Great read. I've watched some YouTube highlights of Sangare, Pripic and Campbell this morning and they look the business.
Sangare looks like the midfielder we've been crying out for years (as you said, since Wanyama). That sort of physical profile and technical ability in midfield is so hard to come by and so highly valued in the modern game. He'd be top of my list in he summer.
Campbell to me looks like a classic Rodgers winger. Very similar to Ademola Lookman. You would think that him and Jota would dovetail well as our left wingers, Jota being more technical whereas Campbell's best attributes are physical.
Pripic looks great but I wonder if RCB will be the most pressing concern this summer. If we move on CCV as has been mooted by Eddie, then his replacement is of paramount importance. Would we then also look a whole. new partnership or have some continuity with Trusty and Scales. I always feel it's difficult to develop CBs and managers seem to rotate CBs less frequently. Dane Murray being the prime example, he's had about 130 minutes of game time since returning from Queen's park (although he would have played against Rangers if not for injuries). Would we as a club be willing to buy Pripic and loan him out immediately?
I'll try and have a look at the others later.
I think Kuhn will be away this summer, not because of his body language or anything like that, but because he's been so devastating when on top form. Hes so quick and on an upwards development curve that it'll tempt someone from the Bundesliga or the Premier league. I think Rodgers will want a proper left footed right winger as a result. Your choices above all seem to be right footed? Did you come across any left-footers that caught your eye?
Benjamin Nygren is one that's caught mine. Left footed right winger for Nordsjaelland. He's 6 foot 2 and uses his frame well. Scores a lot of goals driving inside from the wing to tap in at the back post. Nordsjaelland play very similar to us, lots of possession, passes and pressing so he'd be used to the basics of our set up. Did he come up in your searches? If yes, what made you discount him?
I've just had a message and chased up someone I know down south.
A journalist friend tells me we have lodged an official bid, and my buddy down south says a change in circumstances means interest from down there that he knows of has cooled....
It's looking positive with Nygren. He's not as explosive as Kühn but brings much more physicality and a much better eye for goal. Really excited by this one.
Can't say much, have a feeling I'll be writing about him soon.
Agree, not as quick as Kuhn, but he's certainly not an oil tanker. His close control when moving at speed is very neat and tight, and we have to believe that right now he's full of confidence, which is never a bad thing👍
Prpic for me isn't a player you buy and loan out and if I was being frank I don't believe Celtic have the right structures in place to allow for those kinds of moves as it stands. It would be great if we did have that in place as there is a lot to be said for having those good relationships with other clubs that allow for that but it needs people who want to take an active interest in the wellbeing of our loan players, not just pop them out and not bother contacting them unless they start doing really well. Too many players have spoken openly about our lack of contact and, imo the club should be quite embarrassed about that. If CCV did go then my attention would move to Barasic or Dweh first.
Bringing Dane Murray back, personally is not something I agreed with. I understood it because Stephen Welsh needed to get out. but it wasn't ideal. Murrays time out injured means he is behind the curve, and being out on loan and getting games and being exposed to a good solid schedule are key to getting him up to speed, not sitting behind Nawrocki and the rest.
Nygren and Egeli (I'm sure you have mentioned both previously), both are players I really like, FC Nordsjælland have many players that are exciting. What made me leave them out is a bit of inside info from a friend who works down south. Both have strong interest from a few EPL clubs, 1 of whom has a clear relationship with FC Nordsjælland, and another club in Germany who also has good links with them. With that in mind, I left them off the list. Same went with a few others, guys like Ibrahim Maza who is likely to go to Leverkusen or Frankfurt and Cvetkovic who was on my list originally but signed for Anderlecht. Keep an eye out for Justin Janssen who is also at FC Nordsjælland, he's one I'd been told they really like and Gogorza at FC Midtjylland is another who I've heard good things about.
Lefties on the right. I like Cyriaque Irie but he looks like he's off to Germany. Jacen Russell Rowe over in the MLS is an interesting player, good with both feet but it looks like he wants to play centrally, I think a wide role might be better for him as he has that ability to run inside a fullback into those backpost areas where you can get the Liel Abada type goals. Juan Alvina over in the Ukraine is another, but his height and the clubs fear of South Americans took him away from the list. Jahnoah Markelo (FC Zurich) I just couldn't make my mind up on. You also have Antonio Vergara who is in Serie B on loan from Napoli, but I hadn't seen enough to make an informed decision. His data is good, but I've seen all of about 15 minutes of his footage and that's not enough to validate anything.
