Neil Lennon says he is going to have to spend money in January to get players bedded in for next years champions League, in what will be a refreshing change from frantically running around Europe in the summer trying to convince other clubs to sell their assets for less than what they are worth.
There have been allegations that the manager has been secretly brainwashed into accepting the clubs “buy low ” policy, perhaps even without his knowledge.
“We’re looking in January with the qualifiers in mind in July. If we bring players in I’d like to bed them in before the qualifiers start again in July.
“January is harder than the summer, and you have to be careful not to overspend. We will be careful with that as we have in the past.
“We did go for £4million players. We were in for players in the summer, three or four strikers, and we got down the line with quite a few but the deals didn’t materialise which was very frustrating.
“January might not be any different but that’s what we’re hoping to do. The Scottish league is a hard sell, there are many more glamorous leagues out there.
“I think we need to look at bringing in better players for specific positions. Virgil Van Dijk, Nir Biton and Derk Boerrigter will be good here. The two strikers Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde are suffering a little lack of confidence, but they will get better.
( He could try playing the two strikers together )
“We will revisit some of the deals we didn’t get done and see if we can reignite them again.”
Good luck with that. you’ll be lucky if the other club picks the phone up when they see your number.
The bit about £4m players says it all. The one we all wanted was £5m, Finnbogasson, and the board wouldn’t sanction it. If you pay peanuts , you get monkeys.
Thats an old saying in business, and another saying is along the lines of ” If I do today, what I did yesterday, I will get the same result tomorrow. ”
As you can imagine, my training meetings are laugh a minute.
But both sayings have a basis in truth. If Lennon is not allowed to pay the going rate for quality, then Celtic will continue on a downward spiral, and the product will become more difficult to sell.
Thats in words that the board can understand.
In fact, there are correlations between the way this board is behaving, and the way the old dysfunctional White/ Kelly dynasty behaved in the seventies and early eighties, which saw Celtic go from being a major European force to a near bankrupt entity when those in charge decided to cash in on assets without significant re-investment.
Lennon needs to prise the money needed to allow the club to compete at the highest level from the suits, or at the very least find out the PIN number for the cashcard.
Theres no need to go into debt, and no need to be silly about it, but there is another maxim ( last one, I promise that looks set to come back and haunt the club.
” Buy cheaply, buy twice. ”
Lennon doesn’t sound very confident of getting his way, does he ?
In fact, he doesn’t sound his usual self at all. Probably regretting putting the league trophy in front of the Green Brigade a couple of years ago, Lennon more or less confirmed his love affair with the group of fans was over;
“I quite like going out before the game and soaking up the atmosphere because you never know when you will have that opportunity again, it´s not guaranteed you will play in the UEFA Champions League every year,” he said, speaking at today’s pre-match press conference.
“But my heart sank a little bit I have to say. I think there were other areas in the stadium where the supporters were scratching their heads trying to understand their reasoning behind it.
“Since then we know the reasons behind it but it certainly wasn’t the time or the place for a display like that. There was no place for it on Tuesday. It should have been a celebration rather than people having a grumble about something.
“When I came in here I tried to bring the club together again and I think I´ve done that, certainly with the performances over the last three or four years. So it´s disappointing to see people want to bring cracks in amongst the club. It´s not welcome within the stadium.
“We understand you maybe have legitimate complaints over some of the laws brought in, but Celtic Park is not the place to bring banners in and display that.
“We´re a football club at the end of the day, and multicultural as well I might add, so I think we need to put a stop to it.”
He speaks as a manager of a football club who has seen the serious repercussions of sectarianism, and in that sense alone, his words carry a little more poignancy than most.
The Green Brigade have become like the girlfriend who won’t stop seeing other guys. Sure, you want her around, she’s fun, she’s lively and has that little bit of impishness that is endearingly exciting. But deep down you know its time to let her go. Especially if she keeps bringing a drum on dates.
