Sunderland have agreed a fee, thought to be £2m, with Celtic for right back Adam Matthews. According to the Sunderland Echo, it’s just a matter of agreeing personal terms now.
Well, Ronny did say he was going to trim the squad, and Matthews isn’t first choice right back, so this was always on the cards.
We wish him all the best, and thank him for his time here. Personally, the night he played left back against Barcelona in the 2-1 was a particular highlight, as was a goal he scored while I was trying to find my seat at Hamilton.
But Sunderland ? It’s not even a real country, and he’s better than that.
Celtic, according to the Mail, didn’t want to sell, but Matthews wanted to go. He’sdone his shift in the green and white, and will join an evergrowing band of ex Celts in Englands lower EPL, who probably meet up on a Thursday to try to recapture a little taste of Paradise…
I suppose the move suits everyone. With Holmbert Fridjonsson joining Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde on the train out in the last few days, it appears the cull is well and truly under way.
Another on the way out is Jackson Irvine, who is wanted by Ross County. Their manager , Jim McIntyere, said;
Jackson is someone we’ve spoken to and we’ll hopefully have a decision about that in the next few days.”
Picture in the diary one day, on your way out the next.
Wonder if its worth putting a picture of Ciftci in. Maybe it works before they get here as well.
Matthews was a valuable squad player, especially given the injury reord of number one right back Mikael Lustig, so it was important to get saidy Janko in before any move was sanctioned.
Janko sounds like he’s looking forward to it.
“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and the fans hopefully on a Champions League night or even league days. Even players like Messi and Xavi dream about the atmosphere at Celtic Park so I’m looking forward to that.
“I was quite happy to stay at Manchester United but Celtic is hard to resist. I’m in the first team everyday I’ll train with them and hopefully get in the first XI.
“I just want to play football. Manchester United is a great club but a lot of players are afraid to leave because it’s Man United.
“I just wanted to play and to make the fans happy with my football.
“If I could play in the Champions League then that would be great. That is the main reason I am here.
“I’m happy to show what I can do in training. When I spoke to the manager he told me to give everything every day and I will get there.”
He certainly seems ambitious enough, and it is a brave move to come out of his comfort zone to fight for a place in the team with an experienced and quality player such as Lustig, but he fancies his chances…
“I can rise to the challenge. There is competition everywhere and with competition you push your team-mates and everyone gets better.
We appear to have signed one of that rare breed-a footballer.
Manager Ronny deila worked his magic on him, the player admits he signed mainly on the strength of a chat with the boss, and the player shot down stories that Darren Fletcher, the Scotland international, persuaded him to take Celtic up on their offer;
“Darren Fletcher was very good with the young players. I didn’t speak to him about this move, but we always had a laugh.
Theres a couple of photographs doing the rounds which kind of sum up how the player is feeling;
At Zurich;
At Manchester United;
Shortly after shooting someone in the movie American History X
And at Celtic;
He seems happy and relaxed here, something missing in the other photo’s.
Celtic have had a second bid, this time in excess of £1m, turned down by Dundee Utd. It looks like the Turk, being advised by Pierre van Hooijdonk, doesn’t want to go to Wigan, and fancies life at Celtic instead.
Fucking hooray.
I’d rather see Stevie May rescued from down south, or even Kris Boyd in the hoops.
Australian Tom Rogic turned a few heads with his performance against Den Bosch, and there’s a little piece of skill which could mean that he is ready to make his mark on the first team…
Well, if he can do that, there’s no need to sign Aiden McGeady.
Or Martin Odegaard, who looks set to go to Getafe anyway. Real Madrid want him to settle into life in spain, which would be tricky if he had to commute to Glasgow every day.
We might well be looking at Akinjide Idowu, the nigerian under 20 academy player described by his coach as the “human shield” who can “mark the devil out of a game “
Then again, we might not be.
What I am looking forward to is standing outside the ground ahead of a Champions League game. It’s amazing the effect a few posters can have on the place….
Problems with the new top remain at the fore of many supporters;
Then there’s the away top;
It may be too late, and you may not fancy it anyway, as there has been a bit of a rush, but you can get 40% off the new gear by going to this link
New Balance Sale and typing NBPCA2015 at checkout when you are done.
