Neil Lennon is ready to enter the transfer market to strengthen his side for the final Champions League qualifying tie.
Tonight’s 2-0 win over HJK Helsinki guarantees the club at least four more European ties this season.
Reaching the group stage of the Champions League should see the club clear around £15m with the Europa League worth a fifth of that amount.
Fraser Forster’s £1.5m transfer from Newcastle has been Lennon’s only signing but the hoops boss is ready to return to the transfer market with a new central defender and striker certain to be among his priorities.
“Now we’ve got a wee bit of European football we might be able to bring one or two in to augment what we’ve got already,” the Celtic boss explained. “We’ve lost a lot of players in the summer and there’s a good nucleus.”
Lennon added: “That’s one of the best feelings I’ve had since I’ve been here as manager. We’re worked very, very hard trying to get this right and these are horrible games and I think they’re very unfair on us Scottish teams because [it means] we start our season so early.
“To come through the tie and play as well as we did, I am so proud of the players. They were brilliant; really, really good.
“When you consider that Helsinki are 20 games into their season, it was a big, big performance.
“It’ll give us all a huge shot of confidence. It’s always been a bug bear, the away games in Europe.”
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Well done Bhoys.!!!!
I’d like to see us go back in for the big portugese forward me missed out on last year… Diarra… he went to Sevilla or something, but has found it difficult.
Reckon he would be suited to what we need…. 6ft 1, good in air, quick, and eye for goal..
Papa babacar Diawenna I think, but hes Senegalese and went to Sevilla for 4 million
He did ok at Seville but never really got much of a chance to start matches.
http://videocelts.com/2012/05/blogs/whatever-happened-to-celtic-target-papa-diawara
baba diawara – not a patch on mo bangura haha
Good result, yeah def need a striker and a ball winner at centreback…wasent Charlie Mulgrew class…what a run and cross. Big Victor, I love you, but you were a spectator tonight…it didnt go unnoticed big man….snap out of it big man
Just read the Daily Mail piece about Fulham bidding for Hooper and us replacing him wae Skippy.
Someb’dy tell me that’s pish, ffs!
Would we notice the difference? It would be swapping one wee fat striker with a terrible first touch for another wee fat striker with a terrible first touch!
Well done to Neil Lennon, kept his focus on getting the Bhoys ready for the start of the season despite lots of provocation from RFC and Sevco, looks to be paying off. We still face a tough draw though so it’s only a step in the right direction.
Pretty sure it means a minimum of 8 more games.
Playoff round in the CL. Win that and its 6 CL group games. Loose and its straight into the EL group with offcourse 6 group games there.
Heres hoping we can strengthen with a couple of additions and make it the CL option.
Another bright point of our game tonight is its now zero games since we won away in Europe
Neil F Lennon I Love You!
I’ve never seen so many Glesca people standing behind Neil Lennon. He has come so far in such a short time. I’m proud of the wee man.
Brilliant result I have to agree with the earlier comment Charlie mulgrew was class again what a great story for this lad to get a 2nd chance at his beloved Celtic and play the way he has since we signed him thoroughly deserved in my opinion