Well, if that ain’t a country and western song already, then it should be. Hot Dang. ( which isn’t a country and western song, but might well be one of those rappy chappies. )
Right, with the diary already looking like an Eastenders episode with all these cliches, its time to look forward, and not back.
Its Scottish Cup weekend, and the action started last night when Dundee Utd beat Kilmarnock with the sort of free flowing football that gets fans back into grounds, and should continue today with a couple of potentially exciting ties on the cards.
The big teams are all in action, and Hearts v Celtic is the stand out tie, although a couple of others catch the eye as well.
Partick host Aberdeen, Ross County will play Hibernian and the Dundee -Raith tie looks interesting as well. Clubs who will want to show they can compete at a higher level also get a chance to show they can when Livingston go to St. Johnstone, Morton travel up to Inverness, and Rangers visit Falkirk.
Celtic are at Tynecastle tomorrow, and the Police have warned that they will be searching supporters entering the ground, and anyone with fireworks or flares will be arrested and dealt with “robustly ” , though presumably not as robustly as the way they treated the visiting Ajax fans who caused havoc in Glasgow.
The games at Tynecastle are always an event, and with Hearts just guaranteeing a future for themselves-at least into the New Year, they will be on a high, and this is the biggest game of their season.
Celtic should be too strong for Hearts, with captain Scott Brown back to help keep the team calm and focussed, and the keeper already telling the club he really, really wants to stay….
The players are showing signs of nerves, and even lacking a bit of confidence.
When all these journalists spoke of the season being over, and Celtic sweeping towards a double, they really , really, didn’t know what they were on about.
Absolutely nothing has been won yet, and Celtic have already exited one cup this season at the first hurdle…
Heres something to think about. What happened next ?
Do u know that Finbooggoson wanted to coms to Celtic ? Im sick of hearing the guys name . A touch of the Jardels about this
B/S He was prepared to come but Feynoord wanted top Dollar as they are experiencing Money Problems and needed to secure Top Flight Status.
The guy was on a reported £12.5k a week but Big Pedro choked at the thought of having to part with £6m for him.
Incidently Boerrigter £3m Pukki £3m andd Balde £1.5m (that’s 3 set’s of wages btw) would have covered his outlay no danger and having watched every game Heerenveen have played this Season I can assure you it would have been money well spent.
1 Deflected goal from open play abd 1 penalty in 5 Champions League Games will testify to that.
Heerenvee’
Alfreð Finnbogason has scored as many goals this season as Samaras, Stokes, Balde, Atajic and Pukki combined.
Boerrigter was less than £2 million as was Pukki – Balde was about £1.5 million – the 3 of them together totalled approximately £5 million.
Some of the fees being bandied about include their wages.
Pukki & Balde were both playing in their respective leagues – they just don’t look like they are ready for the SPL – who’s to say Finnbagston would have fared any better?
44 Goals in 48 Games in Hollands Top Flight.
I think he might just about cope in the SPFL.
And you of course have documentary evidence of all that?
I laughed, a lot!
Big Mick shut the cousins and their cousins up big time.
Scott brown went right up the park and scored after hearts “scored”
Wrong game lol
Time to get rid of the ginger excuse merchant. This stuff about £4m players we all knew and so did the ginger patsy. Doesn’t excuse midlew now being our first place midfielder and leaving Ledley on the bench. Nothing will change until Liewell and Dickmond go tho getting rid of Lemmon will be a start. I actually despise him and his comments regarding the Green Brigade and our culture make no surprise from a guy who wouldn’t have known how to spell Celtic before he signed for us (life long Celt my arse, same guy would’ve signed for or managed the huns and been just as big a fan of them, he’s just a ginger robbie savage) I wonder did Lemmons heart sink when he was captaining norn iron and listening to their sectarian abuse. Seemed to sink after he signed for us but before that all was good in what was my favourite tweet of the week, in the ‘borderline sex pests’ world. Lemmon out, give Celtic back. He has emptied Celtic Park with his turgid shit never mind the bullshit that comes from his mouth. Our three captains, Brown, Mildew and Fannyflaps are our three worst players, says it all. Neil Lemmon, f*ck you!