Makes me wonder what the mark up is on this gear…. Piss poor quality and they can afford to knock 40% off….
Someone needs their arse kicking.
It’s that time again in Glasgow tomorrow;
Why not celebrate by sending them a traditional greetings card, from one of those available on follow follow.com ?
That last one is a shocker. I’m recording this for posterity. 2016 sees the centenary of the Easter Rising. No doubt any commemorative “cards ” will be seen as sympathising with terrorists and cause an outcry.
These cards should put their gas at a peep. When all concerned get on their high horses. No pun intended.
Over at Ibrox, the surge in season ticket sales continues, thanks to a massive advertising campaign in the national press. And there’s more good news for their support as Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra stated his wish to return to the club wasn’t dead in the water. The club is, but no-ones told him;
“I just have to finish this season with Fujairah and maybe next year I can go to Glasgow. The dream is still alive.”
Right up until he sees the money on offer, presumably.
Still, as Gary Ralston of the Record said, “at least with Dave king you get the truth.”
Which came as a surprise to a chap on twitter, Ronnie O’connor, who tweeted this;
Just to point out the flaw in Chief cheerleader Ralstons argument.
Scott Brown and his haircut featured in one picture yesterday, and so did a young Jock Stein and Jimmy McGrory in the other.
Today, something has just happened in this image.
what ?
The Ref forgot his Lambeg Drum…. but the colours he pulled were fine.
Wee July Joke for Emptyheid 69 😉
Is that a Dave King look-a-like ref providing a prototype “Broonie” for a young Scott to use at a later date?
On the signing of Janko and the selling of Matthews..
I think the sentence in the post above ““I played more as a winger than a right-back in the last two seasons, in truth, and I have played on the left as well – left-back or left-winger.”
Speaks volumes about our thinking now.
Matthews was decent I think this kid is better and the fact we brought Janko in before Matthews leaves is brilliant business sense.
Even better knowing every penny we get for Matthews is pure profit.
The left back conundrum is now sorted too.
All good thanks for the memories Adam and all the best at Sunderland..
https://youtu.be/uORKnqjSPNw
On those Orange cards what’s the Red Hand of O’Neil got to do with them and Loyalism? The family crest of people who fought AGAINST Crown forces,they can’t be that stupid?…oh, wait…
Referee tries to lighten the mood by starting a chorus of YMCA!!!
Bobo red-carded for telling the ref he needs a better sports bra.
big bobo getting his jotters after tangling with broonie at easter road back in the day.
Says something about Broonie, tangling with Big Bobo!
This is the first I heard of Janko also being a left back! Sorted. He can also play in the back two in front of the back four—where Bitton or Broonie now play. So we have a first choice right back if Lustig gets injured, a good backup in Fisher as well as a sub for Bitton or Broonie and a fill-in for Izzy! No through yet. A winger on either side! A good piece of business if Janko comes good.
I’ve noticed today in the MSM that Boyd and Smith were by Killie “signed from Rangers” They weren’t, they were signed after Sevco let them go without the courtesy of telling them properly or thanking them. Can our media ever get the simple facts right? It makes it sound as if Sevco are doing great business with their sales and signings as well as grossly exaggerated season ticket sales.
Ach well, can’t wait for the fitba to begin. Then I can get a life again!
Actually they were signed from nobody, both were released and free agents, but hey, when have facts mattered to MSM?
“facts” ? – Our media think facts are a now (almost) redundant piece of technology involving a phone line and paper feed.
LIes Are The New Facts – FACT!
Have to agree on Matthews, I always preferred Lustig but I was confident when he stepped in to replace him that there wasn’t so much of a loss. However when Lennon threw him in at left back (straight after months out) in the Nou Camp that must have been his most awful display in the hoops. Not all his fault and I’ll certinly remember him with high regard.
I also like that if a player wants away he talks to the club and not the papers, let Celtic sort out the best thing for the player and the club, and getting in a replacement first then selling makes me feel good about how we’re doing business.
