Quality and quantity have had to be brought in

With 9 confirmed signings in the transfer window so far, it is easy to see why some quarters have been having a pop at Celtic. Over the last few days, the term “quality not quantity” has seeped into the consciousness of football fans and no doubt the apparent mad-dash approach of Neil Lennon is the intended target.

Far be it from us to wade into the merits of each player but on showings so far, the new signings made by Celtic appear to have a fair share of quality players. They also have Charlie Mulgrew…but no one expects a 100% return.

Surely no one can deny though that Celtic needed major change after last season. Too many players underperformed and needed shipped out. There is an argument that performances last season meant that everyone on the books could be considered up for grabs…and no reasonable offer refused!

Since the end of last season, there have been 20 players exiting Celtic Park, either permanently on loan. This figure can be qualified by saying that 6 of the players haven’t had any notable first team action but even allowing for that, this means the club are 14 players down…….and this doesn’t include the players who were on loan at Celtic Park last season.

This equates to an entire squad of outgoings and yet you have people questioning the numbers of signings Celtic are making! It’s also safe to say that the outgoings at Celtic Park are not finished yet either.

The rumour mill is still buzzing with talk of Glen Loovens off to Cardiff City, a bid is close to being accepted for Marc Antoine Fortune and who can say for definite if Marc Crosas, Scott Brown or Georgios Samaras will remain at Celtic Park come September!

You could make a reasonable starting line-up and full squad out of players that have exited Celtic this summer (and this doesn’t include the loan players like Keane, Kamara, N’Guemo and World Cup Final player Edson Braafheid)

Artur Boruc
Paul Caddis
Darren O’Dea
Stephen McManus
Lee Naylor
Aiden McGeady
Zheng Zhi
Paul McGowan
Koki Mizuno
Morten Rasmussen
Cillian Sheridan

With Josh Thomspon, Ben Hutchison and Simon Ferry sitting alongside Mark Miller, Jason Marr, Luca Santonocito, Daniel Lafferty, Graham Carey and Charlie Grant on the outskirts of the departed 11, is it any wonder there have been so many players coming in?

There have been plenty of ins and outs at Celtic so far this summer…and we think the last week of the window is going to bring even more upheaval and chaos for the playing squad at Celtic Park. There are still some areas Celtic would like to strengthen and if further exits take place, more recruits will be needed.

How many more do you think Celtic will sign?

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Will there be a Rapid move for Rangers?

Rangers currently have Honduran striker Georgie Welcome on trial at Murray Park but all Rangers eyes are on another striker today. The player who performed at the World Cup may do enough to convince Walter Smith to add him to the Ibrox squad but there is no doubt who the Rangers faithful want on board.

Any striker who scores against Celtic will grab some level of admiration amongst the Rangers fans but given the way Celtic have been defending of late that would lead to an awful long list of players that Rangers could be interested in.

Rapid Vienna striker Nikica Jelavic has shown fine form at the Austrian club and two goals tonight against Beroe has only added to the interest in the striker. On one hand, it shows that Rangers are tracking a striker with promise and potential.

On the other hand, if other clubs place Jelavic on their radar, Rangers may see the player move out of their availability range.

The financial difficulties of the Ibrox club are well documented but the talk from the club is that there is money available to strengthen the squad.

With limited funds, there has to be some prioritisation with new faces at Ibrox and some fans may wonder if the striker would be the best signing for Ranger? Walter Smith has repeatedly said that adding players to the wide positions of the squad is his main aim for this transfer window.

Rangers have a number of players at the club that can play up front and you only have to think back to the second half of last season when Kris Boyd stopped scoring. His goals were not missed as other members of the Ibrox squad chipped in with vital strikes, so if the chances are created, you think Rangers will take them.

There is still a long way to go in the transfer window and the need for a striker may become more apparent as August rolls on but at the moment, we are wondering why the Ibrox rumour mill seems to be spinning with respect to strikers?

As we’ve said a few times, direct entry to the Champions League has given Rangers additional time in developing their squad. By the end of Wednesday night, it may also have given Rangers a bit more money to play with.

If city rivals Celtic are unable to overturn Braga’s first leg lead, they will drop into the Europa League play-off round, ensuring Rangers get all the Scottish pot of TV money from Europe’s premier competition.

