“Celtic’s most idiotic window of the 21st century”. That’s what we’re looking at if we don’t have a new left back and a striker by 11pm
Eric Knott 
Craig Foy - SNS Group/SNS Group/Getty Images
The headline on this article might seem harsh, but it’s not, this WILL be the most idiotic window Celtic has ever been involved in if we don’t do the business required by 11pm tonight.
For those of you out there who now believe that this was some sort of ingenious window for the board.
Think again.
Even if we do manage to land the players we require, this window has still been an absolute farce.
Amateur hour.
But to even call it that is offensive to amateurs.
So let’s have a little recap here.
Celtic did absolutely nothing until we had secured our passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
In our podcast, James, Joe and I all stated that Celtic WOULDN’T do anything until qualification was secured.
But what they did after we had beaten Young Boys, well, nobody expected it.
Within minutes of winning that game, the media released the news that Kyogo would be leaving for Rennes.
Leaving pretty much immediately.
With a huge tie a week later against Aston Villa.
It just made zero sense.
We were given the usual tagline that the player wanted the move, but we all know it wasn’t JUST the player who wanted the move.
There’s no point in going into this particular subject anymore.
It’s been done ad nauseam.
We know what it has done to our team.
Yes, there will be those out there who will say, well just look at yesterday, Idah, Maeda, and Jota all scored.
We’re doing just fine without Kyogo.
That isn’t the point!
If we were willing to accept £10 million for Kyogo, then we should be just as willing to replace him.
But here we are on the last day of the transfer window, and we’re scrambling for a striker.
Are we even going to get one?
Who knows?
The last 12 days of this transfer window have just been baffling.
And by baffling, I mean the decision to let Alex Valle go to Como because our board were cock sure they could land Kieran Tierney on loan until the end of the season.
As we all know, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta were not willing to play ball with that one.
So we’re now left with one available left back in Greg Taylor.
A player whose contract expires at the end of this season, and who has been the subject of interest from Dinamo Zagreb.
A player who knows if he stays at Celtic, he will be guaranteed to play second fiddle to Kieran Tierney upon his return.
Do we think he’s going to sign a new contract?
If YOU were Greg Taylor, would you sign a new contract?
So, the simple fact is, if we don’t replace Kyogo Furuhashi and Alex Valle, we are exiting this window weaker than we entered it.
Apparently, we’re about to submit another bid to Motherwell for Lennon Miller, but if we’re going to land him, then we’re going to have meet their asking price.
No doubt the first bid the club submitted to Motherwell was the usual lowball kind.
Here’s what Motherwell CEO, Brian Caldwell had to say, as reported in the Sun:
To be bluntly truthful, we’ve had a couple of offers from a club who are miles away from that valuation of what we would deem Lennon Miller to be selling.
We are not desperate to sell the player.
Jee, I wonder what club that might be?
Motherwell want £4 million for Miller.
If Celtic want him, then that’s what they’ll have to pay.
And let’s get real here, it isn’t as if we couldn’t afford to pay that for him.
Either way, Miller is not the kind of player we require to fill the critical positions that need filling.
That’s not to say he wouldn’t be a decent acquistion.
I’ve no doubt he would be.
One positive to this very negative window has been the return of Felipe Jota.
There’s no doubt he’s going to do a job for us on the left wing.
We saw the immediate impact he had yesterday.
But we’ve also let our back up for that position leave by allowing Luis Palma to go out on loan to Olympiacos.
So what happens if Jota gets injured?
And then say Idah gets injured, and we have no choice but to put Maeda in the middle?
These are all of the issues we’re facing if we don’t do the business we need to do today.
So, whatever Paul Tisdale has been doing up to this point, he’s really going to have to prove his worth before 11pm.
Because if he doesn’t and we exit this window weaker than we entered it, with Bayern Munich waiting around the corner?
Well, this WILL go down as one of the most idiotic Celtic transfer windows of the 21st century.
From a position of strength, to weakening our team for money.
To add to the fortune we already have sitting in the bank.
Doing absolutely nothing of benefit for the footballing operation.
And to the think the media said Michael Nicholson should become Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Jesus wept.
What a load of garbage.
That you lot stirring up the support again, why don’t post positive comments, and stop posting everything negative that is possible
What is there to say that hasn’t already been said a 100 plus times before.
There has to be a balance between the financial side and the football side at any club, the problem with Celtic is that our balance is massively skewed towards the financial side.
This has always been the mentality at Celtic as I remember reading an interview with John Reid regards Martin O’Neil where JR said the only “problem” with MO was that he only wanted what was best for the team, in what other club on the planet would a manager wanting the best for the team be regarded as a “problem”, that’s Celtic all over and it will never change.
Leopards do not change their spots, the bean counters will never go against their natural position.
It seems the more money we have the more they want, we could NEVER in all honesty have imagined being in such a cash rich position.
The amateurs don’t know what to do with it, thing is any European club would never have such cash laying in a bank, they make the money work for them.
Apparently not Celtic!
The only club that hobbles itself when in the champions league and a title still to be won ,
WORLD CLASS IN EVERYTHING WE DO!
pretty hollow words.
The secret 5 way agreement in action again.
Henry, the answer is when there is something positive to say.
Eric I think that you and I are probably on the same wavelength when it comes to all matters Celtic and the Celtic board, my only criticism of your article is that some of your thinking/desires of the Celtic board are more naive than mine.
I have been watching Celtic for over sixty years. In the last 20/25 years, I would suggest, Celtic have went into every transfer window market with the view of coming out financially stronger while giving the illusion of having strengthened the player pool. This one will be touch and go as to whether the latter can be achieved.
The Celtic board, in my opinion, will be thinking right now Bayern will be our last big payday in Europe this year, anything else will be a bonus, our present player pool (without additions) will be enough to secure the league and Scottish cup so spending some of the Kyogo cash isn’t necessary and if they do it will be window dressing only.
I would give, as an example, the fact that KT doesn’t appear to be coming until he is free in the summer is more down to the board not wanting to part with money than Arsenal wanting to keep him.
Seriously Henry, maybe posting a negative story because the boards actions are overwhelmingly negative?, just a thought. 🤔
Beyond angry now !!
Yet again it’s a last minute salvage operation (if we’re lucky) and all the while those World Class Ultra’s,The Green Brigade,continue to set off their squibs and produce their wee tifo’s and sing about the IRA whereas any supporters group worth their salt would have been putting pressure on the board constantly to upgrade the team.
But hey,not to worry,as long as they are assigned their blocks of tickets for every game at Hampdump while the rest of us have to forego a ludicrous ballot they will refuse to rock the boat.
That fat slug Lawwell had better hope he doesn’t come into contact with me any time soon.
He’ll be well calmed doon !!
Consider this.
If at the beginning of the window we were assured that Jota would be returning in a multi million deal,Tierney would be signed on a pre-contract on very high wages to finally solve the problem LB position and we sign and adaptable utility man in Schlupp to cover that position in the interim most Celtic fans would have laughed and said no chance!!!
That’s the weakest side of our team sorted for many years.
Why are you worried about Taylor? He’s garbage.
Why are you worried about Kyogo? He wanted out asap.
The one that I agree with you is that we should have replaced him,but as BR stated it’s better to hold off than add more dross to the squad.
Of course we can play the Japanese or Irish CF in the meantime so no panic.
Talking of the squad we have got shot of Palma,Bernabei,Holm,Welsh who have contributed zero to the team and a big drain on the budget.
This won’t affect the treble of influence the Bayern tie in anyway.