Is that orange a McCoist portrait? It’s got a huge gut and a remarkably large arsehole …
We will definitely miss his singing voice at the annual POTY bash. Decent player going forward bit too injury prone , but best of luck in Soooonerland man!. Btw anyone try that New Balance NBPCA2015 code , didn’t work for me stateside
Worked fine for me this morning…i tested it before sending onto Ralph…new top for 33 quid
So Madman Buggerer wants to come back to Glasgow, we certainly don’t want him so it must be the Jags he’s going to
Great diary. King is such a liar it’s untrue. Poor Gary. One thing i’d like to point out about the bhoy Janko – If he couldn’t manage a smile at a signing on photo opp there would be something seriously wrong.
Ralph
I have to say I am a sad man this morning. I was a great Adam Mathews fan and when he first arrived I truly believed we had a fantastic player in the making. Like so many others, however, he never really recaptured his form after his first major injury. He was still up there, mind you, and better class than a Sunderland. At my time of life I ought to be used to people “departing” – about one a week this year in my age group – but Adam’s has brought one of those choky things to my throat. I wish him every success and will follow his career with interest from the north of the Tyne. Oh, and many thanks for many happy memories, especially that cracker of a goal and the singing.
I am additionally saddened to see Boa Restrictor is still in the squad. In fact I am depressed by it and if Ciftci gets the bus from Dundee to Glasgow, I will be throwing myself under it. Surely, oh surely, there has to be a better player than these two in the under 12s. Thinking on it, I would have kept Adam as the winger and gave Sunderland both of our so called. That would be about their level and I hear there is a terrific hospital in the town. Saturday nights are renowned for drunken Mackems limping home in the early hours so Boa and wee Jamsie would not look out of place if they fancied a midnight stroll. As you may have guessed, I am not a fan.
Turning or should that be churning, to THAT march, you would think, having seen it, heard it, had it start right outside my bedroom window and had to walk along side it one would be somewhat hardened to its effects. But those cards really prove their small mindedness, their blinkered attitude, their historical distortions and their blind hatred has no bounds. I remember one year, oh a long time ago, I was driving the family back home through Bellshill. Unknown to me, the main gathering (I have no idea if it has a name or not. A “Cross lighting”, perhaps?) was right bang in the middle of my route home. I drove past with “charitable” feelings, a mix of rage and pity, only to realise my two boys were peering out the window draped in their Celtic tops. At that moment, my car turned into a covered wagon driving through an Apache encampment. I reckon, if most of the hostiles had not been smashed out their skulls, we might never have made it out of there. It just goes to show the importance of good route planning before heading back to the fort, especially if you know the Indians are holding um big pow wow that day. Makes me laugh – shudder – when I think back. As for Mr. Bare faced, or “bear faced”, liar, he would walk away with the Pulitzer Prize for fiction by just opening his mouth – oh, sorry, they don’t do walking away where he is. Reading the article in “On Fields of Green”, I caught the whole of the fly population in Northumberland I had my mouth wide open for so long. I firmly believe the guy has created so much falseness he probably now believes his world is the one true world. His illusion is stretched to the nth degree by a desperate following ravenous for any sort of hope even though it is blatantly false, a fawning media who would sell their souls for a plate of lamb even if it is poisoned or simply a story that will float in their sea of despair and blatantly incompetent governing bodies willing to sell their souls for fear of offending the dead peepil and bolster their tenuous positions of power.
Ach, enough of this infantile “banter”. Let us all look with faith and hope to the new season. I have booked a seat next to them on the bus. The opening game highlighted some more of the Ronny effect. I estimate the team are somewhere in the region of a month or more ahead of their state this time last year. I do believe the break from world cruising has helped enormously but, for me, it is more that Ronny has them fitter quicker and the players are buying into early prep. You could see the team work in the very first game and when was the last time we could say that? Remember, for the whole game, it was a makeshift set up too. Yet players seemed to have at least the basics of playing together.
