Summer '17 | Page 5 | Vital Football

Summer '17

Eff me. Ings has hardly kicked a ball in 2 yrs but Klopp wants us to give him guaranteed game time?

He can gtf.

What position does joe thomson play again, mate?
 
Ings is still a quality player but I've not even heard of him getting much of a pre-season so how ready would he be? Guaranteed game time is just not going to happen!
It's an interesting idea to solve our striker shortage problem though!

Thomson plays CM or CAM or I've seen him play out on the right of a sort of attacking 3 behind the striker. Not quite playing as a winger though. The latter is how he was predominantly used last season I believe. I saw him play for Queen of the South against Falkirk earlier this year. He didn't do much in that game to be fair and was subbed in the second half but then in general QotS were pretty rubbish all over in that game! He's still only 20, and turned 20 in January so he'll come back to us in January and be about to turn 21 so time is still on his side. However you just fear that not many players come back from loans like that and being away from the first team and manage to make an impact on the first team. I just hope he still manages to make a decent career because he's another one of these players who has so much promise and potential and I'd hate to see it come to nothing. However in fairness to us, it would be for a lack of anything on Celtic's part other than perhaps not getting him the right loan moves you could argue.
 
Aye, always tough on the youngsters. Only a tiny percentage ever make it with us but nearly all of them go on to have good careers in the game. Still with us though so you never know.

Happy to have Ings as a 3rd striker on a short term deal but would prefer someone who was actually match sharp and ready to go. We need a 3rd viable option and it's pretty clear Rodger's doesn't think any of our young strikers are up to it, or certainly not at the moment at any rate.

The moment Dembele got injured a 3rd striker should have been our priority. It seems Rodgers was the only one who didn't see it that way. We're now facing our two most important games of the season with only one striker who we're having to wrap in cotton wool. And Griff is unlikely to play 90 minutes in both legs.

And here we are only now scrambling around trying to get someone in before tomorrow nights deadline. It's a joke.

Despite knowing that Roberts would be a long shot we lumped all our eggs in the one basket and will once again be scrambling around if that doesn't happen.

Meanwhile we're relying on Bitton against a team with fast wide and front players. Bitton has no pace and is poor when faced with players running at him in midfield, but he usually has a defence behind him in those situations to make amends. I hope he plays the two best games of his career but again it really shouldn't be this way.
 
I know what you mean, this is a problem that should never have been. Knowing that sooner or later Dembele would be leaving, we should be ahead of the game and have that 3rd striker in already. I don't think Dembele will leave until January or next summer depending on the sort of season he has but he will go and then we'll be left with 1......better to have someone in now and actually make sure they will fit our system and style.

CB is an issue but I can also see why BR doesn't want to rush out and buy another one. However given Bitton's performance against Partick Thistle, it's worrying! He can cope, for the most part at least, with the domestic games we play but I think he'll come undone up against Astana. However I think there are a few good CBs out there at the moment who we could bring in, even if just on loan perhaps.

In today's media, we've been linked with a LB! :emoticon:16 now before I looked into the guy, I thought chances are we're not looking to actually sign a LB and it's just us keeping tabs on a replacement for Tierney should he attract serious offers from elsewhere. However, having seen a short video of Miquel Nelom on YouTube......it makes fuck all sense to me why we're looking at him as I think Calvin Miller is as good if not better than him!
Nelom is 26, a former Dutch international and currently plays for Feyenoord. He's not tall so although he has apparently played CB at some time in his career, it's not really his position. He doesn't look particularly quick but not slow either. That's about all I can say as there's not a lot to go on. Current value £900k, 1 year left on his contract and is backup for Feyenoord. Last season Feyenoord won the Eredivisie title, Nelom made a total of 27 appearances across all competitions including playing 5 games in the reserve league. Of those 27, 17 were in the league and of those 17 he made 12 starts.
In his defence, he started the season with an injury and his first appearance in the league wasn't until 20th November, he'd been on the bench since September without getting any appearances off the bench. Of the 12 games he started, he played the full 90mins every time. It was a similar story the season before last as well. I just don't see why we'd be interested in this guy. Fair enough if he was a big, tall, athletic LB who could get up and down the wing as well as play at CB or something.....but he's not and I hate to say it but he seems like another Edson Braafheid! :emoticon:10 :emoticon:11 :emoticon:13
 