With a home friendly against Newcastle United at the weekend, Rangers would probably like to be able to give their fans a lift before the start of the new season but there’s plenty of time for ins (and maybe even more outs) at Ibrox.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Walter Smith looking to strengthen

It seems to be generally accepted that Rangers will need to add to their squad this summer but with boss Walter Smith saying he is looking to make up to three signings, where do you think the Gers need to strengthen the most?

The Rangers boss has already mentioned he wishes to bring in players in a wide position and this was shown with Rangers willingness to speak to Chris Eagles from Burnley. In the end, the move broke down with both parties making comments that placed the blame on the other party.

Chris Eagles made the first comment announcing that the move was not “in his best interests”. A day later, Martin Bain retaliated by saying that the player’s excessive wage demands were the cause of the break-down of the move.

There was probably a gap between both parties but the pursuit of Eagles definitely confirms interest in a wide player. Don’t forget that DaMarcus Beasley and Nacho Novo have left this summer.

At the moment, Rangers have two fine goalkeepers in their squad so that is definitely not an area they have to be looking at.

Equally, unless centre half’s exit before the transfer window closes, you would say that Rangers are well served in that area as well. Then again, Norwegian under 19 internationalist Krister Wemberg is currently undergoing a trial with the Ibrox side.

There may be a question mark over the full-back areas and the news that Sasa Papac has picked up an injury and will miss Rangers tour of Australia can’t be good for Walter Smith.

Kevin Thomson’s exit from the SPL champions may leave a gap in midfield but it could allow Steven Davis to play in the centre of the park more often and of course, Lee McCulloch has proved to be an indispensible player for Walter Smith. Maurice Edu is also a fans favourite at Ibrox and he may be featuring the starting line-up on a far more regular basis this season.

Rangers may well be tempted to add another striker to their books, even though Kenny Miller and Kyle Lafferty chipped in with goals at the end of the campaign when Kris Boyd stopped scoring.

So…a wide player, a striker and a centre half…is this what you would go for to strengthen the Rangers side?

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Edwin de Graaf to bring experience to Yogi’s boys

Hibs have announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Edwin de Graaf on a two year contract, tying him to the Easter Road club until June 2012.

The player moves to Leith after spending the past four years at NAC Breda, where he was captain of the club.

John Hughes raved about the box to box qualities of the midfielder and there is no doubt that this type of player is highly coveted in any team or league. Whether a 30 year old more suited to the more sedate pace of the Dutch Eredivise can bring the same qualities to the SPL remains to be seen.

This is in no way a criticism of the player and all kudos to himself and Hibs for making this move happen but it has to be said that the two leagues have a large difference in style. If de Graaf can settle in quickly and bring his qualities to Hibs, the Easter Road faithful are in for a treat.

His Uefa Cup experience will also be crucial to a Hibs side that are hoping to battle through the Europa League qualifying rounds to seal a place in the tournament proper. Spirit and creative guile were the watchwords for Hibs at their peak last season but there is no doubt a little bit of steel and use of the “black arts” of European football could take Hibs further than they managed this season.

Sealing a European place was the least that Hibs deserved for their efforts in the first half of the SPL campaign so hopefully Hibs can recapture that early season form and make their mark on the Europa League.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Csaba Laszlo will not be amused

According to the BBC, the word from Tynecastle is sure to give Csaba Laszlo an unhappy start to the New Year. Hearts have two strikers on trial at the moment and fans have been hopeful that Izale McLeod and Steven MacLean would be added to their squad for the second half of the season.

The BBC stated that Vladimir Romanov is not likely to sanction moves for strikers Izale McLeod and Steven MacLean, although this may be referring to permanent transfers as opposed to loan moves. At the moment, this is just speculation but will certainly dampen the enthusiasm that Jambo fans have had since these players have been on trial.

Certainly Csaba Laszlo has asked for reinforcements for his squad and has made pleas to Vladimir Romanov to release some funds for the squad. In all likelihood, this has a better chance of seeing Laszlo released from his contracted duties at Tynecastle.

This news will be positive for Aberdeen and Mark McGhee who have signalled an interest in Steven MacLean, at least for picking him up at the end of a season on a Bosman deal. The fact that the striker has been training with Hearts was obviously a concern for all concerned at Pittodrie but this latest news may give some hope for McGhees summer re-building plans.

With the transfer window not yet open, it remains to be seen what Hearts spending options are going to be in January but if there are no reinforcements, it could be a long old season.

Well, maybe not for Csaba Laszlo!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.