Added to the readiness of the team there is further cause for celebration when you consider the introduction of a new player who simply “slotted in”. So far, he seems to fill everyone with confidence the enormous gap in defence that so worried us with the departure of Jason, is well and truly plugged. Time will tell if it is just as good or even better that before. And this time, he is OURS. Then there is the resurgence of Tom Rogic. If this is an example of a Ronny turn-around and a sign of improved youth development then we are secure for years and years to come even if Scotland is visited by three wise men bearing gifts never mind a king – camels to be tethered at the Albion railings, please. I was much impressed on Wednesday by Rogic’s commitment. Now we can also see his talent as Ronny instils more confidence. Are we about to see another Nir Bitton emerging? What a thrill that would be. I have to apologise for not getting round to saying so yesterday.
By the way, yesterday’s quiz photo brought back memories of my very young days, though I saw Jimmy more often in a soft hat and puffing a pipe when he stood now and then at the old dug-out. But then I was just a nipper, or “wee fucking pest” as my old man put it (poetic licence. He probably thought that but I never heard my father swear once in his long life – not even bloody. But then, he never watched Pikku or Balde), when I nagged him for a pie, a pie, a pie as the young guy came round the track with his tray. I put it down a lot to his refusal that I am still here today.
Yes. I am not sure we would all have hung, drawn and quartered Broonie in those days. He was what we would call a right wee nyaf. And, of course, he simply had to be a Hun even though he played for Hibs and had probably never been to Hundome in Glasgow except when playing at the bigotdome. It just goes to show that given the right environment even the worst can change for the better. So, there is hope for Warburton yet if he just uses his loaf. I wonder what Ibrox would do if they moved it to Carfin?
H H
PS Ralph, just found a great seamstress 🙂
Ralph
“PS Ralph, just found a great seamstress”
Listened to the podcast last night only to find out you don’t need one – YET!
H H
Ralph
I think I may have given the monitor too much to take in at one time so he has dumped it. Can’t blame him.
H H
That’s a picture of Bobo seeing red at Easter Road in 2004 after Brown, who’d just come on as a sub, lunged in and caught him late (nothing new there then). Bobo reacted and was sent off and missed the match against the Hun’s the following week – but we beat them 1-0 anyway. I remember thinking ‘the fix is really in here’ when the ref couldn’t get his red card out quickly enough. Brown didn’t even get booked, I think.
Good luck to Adam, he started well but never really kicked on, though he played very well at home v inter last season. He seemed a bit list with out fellow welsh man Joe v around the place. A good full back though and I wish him well. Hopefully janko can make the step up from playing b reserve our youth level football to senior team
If people are saying Matthews was injury prone I don’t know what Lustig will be called.
If we get Cifti I think we will get a barrow load off goals cause he can hold the ball up which the other forwards we used don’t seem to do until the midfield or wingers can get up, that’s if we play the one player up front.
Remember all those 2-3 million pound players that we wasted money on fans wer saying there gonna do this or that turned out they wer all flops so all off a sudden fans moaning about Cifti is it cause he plays in Scotland and not hip enough.
Ciftci will do a job no danger he is also good at bossing defenders which in Europe is something you need against the good teams and something we have lacked for a few years now.
The price is not an issue for me because some of our best signings have been cheap.
Henke,Lubo,Commons and Wanyama to name a few.
All terrific signings and all under a Million.
I trust Ronnies judgement and Ciftci is proven in Scotland unlike Vossen or whoever.
I would rather we banked the money and waited for a top signing to appear rather than blowing £3m on Vossen to find he’s Championship Level in England and that’s it.
Who knows perhaps we can pick up a Finnbogason on the cheap in Jan after big Virgil is sold for top dollar?
CS
I agree about waiting rather than forking out on “maybes”. But I really am not convinced Ciftci is in the £million bracket or good enough as a mainstay centre. I have seen too many players looking good with the Dundee Uniteds etc. only to turn out total flops at a higher level – and we are most definitely a higher level especially in the current league and with the improved style of play from Ronny. Besides, can we afford someone with the potential to bring the club into disrepute and leaving the team with ten men or regularly suspended – and mark my words, his suspensions will be a damned sight worse than he got at Dundee Utd. if he is in a Celtic shirt. We have no guarantee he will curb his behaviour just because he is in green and white. In fact, the provocations will be more frequent. This transfer truly worries me, even though up till now I have had EVERY faith in Ronny.