I have one suggestion for a new striker.....well he's actually a winger but he has played as a striker on a number of occasions and he has the build to play as a striker. Karl Toko Ekambi is a 24 year old Cameroon international playing in Ligue1 with SCO Angers. He can play on either wing and is big and strong unlike our other wingers so he would offer something different as probable backup to them but he can also play up front and I think would be far more effective than any of our other players filling in for the strikers because of his size. He's 6ft tall.
He was born in Paris and started his career with Paris FC in Ligue2 before moving to FC Sochaux in Ligue2. Last summer he moved up to Ligue1 with Angers and in his first season in the top flight of French football, he scored 8 goals and contributed 6 assists in 35 appearances, mainly on the wing! In all he has made 114 appearances, 55 as a striker, 30 as a LW, 12 at LM and the rest undocumented. Of those 55 as a striker, he scored 24 goals and had 4 assists.
His value is £2.25m and he has a contract until 2020 but Angers have been out strengthening their squad this season and he appears to be dropping down the pecking order. My suggestion would be to sign him as backup for both striker and winger positions. He's not going to be a star of the team but a good, solid and versatile player. He appears to have a good engine and just keeps running all game and is good both running with the ball and off the ball to run in behind the defence. He also loves a trick and has very good dribbling ability. To me he has all the attributes to be a really good player, so maybe there is something else that I'm not seeing that has stopped him from playing for a bigger team. Normally the other French sides would be snapping someone like him up from the smaller teams but so far at least he doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

[youtube=Qj1OJLvKMz4]
 
wee_od_88 - 15/8/2017 09:33

I have one suggestion for a new striker.....well he's actually a winger but he has played as a striker on a number of occasions and he has the build to play as a striker. Karl Toko Ekambi is a 24 year old Cameroon international playing in Ligue1 with SCO Angers. He can play on either wing and is big and strong unlike our other wingers so he would offer something different as probable backup to them but he can also play up front and I think would be far more effective than any of our other players filling in for the strikers because of his size. He's 6ft tall.
He was born in Paris and started his career with Paris FC in Ligue2 before moving to FC Sochaux in Ligue2. Last summer he moved up to Ligue1 with Angers and in his first season in the top flight of French football, he scored 8 goals and contributed 6 assists in 35 appearances, mainly on the wing! In all he has made 114 appearances, 55 as a striker, 30 as a LW, 12 at LM and the rest undocumented. Of those 55 as a striker, he scored 24 goals and had 4 assists.
His value is £2.25m and he has a contract until 2020 but Angers have been out strengthening their squad this season and he appears to be dropping down the pecking order. My suggestion would be to sign him as backup for both striker and winger positions. He's not going to be a star of the team but a good, solid and versatile player. He appears to have a good engine and just keeps running all game and is good both running with the ball and off the ball to run in behind the defence. He also loves a trick and has very good dribbling ability. To me he has all the attributes to be a really good player, so maybe there is something else that I'm not seeing that has stopped him from playing for a bigger team. Normally the other French sides would be snapping someone like him up from the smaller teams but so far at least he doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

[youtube=Qj1OJLvKMz4]
Click to expand...


Good find, wee_od. Very good info and analysis too! :emoticon:01

As you said, with his attributes he should be playing at a higher level. A real odd one too unless the player himself is also a bit of an odd one. Having said that sometimes players slip through the cracks.

