Starting 11 next season

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <wunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> PMSL


Commons is top our assisting MF’er

 

Just seen that on the other thread my bad, Would still have McCourt over commons though ANYDAY mate.

 

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thats pure cute

 

Forrest has been much better at RW than Brown has been this year, Brown has good workrate but thats about it. Forrest offers more goal threat, is a better crosser of the ball, and is a better passer than Brown. Also disagree about the big games, Forrest came up big when the team was up against it, something that is very rare for a 20 year old.

 

I cant believe there is so many people who wouldnt play Stokes or Hooper in their starting 11. They have scored 40 goals between them this season and there is still another month and a half of the season to go. They could easily reach 25 goals in that time. Just cause they have had a few poor weeks doesn't mean they're crap

 

they really should be scoring about 30 each but if we want to actually be good in europe, you've got players in teams like ajax etc who are outnumbering the amount of games they've played by goals, that's the type of strikers we need, i like hooper and stokes partnership but it has been struggling so much recently

 

they are scoring against teams that would be lucky to not get relegated from league 1, I am sorry but if they were great strikers they would be scoring 30-40 goals each, the SPL is the poorest its been in history and we shouldnt consider it too much to ask for a 30 goals season, especially when they are playing 90 minutes every week

 

.

 

cant understand why so many people are going over the top about russell and mckay-steven we have better players at celtic who cant get a game,also if we went for them id imagine dundee utd would be wanting big money for them as they have been their top players this year

foster
rogne wilson mulgrew
matthews kayal wanyama izzy
either mc court/forrest/commons
hooper stokes

 

Thats the style of play in those Leagues though, in the SPL sitting in is how teams cope. In Holland all the teams attack each other, theres literally 25 games a season atleast in Holland where teams score 8+ goals a game like 4-4, 5-3, 6-2, 7-1, 8-0 etc, compared to the SPL where it happens about 3 times if your lucky.

Its part of what holds us back in Europe too as we become accustomed to being stifled and Scottish diddy teams become accustomed to sitting in defensively. That when we play in Europe its a culture shock compared to Swiss, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish etc teams who attack and play with confidence week in week out and go into Europe with the same mindset where as Scottish teams need to totally change our way of playing.

If Stokes and Hooper played up front for Ajax/PSV/Twente or the liked they'd also be scoring 30+ a season easy.

 

I don't think Mackay Stevens is better than what we have at the moment but Russell would add something to the team. He has pace to burn, is a good dribbler, has a good left foot, and can play both striker and winger effectively. He is a different option to what we have currently as he is faster than both Hooper and stokes and is more comfortable dribbling the ball than either of our current strikers. I think we lack a striker who can dribble a bit.

 

He's also very good in the air with some leap compared to both of them.

 

he reminds me a bit of Naismith in the way he wins headers even though he isn't the tallest.

 

Naismith with skill

 

Russell is going to make it big. I really hope we sign him up.

 

* that. we need to worry about ourselvers and do the best for OUR club than worry about those tax dodging morons in blue. we deserve our place in the champions league and frankly, we have been embarrasing in qualifiers last 4 years or so. this needs changing and we need to consider those qualifiers as two of the biggest games of the year. whether its signing players, or intensive training for the current team, it needs to be done!

 

Depends who stays, who goes. Some saying that Stokes and Hooper should be hitting 30+ goals a season. They should be...they could be. The pair are becoming complacent and need a good kick up the *, though. A serious question needs to be asked of both in the summer. I'm not sure if they're right mentally for the club anymore. So, if either or both leave, major work would be needed to add to our finishing prowess.

Assuming our best players stay, though...

Forster*

Lustig/Matthews, new CD, Rogne/Mulgrew, Izaguirre/new LB

Wanyama/Kayal
Kayal/Ki, Ledley/Brown

Forrest/Mackay-Stevens/McGeough --- Russel/Commons/McCourt

Hooper/Stokes/Samaras/Bangura/Watt

I am hopeful we'll tie up FF on a permanent deal at the end of the season.

A new CD is really necessary. I'm unsure of Fojut's prerequisites, Wilson looks like a back-up CD (not to mention his injury problems), Loovens hopefully will leave, and Desperate Dan is a certainty to go. Leaving us with youth guys like Fraser, who'll hopefully make the step-up next season. I'd rather see him get starts than Fojut or any of the others mentioned.

A back-up LB for Izzy is required, as it's not assured whether Izaguirre will be the player he was in his first season, he may pick up an injury, etc. Leaving us with a makeshift LB like Mulgrew or Ledley playing there again, which while not as bad as Matthews playing there, is still pretty bad.

Our CM is pretty much perfect. I just hope we keep them all fit and available for the team. Wanyama has the DM berth solidified. Kayal is one of our best players, so must start as many games as possible, and Ledley is great full of bursting energy, capable of sprinting back and forth. A real gutsy midfielder who can go from box to box. If he had Wanyama and Kayal playing behind him on a regular basis, I reckon he'd score 10-15 goals for us in a season. Ki and Brown are decent back-up options.

Forrest has been our best player to make the step-up since McGeady, and has to be a starter when fit. Like him, though, Mackay-Stevens is still developing as a player, and if we had the luxury of being able to rotate two players of their obvious skill, we'd be a class above our current level. Also, the United player is going to be highly coveted by clubs south of the border, so we need to swoop in quickly.

Our LM/LW position is one of our few contested positions. Commons looked amazing when he came in a year ago. Such an effective player, but has dropped in quality this season. He still has an eye for a pass, he's composed and highly capable of delivering both goals and assists for us, so I wouldn't sell him. But he's not a guaranteed starter. Similarly, I could say the same for McCourt.

So, while he's available, I'd snap up Johnny Russel. As he's an adaptable player that can not only provide us extra strength and solidity on the wings, but would offer us something different up front. If we sign him, I don't see the need to sign any other 'striker' or forward player, really. We have the likes of Watt coming through, who is supposedly very good. Not to mention Hooper and Stokes ability.

I'm uncertain whether we'll be able to sell Samaras, either, so we might be stuck with him for a while yet. Bangura is an unknown, but deserves time to prove himself. However, if we received a decent bid, I'd accept and bring someone else in, or promote a youth player.
​

 

Scottish football is 99% bullshit, but even still, you do get the odd nugget. If we are to continue to try (emphasis on 'try') and keep pace with Europe's rich without going the way of the Rankers, then we must be quicker at identifying talent and quicker at pouncing on it than the richer English teams. This goes hand in hand with being very diligent when we do splash the cash on someone with a bigger name, as well as blooding our own. It takes a very good eye for a player to pull this off but, if managed properly, is in the best interests of Celtic, Scotland, and the players themselves.
If you think Russell and GMS are simply not good enough then that's fine - that's a judgement call. I like them - especially Russell - I genuinely think he'd add something different. Whoever is right however, it is this approach to signing young players that is important.