I see we are being linked with 2-3 mill unheard of strikers again. We should just forget about it. Sign Stokes again and offer Hooper a new contract. If Hooper declines, keep him and let him see out his last season. He will score another 25+ next year and he can get himself a better contract and signing fee. We will also have another year of breaking in Watt, hopefully he can take over by then.
Ok we would lose 5-6 mill on Hooper if we don't sell him this summer. The thing is, we would need to spend 5-6 mill on a replacement that might get us 25+ a year. 2-3 or below is not enough. Bangura, Murphy, Lassad, Miku, Brozec, Rasmussen etc did nothing. Last season we were close to signing Baba Diawara for 3 mill. He went to Sevilla and scored 3 goals. The season before was Knowledge Musona for 2 mill. He went to Hoffenheim and has yet to score a league goal.
The only person we have been linked with that did well was Jordan Rhodes, who is a 6 mill striker. 30+ goals a season strikers are very hard to come by. We have one, worse case scenario let him see out his contract. He scores in Europe, Old Firm games and Cup Finals. Next season he will break 100 goals in hoops. I would love it if we sign him on a long term contract, not going to happen though.
So we can sell him for 6 mill. Spend 3 mill on a new striker and hope he produces. 3 mill in the bank, but we have a weaker team. Remember we have 3 qualifiers to qualify in Europe. Or, we keep him, enhance our chance of qualifying for the group stages again and if he leaves next year, so be it.
Nonsense strikers
posted on 29/5/13
I hear that Celtic will be sponsoring a polar bear instead of signing anyone this season
posted on 29/5/13
Michu was 2mil.
There's plenty of bargain strikers out there. Just because they don't play for a big team, or an established team, or in a league that's rated doesn't mean there aren't any out there
And with our scouting system I'd be surprised if we missed any.
posted on 29/5/13
Bangura was 2 million as well.
As I said they are there, but are few and far between.
Oh and the minute a big league team with possible C/L comes in for such a player we're down the list.
posted on 29/5/13
The teams we can compete against are very rarely ever champions league sides. Its ussually also rans in the bigger leagues who can blow us out the water on wages.
CL fitba is the only draw card we have
posted on 29/5/13
Also Michu is playing in BPL and his wages would be a little bit higher than Celtic would pay.
posted on 29/5/13
Has anybody read about Laudrup needing 200 million to improve Swansea?
WTF???
I could probably buy 5/6 players for 20 million each and pay them 50K a week and improve the team.
Can't believe some of these plonkers
posted on 29/5/13
JBJ
It's interesting to note that, of the 14 who participated on Sunday, no fewer than 10 have been with us for the full 3 years of Lenny's reign as permanent manager. The other 4 are Commons (2.5 seasons), Wilson (2 seasons), Lustig (1.5 seasons) and Ambrose (1 season).
That's good as we have had continuity, but bad in that we don't that often sign someone who hits the ground running and becomes a "first pick" right away - hope that changes in the summer
posted on 30/5/13
Juke - Hooper was a find, I stated that, but he is one in 10. I am not saying we won't find anyone at that price, but its tough.
Miku - Loan - 2 goals
Lassad - Free - 2 goals
Bangura - 2.2 mill - 0 goals
Brozec - Loan - 0 goals
Hooper - 2.4 mill - 82 goals
Stokes - 1 mill - 40 goals
Murphy - 1.4 mill - 3 goals
Fortune - 3.8 mill - 10 goals
Kamara - Loan - 2 goals
Keane - Loan 16 goals
Rasmussen - 2 mill - 2 goals
Theres a list of the last 5 years of strikers signed. Keane and Hooper were very successful, Stokes was a positive. The rest all failed to do their job. By that list alone, we have a one in 5 chance of finding a bargain striker that will produce for us.
posted on 30/5/13
3/11 of those players have done well, so that's better odds than 1 in 5.
You're also forgetting that John Park wasn't here for the earlier signings, and that we had a fud in Mowbray picking the signings.
Then there's the fact recent signings haven't been given a chance, so haven't had the opportunity to perform.
Where's Tony Watt from your lost? 7 goals in 23 games, and he's not even 20, so we've got many more years out of him.
That brings the those odds to 4/11. There's strikers out there that don't cost an arm and a leg, you just need to know where to find them and as I said, with our scouting network we're more than likely to find them before many other teams.
posted on 30/5/13
I did miss Watt, but I wouldn't say he is a huge success yet. I think he will be, but 7 goals total is not successful. Stokes is not a replacement for Hooper nor has he returned the same goal to game ratio as Keane. He is a success definitely but not in the same league as the other two. They are 30 goal a year strikers.
I would be happy that Hoopers replacement would perform as well as Stokes.
Fact of the matter is, Hooper is a 30 goal a year striker. Only Larsson, Hartson and McDonald scored that many in a season for us in the SPL. They are rare. 3 diamonds in the rough in 16 years and one at 5.5 million.
Others that came close for us.
Viduka, 28 goals, 3 mill
Sutton, 26 goals, 6 mill
So 1 in 5 chance on my list of finding a bargain 30 goal striker, even 25 goals. 5-6 mill would get us this.
You also have to remember that Park spotted Musona and Diawara, 2 players Neill was quoted being interested in and they have done nothing.