a year left on his contract, and Welsh players tend to be offloaded before they can go for nothing.
Darnell Fisher must be wondering who he has upset.
Ronny also re-iterated what we already knew regarding Virgil van Dijk;
“I speak a lot to Virgil. I have control of the situation. He knows what I want and how we are going to do things. I also know what he is thinking.
“Virgil is looking forward to next season with Celtic and is going to stay here for the qualifiers.
“He is a top player and if he signs for somebody it should be a big club. If not he should stay here.”
Which , as we said in an earlier diary, would explain why a number of clubs have dropped out of the race to sign him. If, heaven forbid, Celtic fail in the qualifiers, that will change, but for now, he’s a Celt.
Another Celt who is staying, and is a big part of ronny’s plans, is James Forrest. There was talk of a “swoop ” or a “raid” from Neil lennon at bolton, but Ronny seemed surprised by this.
“Why go to Bolton? He’s at Celtic.
“I haven’t heard anything. James is a very important player and we want to keep him here.
“He’s now getting to a level where we can start working to get him better. He has been free of injury for six months now, he’s getting more and more consistency in his play and we expect more from him this season than last because of all the injuries.
“It’s a big season not just for him but for everybody. I’m delighted for him because he is such a good boy, it’s good working with him.
“I feel very sorry for him coming in and out for four years now. Hopefully he can continue with his consistency and everyone knows what potential he has.
“But we don’t want to talk about potential, we want to talk about performances. We are going to work to get James up to the level he can reach.”
On the qualifiers, Ronny also mentioned how much better it is not to be traipsing around the world this summer, a sure indication that he does have an opinion that is listened to by the PLC board;
‘To stay here in an environment we know, sleeping in your own bed and preparing well, that is vital. We also have good opponents so I am happy with that. The whole pre-season looks good, starting with Den Bosch, then Dukla Prague, and then we have a very hard game against Real Sociedad.
‘Then the Champions League and then we go to Spain one time, and we have Rennes here. So we have good opponents and I think it is a good build-up to the season.
‘I want to get to the Champions League as much as you or the players. That’s the target and I know we have a chance to do it.
‘I really believe we can make it this season. I will be very disappointed if we don’t do it. This year I really, really feel the responsibility to try to get the team into the Champions League.’
The last line there could be an indication that he is feeling the pressure. He knows how it feels not to succeed at this stage, so we can be confident he will know how to avoid it this time round. At least this time all the players will be onside.
Just keep Scott Brown fit. That will make a huge difference. There’s no doubt he would have made a difference in the Legia and Maribor games . In fact, just have a look at the line up for the home leg against Maribor, which Celtic lost 1-0;
- 26 Gordon
- 04 Ambrose Emuobo
- 03 Izaguirre
- 21 Mulgrew
- 23 Lustig (Boerrigter – 72′ Booked )
- 05 van Dijk Booked
- 42 McGregor
- 25 Johansen
- 10 Stokes
- 33 Kayal (Commons – 45′ Booked )
- 16 Berget (Matthews – 66′ )
Substitutes
- 02 Matthews
- 06 Bitton
- 11 Boerrigter
- 15 Commons
- 22 Denayer
- 24 Zaluska
- 28 Griffiths
Of that team, only Gordon, Izaguirre, van Dijk and Johansen can reallistically expect to start the game against Stjarnan. Alright, and maybe Lustig if he can get off the bus without hurting himself again.
It will be a completely different Celtic who face the Icelandic side.
Ronny knows that.
“It all happened very quickly last summer. I was taking charge of a game at Stromsgodset and two days later I signed up to be the Celtic manager.
“Two weeks later, I was standing in the middle of the Champions League in a circus.
“Now I know what’s coming. I have prepared for a year and I feel very responsible. This is something I have been building up to with everyone at the club. I am excited about the next two months. I see us getting into the group stages every day.
“That is the goal and hopefully we will make it.
“There is a hard pressure all the time, although I don’t feel the people at the club give me it.
