Celtic’s recruitment is in the spotlight following last night’s Champions League defeat from Lazio.
It is now 10 years since the hoops won at home in Europe’s premier competition, in total it is one win in 23 matches with that win away to Anderlecht more and more isolated.
As the Head of First Team Scouting and Recruitment Mark Lawwell is responsible for the squad that Brendan Rodgers is working with.
Most fans can see a manager giving it 100% with the players at his disposal but there is little evidence to suggest that Lawwell Junior is operating at the same level.
Brought in from Manchester City in July 2022, Celtic claimed that Peter’s boy had been doing the same job at City for a decade but there isn’t any evidence for that, the few scraps available suggest that he had a very minor role with no involvement in Pep Guardiola’s squad building.
After two stunning transfer windows under Ange Postecoglou quality recruitment appears to have halted with the arrival of Matt O’Riley.
A job lot of wingers and central midfielders have dominated recruitment over three Lawwell driven transfer windows that has only yielded Alistair Johnston as a first team starter.
Some of the players may well come good but it is far likely that most will disappear without trace except on payroll.
One of the many problems with having a squad that saw 33 players appear in the official squad picture last week is that they will toil for any meaningful game time.
Even running with five or six injuries there is still no place on the bench for Yuki Kobayashi, Marco Tilio or Kwon Hyeok-kyu.
Without playing their first team prospects are reduced even further until they find themselves in the Yosuke Ideguchi situation of moving out on a low profile loan with years still to run on a contract that won’t be matched elsewhere.
There is less than three months to go until the January transfer window opens, quality not quantity is the requirement for the manager but there appears to be no signs of a change away from the highly speculative strategy being imposed by Lawwell Junior.
Mark Lawwell arrived in July ‘22 as “Head Of First Team Scouting & Recruitment”.
His record to date:
– Jenz
– Hak’
– Abildgard
– Yuki
– AJ
– Iwata
– Oh
– Holm
– Tilio
– Yang
– Kwon
– Gustaf
– Palma
– Rocky
– Philips
– Bernardo15 players in.
1 player starts every week.
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) October 5, 2023
Exactly mate this current board are just a modern day version of the Kelly’s & Whites, nepotism reigns supreme at CP
— The GSM (@1clubsince1888) October 5, 2023
Mark lawell is as useless as his father.
— Roy Grant (@RoyGran42093963) October 5, 2023
5 (6 if you include Bernardo) of those play in McGregor’s position. 1 position which already has a player that is never dropped.
— Chris (@AyrCelticCSC) October 5, 2023
Worse than Beale
— themadmonk (@themadmonk14) October 5, 2023
Grim.
— df? (@DamianFagann) October 5, 2023
Given so much responsibility to a man city receptionist.
The fact he’s the son of parasite Pete and doing his bidding.
Shows he’s his son by his inept signings & meddling!— Paddy Mc (@McPaddy00) October 5, 2023
Horrific record boys model is clear pay peanuts expect monkeys
— ArigatoDaizen (@ArigatoDaizen) October 5, 2023
Latter day Kellys and Whites is spot on. They used Celtic for their own ends for years, to the vast detriment of the club. If it hadn’t been for Jock Stein, God knows where we would have ended up, and true to form, they treated him shabbily.
I see no difference with these parasites: their self interest and nepotism is preventing the club from being all it could be.
Shame on them.
History will not look upon then well.
Predictable. Frustratingly predictable. The groundwork for defeats to Fayonoord & again to Lazio last night, was laid during the underwhelming summer transfer window.
When BR was announced, a statement of intent to make inroads in Europe provided us with real hope, excitement and optimism.
The unexpected sale of our Talisman (Jota) helped swell the already healthy bank balance. The disappointment of loosing our best player was tempered with the prospect of using the money to make a number of quality signings. There was talk of £30m being made available for players to help fund these ambitions, and that was BEFORE the Jota windfall!! After the recent release of our financial figures, showing a bank balance of over £70m, those initial numbers certainly would have been achievable. Always unlikely, but certainly not beyond our means!!
Our attention was peaked as we were linked with some real quality players on an almost daily basis. And, although (relatively) expensive, the figures being quoted would easily have fitted well within the rumoured budget. Excitement was growing as we window shopped for some players that would undoubtedly improve the team and allow us to compete in Europe. As the window dragged on our excitement turned to frustration, as it became apparent that there was no intention from our board to make these signings happen. I get that we have a (mostly) successful transfer model, which (simplified) means we buy young prospects, develop, then sell on for large profit. But to have any real chance of making good on the claim that progress in Europe was high on our list, then the signing model would surely need augmented with some quality, experienced and proven additions? For example, Livakovi?, the Croatian number 1 goalkeeper was available. At 28, he is in his prime as a ‘keeper and would’ve provided stability and quality in that position for many years. He eventually transferred from Zagreb to Fenerbahçe for €6.65m. Most definitely NOT outwith our reach financially.