Nelom would kinda make sense for us but what's in it for him? He's already playing second fiddle where he is and would be a definite second fiddle player with us - 3rd or 4th fiddle for CB. Can't see us paying him much more than he's already on either. Hayes will be Sinclair's direct replacement if the latter is injured so Melon wouldn't get a look-in further forward.
Hey, I'd take him if he's happy to come but it's yet another head scratcher after BR's comments on LB cover.

Anyhoo, I will call him Melon :emoticon:65
 
Yeah I don't understand Melon at all. He's not even one of those LBs that has played as a winger before either. He's basically just been a LB his whole career........it makes NO sense!

Not sure what the issue is with Ekambi.....maybe he just doesn't do enough away from those highlights. Maybe the highlights are about all he does in a game. But I've seen clips of him on the wing and slide tackling for the ball and seeming to work hard to win the ball back so that would suggest that's not the problem.
 
Chris Sutton claims he "has it on good authority" that Patrick Roberts wants to return to Celtic and that the deal is being done, it's just a matter of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s. He said 100% Roberts wants to come back here!
So maybe we'll have him by the second leg?

BR has hit out at Armstrong's advisers saying that the contract talks have stalled again and it's now affecting the player's confidence. It most clearly has and while he'll be in the squad for tonight's first game against Astana, I don't expect him to start and I'm not even convinced he'll come off the bench unless really required!
 
Armstrong's advisers aren't holding him hostage ffs, the only party to these negotiations who is needing a boot in the baws here is Armstrong himself. Either sign it or get tae fuck. And as no club have made an offer for him yet good luck with the latter. He'll be trying to run his contract down and BR has alluded to this although he hasn't said it directly. Rodgers also said that the players pick the team, which I'm pretty sure is a direct warning to Armstrong about how the next year will pan out for him when he finds his arse left out of first team football.

Personally I'd rather he just left or was punted now. He's fucked off too many with this contract bullshit and I would never fully trust him again. He's also been utter dung for all but 6 months of his current contract and I doubt he'll ever reach that level again either with us us or elsewhere.

If, and I stress if, Roberts doesn't want to sign permanently with us and just wants another loan deal then I think we should say 'thanks but no thanks, paddy' and move on to another target.

 
I know what you mean about Paddy. It's what Deila used to say about developing players for other teams, it's got to be in our interest and now I don't think it would be any more unless we could claim some sort of training fee from any potential sale. We need a permanent signing on the wing and if they can play up front, all the better for us!

The news on Armstrong this afternoon is that it should be done by the end of the week. His representatives have had more talks with the club today and it's a case or ironing out the finer details but it looks like whatever the hold-up was before, that hurdle has been passed!

On Rivaldo Coetzee - his club say that they won't stand in the way of him joining us. Ajax Cape Town and his Coetzee's agent has confirmed there is interest from Celtic but no bid yet. I don't think they are asking for a huge sum of money for him so I don't think they are expecting problems in terms of them not getting the money they want for him. I think they know the player will want the move and that they can't compete financially.
 
Update on Kouassi and Boyata...

Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, last night revealed that Eboue Kouassi, the Ivorian midfielder, has to undergo an ankle operation and will be sidelined for up to two months.

Eboue, the 19-year-old who cost £3 million from Russian club Krasnodar back in January, made his first appearance of the 2017/18 campaign in the Betfred Cup match with Kilmarnock last week.

However, he was substituted before half-time after suffering an injury which will require minor surgery tomorrow.

Elsewhere, Dedryck Boyata, who has been out since July with a knee problem, should be alright to return to action next month.

“Kouassi will have an operation on Thursday," said Rodgers. “Two of the players went to London to have check-ups on where they are at.

“Boyata is good news. He comes back and he’ll be back in early September. Kouassi will have an operation on his ankle.

"The knee is stable, but there was a bit at his ankle similar to what Tom Rogic had and it puts him out for six to nine weeks. It is a shame for the boy because he was doing so well."

Kouassi has had absolutely no effin luck since joining us but this is at least better news than first feared. Boyata seems to spend a large part of every season injured so it's par for the course with him.