“It’s important people see what we are trying to do, that there is meaning in your words and that things are happening the way you want it. From that, you build trust with the fans and the people all around.
“We know we have good quality in the team. We know when Celtic have good teams they fight in the Champions League group stages and have gone through two or three times in the last 15 years.
“That’s also a goal for us but, for now, the first step is to try to make the Champions League.
The fan who was harrassed by Gary Mackay Steven and Stuart Armstrong in New York has come forward to identify himself, and it’s a great story.
Oh look. Mackay Steven is grinning.
Sean Gallagher, of Livingston, was celebrating his fiftieth in New York when the players chased him down the street, and in doing so made it a day to remember.
If the support can feel that the players are approachable and not behaving like prima donnas then that can only be a step in the right direction. Although chasing them down the street might be a little over enthusiastic.
I’ll be looking over my shoulder the next time I’m on London Road.
Hang on, what’s this ?
Surely not….
Well, the papers can print any old shite, so it’s only fair we can as well.
Well, all good teams need a maverick. Someone who can do the unexpected. Samaras could certainly do that.
Over at Second Rangers, uberfan Chris Graham staunchly defended the idea of chucking good money after bad in support of the new club;
Exactly. The whole point which appears to have flown completely over his head. Which is stuck in his arse again.
Alastair Lamont, a sports reporter with the BBC-stop it, they do have some, or at least say they do, got embroiled in a twitter row last night when an article he penned about Danny Wilson hitching his cart to the flagging horse at ibrox included a line which hinted that he had chosen the dark side over Celtic.
Lamont later said he had not written the line, but refused to say who had added it and why .
The BBC.
They’re next after Sky.
Though ITV have got a reprieve.
State Aid, you say ? I wonder if it’s worth reminding them of this…
Sportscotland have moved to ensure they will be repaid in full first if Rangers’ Murray Park training ground is ever sold off by Mike Ashley.
The businessman gained security over the facility when he loaned the club £5m in January but the award of a floating charge conflicted with a previous agreement with the government body.
Sportscotland, at the time known as the Scottish Sports Council, gave the Rangers oldco £650,000 towards construction costs in the late 1990s.
The organisation’s funding has no known repayment terms other than that it is able to recoup its money in full if Murray Park is ever sold for non-football purposes.
Sportscotland also hold the right to refuse any other security being granted on the property to any other persons, meaning an agreement had to be struck with Rangers and Ashley’s Sports Direct company.
Documents seen by STV detail that, should the Glasgow club ever default on the terms of its £5m loan to the businessman, Murray Park would fall under the joint ownership of both Ashley and Sportscotland.
It is not detailed whether Sportscotland have any other monies outstanding from Rangers relating to Murray Park. Ashley would thereafter receive the remaining proceeds of any sale.
The three-way document was signed by Rangers director Paul Murray on May 6, with Sportscotland chair Louise Martin signing 19 days later.
Oops !
So, they gave out EBT’s and said we did too.
They had state aid, and said we did too.
Caption competition again, how about this ?
Or this
Last night the BBC person, never a ‘reporter’ in a million years, who was doing the voice-over of Ronny’s press conference couldn’t hide the contempt in his voice when he said we have only made one signing this summer and that was a loan deal from Manchester City. Did he really not know Dedryck Boyata has signed a four year deal- in which case why is he on the sports desk? Or did he ignore the facts to make Celtic and Ronny appear in a bad light? mmmm
Caption: “he should be especially popular with Sevco fans because he likes to drag his knuckles…and…he doesn’t do ‘walking’ away, he runs on all fours (and he’ll work for peanuts)
By the way, I think we can win through with the squad we have right now. I feel good about us having Mackay-Steven and Armstrong from the start.Both can make an impact in Europe.
Geat read again Ralph 🙂
I think Ronny’s handling of the press was by far the best handled press conference from a Celtic Manager I have seen in a long time.
Every aspect of what he had to say was music to my ears.
The way he handled their b/s questions and dismantled the angle they were hoping to work was a thing of beauty.
In a nutshell he told them what Celtic wanted us to hear.