Sangare is a scary one. His talent, no questions at all. Love what he does, it is just that wee moment where sometimes he appears to see red that would worry anyone who signs him. The key to finding out how happy you'd be to take that risk would be to talk with the player himself, and see if he has the self awareness that shows he is willing to work hard to put those aggressive moments into the right parts of the game.
Last but not least. I agree I think Kuhn will leave, at 25 he has had a lot of missed opportunities having been at big clubs like Ajax and Bayern. He's had to find a different path, but he'll have an idea of where he feels he should be and that's not a bad thing. I just hope he looks at the end of the season as an opportunity to show that not only is he a good player, but that he has a good mentality, that was always the question on him before he arrived. If he phones it in now, that question will remain sat over him and might dissuade clubs from making that move.
I thought Egali would be out of our reach now but thought that Nygren might not due to him going to Genk at a young age and not making it. That's disappointing.
On South American players, is Mark Cooper, formerly of Celtic Underground, not scouting there for the club? If not, can Eddie or Harry explain what's happened?
The lack of development structure is so frustrating at Celtic because we make a song and dance about being a club that develops Champions League players and then seems to half-arse the process. That's why I hope Rodgers stays, he's the only person at the club who knows how a top level team operates.
It'll be interesting to see how much churn there is this summer. I've accepted that every starter bar Schmeichel, Jota and McGregor may leave.
On the left back issue, I'm guessing you've heard that Taylor has signed a new deal? I find that odd. He's a good player and is a real leader in the dressing room, but he's not great fit for the system Rodgers likes to play. Johnston and Tierney (Ralston as well to certain extent) are the archetypal full backs for Rodgers' system whereas I feel we change the system to accomodate Taylor. To me it would make more sense to get someone young with the raw materials (Mitchel Frame?) and have Tierney mentor him.
A few people I know that are usually well informed are of the belief that Taylor will stay, with just minor details to be agreed.
Mitchell Frame for me, a player who has potential, but in the games I've seen this season he appears to have hit a wall. He's 19 now and like many of the B team lads I think he's been stunted playing in the Lowland League.
I'd like to see him get out on loan and see if he can cement a spot in a team, get 25/30 games, but the issue we would have is his deal runs out next summer. Which for me is why he should have been out on loan this season, we then could have made a more informed decision on what to do next.
If anything Matthew Anderson would be ahead of him just on the basis of having had some games at a semi decent level over in Austria, but his future seems uncertain as his contract is up and no one has been able to confirm if we have an option to extend that.
Structure wise. The club is a long way off many of those that it would claim to benchmark against imo.
This won't touch the sides of what they should be doing. This is just me trying to make something that fits better in terms of fan content. The player dossier they should be completing should be comprehensive to the point of falling just short of a rectal examination. Detailing preferences for where a player shoots, who he tends to link with in his team, what roles he performs in various phases of play etc. So, if a striker is playing and the team has safe control deep in their own half, does he drop into a space to offer himself for a pass, does he look to play on the last man in more of a traditional target man role, does he drift wide to make a split attack where 2 attackers try to sit on the fullbacks and leave the central defenders marking no one (Lukaku used to be very good at this).
So many things to consider, and honestly it's great fun if you enjoy doing it but as I've said in the article it can become a bit of a tidal wave when you are trying to look at loads of different players at one time.
He's had a great season. That Burnley defensive setup has earned a well earned pat on the back. 25 clean sheets in the league is take a bow stuff for defenders and goalkeepers. If a striker scores 25 then he'd be getting plenty of plaudits. I appreciate it's a collective thing but as a defender in my younger days I'd be well chuffed with that.
As part of all that I expect him to sign a new deal with Burnley.
That being said and I've said this about Josh Brownhill who has also had a great season. There is nothing stopping a club like us putting an offer down in front of the player.
The basis of that for me would be this:
Burnley will offer a deal, probably financially pretty good, but it will also have a big cut built in if they get relegated (chances of that are high). So, you can play in the EPL and take your chances, the odds are you are more likely to have a season that looks like Southampton and Leicester this year. So, you earn good dough for a year, minimal bonuses and then get a 30/40, maybe even 50% pay cut for your efforts if you don't beat the odds and relegated.
or
You can sign a good deal with us, good chances of earning bonuses both domestically and for competing in Europe, you'll stand a good chance of winning trophies and for 2 or 3 years you will learn what it takes to play under real pressure for a winning team and if you stand out you will have given yourself a platform to get that big move that you dream of because;
you will have learned what it takes to win things, you will have played in front of 60,000 demanding supporters, you will have played in Europe (ideally Champions League) and if you can do all of that well then you will have shown you can play for anyone.
