Muzzy_Larsson

In the main Celtic fans don't have a problem or any delusions of grandeur in terms of the players we can attract, most fans are behind the policy of buy unknowns for a low fee and sell them on for a high fee, so much so everyone was pretty amazed when we got Dembele. We've adopted this policy long before Congerton arrived and will continue to do so now he's gone, we're happy to take the hit of 2-3 duds for every gem we unearth. The problem is since Congerton arrived it's been dud after dud after dud with a lot of the signings failing to even play more than a handful of games they are so bad and the result of which is the biggest wage bill in our history (almost 50% higher than three summers ago), even with Rodgers and his salary gone.

I think this post is spot on, everyone has an opinion and some figures/topics can split opinion. Everyone can look at those list of players subjectively and analyse whether they are good or bad signings. The point with Congerton is however, he doesn't even split opinion, he's universally derided everywhere he's been, you won't find a Sunderland, Hamburg or Celtic fan with a good word to say about the guy's ability in terms of recruitment, that's where the concern would be for me if I was a Leicester fan. I've said countless times previously in this thread that I was very much in the "let's wait and see" and "in Brendan we trust" camp at the same stage of LC's tenure at Celtic, head buried in the sand, ignoring all the evidence that was right in front of me so I can appreciate others on here doing the same. I guess some perspective is also needed, while I don't think the guy will be a success at Leicester, for a whole host of valid reasons, that doesn't mean to say Leicester can't be successful over the same period, in spite of his presence. If he's marginalised and used within a very methodical structure at Leicester, basically as an old fashioned head scout who watches players and passes their names on to the footballing department, then any damage he can do may be minimal.

Has Rodgers not already said publicly that he believes Vardy to still be a top class EPL striker and as such still his number 1? I get that ideally you succession plan and get the replacement in ahead of time but the only way that will work and you can keep both happy is if it's a young player who has a lot of development in him and he becomes ready just as Vardy declines. Going out and signing an off the shelf, finished article, top striker then you have a problem of keeping them both happy which can be toxic, particularly if things aren't going well then you throw in Vardy's legendary status. Rodgers was pretty vocal at Celtic about if playing a system with only 1 striker then having only two at the club is fine. He later reneged on that and bought a third but he stated that was due to the crazy number of games we play up here in a season, you guys obviously don't have that problem. If he thinks Iheanacho is worth persevering with and developing I can see him going for a top wide player who can also fill in in the number 9 position in emergencies as opposed to having the problem of trying to keep Vardy and another top striker happy. He utilised Patrick Roberts as a false 9 for us in similar emergency situations.

We have it at Celtic Park and have done for a few years now, this section houses our ultras (sorry for the term couldn't think of anything else lol), the green brigade. My season ticket seat is at the opposite end of the ground and I've never actually sat in it but that section of the ground definitely makes for the best atmosphere. Overall it's been a massive success. I'm surprised we are the only club in the UK to have safe standing, I thought after the first couple of years of us having it more clubs would adopt. I believe Tottenham have it at their new ground but not sure if there are any others?

I hope Rangers do sign him, he'd spend half the time on the treatment table and they'd continue their policy of investing any money they do have in wages on players who are over the hill with no re-sale value which will get them nowhere in terms of competing with us long term, year on year.

To be fair it's all speculation and rumour that he was the leak. From what I know in terms of his personality I don't think he seemed the type to deliberately leak anything, as far as I know on a personal level he got on with everyone fine at Celtic it was more on a professional level the general consensus was he was pretty useless as a head of recruitment. It most definitely hasn't been him leaking the team as he won't be privy to this as he's not part of the match day staff and on a lot of occasions when the team are playing at weekends he was apparently out of the country.

Yeah this is true, only thing to mention is it's been happening the entire season, not just since Lennon arrived but while Rodgers was here too.

He's no longer class, if you think that you've not watched very much of him in the last few years.

Is it really? He's third choice for a team that only plays with one striker. Added to that he's no longer mobile enough to play the way Liverpool expect their number 9 to play. Allowing Sturridge to leave was the obvious choice as it gets rid of a high wage (reportedly 150k a week), makes the pathway easier for someone they have high hopes for in Brewster or at the very worst sign a third choice striker more suited to their style of play on half the wages Sturridge was on.

Even when Sturridge is fit which isn't very often he looks so slow now, looks like his legs are gone. I don't think he would be a good signing even as back-up as to go from someone like Vardy leading the line who is quick and covers a lot of ground to Sturridge who now is pretty much only a penalty box player would be too troublesome in terms of changing style.

Looked half-decent the year he was on loan at Hibs up here but a lack of end product let him down. One of the quickest players I've ever seen in the flesh though.

I agree with you in the main but according to Timothy Castagne who was quoted as saying last week we bid £8m for him in January but Atalanta wanted £12m.

That's the sewer of all Celtic forum's lol!

Just posted on the Lee Congerton thread about this Word is they are indeed legit and were unintentionally leaked by Lee Congerton ahving left them in his rented flat after he moved out! Even when he's gone he's still buggering up our recruitment plans

I don't know if anyone has seen it but all over twitter there are images of minutes from a Celtic recruitment meeting from April. The word on the street is they were (unintentionally) leaked by Congerton as he left them lying around his rented flat after he had moved out

I'll bet most of these types of fans only really started bothering when the oil money started pouring in.

What a pillock. I'd love for clubs like Citeh to lose the money and revert to type, a club that can't even fill it's ground for a champions league quarter final. More of a franchise than a football club now.

Always worse in a non world cup/euros year also

That's not what he said though was it. If you bothered reading the article. The comment was in reference to McGregor who the Celtic support were largely undecided about and who had failed to make himself a regular starter until Rodgers arrived. Rodgers said "He always had the capacity to play regularly at a big club" and goes on to say how they developed and brought it out in him. As an aside I wouldn't confuse the general consensus of the Celtic support with what a few nitwits on twitter and Chris Sutton say.

All of those highlighted exactly fit the profile of the sort of players Rodgers tends to go for, young, hungry, athletic players. There was some talk up here a couple of years ago when we got Edouard on loan that he tried to get Nketiah so wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers and the dark lord have been monitoring him since.

Rodgers wouldn't come back for any Celtic players and we'd get Benkovic on loan for another year :-P

Stuff in the media today with quotes of Rodgers talking up McGregor and Forrest on how they have the correct mentality to make it in the EPL. Hopefully he keeps his hands off lol!

Rangers had something like 16 penalties this season, they got 4 in one game at one point, he takes them all.

There's an art to selling players at the right time, if you were to sell Maguire, get Tielemens and have £20-30m left over then that's a no-brainer and terrific business imo. Out of the big sellable assets you have Maguire would be by far the easiest to replace, if you would even have to given the number of good CB's already on the books.

Rodgers always been a fan of his also, was aware of him coming through at Liverpool when he was manager and tried to sign him on loan while the Celtic manager.