Translating the Armstrong saga: 'his agents have been unable to get him a move and both Armstrong and his agents shat themselves when Rodgers hinted strongly that his arse would not see first team football for a year if he and his agents didn't stop fucking us about'. :emoticon:35

We badly needed the '6th month wonder Armstrong' tonight but he decided it was better to be a complete dick so he and his bouncy hair and his cunty agents can all go and fuck themselves :emoticon:29
 
It's not horrendous news for Kouassi and I look forward to his return because he looks a player! Good news on Boyata as well. Having him back should make a big difference at the back, hopefully he finds form quickly.
 
I reserve the right to start liking THE HAIR again once he a) ceases being a dick b) signs a new contract and c) starts playing like the Brendan Rodgers player rather than the Ronny Deila one.

As you were x
 
Surely after last night's result we can maybe get ahead of the game and get our CL targets lined up and deals done nice and early?
 
Certainly makes it more likely but other than Roberts I'm not sure we have any other definite targets lined up. Maybe the Rivaldo kid? BR has been consistent in saying the end of the transfer window is where he'll hopefully get the quality players he's looking for. Where Roberts falls in that I don't know.

We've rightly become wary, and with good reason, about this waiting until the end of the window because in the past under lawwell we've either signed nowt (we tried) or utter dross in last gasp desperation punts. BR won't put up with any of that shite and I think he marked PL's card in January for failing to deliver for him. Kouassi was signed but BR had targeted others as a priority with a view to this years CL qualifying.

As for this window, other than Roberts it's hard to tell who BR wants or even what positions he wants to strengthen with the real quality players he talks about.

I think he'd take a quality CB if one was available as I'm pretty sure Erik will be punted either in this window or january. Boyata is injury prone and is unlikely to play a full season with us. Touch wood Jozo has no more knee problems.

Pretty sure he'd also take another quality creative attacking midfielder.

I'm sure he now also realises that he needs to address the 3rd striker option.
 
Absolutely correct!

I think the 3rd striker and possibly another winger or attacking, creative midfielder will be towards the end of the window. 3rd striker is likely to be a 6 month loan for an out of favour striker or someone who's just been pushed down the pecking order because their club have signed new players and want to get first team football rather than sitting on the bench. Someone who can play in attack, ie a winger or attacking midfielder or preferably someone who can play both could still be an option if we can find someone with the right quality, even if Roberts does come in. It also depends whether the Roberts deal is going to be another loan or a permanent signing.

A quality CB, if available must be a priority for the CL! However, it depends whether we think someone of the right quality and at the right price is available. The other option might be someone younger at CB, more as cover in the hope that they will be a CL quality CB fairly quickly. Coetzee could be such a player and we've been linked with Jean-Kevin Duverne of RC Lens as well. Duverne is likely to cost us more money and there are other big French teams reportedly interested in him although no move yet but despite playing in Ligue2, he may offer the better quality of player.
 
Bouncy hair has signed a 2 year contract to 2019, which is a year longer than his current one.

As I said the other night BR's menacingly subtle comments about it being the players who pick his team combined with Celtic's refusal to accept any stupidly low bids of £3-4m have put the fear of god into bouncy hair and his 'agents'.

He'll be punted in January on our terms and at our price. It may not happen until the end of this season but, equally, it could also happen before the end of this transfer window as the mid to lower EPL teams get ever more desperate.

We have so much competition for both defensive and attacking midfield that Armstrong will no longer be a guaranteed starter. So he'll find his game time is limited and that's before current form is taken into account, or his lack of any, to be precise. He's done himself no favours football-wise and could end up ruing the day he appointed his 'agents'.

Roberts on another year long loan seems to be the latest although no deal has been agreed.

Coetzee would only be brought in as a prospect if it were to happen, imo. The standard of football in the S.A. league isn't great and is fairly slow paced too. So he'd need a lot of time to adapt. I don't think a year would be too unrealistic. He could be a good cheap prospect but I still think we need a proper partner for Jozo who isn't liable to be out injured for a few months every few months.