Apologies for digging up an old post but what are your thoughts on David Watson, Ross?
He's very one footed but is physically well developed. His technique isn't bad either. Lennon Miller gets much more coverage (probably for a reason) but there's times when Watson reminds me of a young Scott Brown, when he was a box to box style player.
Sorry Paul. Just seen this. i don't get notifications as I don't upload my articles but was just looking back at some bits and bobs and noticed it now.
Watson. Bit of second (full) season syndrome with him this year where like Killie his form has been hit and miss. A decent player and he does have a good bit of drive in his game, technically ok and physically he does appear to have filled out and uses his body well when compared to last year.
He had a few areas that I think you would have really looked for him to improve upon from last season, sadly this season I just don't see that he's kicked on enough. His passing can be wayward and I often feel a big lesson for players who try and drive the ball in the way he does, the key thing is knowing when to slow it down and ensure you have time to make a good choice. I don't think he's quite there yet, that might actually need for him to move and work with better players and coaches to bring that out of him. On the defensive side he ok, but improvements in his positional play and how he reads the game would be of real benefit to him as well.
The question anyone who fancies him will be asking is what has caused him to hit a bit of a wall in his second full season. Is it Killies style and them being pretty poor performance wise, or has he hit a bit of a developmental wall because teams are now more aware of him?
I'd say chances are it's a little bit of both. If I was advising him, it would be with a view to joining a better team where he was still liable to get 30 odd games and put a real focus on tidying up his work in the final third.
Apologies I've just seen this. I didn't see much of it, if I'm honest I didn't think it would be a great game and so decided to watch the Champions League instead. Think I made the right choice.
Great stuff once again Ross, slides are perfect. Need to go over again to let it all sink in, super
Great read. I've watched some YouTube highlights of Sangare, Pripic and Campbell this morning and they look the business.
Sangare looks like the midfielder we've been crying out for years (as you said, since Wanyama). That sort of physical profile and technical ability in midfield is so hard to come by and so highly valued in the modern game. He'd be top of my list in he summer.
Campbell to me looks like a classic Rodgers winger. Very similar to Ademola Lookman. You would think that him and Jota would dovetail well as our left wingers, Jota being more technical whereas Campbell's best attributes are physical.
Pripic looks great but I wonder if RCB will be the most pressing concern this summer. If we move on CCV as has been mooted by Eddie, then his replacement is of paramount importance. Would we then also look a whole. new partnership or have some continuity with Trusty and Scales. I always feel it's difficult to develop CBs and managers seem to rotate CBs less frequently. Dane Murray being the prime example, he's had about 130 minutes of game time since returning from Queen's park (although he would have played against Rangers if not for injuries). Would we as a club be willing to buy Pripic and loan him out immediately?
I'll try and have a look at the others later.
I think Kuhn will be away this summer, not because of his body language or anything like that, but because he's been so devastating when on top form. Hes so quick and on an upwards development curve that it'll tempt someone from the Bundesliga or the Premier league. I think Rodgers will want a proper left footed right winger as a result. Your choices above all seem to be right footed? Did you come across any left-footers that caught your eye?
Benjamin Nygren is one that's caught mine. Left footed right winger for Nordsjaelland. He's 6 foot 2 and uses his frame well. Scores a lot of goals driving inside from the wing to tap in at the back post. Nordsjaelland play very similar to us, lots of possession, passes and pressing so he'd be used to the basics of our set up. Did he come up in your searches? If yes, what made you discount him?
Benjamin Nygren
I've just had a message and chased up someone I know down south.
A journalist friend tells me we have lodged an official bid, and my buddy down south says a change in circumstances means interest from down there that he knows of has cooled....
Looks like a watch this space....
It's looking positive with Nygren. He's not as explosive as Kühn but brings much more physicality and a much better eye for goal. Really excited by this one.
What are your thoughts on him?
Can't say much, have a feeling I'll be writing about him soon.
Agree, not as quick as Kuhn, but he's certainly not an oil tanker. His close control when moving at speed is very neat and tight, and we have to believe that right now he's full of confidence, which is never a bad thing👍
Prpic for me isn't a player you buy and loan out and if I was being frank I don't believe Celtic have the right structures in place to allow for those kinds of moves as it stands. It would be great if we did have that in place as there is a lot to be said for having those good relationships with other clubs that allow for that but it needs people who want to take an active interest in the wellbeing of our loan players, not just pop them out and not bother contacting them unless they start doing really well. Too many players have spoken openly about our lack of contact and, imo the club should be quite embarrassed about that. If CCV did go then my attention would move to Barasic or Dweh first.