Good to see you really enjoy supporting Celtic then. You’re comments about Neil Lennon are sick. Shame on you.
You sound like a winder upper or a muppet. Take your pick.
oops an hilarious whacky wind-up scampster has infiltrated the site.
BogBhoy? cmon you can do better than that.
Neil Lemmon that’s brilliant! anybody got jimmy tarbucks number?
I’m trying to work out who dickmond is.
Heard it all before Krislowe, like it or not a lot of Tims feels the same as me. Especially in the North of Ireland, Lemmon out and get Celtic back to being Celtic and not this cult of the ginger ballbag. He’s burnt his bridges with me and many others, tho I wouldn’t care if he was a good manager at least but he’s awful.
Just read that Mick Hoist says he only has two fit strikers ..
my arse ….daly is at least 6 fit!
Could be worse. We could have Supper Sally wi the dookin’ for chips face as manager.
Also the Green Brigade made a great point at exactly the right time, if you’re making a political point then you do it at a time and point where it will get the most attention and bring the point into public debate. This was achieved, fair play to you lads, the beating heart of Celtic at a time when the plc and ginger bollocks are eroding our history and culture, without the Green Brigade Celtic Park would be a morgue due to the plc and lemmon.
Great diary. ‘The girlfriend who won’t stop seeing other guys’? Is that why you moved to England? They’re worse there big man….
The Club needs to recognise we represent many views, beliefs and faiths. Without condoning any views, what a time to ‘voice’ your opinions…Champs League and even Australia shows it.
I don’t think the name of Celtic has been blackened. Is it still seen as more than a club? Undoubtedly.
It must be a nightmare trying to buy players. The agents will use the fact that Celtic are interested in their guy to try and sell him elsewhere. If any team from the EPL or championship fancy him then there is no way we can compete on wages. I sympathize with Neil he can only buy from what these other leagues don’t want. I agree with most that we should be giving our own youngsters more game time to see if they can cut it, might save us a few bob on transfer fees.
I think that the Unionists in the Celtic support (and there is more than a few) should be allowed to sing GSTQ at Celtic Park to show there allegiance to the Union and the Crown. If they are not allowed to do so, then they could perhaps organise a wee banner protest among themselves to question why? Doesn’t sound that ridiculous surely?
Bogbhoy, BogOff.
and the Indy Bhoys could put up a banner about independence at CP, even though it is completely political – oh, wait, they’ve already done that.
Wonder if anyone advised UEFA / the PLC?
Don’t recall anyone complaining about it to be honest.
Which sort of re-inforces the message the GB were making the other night – if it’s Scottish politics / rebellion, nobody cares, if it has anything to do with Ireland, it’s wrong.
Can you not see the hypocrisy?
Come along to Hampden the next time the Tartan Army are there or the next time there is a concert on. Have a look at the state of the fans who are allowed to enter the stadium then ask yourself would that be permitted at CP – the answer is no.
I live not far from Hampden and like to be absent when the bekilted and Timby-wearing hordes are in town.
Frank, I want less borders, not more of them.
You can stick your jibes about flags and Royalty where the sun don’t shine mate.
Socialist leaning Republic uniting working folk the length and breadth of Britain. Salmond and his myopic cronies can have their Queen.
But surely that is the freedom of speech that the GB are greeting about?
HAS LAWWELL HAD A HEART ATTACK YET
This pish about spending £5m or so and saying it would have made the difference is starting to get really annoying. We made the last 16 previously without buying players for that kinda money. The main difference seems to be that the players we bought ‘cheaply’ were at the club for a season or two before we appeared in the Champs League, therefore bedded into the squad. The idea of signing players in January with a view to qualifiers looks to be the right strategy. We don’t need to pay top dollar, we just need quality. The two don’t always go hand in hand.
Bogbhoy, your shite word play on people’s names make u sound like a hun. If you’ve got a point to make do it without making childish remarks regarding people’s names.