As I stated yesterday, Shane Duffy was duly announced today.
Neil Lennon had identified the Derryman sometime ago as the man to put some steel into his back four.
This tweet of mine from the last month is no coincidence.
The talks had already started, and I thought it appropriate to raise the issue on the day that Celtic stumbled against Killie.
In an entirely coincidental development, the day after that tweet one dignified chap appeared to pour scorn on the possibility of the big Irishman joining the Hoops.
The football world is littered with toe-curling episodes of players professing to love the club that they are joining.
Well, in this case, Shane Duffy doesn’t need to fake it.
Sadly, the sight of another Irishman joining Celtic did not go down well tight eh Everyone Anyone fraternity across the city.
At this rate, Sevco will be lifting another coveted award, the largest numbers of supporters in rehab.
Shane Duffy knows what is required and he will not be found wanting.
Even in the age of agents and ridiculous wages demand, some still do play for the jersey.
Celtic have themselves a proper centre half.
He leaves Brighton in good standing, and they know that they’re losing a proper player, at least for the rest of this season.
My only issue is with the timing of this deal.
Had he arrived at the Hoops the day after my Tweet then would Celtic still be in the Champions League?
Of course, that cannot be laid at the door of the other Irishman in the dugout.
No, that it is down to someone else entirely.
Haggling with Brighton to push down the loan fee might look good on the balance sheet.
Until you remember the lost revenue from the Champions League.
However, I have all but given up hope that the person with the real power at the Parkhead club will finally identify the source of this seasonal failure to prepare.
Only he can fix this going forward.
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A number of points I would like to put across based on your article
1. I’m not surprised by the sectarian posts on follow follow , the Rangers forum. If Rangers as a club are serious about tackling sectarianism they should publicly disassociate the club from the forum and condemn it’s sectarian output. What’s even more depressing is that Castore joint owner gave a character named Dingwall, who admins FF an interview. Has he not read the content on their. The posts reek of sectarianism combined with an unjustified air of superiority. Something which Rangers haven’t helped with their ‘we make Glasgow great’ pish. Some of the posters on FF view Celtic and Celtic players past and present like something that they picked off the soles of their shoes. I find it odious that they gloat about alleged child sex abuse as a stick to beat Celtic. To be fair there can be strains of sectarianism on Kerrydalestreet forum. I don’t like the term ‘huns’. I can understand Sevco.
2. Celtic have wasted millions since 2010 on punts on unknowns like Shved, Bayo and Kouassi. Surely it would make financial common sense to ensure qualification for the group stages of the champions league by ensuring the manager has the best side out he can finances permitting. Why wasn’t the Duffy loan move tied up before the season kicked off. I have read not qualifying for the group stages will cost Celtic circa £30m.
3. How are Rangers affording their new signings this season. Indeed since Steven Gerrard came in they have spent over £30m in just over 26 months. A staggering amount of money considering they are meant to be a financial basket case.
4. The pandemic came at a good time for Gerrard as Celtic were hitting 5th gear and threatening to leave Rangers well behind. So in a sense it minimised the collapse Rangers suffered post Xmas 19. It remains to be seen if Rangers can sustain the start to the season. Gerrard has definitely made them a serious proposition again and he will join the likes of Smith and Souness in the eyes of the Rangers supporters should he stop the 10 IAR.
5. As Phil has said Celtic are liable to be the biggest stumbling block to achieving 10 IAR through mismanagement at football level and board room. I think even if Lennon does guide us to the 10 IAR he and Lawell should step down. I can appreciate that might sound bonkers when you consider we have won every available tournament the past two seasons but I think the club is stagnating. Rodgers had a poor record in the transfer market, Sinclair, Dembele and Edouard, aside. It looks to me like Lennon does trust Klimala. Griffiths has gone AWOL. On paper we should be capable of beating Ferencvaros instead we find ourselves in the lesser Europa League which for a club of our stature and global status is not acceptable.
