Ronny Deila knows what he wants to take Celtic into the Champions League.
Celtic’s Europa League campaign will peter out in Istanbul on Thursday with only pride at stake against Fenerbahce.
The stats have been piling up since the 3-2 Champions League win over Malmo back in August with two goals lost in each of the last seven European matches with just two wins from 13 Europa League ties.
Deila has only lost one significant domestic match in 18 months the highly contentious Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness Caley, but know that him and his team will laregely be judged in Europe.
The transfer window opens in four weeks time with January now viewed as the ideal time to bed players in for the European qualifiers at the start of next season.
“It’s clear to me what I need to improve next season,” Deila said. “People talk about only defending but we have to make the whole squad stronger.
“It’s about developing the players who are here and adding some who can make us even stronger. This transfer window in January could be really important but it’s not just about getting new players in – it’s about getting the right ones too.”
Ryan Christie looks like starting his Celtic career after injury cut short his return to Inverness Caley Thistle on loan.
With Scott Allan emerging the competition for midfield places will become even fiercer with Tom Rogic almost a first team regular.
Allan is likely to start the match against Fenerbahce after impressing as a substitute in the matches against Ajax and Inverness Caley Thistle.
Too many attacking midfielders at Celtic, the squad needs a better balance.
Celtic need a quality central defender to play beside and develop Simunovic.
I would sell Ambrose, Boyata and Izaguirre in January.
Carlton Cole and Nadir Ciftci might do a job in the short term domestically, but if we are serious about getting into the CL again, a top class striker has to be bought.
I’d go for Charlie Austin!
Considering QPR rejected a 12m bid for Austin in summer, I think we’re out of that one
are you kidding . charlie austin .QPRknocked back a ten million bid in the summer for him . they wanted 16 m. we have to be realistic . we cant pay more than 4m for a striker . so its a striker from abroad ….same old pukky , baldy kin of rubbish
Matthew,
No I’m no kidding, if we are going to be back at the top table of the CL again, we are going to have to seriously spend on the team, if we don’t there will be no CL!
Pay the money!
Monti,
Quite right ,always aim for the best,if we start aiming for mediocrity then thats what we will get (or worse).Get the chequebook out Celtic , the supporters deserve it,after all it is the season of goodwill.
Morning Monti, do you ever sleep? big towering centreback for me someone with experience who can steady the defence and a strong hard midfielder like a young Broonie to stiffen the spine of the team, centre back like Mark Reiper,comon santa lets do it.
I would definitely sell Boyata, he has now played 5 months and there is no sign of him improving.
At the start I thought because he hadn’t played much that after a month or two he would show us his qualities, but its been the opposite as he continues to cost us goals with his poor defending.
You can now see why he played so few games over the last few years as the other teams quickly realised that he was pish poor.
Hopefully Ronny can see this and be big enough to drop him from the team and replace him in January with an experienced center half who knows how to attack a ball in the air and who can make a pass too.
I may be being a bit harsh on Boyata but I believe he is the main reason we have flopped in Europe this season, just about every soft goal we lost he was a big reason for it.
Once we can get a good defence put together then we can hopefully take on Europe next season but a class striker is required too. I think 2 quality additions would make a huge difference to our team, I just hope Lawwell will back the team and make sure we get the players we need.
Maybe if we get the right manager and backroom staff in,people who know how to nurture players.
Someone like Stein,O’Neil,and the like.Remember how Celtic played under the Kelly’s ? then they brought in Big Jock.Same players, but a REAL manager who new how to treat players,and nuture them.
buy Adam Rooney
Why?
we Def need a bobo balde type defender, a playmaker midfielder, & a quality striker! I would Def go for hooper! he’said not even getting a game!!
Celtic should look no further than Reading center-half [ HECTOR ] Big future.
The amount of goals we’ve lost in Europe tells it’s own story. The defence isn’t strong enough and has given away cheap goals, the way we play needs looked at if we’re serious about the champions league.
HH
It’s always going to be a gamble bringing players into Celtic, I think we have a good one in Simunovic.
We talk about strikers, but really who do you think we are going to buy that will be better than Griffiths.
Trying to get another CB of the quality required will be hard, in the DM position are we going to buy better than Bitton for me its more about playing a tighter midfield 3 in Europe. Sitting a bit deeper, I would like to see Armstrong being developed into that role. Could be the natural replacement for Brown when the time comes.
I have said this over the past few transfer windows…..we cant afford to baws this up and sign more dross that we have over the past few years….johannson, Pukki, Balde, Scepovic, GMS, Cifci,Boyata….Iin fact would be a perfect time to tell Deila and Park….mess this window up and you wont see next season.
No pressure…how much money have we wasted over the past few seasons.
Well said Tony, Totally agree.
First position that needs to be sorted is the goalkeeper Gordon has been criminal in goals both domestically and in Europe.
Also need quality centre half and striker.
I think Gordon has been poor because of the defence in front of him.
Maybe an idea would be to play 3 at the back the same way MON set his defence up .
Gordon’s positional sense is poor how many times have we seen him beaten at his near post.
Fed up watching him flapping and must be one of the poorest goalkeepers who continuously pars the ball back into danger areas – same mistakes again and again.
Don’t think even having two/three quality defenders in front of him will make any difference.
He will always have these weaknesses in his game.
Agree with you Paisley,
Gordon seems to get beaten at his near post at times
Bailly should have had a chance before now.
Now its the goalkeepers fault. Can none of you open your eyes long enough to see the problem is the out of their depth management team.
I have supported this club for over 60 years,and have never heard a manager blame the players so much and get away with it. I never heard Big Jock blame the players once,he was where the buck stopped.How come all these players don’t get sacked for their performances on the park, its because they go out to play to the managers instructions.
Nothing is going to improve under the management team we have at present.HH
I think we should be going for mcginn at hibs to replace brown and I would be looking at getting a new right back left back is secure for the next 10 years! Lustig looks injured Ambrose is okay at right back and a new nakamura would be handy as well!
” Ambrose is ok at right back “?
Right at the back of the stand maybe?
Janko looks a player. He’s a right back. Personally, if he was healthy, he’d be my starter, and I’d pair Lustig at right center half with Simunovic on the left. Not having to run so much, would do Lustig wonders …
Lustig is not the player he was since his hip operation.I agree that Janko looked a very useful right back,but Deila would’nt recognise a player if he stood in front of him.
I honestly think if Deila is still our manager in January our season could go awry.
We already have a player who can eventually replace Broonie in Scott Allan.
Could Ronnie replace himself please!
Could Ronnie replace himself please?
The headline reads “Ronny is planning his January moves”.
I hope that means he is planning to move somewhere else.