Celtic’s purchase of Nicolas Kuhn is making all the headlines, don’t let that distract from the fact we still need a left back and a ‘keeper

The last few days since Nicolas Kuhn signed on the dotted line for Celtic have been nice and pleasant.

The player himself is making all the right soundbites.

He’s eager to play for Celtic, and he talks a good game.

We’ll see what the talking translates into soon enough, but it we won’t be able to judge properly until around the 3rd of February onward, I reckon.

We have two tricky fixtures coming up then, with us travelling to two tough away venues in Pittodrie, and Easter Road.

For me, that will be the opportunity for Nicolas Kuhn to show Celtic what he can do.

If he makes a serious impact in both of those games, then we’ll know we have a decent acquisition on our hands.

People might say that’s too soon, but if he’s the “quality” we’re led to believe he is, and a first team ready player, then there’s no time like now to prove that.

As I’ve said before in a recent article, I want every player to do well when they come to Celtic, and I’m no different when it comes to Nicolas Kuhn either.

But I’ll need to see him in action before I can make any judgement on him.

I think it’s fair to say, his signing does not seem to move away from the Celtic Board’s current M.O. when it comes to player purchases.

He cost us the usual £3 million we seem intent on spending on every player we buy.

He’s just turned 24, so he IS young.

And the icing on the cake is we’ve given him a 5 and a half year contract.

Now, why would we do that?

Well, I can see only one reason.

It’s pretty self explanatory really, the Celtic Board want to lock him into a long-term deal.

They’re doing this, because if he’s a resounding success, they have no intention of keeping him any longer than the statutory 2 year period they keep any decent player for.

They’ll cash in on him, knowing that they have him locked into a long-term contract, which in turn will mean that any interested club will have to fork up big money to get him out of it.

Once again, there is no long-term strategic thinking at Celtic.

No plan to build a squad to compete in Europe.

Hit and hope.

Like I said, zero change in M.O.

How many players do we have sitting on our books, who are tied into long-term deals, and cannot get near the first team?

About £150k per week’s worth, that’s how much.

I don’t need to name names, because most of you know exactly which players I’m referring to.

Hell, all you need to do is look up our first team squad, and you’ll be able to pick them out very easily.

Now, would you think that makes good business sense?

Do you think our all powerful, untouchable board, are good businessmen when they’re quite happy to sanction the waste of £600k per month?

With no return whatsoever on that investment?

In most other business, that would be seen as a chronic waste of resources.

Chronic.

And somebody would be held accountable for it.

But that’s the thing, nobody ever is at Celtic, and that’s why the Board will never change it’s M.O.

Which leads me onto the fact that despite getting Nicolas Kuhn in the door, we still need a Goalkeeper, and a left-back.

Yet today, we are reading rumours about Celtic going to the Korean market for yet another…..

Yes, you guessed it, another midfielder.

Now, we’ve just sent a Korean midfielder on loan to St. Mirren, and without putting too fine a point on it, we need to shift out a few more players.

Jung ho-yeon, not to be mistaken with the Korean supermodel of the same name, plies his trade at Gwangju FC.

He is, wait for it…..

23 years of age.

He is currently valued at £750k.

Why?

Why do we need another midfielder?

I mean, why are we back looking in Korea?

Out of the 3 players we’ve brought to the club recently, only one has been mildly successful in Hyeon-gyu Oh.

Joe McHugh did an article on the player earlier today, and I have to admit, I thought for a while he was on the wind up.

Especially when I looked him up and a South Korean supermodel came up.

But then I discovered there really was a footballer by the name of Jung ho-yeon.

Joke’s on me then I guess Joe.

Or is the joke on the board?

Hard to know really, but the rumour mill isn’t exactly filling me full of confidence when it comes to closing out this window with a minimum of three “quality” signings.

Especially when we should be looking at left-backs and Goalkeepers.

Not midfielders.

The simple fact is we need both of those positions filled.

We have done for quite some time.

We also need another striker.

The Kvistgaarden rumour refuses to die.

So, I’ll finish with this.

21 years old.

Valued at £4 million.

17 goals in 66 appearances for Brondy.

Project or quality?

Anyone?

Modus Operandi – A latin term that describes an individual or group’s habitual way of operating, which represents a discernible pattern.

You catch my drift?