Bringing Dane Murray back, personally is not something I agreed with. I understood it because Stephen Welsh needed to get out. but it wasn't ideal. Murrays time out injured means he is behind the curve, and being out on loan and getting games and being exposed to a good solid schedule are key to getting him up to speed, not sitting behind Nawrocki and the rest.
Nygren and Egeli (I'm sure you have mentioned both previously), both are players I really like, FC Nordsjælland have many players that are exciting. What made me leave them out is a bit of inside info from a friend who works down south. Both have strong interest from a few EPL clubs, 1 of whom has a clear relationship with FC Nordsjælland, and another club in Germany who also has good links with them. With that in mind, I left them off the list. Same went with a few others, guys like Ibrahim Maza who is likely to go to Leverkusen or Frankfurt and Cvetkovic who was on my list originally but signed for Anderlecht. Keep an eye out for Justin Janssen who is also at FC Nordsjælland, he's one I'd been told they really like and Gogorza at FC Midtjylland is another who I've heard good things about.
Lefties on the right. I like Cyriaque Irie but he looks like he's off to Germany. Jacen Russell Rowe over in the MLS is an interesting player, good with both feet but it looks like he wants to play centrally, I think a wide role might be better for him as he has that ability to run inside a fullback into those backpost areas where you can get the Liel Abada type goals. Juan Alvina over in the Ukraine is another, but his height and the clubs fear of South Americans took him away from the list. Jahnoah Markelo (FC Zurich) I just couldn't make my mind up on. You also have Antonio Vergara who is in Serie B on loan from Napoli, but I hadn't seen enough to make an informed decision. His data is good, but I've seen all of about 15 minutes of his footage and that's not enough to validate anything.
Sangare is a scary one. His talent, no questions at all. Love what he does, it is just that wee moment where sometimes he appears to see red that would worry anyone who signs him. The key to finding out how happy you'd be to take that risk would be to talk with the player himself, and see if he has the self awareness that shows he is willing to work hard to put those aggressive moments into the right parts of the game.
Last but not least. I agree I think Kuhn will leave, at 25 he has had a lot of missed opportunities having been at big clubs like Ajax and Bayern. He's had to find a different path, but he'll have an idea of where he feels he should be and that's not a bad thing. I just hope he looks at the end of the season as an opportunity to show that not only is he a good player, but that he has a good mentality, that was always the question on him before he arrived. If he phones it in now, that question will remain sat over him and might dissuade clubs from making that move.
I thought Egali would be out of our reach now but thought that Nygren might not due to him going to Genk at a young age and not making it. That's disappointing.
On South American players, is Mark Cooper, formerly of Celtic Underground, not scouting there for the club? If not, can Eddie or Harry explain what's happened?
The lack of development structure is so frustrating at Celtic because we make a song and dance about being a club that develops Champions League players and then seems to half-arse the process. That's why I hope Rodgers stays, he's the only person at the club who knows how a top level team operates.
It'll be interesting to see how much churn there is this summer. I've accepted that every starter bar Schmeichel, Jota and McGregor may leave.
On the left back issue, I'm guessing you've heard that Taylor has signed a new deal? I find that odd. He's a good player and is a real leader in the dressing room, but he's not great fit for the system Rodgers likes to play. Johnston and Tierney (Ralston as well to certain extent) are the archetypal full backs for Rodgers' system whereas I feel we change the system to accomodate Taylor. To me it would make more sense to get someone young with the raw materials (Mitchel Frame?) and have Tierney mentor him.
A few people I know that are usually well informed are of the belief that Taylor will stay, with just minor details to be agreed.
Mitchell Frame for me, a player who has potential, but in the games I've seen this season he appears to have hit a wall. He's 19 now and like many of the B team lads I think he's been stunted playing in the Lowland League.
I'd like to see him get out on loan and see if he can cement a spot in a team, get 25/30 games, but the issue we would have is his deal runs out next summer. Which for me is why he should have been out on loan this season, we then could have made a more informed decision on what to do next.
If anything Matthew Anderson would be ahead of him just on the basis of having had some games at a semi decent level over in Austria, but his future seems uncertain as his contract is up and no one has been able to confirm if we have an option to extend that.
