D Day 2010
So that’s the window ‘slammed shut’ then, well we certainly weren’t the only ones who didn’t rush and sneak someone in as the window was metaphorically shutting yesterday. With the Stokes deal albeit a done deal on Monday, now officially completed – it leaves us with a current first team squad of; L. Zaluska, F. Forster, D. Cervi, E. Izaguirre, D. Majstorovic, J. Hooiveld, Cha Du Ri, M. Wilson, M. Misun, C. Mulgrew, G. Loovens, T. Rogne, E. Juarez, S. Brown, S. Maloney, N. McGinn, J. Ledley, M. Crosas, Ki Sung Yeung, P. McCourt, B.Kayal, J.Forrest, G. Samaras, A. Stokes, D. Murphy, G.Hooper, with Andy Hinkel out with long term injury
Looking at the all round quality and balance of those players I can’t say I’m unhappy with it;
First step for the team to really gel will be getting together a settled team and in particular the back line – as the importance of the centre half partnership cannot be overlooked. Lennon as already mentioned about the team changing set up dependant on the opposition or whether Celtic are at home or away, however he will look to send out the same defence week in week out no doubt, and allow the middle to front to be changed in relation to the teams we are trying to break down. Majstorovic has got to be part of the pairing, as his experience (never mind ability) will be vital to build from particularly early season, and although many Celtic fans may be disappointed that no other centre half was brought in during the transfer window, the manager must well think that the likes of Hooiveld, Loovens, Misun, and Rogne who all have been seen in their careers to have decent potential can provide a foil for the aggression and know-how of the big Swedish defender. Again, would Kelvin Wilson, Curtis Davis or various other names, be a certain improvement or partnership with Majstorovic, I’m not so sure. It’s my belief that by the next transfer window the squad we currently have will have produced a far more steady and reliable partnership than we’ve seen in recent years.
While on the topic of players we didn’t sign, again I was not distraught that Robbie Keane didn’t make another deadline day dash – this time to sign permanently. Sure if we could have got him on loan would have certainly been worth another go, but for any more than a year, we’d be looking at 6 million at least if we’d got him permanently, and what sell on value would we be looking at there. Not worth what we’d have got from him I’d guess, particularly given this season will see us plough a domestic furrow only, and we should be quite confident that we are more than capable of edging out Richard Foster et al.
Regardless of their long term capabilities as players, which only time will tell, the only player Lennon has purchased that I am unsure about why we signed and his place in the squad is the weekends goal scorer Daryl Murphy. Given his transfer fee is undisclosed but estimated to be somewhere between £1-£1.5 million, I cant see what Lennon expects from the former Sunderland man that he couldn’t have from Morten Rassmussen. The Scandinavian forward is not someone I can profess a great knowledge of due in large to such fleeting appearances since he signed – but neither he nor Murphy are the quickest, but would provide much needed physical presence against certain opposition. The main difference between the two is probably best noted in Rasmussen’s goal scoring record – whereas Murphy can’t quite claim to be prolific.
The turn over of players is turnover still too high in a short space of time for my liking – not even taking into consideration the ability of players brought in and inadequacies of those who are away, but I feel a more gradual approach would give each new comer a slightly better chance of succeeding, and not as great a risk of instant abject failure! However Lennon obviously decided swift action was needed and the one great positive the transfer window brings, in my opinion - is that now it’s good to be able to close the hatch and know what we’ve got to work with – and let the management team shape them into the team they and we want, one in which that will win the league.
I have looked on enviously at the way Rangers have made the best out of a decidedly mediocre squad, their better player reaching a consistent level, and the other guys digging in for the team. When someone underperforms, their lack of options often leaves him in the team for next week, and there are no great chances. That consistency brings not only a unity and spirit, but the players become familiar with how everyone plays and the system becomes indoctrinated in the whole squad. That’s what Celtic under Lennon need to achieve, and I think the squad we have amassed while having far more options and strength in depth that Rangers, are capable of mirroring their admirable focus that has dragged them out of the mire while we were busy shooting ourselves in the foot repeatedly.
We have again outspent rangers and have a far stronger looking squad so I was in no rush to see the money from the sale of Aiden McGeady spent just so we can see ourselves at net sellers. Also if the players specified by the manager weren’t available at the right price then maybe it was best not to be hung out to dry over a player we likely wont need to win a league against an even poorer rangers side than their previous poor side. Celtic fans seem obsessed by buying big – marquee signings, big money, blue chip, call it what you will, the last time we did, Hibs played hardball for Scott Brown and saw us spend nearly £5 million on him. The majority of fans haven’t exactly thought he has represented much bang for those bucks. I stand by my view that we have spent enough ever season since the turn of the millennium to have secured the league given the standard of our opposition. I understand there is a slightly displaced anger associated with this dating back to our lack of spending in January 20009 - although if the manager wasn’t able to win the league with the 7 point advantage, and a better squad than our competition then perhaps he wasn’t the right man to have been given more money to in retrospect. That said, perhaps with the shrewd moves Lennon has made thus far we need not worry about that this season, not only is there still money in the pot available for players, but its conceivable that we will already have blown Rangers out of the water by January.