1 I use the term Hun to describe a certain type of Supporter.
I also use the term Bear to describe the other type.
It has nothing to do with Religion or Bigotry.
Rangers fans themselves sung it to the Bayern Support in the early 70’s .
2.The sale of Édouard will wipe out any loss revenue in the Champions League.
A decent run in the Europa (Our actual level) will also negate it further
3. The 2angers have not spent anywhere near this amount as they are paying their fees off in increments rather than lump sums they clearly do not have.
This is a Club who have actively been trying to punt Morelos,Kent and Barisic in the media all Summer amd who as of yet have not released their Accounts.
The devil is in the detail.
4.He will only achieve that if a Celtic fail to produce the level of performance we have come to expect over the past 9 YEARS.
5. Football isn’t won on paper or in the minds of online fans.
Ferencvaros are the Champions of Hungary they are not Morton or St.Mirren.
We dominated them regardless and really should have put the tie to bed after 27 of the 28 chances we created were squandered.
You don’t deserve to win a Champions League game if you do t take your chances.
They took theirs.
There are no guarantees that’s Football.
We all had a good laugh at Nimmo Smith’s joke ruling about better finances not giving a sporting advantage, however, it really does depend on how they are used. Why Celtic aren’t skelping teams, week in week out, must tell us something.
Neither did the dead club. NO ONE EVER wins every game. Real, Barcelona, Bayern, PSG. No one.
Neil lennon is totally to blame for celtic being knocked out of Europe, he picked the team his tactics, he is the manager so he is at blame don’t give ylus this shite he wanted Duffy months ago he is not clever enough to see what we needed was a centre half last year he certainly wasn’t clever enough tth is year to know we still needed a centre half it was only when the fans where shouting we needed a centre half the club went out and got one which should have been done during the summer agreed, lennon is to blame for all the failings at celtic are there are alot like Rogic being moved on even though his desire is to stay at celtic, ajer wishing to move on ntcham wishing to move on due to lack of playing time, Christie also wishing to move on all because of lennon and his lack of leadership and tactics
Yes he did.
With only 1 fit Striker available being an inexperienced lad who CLEARLY is miles off the level of the other 3.
So he went with a side he felt could win the game.
On the night we had 70% possession
Created 28 goals scoring chances
Managed to put only 1 of those 28 chances created in the net.
Now whilst that might be adequate enough against the usual fair in the SPFL this wasn’t the SPFL or the League Cup v Alloa.
No this was the Champions of Hungary in a must win Champions League Qualifier.
You may criticise his decision to go with no recognised Striker but the fact remains that out of the 17 goals already netted this Season 60% of them have been scored by players not recognised as Strikers.
So Neil was t wrong with his tactics or his team as the stats clearly prove that despite us playing the Champions of Hungary we could well have been playing Morton or Alloa in the Cup such was our domination in the game.
Had Griffiths,Édouard and Ajeti been match fit then no doubt the setup would have been different.
It wasn’t and a team who are Champions played like Champions and took their chances when they dropped.
We were mugged on the counter and two poor goals were conceded not by poor finishing but by poor decision making in defence.
Even he couldn’t prepare for that at this level.
The knives have been out from some from day 1 for Lenny.
Many have had to put them away for quite a few months but alas the first dropped point or loss and as per usual the response is ridiculous.
Griffiths and Édouard (should he decide he wants to stay) are back in training this week and when the side returns we should have 4 fit forwards to chose from.
We haven’t had that luxury this Season yet.
I am fairly certain when they do return we will see an entirely different animal going into the next run of games.
After all Neil Lennons record at Celtic and our Clubs recent history domestically more than backs this up.
Those that want away should be sold.
How any of them could want that in this a Season is frankly beyond me and most probably beyond Lenny.
Cyan, I can’t remember the last time we had four fit strikers!
