Celtic FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014/15 Mod Warning post #6011

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11781/9054483/the-scottish-premiership-match-between-celtic-and-kilmarnock-has-been-moved-to-29-january

"The Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Kilmarnock, scheduled for Saturday January 11, has been rearranged for Wednesday January 29 after the SPFL board agreed to a request from Celtic."

Celtic force a winter break for themselves

Considering the amount of competitive games Celtic will have played by then and the lack of a proper summer break, I see nothing wrong with moving 1 game tbh.

That just throws players into the deep end with little chance of showcasing their ability because everyone is unfamiliar with each other.

I want to see more gametime for squad players but some of them haven't shown any reason to be picked again.

Rogic & McGeouch need to be farmed out in january. Lustig needs hip surgery so Fisher will be needed to cover matthews.

Balde needs a run of 5 games at least with the strongest team possible to get his confidence going. Pukki & Stokes have gotten enough gametime and not taken their chances.

Antifa161 wrote: »

It's not "the deep end" though is it? It's an SPL match in January. It's about as shallow an end you get outside of pre-season friendlies.

Also these players train with each other every week. If they can't play a game of football together now they're not going to make it anyway. But besides, my point is that the worst they can do is miss out on 3 pts.

We should be doing this more often, not actively avoiding the opportunity.

You did suggest playing youth players. They dont train with the first team. ive been moaning about the lack of player development by celtic on this forum for a good while now. wholesale changes for one game yields little results in terms of player development and the performance is completely flat.

The assumption that training together means that any combination will click is wrong because we've all seen what happens.

best approach imo is to drop players that dont have good games by their own standards. make the first team regulars earn their place back whilst giving a squad player a chance in a stable team. fisher got a run in a stable team and he's the better for it. thats the way forward till the end of season

Antifa161 wrote: »

My hypothetical line-up was just to illustrate how many of our first-team squad have not played many games at all. I mean there's 8, 9 if you include Matthews (who could play left back). Kayal will also be coming back from injury and need game time. I'm sure the rest of the first-team squad aren't all completely knackered - Ambrose in particular is a machine. I'd also like to think we might have one or two new signings in the door.

"The performance is completely flat" describes a lot of our league games with the first XI so again, worst case scenario it's just more of that.

In the situation we are currently in there is absolutely no need whatsoever to have games postponed or entire weeks off from playing. If we can put together 11 players we can navigate a home match against Killie in the league. There is no need to postpone it just so we can field a stronger team in what is effectively a pointless game. As a fan I would have more interest in seeing the aforementioned players get a game anyway.

Of course we could field a team, we have the biggest playing budget in Scotland. The point is that most of these players had a very short summer breaks, still had to do all the training, travelling & warm ups/warm downs despite not playing. Last year, the club tried a staggered holiday system with a few players getting a week off at a time. I suppose the feedback from that system is that other players were disgruntled or its practically/logistically a poor way to go about it. Christmas involves a hectic schedule for Celtic on top of the hectic schedule they are have already done so even from a injury management/fatigue point of view, a full break is much better for everyone.

The approach you are describing writes off the match as a glorified training exercise and says to the 1st team players that no matter what happens, you'll all be back next week and tells the squad players that management arent really interested in them if they are prepared to write off the result of a match to give them token gesture gametime.

The squad players need to be brought in and expected to deliver a performance that gets the 3 points. They need to experience the responsibility of a 1st team player. All those matches with mass changes didnt help any squad player and certainly didnt help management learn something new about their squad.

Your approach also says that the first team players are good enough as they are rather than holding them to a higher standard than normal thats very hard to maintain with the view of making them better players or giving someone else a first team run.

The league might be over as a contest but the standards & expectations set by management to stay in the first team is the key to improving all players at the club.

EDIT

On-loan Celtic striker Tony Watt has snubbed Neil Lennon by insisting he learned more about football from his old boss Jimmy Boyle at Airdrie. (The Sun)

Looks like the media are trying to drive a wedge between Watt & Celtic

Celtic manager Neil Lennon will take a second look at Huddersfield hitman James Vaughn tonight, but will have to find around £6m to buy him. (The Record)

£6m? Waste of money!

Elfsborg have confirmed they will not be taking up the opportunity to sign Celtic's Mo Bangura on a permanent basis. (The Sun)

Bangura is on his way back.

We have some selection of strikers not good enough for UCL level!

premierstone wrote: »

FYP

That is a hyperbole comment if there ever was one.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25215484

Huddersfield: James Vaughan will not join Celtic - Mark Robins

"It doesn't matter what sort of bid it is, it will get short shrift.

"There is absolutely no way on this planet that we will be parting with him - and certainly not in January - so he [Lennon] need not waste his time."

Every player has their price but I think Vaughan is a waste of money at what it will take to get Huddersfield negotiating.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon may bid again for Peterborough striker Lee Tomlin, having had three offers rebuffed in August. (Daily Express)

Reminds me alot of Commons, even the way he carries extra weight! Cant see him making much impact in the UCL without changing how he trains & diet.

Celtic are planning football and commercial links with Dutch club Groningen and US club Jacksonville NASL. (Sun)

I'm yet to hear about any measurable positives from previous links we've had

Antifa161 wrote: »

Anthony Stokes

14 goals in 16 appearances for Falkirk
22 goals in 44 appearances for Hibernian
36 goals in 90 appearances for Celtic

"Pathetic"

Stop baiting please.

We are talking about strikers who are capable of performing in the UCL, go on check Wiki there and come back with the figures.

And I think we just might need more than one striker what do you think??

Antifa161 wrote: »

Sorry I was thrown when you said Scottish League 2.

FWIW Stokes has played a major role in nearly all of the UCL goals we scored this year. The problem is we do not have a good enough player to play alongside him. Look at how good him and Hooper were together - something Lennon loved to screw up.

Oh I accept that but I did say ''striker options'', we literally have no one to play alongside Stokes and he is incapable of playing the lone striker role and has been seen on numerous ocassion's Lennon doesn't trust him in the bigger games, I would have absolutely no problem keeping Stokes and as he showed last season with Hooper he is up to the level required but we really need to invest in some further striking options.

premierstone wrote: »

Oh I accept that but I did say ''striker options'', we literally have no one to play alongside Stokes and he is incapable of playing the lone striker role and has been seen on numerous ocassion's Lennon doesn't trust him in the bigger games, I would have absolutely no problem keeping Stokes and as he showed last season with Hooper he is up to the level required but we really need to invest in some further striking options.

No he didnt

Dempsey wrote: »

I'm yet to hear about any measurable positives from previous links we've had

got marc crosas a job haha

Dempsey wrote: »

That is a hyperbole comment if there ever was one.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25215484

Huddersfield: James Vaughan will not join Celtic - Mark Robins



Every player has their price but I think Vaughan is a waste of money at what it will take to get Huddersfield negotiating.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon may bid again for Peterborough striker Lee Tomlin, having had three offers rebuffed in August. (Daily Express)

Reminds me alot of Commons, even the way he carries extra weight! Cant see him making much impact in the UCL without changing how he trains & diet.

Celtic are planning football and commercial links with Dutch club Groningen and US club Jacksonville NASL. (Sun)

I'm yet to hear about any measurable positives from previous links we've had

Personally hope Mark Robbins is right and Huddersfield keep him. If we are going to spend 6m I would much rather we go after Finbogasson again.