signing up prospects from lower league would seem like a good way for Celtic to go, too- is it somethign they've been doing much of ailsa? (i've fallen off the SPL wagon in a big way this past two years tbh)
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 10:56 (thirteen years ago) link
If by lower league you mean "Hibs", then yes :-)
Difficult to put a pattern on it over the last couple of years, tbh with Strachan aware he was leaving and not spending any money accordingly (Willo Flood doesn't count), then Tony Mowbray flinging money and loan deals around indiscriminately like a drowning man scrabbling for lifelines. Couple of of "prospects" came from Ireland - Paddy McCourt and Niall McGinn - both bought for next to nothing, McCourt is genius but unfit, McGinn's useful but probably not quite good enough yet. We've got a training ground full of worldwide-sourced prospects, of those, I certainly think Thomas Rogne looks the real deal (if someone can sellotape his hamstrings back together), jury's still out on Morten Rasmussen.
Only English "lower league" player I can think of off the top of my head just now that we've bought recently was Marc Antoine Fortune (jury out for so long they might as well stop deliberating), who could never really be described as a bargain or a prospect.
(am quite happy to take this over the SPL thread to stop the Liverpool Tottingham chat getting taken over)
― ailsa, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:40 (thirteen years ago) link
With Ledley and Hooper I get the feeling the strategy is to buy guys who look like they have the potential to catch the eyes of an English Premier League team and are young enough they'll have a good resale value if they put in a good season or two (Ledley was reportedly subject to a failed £8m bid last year). Same probably goes for Juarez.
McCourt is genius but unfit
I've yet to see the evidence of this lack of fitness - he's looked the best player in the country to me and never seems to be struggling (though only playing once a month gives you plenty of time to get your breath back).
― embrace the flopping? no thanks (onimo), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:50 (thirteen years ago) link
The fact they only let him out for 20 minutes a month suggests unfitness to me.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Also Paddy looks like old school tanner-ba' players are meant to look and should therefore always play.http://i35.tinypic.com/303cw0o.jpg
― embrace the flopping? no thanks (onimo), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:53 (thirteen years ago) link
suggests unfitness to me
and if he's been training with Celtic for two year why the fuck isn't he fit? You maybe accept a guy coming from the Irish league might not have the same fitness levels when he arrives but they've had a fuckload of time since then to train him.
(sorry Spurs, you are still big, carry on)
― embrace the flopping? no thanks (onimo), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:55 (thirteen years ago) link
Same probably goes for Juarez
Neil Lennon quoted as saying almost exactly that (that he has potential resale value). After years and years of running players into the ground rather than capitalise and replace, I think someone's finally sussed out how everyone else with any sense does it.
xposts, aye, that an' all. 20 Paddy minutes are generally more productive than a whole month of MAF.
other xpost, no idea why he's so allegedly unfit. Same as I have no idea why Celtic can't keep anyone's hamstrings intact for five minutes.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:59 (thirteen years ago) link
http://i35.tinypic.com/303cw0o.jpglooks mentally unfit to me
― cozen, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:30 (thirteen years ago) link
rename thread to CELTIC ARE STILL A BIG CLUB
Course we are, huge stadium, regularly competing with Europe's elite in pre-season friendlies.
― embrace the flopping? no thanks (onimo), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:37 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm not old enough to remember when tottenham were a big club
― cozen, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:40 (thirteen years ago) link
shouldn't celtics strategy just be to sit back and laff at rangers going bust?
― a hoy hoy, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:55 (thirteen years ago) link
is, afaik
― nakhchivan, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:58 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah we've been doing that for two years and they seem to be doing all the laffing :(
― embrace the flopping? no thanks (onimo), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:03 (thirteen years ago) link
You maybe accept a guy coming from the Irish league might not have the same fitness levels when he arrives
I don't! If they irish league guys don't have stamina and workrate then they don't have anything tbh.
Paddy mcCourt has been a prospect for a long, long time. 'mentally unfit' is probably very close to teh truth of the matter here.
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:10 (thirteen years ago) link
Agree 100% on LB, I want a dour, experienced LB-by-trade, and not a frustrated 'footballer'.
does this include wayne bridge?
― mizzell, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:47 (thirteen years ago) link
nah he's actually attack minded, just shit.
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:48 (thirteen years ago) link
At the same time if you have a player like Vedran Corluka (solid, hardly ever fucks up, no pace whatsover) on either side that limits your attacking options somewhat.