Structure wise. The club is a long way off many of those that it would claim to benchmark against imo.
Really interesting article, great work I really hope we have a recruitment team at Celtic Park doing this level of scouting
This won't touch the sides of what they should be doing. This is just me trying to make something that fits better in terms of fan content. The player dossier they should be completing should be comprehensive to the point of falling just short of a rectal examination. Detailing preferences for where a player shoots, who he tends to link with in his team, what roles he performs in various phases of play etc. So, if a striker is playing and the team has safe control deep in their own half, does he drop into a space to offer himself for a pass, does he look to play on the last man in more of a traditional target man role, does he drift wide to make a split attack where 2 attackers try to sit on the fullbacks and leave the central defenders marking no one (Lukaku used to be very good at this).
So many things to consider, and honestly it's great fun if you enjoy doing it but as I've said in the article it can become a bit of a tidal wave when you are trying to look at loads of different players at one time.
Excellent compilation of data and players. I hope someone at CP is paying attention. HH
CJ Egan Riley is out of contract in summer 2025 and we should be targeting him as a CCV replacement
He's had a great season. That Burnley defensive setup has earned a well earned pat on the back. 25 clean sheets in the league is take a bow stuff for defenders and goalkeepers. If a striker scores 25 then he'd be getting plenty of plaudits. I appreciate it's a collective thing but as a defender in my younger days I'd be well chuffed with that.
As part of all that I expect him to sign a new deal with Burnley.
That being said and I've said this about Josh Brownhill who has also had a great season. There is nothing stopping a club like us putting an offer down in front of the player.
The basis of that for me would be this:
Burnley will offer a deal, probably financially pretty good, but it will also have a big cut built in if they get relegated (chances of that are high). So, you can play in the EPL and take your chances, the odds are you are more likely to have a season that looks like Southampton and Leicester this year. So, you earn good dough for a year, minimal bonuses and then get a 30/40, maybe even 50% pay cut for your efforts if you don't beat the odds and relegated.
or
You can sign a good deal with us, good chances of earning bonuses both domestically and for competing in Europe, you'll stand a good chance of winning trophies and for 2 or 3 years you will learn what it takes to play under real pressure for a winning team and if you stand out you will have given yourself a platform to get that big move that you dream of because;
you will have learned what it takes to win things, you will have played in front of 60,000 demanding supporters, you will have played in Europe (ideally Champions League) and if you can do all of that well then you will have shown you can play for anyone.
Apologies for digging up an old post but what are your thoughts on David Watson, Ross?
He's very one footed but is physically well developed. His technique isn't bad either. Lennon Miller gets much more coverage (probably for a reason) but there's times when Watson reminds me of a young Scott Brown, when he was a box to box style player.
Sorry Paul. Just seen this. i don't get notifications as I don't upload my articles but was just looking back at some bits and bobs and noticed it now.
Watson. Bit of second (full) season syndrome with him this year where like Killie his form has been hit and miss. A decent player and he does have a good bit of drive in his game, technically ok and physically he does appear to have filled out and uses his body well when compared to last year.
He had a few areas that I think you would have really looked for him to improve upon from last season, sadly this season I just don't see that he's kicked on enough. His passing can be wayward and I often feel a big lesson for players who try and drive the ball in the way he does, the key thing is knowing when to slow it down and ensure you have time to make a good choice. I don't think he's quite there yet, that might actually need for him to move and work with better players and coaches to bring that out of him. On the defensive side he ok, but improvements in his positional play and how he reads the game would be of real benefit to him as well.
The question anyone who fancies him will be asking is what has caused him to hit a bit of a wall in his second full season. Is it Killies style and them being pretty poor performance wise, or has he hit a bit of a developmental wall because teams are now more aware of him?
I'd say chances are it's a little bit of both. If I was advising him, it would be with a view to joining a better team where he was still liable to get 30 odd games and put a real focus on tidying up his work in the final third.
Interested on your thoughts on tonight’s Glasgow Cup Final,,, sad to say I was not overly impressed. Brendan was there, penny for his thoughts?..l
Apologies I've just seen this. I didn't see much of it, if I'm honest I didn't think it would be a great game and so decided to watch the Champions League instead. Think I made the right choice.
If you are having any issues seeing the slides (unfortunately substack doesn't allow us to embed a slideshow) then here is a link to the slideshow:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zmzO3zBZvj8QN-E3LbF8v6RJioT9gifZrJ2kcY2K-j4/edit?usp=sharing
I'll fire that into the article.