H H
I have always been surprised at how many of you guys (Ralph!!!) don’t rate Ciftci. He’s a rough diamond just waiting to be polished….and Ronny’s the man to do that. If he does finally get to Celtic, and I think the signs are that he would love to sign, he’ll lose weight, get fitter and faster and be converted to Ronny’s system and footballing ideology. His temperament will have to receive special attention, but if he can get that under control and realize that he has landed in a footballer’s Paradise we could have a guy who can give us that extra physical strength up front that was so obviously lacking in Pukki and Scepo-what’s ‘is name, who are too lightweight and easily pushed off the ball. Personally I hope he signs…just my tuppence worth. HH
Funkyy
You are obviously a big fan of “IF” 🙂
H H
I left the Nou Camp with my mate..after the 6-0 drubbing…
and wondered if Lenny should have benn sacked for his decision to play Mathews..or if Mathews should have been sacked for agreeing to play.
Total joke either way.
Anyway Mathews was far too inconsistent for me…so I’ll shed no tears…
I will thank him for his service to the Club ‘though…and the £2 million profit….
Thanks Adam…good luck mate.
Pensionerbhoy,
Well,IF he signs, we’ll see IF I’m right!!! HH
Funkyy
I am a believer in wait and see. I just hope I don’t see. It may help to know I am regularly wrong.
H H
Why Ciftci? Why didn’t/don’t we pursue Adam Rooney if that’s what we want—a big centre forward who can boss defenders—Rooney certainly bossed us a few times and one of those times cost us the title.Plus, it would weaken our nearest rivals.
We can’t afford anyone who will leave us with ten men on the pitch.
Ralph
It is never an easy thing to swallow about your own team but we were gubbed. I know pre-seasons are all about getting up to speed but our defence were in reverse no matter what the combination. I thought we hit the ground running on Wednesday and even though it was unquestionable very poor opposition and we nearly ended up giving St. Mirren players a run out, I still though we showed signs of being well ahead of our normal scheduled preparation. Today, the bang coming back down to earth was like the Hadron Collider letting one off. Ronny should make the team watch Dukla’s first touch football, their precise passing, their closing down, their positional awareness and their clinical finishing. Then he should tell that it is the exact opposite from the way they are playing, passes going all over the place, final passes non-existent, crosses (when we got any in the box) way off, closing down like a disorderly police charge, first touches somewhere in the region of – 100 and defence somewhere on holiday but nowhere near Paisley. I know it is pre-season and players can be somewhat off colour but the gap in ability and performance today does not bode well given Dukla are not exactly front runners in Europe. These players have been away from playing competitive football for a maximum of just 4/5 weeks – some even less – so recovery time should be much less than usual. Overall, I went from the high of Wednesday where I thought I saw a massive advance on last year to being back to the same old same old and too many individuals returning from potential to only maybe. If only they were all Leigh Grifiths. Now I accept Dukla are into their season but only by 3 games so that was not reflected in the gap between them and Celtic today. Friendly are mere fact finding missions but you do expect to be somewhere in the hunt if you are looking for progress. I am not sure it is there just now though. I am sure Ronny will be upping the tempo from this minute and I think he may have to put on his steel toes caps to give some asses a kick start.
H H
Totally agree, but these matches are more useful to learn where we are. Reality check for some players too.Plenty work to do…
Hi Pensionerbhoy…..I’m still a cIFtci fan..he’s coming..be afraid, be very afraid!!! lol HH.
He will surprise you guys and you’ll have to eat humble pie…..and I’ll be here to remind you all. HH
Can’t speak for Pensionerbhoy, he’s even older than me but I ate so much humble pie over Ronny Deila that I can’t stand the taste of the stuff. I will state hear and now Funkyy that I will eat all the humble pie in the world if:
Ciftci doesn’t get a red card
Doesn’t bite anybody
Scores at least 20 in the league
Gets trim as a greyhound and satisfies Ronny’s body mass index
You can remind me if all this happens and I’ll tuck right in. Humble Pie with chips, humble pie with sauce, humble pie for breakfast and so on…But, it ain’t gonna happen coz Ciftci ain’t comin’