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Edit

REJOICE for the unshiftable has been er, shifted :emoticon:73 :emoticon:73 :emoticon:73

Only for a a year but it's still cause for hookers drugs and celebrations! :emoticon:77

<b>Nadir Ciftci is to join Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan</b>

Number 7 jersey has been freed up. Just syain...

Welease Woberts!
 
Agree about Coetzee, hence why I said Duverne is probably actually a higher quality target. It's all well and good filling our team with exciting potential and they are getting some game time but at some point we have to first-team AND CL ready players. You all know I'm a fan of bringing through the young players but it's about having balance. BR clearly doesn't feel Ajer is ready for CL football. He needs a season with the team, playing CB in domestic games before he's ready to be played at CL level. Why would Coetzee be any different to Ajer?
The thought of Bitton playing CB against top teams in the CL group stages is enough to make just about every Celtic fan shudder!

Reports today suggest Roberts will be the first of 3 new signings once we're passed Astana on Tuesday night. One is thought to be a CB and the other potentially a 3rd striker option. Still not sure how I feel about Roberts on another season long loan though.......I'd rather it was a permanent switch.
 
Coetzee scored his first professional goal yesterday, and was then taken off shortly after with a hamstring injury! :emoticon:19 *lucky white heather*

A good prospect so we might still look at bringing him in to develop.

Copenhagen still trying to get Sviatchenko and are apparently willing to blow their load on him - which is totally uncalled for! A firm handshake or a friendly peck on the (upper) cheek is more than enough. They haven't even offered him dinner and a movie ffs, the filthy Danish sex mad bastards that they are! :emoticon:22

And anyway, we are demanding a much bigger load than they can shoot :emoticon:33

:emoticon:75 :emoticon:76 :emoticon:86 :emoticon:78

The Danishers will need to push their longboat out much further than their initial £3-4m offers. We know we'll get at least double that without really trying from an Englisher club, so the Danishers can suck our plums - which they say they want to do anyway whether they sign him or not. A deviant bunch and no mistake!

That's quite enough filth for one day.

On new CB's, Filip Benkovic got a mention although it may have been from a drunken seagull although someone like Duverne seems more likely and would further increase our French connection.

PL is still in uncontrollable fits of laughter as Burnley make a hilarious £10m attempt to sign Jozo after selling a lesser player for £25m. PL was later rushed to accident and emergency when Stoke mentioned £20m for Kieran Tierney. It seems a bit steep for a signed pair of KT's boots but the stupid no-mark fuckers can afford them.


:emoticon:90
 
Coetzee picked up an injury? Oh dear lord! It doesn't seem to have put us off though as we're still apparently set to seal a deal for him.

I've read that we knocked back a bid for Sviatchenko from Fiorientina....... :emoticon:10 £2.7m apparently. We won't let him go until we have cover in.

Being linked with strikers again now and 2 names have come up. One is Chuba Akpom from Arsenal. 21 year old, been on loan numerous times. Last season he spent the second part of the season with Brighton in the Championship, made 10 appearances and didn't score. The season before he was with Hull where he made 41 appearances, scoring 7. He can play on the wing as well so whether BR thinks he can bring the best out of this lad and that he'll act more as striker cover and play on the wing most of the time I'm not sure. Leeds are also said to be interested. Whether it would be a loan or permanent I'm not sure. Doesn't get me excited anyway.

The other one is an Iranian striker playing in Russia. We've been linked with him before but his price tag is currently set around £10m.....if that's true then it simply won't happen! Not because we can't afford it but because of the effect it would have on other players and the balance of the team. Sardar Azmoun is his name. 22 year old, 6ft tall. 2 starts and 5 sub appearances so far this season, zero goals! Last season he started 29 of 41 appearances, scored 12 goals including goals in the Champions League group stage against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

Worrying trend in the strikers we're being linked to......that trend being the lack of goals they score! :emoticon:16
 
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