Daniel Podence, 27yrs old and allegedly of interest. Again, at that age he should be hitting his prime and young enough to have resale value. Went on loan to Olympiacos.
KT. Rumours of a return to his boyhood club albeit on loan, would have been a real coup. His quality would undoubtedly improve our defence at left back. He would eventually go on loan to Real Sociedad.
Other exciting prospects were rumoured too, such as Wilfred Ndidi whom BR coached at Leicester. Aged 26 he also should be hitting his peak and was rumoured to be looking at a move away after a frustrating season and relegation of his club to the Championship. No move materialised and he remained where he was. Fabian Rieder from Rennes is another example. Aged 21 he would appear to “fit” our transfer model. Rumoured to be valued at £6-8m, he would be easily affordable but would, perhaps, stretch the “biscuit tin” a tad too much. Anyway, you get the point? I can’t be alone in feeling let-down by the apparent lack of ambition from our board? The summer’s underwhelming transfer window had Peter Lawwell written all over it! It is apparent that just reaching the group stages of the Champions League and banking the £40m (or so) is sufficient for those in charge, and seen as a success. While our reputation ON the pitch continues to fall due to the reluctance of the board to match on-field improvements with off-field wealth. I’m not suggesting for a minute we spend recklessly or outwith our means but, what is the point of a football team being measured as £ in the bank, when the team on the pitch suffers as a result? We’ve been dominant domestically for so long now, that surely the next logical step is to invest in the team to an extent that would allow us to show (or at least give us the chance to show) some real improvement in Europe?
Jeez oh ! – That list is mouthwatering indeed…
Mouthwatering in that I feel ready to spew up two or three buckets of seasick vomit –
Only AJ outta 16 players any use , though there’s hope for Holm who at least shows signs of getting stuck in there…
Daddy Lawwell ain’t very good at poker… Laddie Lawwell ain’t very good at Parkhead player picker either !
Have the Lawwell’s ever paid to get into a game at Paradise? Doh!
I fully agree. I knew when Lawwell was appointed that this was going to happen. He was and is in Daddy’s back pocket. While Desmond holds the reins nothing will change.
The most essential Recruitment is the position of Head of Recruitment. The acorns fall from the tree. In recent years recruitment has been excellent, perhaps a good bit of that down to the influence of the previous manager.
One of the areas the club could improve on is in securing the best young Scottish talents e.g. Callan McKenna at Queen’s Park could be purchased and loaned back ad infinitum, rather than have him twiddle his gloves in the B Team. There are more than a few very young Scottish players at European clubs. Players that previously left e.g. Hickey, are now playing in the top leagues.
We are taking bod average players on at our Club and they are gaining UCL experience. Then we sell them on, with value-added, for a profit; selling price minus buying price.
The quality of player at the Club then is above average!
What we should be doing is taking players on – with UCL experience – and using their experience to improve our team’s performances and results in the UCL!
That way the Club will improve in stature and our results will improve.
We could then progress to the next level and retain that experience at the Club.
This is what the fans are looking for!
We have it within our grasp to do it but we are not doing it!
It is the fans who are being short-changed on a systematic basis!
We were suckered punched last night and bhoy did it hurt. CCV made the mistake and at this level of football you get punished. We pick ourselves up and get on with it. I believe we will come good when the team gels together, let’s not forget it’s a completely different strategic setup under Rodgers as opposed to angeball. Yes, I would have liked to see a player or two brought in with experience but to be hoping for someone around the 20 million mark is not sustainable for our club in comparison to any of the English leagues probably down to league two with the money they receive. For ffs we can’t even hold on to the league sponsors but that’s another debate all together. I have no time for Lawell as for junior I will reserve judgement on that until after the January window closes. Let’s see who Rodgers has identified and wants brought in. Let’s see if he makes that happen because if not I believe we will hear it from the manager himself as he’s no shrinking violet and it’s supposed to be different this time around. I don’t see the need to act like the manky mob do it only gives them more to feed off.
For me Brendan’s first transfer window will be January, most of the current deals would have been well down the line under Ange. I have no doubts at all that BR will improve players on our books.
Would also be interesting to see the amount of players we have off-loaded, such as Haksa, Ajeti et all – complete dross. We still have a few to move on yet who are well below the level we want Sieghirst – Bernbei etc
I don’t believe we need to spend huge amounts, just be smarter in the market.
As soon as Brendan came in he spoke about a lack of power, which is glaringly obvious, teams press us and make us play long which is simply giving the ball away everytime. Only MOR can win a high ball from our midfield & forwards, corners are a waste of time…this needs to be addressed ASAP.