You are a full-on NL hater, judging by your rant. “Lennon is totally to blame for being knocked out of Europe – Lennon isn’t clever enough – Lennon is to blame for all the failings at the club – Lennon lacks leadership and tactics”.Give us all peace ffs.
The game was lost because we didn’t take half our chances, and because of a bad defensive mistake for the 2nd goal. Neil Lennon has done plenty for our club and he will deliver the ten, despite the on-going negativity from people like you.The game was lost – get over it and move. It’s time to give Lenny some respect and get behind him and the team – it’s called supporting your team.
Once again Lawwell gets it in the neck, Nothing to do with a manager that can’t cut it and picks the wrong team and tactics eh?
Not saying Lawwell is innocent in any of this but the blame lies closer to the dug out than you want to believe.
The absentee landlord has no real interest in Celtic it’s nothing more than an exercise in vanity for someone to have something to gloat about on Go,f Courses around the World.
If it wasn’t Celtic would be shopping in isles of Sainsbury’s rather than the bargain bins in Aldi.
Any player we spend good money on he and Peter Lawwell EXPECT a better return on.
Any player we bring in for development they HOPE for a similar result.
It’s all about the balance sheets not the team sheets.
Celtic would be better run with 50+1 model they have In Germany.
There is no better custodian than those who keep the show on the road.
“Football without fans is nothing” So said a VERY wise man.
If we see this Pandemic go on for another year or so then that statement will ring true for a great many Clubs.
Divine intervention is needed in Football who knows perhaps this is it?
The money men will disappear like a rat down a drain once the coins stop rolling in.
i think he would work well in a number of combinations. We have several centre back / full back options now, simply bt bringing Shane in.
I recently asked a Brighton & Hove Albion season ticket holder what he thought of Shane Duffy and this was his reply:
“Depends what you’re looking for. If you want and old-fashioned defender, someone who defends really well both on the ground and in the air and will chip in with a few headed goals, then he is as good as you will get for that money.
If you want someone who will play out from the back and do accurate passes to start attacks then he will disappoint. However, if you compliment him with a strong ball playing centre-back you will have a great combination”.
Now, who do we know that fits that bill ?
Hail and Hail again !
The rumour mill has James McCarthy mentioned as a target but some pundit named Eamon Duffy calls him a “waste of space”. However, after Googling the former, I wish he would come up and waste some of our space. His ’70’s style tackling is amazing although I wouldn’t imagine he would last that long on the park up here so both ourselves and the refs can dream.
Yes,you’re right again Phil,DD is indeed the only man that can alter that and change course of this repeatedly found pathway of going out before the group stages.Maybe he needs to be in attendance and see the rot firsthand,before he takes action…
DD surely has to see the folly in constant ejection from CL well before we should be,you covered the flawed reasoning in that and surely he must see the business mistake that PL has let pass as progress,it must change if we want improvement for the club.
Thanks,been decent output of sports articles for a ‘novel’ writer!
So,I thank you because it’s v.m.appreciated🇮🇪
Given the length of lockdown and the lack of activity in the football world the failure to adequately prepare is a sin of cardinal proportions. It really does suggest a focus on things other than football in the Celtic boardroom. The foolish risk taking by the team in the dug out should not be overlooked in assessing the damage.
At last, an experienced, hit the ground running, no nonsense CH, this is the metal weve lacked in defense for so long, it should also take the emphasis off of Jullien tae handle a big physical CF, because lets face it, Jullien was never comfortable or capable of doing it, but it free’s him up tae be the CH who can push forward more, Duffy also gives us the experience tae more effectively play a strong back 3, hence allowing Lennon tae play the absolutely necessary 3-5-2 system that Celtic need.. And he’s a good Derry Man…HH
It’s not just a BIG forward who gives big Julie problems, it’s ANYONE who has a bit of strength. Up against a forward who is both big AND strong he simply CAN’T cope. Put under any pressure he crumbles, and I’ve said it since day one.