You’d think that with there only being one strikers spot in the team,and Leigh Griffiths already sulking, that a striker would be pretty low down on the list of priorities for Brendan Rodgers this January. And , indeed, that may be so.
But another name keeps cropping up, that of Ademola Lookman, Charlton Athletic’s Colombian striker, who is also wanted by Everton, but believed to be more interested in furthering his career.
Lookman has that special quality of beng able to control the ball with just the power of thought, which placed him high on Rodgers’s wish list
Others, such as Arsenal are interested, but a glance at his wikipedia profile shows that he fits perfectly the criteria Celtic have adopted for bringing in players since John Park left.
Lookman joined Charlton’s academy in 2014 after signing from Waterloo FC, a youth football club based in the London Borough of Lambeth.[6] His impressive goal scoring record for Charlton’s U18 and U21 teams led to him making a rapid ascent through the Charlton academy ranks and he made his first-team debut for the Addicks on 3 November 2015.[3] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on 5 December 2015,[7] and then followed that up with a brace in a 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers on 15 December 2015.[8] Lookman was given the number 7 squad number ahead of the start of Charlton’s 2016/2017 League One campaign. He began the season on the substitutes bench. Lookman came off the bench to score his first goal of Charlton Athletic‘s 2016/2017 campaign against Bolton Wanderers at The Valley. Lookman came off the bench to score twice, including a stunning long range effort, in Charlton Athletic‘s 3-1 FA cup win over Scunthorpe United. He could continued to impress for Charlton in the 2016/2017 season: scoring another goal, this time agaist Bristol Rovers. Lookman captained Charlton Athletic for the first time against MK Dons after regular captain, Johnnie Jackson, was substituted.
With a great big bid expected for Moussa Dembele, it seems the replacement could already have been sounded out, and one observer, from the 4th official weblog, describes the player thus;
A quick and tricky forward, who is capable of playing either as a number nine or a wide forward on the left flank, Lookman has shown that he has what it takes to make a name for himself at the big stage. Just 19 years of age, Lookman burst onto the scene with Charlton last season. Even though the Addicks struggled as a unit and were demoted to the League One by the end of the season from Championship, Lookman did shine as an individual.
Blessed with a blistering pace and brilliant ability on the ball, the 19-year-old can play anywhere across the final third and is a big threat with his direct style of play. He is still a raw talent and needs proper guidance to become a quality player in the coming years
Everton are confident of landing the player for around £11m , which would normally put Celtic out of the running, ut with a windfall from the expected sale of Virgil van dijk and any money coming in from the transfer of Dembele, then its not as much of a fantasy as you may think.
What does strike me though, is that Celtic are being linked with players in that price bracket, which means that instead of buying in pure potential, the club have stepped up a level in quality.
With the league going into a break after the holiday period, the transfer market will undoubtedly take up most of the gossip.
John Kennedy, who has been fairly quiet since Rodgers took over, fianlly got a chance to speak for himself, and what he says is quite right, but at the same time a little depressing…
Quite a few Celtic players have moved south recently, and quite a few of them have succeeded beyond expectation. at least the expectation of a number of experts down there, who still see the level of football up north as somewhere between the English championship at best and the Greater Manchester Sunday Over 50s Walking League at worst.
Kennedy is certain that is changing…
“From speaking to people in England, I think the attitude is changing, especially in the last 6-12 months.
See.
Told you he did.
“Southampton have taken a few off us and other players have moved to teams and, all of a sudden, the big boys think, ‘We want a piece of this’.
“Now they are seeing that we do produce good players, we’re getting good players in and we’re making them better.
“I think you’ll see, in the near future, that some of the big ones will come and pluck the very best that we’ve got because we do have high-calibre players.
Well, thats something to look forward to. But football is a business, I suppose, and with little tv money available, then other revenue streams must be taken advantage of.
I just wish that Kennedy wouldn’t speak of selling players down south as the be all and end all of evrything the club is trying to do.
“Moussa Dembele’s getting all the headlines just now, but on top of that, we have a lot of players in the squad who could go and play Premier League football quite easily.
“Look at van Dijk – he’s a top player. Even when I worked with him here, I don’t think people appreciated what he was all about when he was playing in Scotland.
“A lot of English media and teams looked at him thought, ‘We’re unsure’, but he’s the very top.
“I think he’s the best centre-back in England. When I watch English football, I think he’s the best.
“Virgil is the type of player, when you look at his game and the stature of him, he could play for any team he wants to. Even Barcelona.
well, i’m very pleased for him, but my concern is the players at Celtic, and the long term success of the club outwith Scotland. I know its the nature of the beast that players will be snapped up by cash rich clubs, but I’d rather the coaching staff didn;t crow about it.
At least they could pretend to be interested in European progress and ultimately success.
The possibility is there, if the club are ready to buy in better quality whilst still develping them, Lookman could be an example if he is on the radar, but for all I think it would be a good idea to sell Dembele before Griffiths takes his place off him in the team-and make no mistake about that, he will- I’d still rather we had players in for the long term, and not just for a few months.