Looking at the all round quality and balance of those players I can’t say I’m unhappy with it;
First step for the team to really gel will be getting together a settled team and in particular the back line – as the importance of the centre half partnership cannot be overlooked. Lennon as already mentioned about the team changing set up dependant on the opposition or whether Celtic are at home or away, however he will look to send out the same defence week in week out no doubt, and allow the middle to front to be changed in relation to the teams we are trying to break down. Majstorovic has got to be part of the pairing, as his experience (never mind ability) will be vital to build from particularly early season, and although many Celtic fans may be disappointed that no other centre half was brought in during the transfer window, the manager must well think that the likes of Hooiveld, Loovens, Misun, and Rogne who all have been seen in their careers to have decent potential can provide a foil for the aggression and know-how of the big Swedish defender. Again, would Kelvin Wilson, Curtis Davis or various other names, be a certain improvement or partnership with Majstorovic, I’m not so sure. It’s my belief that by the next transfer window the squad we currently have will have produced a far more steady and reliable partnership than we’ve seen in recent years.
While on the topic of players we didn’t sign, again I was not distraught that Robbie Keane didn’t make another deadline day dash – this time to sign permanently. Sure if we could have got him on loan would have certainly been worth another go, but for any more than a year, we’d be looking at 6 million at least if we’d got him permanently, and what sell on value would we be looking at there. Not worth what we’d have got from him I’d guess, particularly given this season will see us plough a domestic furrow only, and we should be quite confident that we are more than capable of edging out Richard Foster et al.
Regardless of their long term capabilities as players, which only time will tell, the only player Lennon has purchased that I am unsure about why we signed and his place in the squad is the weekends goal scorer Daryl Murphy. Given his transfer fee is undisclosed but estimated to be somewhere between £1-£1.5 million, I cant see what Lennon expects from the former Sunderland man that he couldn’t have from Morten Rassmussen. The Scandinavian forward is not someone I can profess a great knowledge of due in large to such fleeting appearances since he signed – but neither he nor Murphy are the quickest, but would provide much needed physical presence against certain opposition. The main difference between the two is probably best noted in Rasmussen’s goal scoring record – whereas Murphy can’t quite claim to be prolific.
The turn over of players is turnover still too high in a short space of time for my liking – not even taking into consideration the ability of players brought in and inadequacies of those who are away, but I feel a more gradual approach would give each new comer a slightly better chance of succeeding, and not as great a risk of instant abject failure! However Lennon obviously decided swift action was needed and the one great positive the transfer window brings, in my opinion - is that now it’s good to be able to close the hatch and know what we’ve got to work with – and let the management team shape them into the team they and we want, one in which that will win the league.
I have looked on enviously at the way Rangers have made the best out of a decidedly mediocre squad, their better player reaching a consistent level, and the other guys digging in for the team. When someone underperforms, their lack of options often leaves him in the team for next week, and there are no great chances. That consistency brings not only a unity and spirit, but the players become familiar with how everyone plays and the system becomes indoctrinated in the whole squad. That’s what Celtic under Lennon need to achieve, and I think the squad we have amassed while having far more options and strength in depth that Rangers, are capable of mirroring their admirable focus that has dragged them out of the mire while we were busy shooting ourselves in the foot repeatedly.
We have again outspent rangers and have a far stronger looking squad so I was in no rush to see the money from the sale of Aiden McGeady spent just so we can see ourselves at net sellers. Also if the players specified by the manager weren’t available at the right price then maybe it was best not to be hung out to dry over a player we likely wont need to win a league against an even poorer rangers side than their previous poor side. Celtic fans seem obsessed by buying big – marquee signings, big money, blue chip, call it what you will, the last time we did, Hibs played hardball for Scott Brown and saw us spend nearly £5 million on him. The majority of fans haven’t exactly thought he has represented much bang for those bucks. I stand by my view that we have spent enough ever season since the turn of the millennium to have secured the league given the standard of our opposition. I understand there is a slightly displaced anger associated with this dating back to our lack of spending in January 20009 - although if the manager wasn’t able to win the league with the 7 point advantage, and a better squad than our competition then perhaps he wasn’t the right man to have been given more money to in retrospect. That said, perhaps with the shrewd moves Lennon has made thus far we need not worry about that this season, not only is there still money in the pot available for players, but its conceivable that we will already have blown Rangers out of the water by January.
posted by Michael__67 at 4:42 PM
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