The idea of playing Bale week in week out and making sure his defensive awareness improves seems like the way forward, if he can be developed to Ashley Cole level (and I absolutely believe he can) then that's enough. Maybe a dour experienced leftback as backup but how many of those are there in this day and age? I can't think of many particularly good LBs in the Premiership.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:50 (thirteen years ago) link
lbs >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> rbs
― a hoy hoy, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Corluka is a very good footballer, just not pacy. He is, imo, about the best partner for Lennon that we could wish for in terms of his movement and passing.
I don't think Bale will ever match Cole defensively, but IMO he's already better going forward. I don't think he'll ever be a good LB defensively, really. Heart's not in it, the poor tot.
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:54 (thirteen years ago) link
It's easy to forget that Ashley Cole was seen as a bit of a defensive liability during his first through years at Arsenal. I'd give the boy Bale a bit more time meself.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:56 (thirteen years ago) link
hey i'm not advocating dropping him or anything
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:57 (thirteen years ago) link
Maybe a dour experienced leftback as backup but how many of those are there in this day and age? I can't think of many particularly good LBs in the Premiership.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:50 AM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
This is my point. BAE is near the top, surely?
― mizzell, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:58 (thirteen years ago) link
BAE improved a lot this year, but I mean every game he'll Phil Babb.
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:59 (thirteen years ago) link
BAE has improved both in attack and defence but he just has these stupid rushes of blood to the head that result in conceded penalties and near misses. If you could cut that out of his game he'd be fine.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 14:03 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah, like I said he'll Phil Babb
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 14:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Noticed that Celtic failed to qualify for the Champions League tonight. I was expecting Spurs to have to play a qualifier - I guess the "co-efficient" or whatever its called means English fourth placed clubs now qualify automatically - right? Or have I missed something?
As a BITTER LFC fan I was looking forward to the possibility of them not making it - just like Everton when they pipped us a few years ago!
― kraudive, Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:44 (thirteen years ago) link
there's another round of qualifiers after tonight's- draw takes place friday
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:45 (thirteen years ago) link
ah - well that was the other explanation. Thanks.
― kraudive, Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:50 (thirteen years ago) link
who cares about the champions league? the lads brought the eusebio cup back to the lane
http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/Dawsontrophy415.jpg
― mizzell, Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:51 (thirteen years ago) link
ha that's classic
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 22:10 (thirteen years ago) link
Dos Santos! Is he any good? Thought he looked a tricky little thang in the World Cup.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 22:13 (thirteen years ago) link
classic ability vs reported attitude probs
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 22:19 (thirteen years ago) link
+ inability to get any of his 12 shots a game even on target.
― a hoy hoy, Wednesday, 4 August 2010 22:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Dos Santos will never make it in the Premiership, we should cash in on his decentish World Cup now.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 August 2010 22:39 (thirteen years ago) link
hasty imo.
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 22:40 (thirteen years ago) link
his tasty flick brought spurs the eusebio cup glory!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQwLpEZ1D-8&feature=player_embedded#!
around 4:20 in
― mizzell, Wednesday, 4 August 2010 23:39 (thirteen years ago) link
aw cheers for that, watching this second
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 23:42 (thirteen years ago) link
i gotta pause that for a sec and just say- wow benfica
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 23:48 (thirteen years ago) link
and now i gotta reload wtf
didn't get to see all of it it kept skipping on me, but from what i caught there's no way we should have won that one.
;_; for sub waiting to come on when we scored
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 23:59 (thirteen years ago) link
benfica looked amazing in that
― pies. (gbx), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 23:59 (thirteen years ago) link
yes but they do not like it up them iirc
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Thursday, 5 August 2010 00:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Haha yeah from those highlights it looks like Spurs got ripped up for 90mins and somehow still won.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 5 August 2010 08:34 (thirteen years ago) link
BTW
Forgot completely about Kaboul in our discussion of 'do we need another centre half' so the answer is a definite 'no' cos I <3 that dude.
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Thursday, 5 August 2010 15:29 (thirteen years ago) link
we're goin to the CL folks
― "It's far from 'loi' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Friday, 6 August 2010 10:23 (thirteen years ago) link
prayers for young boys answered.
― r|t|c, Friday, 6 August 2010 10:32 (thirteen years ago) link
glad about this btw - got the makings of an absolute egg-on-face classic
― r|t|c, Friday, 6 August 2010 10:34 (thirteen years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Sutter
and here's your instrument of fate
― r|t|c, Friday, 6 August 2010 10:40 (thirteen years ago) link