Although the counter argument would be that , as we did with Jason Denaayer to partner Virgil van dijk, you simply get the best dozen or so you can and run with it for twelve months, before starting again. This requires a much sharper degree of player analysis, as it will be more costly, and again, comes with no guarantee of success.
We have to accpet, i suppose, albeit grudgingly, that unless we shop around locally, and bring in players who want to be here for a few years, that the future is going to see a lot of comings and goings. all we can hope is for a decent period between the two.
To shop locally would mean buying in the best young Scottish players, and there might be a few more of them now the SFA have got their man in to take up the vacant Performance Directors role.
Note the curious use of “breadth of experience, which is, of course, much smaller than a “width of experience “
Malky Mackay, once touted for the Celtic job by Malky Mackay, was announced as the new man yesterday, to a reaction that was, well, a little underwhelming, largely due to his past record of offensive and tactless tweets/emails/outbursts, but more worryingly, his complete and utter lack of success in management.
These days anyone who says the wrong thing is instantly castigated and sent into exile, but one wonders when the first manager who is actually any good will come out with racism, homophobia or misogyny , and whether or not he’ll be dragged over the coals.
Oh, hang on, maybe the fact that no good manager has ever gone down that path actually proves that he is a good manager, and worthy of being in a position of influence…
Mackay has asked to be judged on what he does, and what he did, which must have sounded bizarre when he was interviewed for the job, but the truth is there is no one else who wants the job.
Though we hear he was horrified at what he thought was a random sample of players who ply their trade in Scotland
The SFA, you see, don’t have that much of a reputation for excellence outwith, well, the SFA. And this appointment kind of shows that. As ever, they’ve made an arse of it, and as ever, they can;t understand why people would think that.
Former Tony Blair spin doctor Alistair Campbell has backed Mackay, which should be enough for anyone else to realise he’s not the man for the job, but when you consider he was a pal of tony, then its no surprise to see he has a bit of trouble choosing his pals.
Here he is with someone else who was all style and no substance, someone else who promised that he would be a revelation and a sensation over the border.
Yeah, I think the fact that Campbell backs Mackay is reason enough alone to think the former Celt is not up to the job.
I’m surprised that Joey Barton, now a hero to some of us, allowed himself to be pictured with Campbell, and he’s not the only one who should be more careful when his image is captured on film, and reproduced elsewhere.
Back at the ranch, and its the weekend before Christmas so a big crowd is not expected at Celtic Park tomorrow for the visit f Dundee, but I’ll be on the early train heading north, and as long as it isn’t raining, snowing, a bit cold or I’ve still got some of my pint left, I’ll be at the game.
Thats the plan, anyway.
I’m hoping that Kris Commons will make an appearance from the bench so we can say cheerio, and wish him well over at hibernian, and i’m hoping for another three points in the race to the sixth consecutive title.
Which should be over before Easter at the latest.
Not sure what to get your “rangers ” supporting pal for Christmas ?
How about these ?
They apparently fit quite comfortably into the mouth of the wearer, which fior Kris boyd, at least, is a happy coincidence.
He’s been at it again in the Sun.
No, not that sun, which affected his pal ( above ) Kenny Miller.
He’s been talking shite in the newspaper -sort of-The Sun.
Kilmarnock striker and SunSport columnist Boyd reckons Mark Warburton’s side can avenge the September drubbing later this month at Ibrox.
He said: “They’ll definitely fancy themselves to win the game.
“The last one, 5-1, Rangers had a chance at 2-1 through Barrie McKay, he cut inside and he put it wide of the post.
“Celtic went up the pitch and scored and Rangers had Senderos sent off from there, so there wasn’t much in that game despite the result making it look a lot worse.
We caught up with Boyd on a night out with fellow doo lallies Matthew Lindsay and Chris Jack, two others who think the upcoming Hogmanay clash might just swing in the favour of the newly promoted “rangers “, but their carers wouldn’t let them speak to us.
Other , more scientifically based formulae have been used to try to predict the outcome of that game, and one rather chilling fact cannot go unnoticed..
It’s Friday, and that means its time to announce the winner of the ever popular Etims
Knob of the Week
Whilst Ibrox Stadium has seen a few winners, in the past its largely been down to what the winner has said, and not how he looks. This week, not only is it down to what he said,
“We have a big squad and everyone is fighting for their place.
“I knew it would be difficult coming here with two top-quality full-backs – the two best in the league – but that’s what it is about coming to a new club.
“But I have worked hard and know I need to fight to get my chance.”
how he looks has also played a not insignificant part in securing yet another title-they are indeed going for 55-for the mighty “rangers” , with this weeks more than worthy winner,
Lee Hodson, the Etims Knob of the Week
Yesterdays picture, that of a cow on a car,
sorry, my bad, thats a cow on a tank,
gave us two notable winners, as one quip complimented the other superbly..
Caption………………
Cop.. Why have you a cow on yer bonnet?
Me.. I’m keeping it warm Officer.
Cop.. Why?
Me.. Cause it’s Freisan.
“‘n it hisnae got a Jersey!”
today, here’s another to conjure with..
