Andrew Gutman

If you read my post I said similar level, not from the NCAA. The guy is a prospect who was wanted by an MLS side, he isnt an established MLS level player.

We clearly are a lot worse off in both performances and in our points at the same stage of the season. Thats fact.

Hmm i think the signing of Burke has strengthened us, but not sure the others are an improvement on what we already have.

 

You do realise that every player in the world starts at a certain level and works their way up?

We aren’t a lot worse off. Makes it sound like we are in crisis which we aren’t.

We are better, nobody has left and we’ve signed four new players once Gutman comes in. These players don’t come in and make us worse.

 

Deviating from the question.

We are a lot worse off, its undeniable. All be it through lack of investment, injury, losing the likes if dembele, we are. I never mentioned a crisis, you did.

Our best striker left. We didnt replace that quality. We are not as good as we have been over the past two seasons and our losses in the league point to that fact.

 

Andrew Gutman made his Celtic debut in Friday’s closed doors friendly with St Mirren.

The Indiana University defender is waiting for a work permit to complete his move and replaced Daniel Church at half-time as a very youthful Celtic side lost 4-0 to St Mirren, the hoops were trailing 3-0 when Gutman was introduced.

Peter Lawwell attended the match and appeared in the visitors dressing room at half-time and after the final whistle.

Gutman had the offer of a contract from Chicago Fire and visited the state-of-the-art Murray Park training complex before Christmas but has opted to take a deal with the seven times champions of Scotland.

The left-back will go into the Celtic reserve squad where he will compete with Church and Calvin Miller for a place.

This Saturday Tommy McIntyre, now assisted by Damien Duff, will take his squad to Arbroath for a friendly against the League One leaders.

https://videocelts.com/2019/01/blogs/younghoops/lawwell-watches-gutman-make-his-celtic-debut/

 

Deviating from the fact that Gutman coming from the NCAA has no correlation to his ability or potential.

What the * does signing a back up LB have to do with Dembele leaving.

I mentioned crisis because you’re acting like we are in one and it’s laughable.

 

22 and supposedly going into the reserve squad. Just a backup player then?

 

Pretty much aye.

 

Can't really believe that we are signing a 22 year old to play in the reserves. Way too old, must see some potential in him.

 

Nah i asked when was the last time we signed a player from a similar level to the NCAA. You so far haven't given me an answer and now your going off on other directions.

 

I told you Gutmans ability and potential has no correlation to the league he’s coming from. I’ve also said he’s an MLS level player who chose to stay where he was. That’s a direct answer to your question that I’ve already given you. Do you want more?

Players have come through our own youth system and scored on their debuts, had solid performances and gone on to be regulars for us. The Scottish youth system isn’t much better than the American college system, if at all.

I’m not sure what it is you want from a back up LB signing. Where do you draw the line, do you only sign players from clubs you’ve heard of?

You’ve ignored every point I’ve made and started talking about the fact we’ve not replaced Dembele ffs, talk about different direction.

 

Maybe not, but the fact that this guy is coming to us from such a drop in level makes the chances of him breaking into the team highly unlikely.

I would say with a * of a lot of confidence that our under 21 team or our under 18s would beat an NCAA team. Do you know an NCAA season runs August-December?

Id just expect we sign players who are ready to compete. Its already been said that he will go into the reserves.

I have not ignored any points. You said we have gotten stronger in this window and i was alluding to the fact that we havnt even yet managed to replace the quality we lost in the last window like dembele.

Lets revisit this thread at the end of the season.

 

I've watched plenty of NCAA Div I soccer and I am definitely pessimistic about the abilities of even a "top" NCAA prospect (or a top American MLS player for that matter).

However, we have folks at the club who's job is to identify talent and get them in the team. Andy Gutman has been deemed good enough to be a back up (so it seems) and that's good enough for me. It's a low risk scenario from a market we haven't tried so I'm all for it. Could turn out fantastic, could be a dud. Either way, he's cheap so it doesn't really matter. As an American, however, I hope he makes all you doubters royally eat your words.

 

Maybe like a Dom Cervi type of player for us?

 

So he'll be with us for 4 years, not make a single first team appearance, go on loan to Greenock Morton for a handful of games and then retire?

Buzz

Surely you have to play to be deemed a player?

 

Maybe. It doesn't seem like he will play for the first team anytime soon by the looks of it.

 

Exactly.

 

Two Dom Cervi’s with Weah coming in too, that’s class.