He dismissed the crap for what it is and was and gave them little or no room for speculation.
I have long felt the Club should operate in Silence during Transfe windows,give them fuck all and release the news when WE want it releasing.
Let them speculate and dream up shite only for the facts to subsequently undermine the lot.
The Wilson saga being the primary example here.
Celtic stopped looking the minute Boyata signed end of story.
All that has been written since has been proven utter shit.
We are totally prepared fo Europe this Season as fans we have a right to feel optimistic because the side that finished the latter part of the Season both home and in Europe were a far better side that started it.
We have 2 key men returning in Lustig and Mulgrew these two on their game can be highly influential players on the big stage.
Both bring much needed qualities.
These will be like Ronny says “two new signings”.
I can see maybe 2 more signings going off his conference.
A left back and a Striker
It also sounds like they will have to be of the quality to slot straight in and make a difference.
All positives for me.
Post like miss piggy …Lost in space
Nacho novo training with sevco at the state aid training facility in the picture.
Caption.
Nacho Novo returns to Ibroz as Sevco prepare for the Petrofac Cup.
I,d like to think big Nir would be an automatic choice as well. Hh
‘Are they going to ruin the whole structure in the club? There has to be some correlation between salary and transfer fee as well.’
Two things the hun didn’t do, firstly over spent on useless feckers and when correlation was suggested to them they thought they had to commit incest
bring back sammy
“Chris Graham makes an appearance at murray park”.We are far better prepared than last year,even against Reykjavik we didnt look right .much more confident this year.
Indeed, his head is so far up his arse he is seeing day light at the other end …
Caption .
First picture of the hun fans fast tracked to the first team to make up the numbers for the new season . Because they have no money ®
Caption 1.
“Rangers offer Govan Stand season ticket holder a 43 year contract on £270,000 a week after he snubs Celtic (of course)”
Caption 2.
“Sorry pal, I thought you were like the club physio as I always see you in his room”
Ralph
That was just champion – hey, could even be European. Seeing that picture heading and then reading each section of Ronny’s interview highlighted, made it even more profound. I tell you – and if you look back at my comments, have done since day one – this man is a new Stein in the making. He has a dream; he has a plan; he is determined to carry it out as he, and only he, sees fit; he will stand no nonsense from a) the board, b) the players, c) the media and d) anyone else for that matter (are you reading this deadhead?). If you were starting up a football club, what better would you wish for than what Ronny has laid down, operating within your means, putting quality before quantity, getting value for money, big deals before big bucks and choosing players who want to be at the club and give their all for fans instead of wallowing in the glitz, the glamour and the egomania that is at the heart of multi millionaire ownership. Now if you want to check how the opposite scenario plays out, well get on the number 10 bus from Gorbals Cross heading west and about 20 minutes in, look out the window to your right. THERE IS YOUR ANSWER!
I am not sure if referring to another site is the done thing, but CQN has a very good article today on the topic of transfers. In a way, watching the media circus at this time of year is akin to the big top at Ibrox, hot air and nonsense overseen by bigoted clowns – you know, the ones whose expanding red noses are matched eventually by their bloated red faces. Too much raw lamb, I guess. So, given the hilarity brought on by the sports “journalists” during this free for all time, perhaps we should simply sit back and enjoy their childish antics. It makes a good distraction from moaning about the summer weather. It also provides fodder for some really top class bloging and excellent commenting during the “dull” season. So, I am all for it, especially when someone like Ronny can cast his pearls before the swine.
I was saddened to hear about young Henderson’s injury. We have quite a record of players getting crocked when not playing for us, Forrest for a start. I hope to God Henderson is not going the same way because he IS a player.
On that subject, my caption for the second photo is “Phew! Mikael, well done you made it over the kerb”.
On the first “Chimp about to nutmeg a big bear” or “KING DOES DEAL. Ashley agrees to loan another of Newcastle’s up and coming youngsters to Sevco”
H H
Caption #2
You’ve just done yer hammy big man, walking off that kerb!
Caption 1:- WATP = We Are The Primates