Martin O’Neill has been quick to play down expectations that Tomas Cvancara is about to transform Celtic’s fortunes.
The Czech born striker is believed to be in the UK undergoing a medical before joining Celtic on loan.
It is almost a year since Celtic sold Kyogo Furuhashi with Adam Idah following at the end of the summer transfer window.
STRIKER ISSUE O’NEILL INHERITED
Only Shin Yamada has been brought in as a replacement but the Japanese striker has failed to score or make an impression on three different managers.
Celtic fans had hoped to have a ready-to-play striker signed up by January 1 but that date passed without any movement.
Now, going into the fourth week of the transfer window it seems that a striker is about to arrive.
Celtic face Bologna tomorrow night, at today’s media conference the questions quickly turned towards transfer activity.
Asked whether the 6ft 3 incoming striker would provide a Chris Sutton like physical presence O’Neill was eager to play down that level of expectation.
4 minutes
No, he’s not a target man, believe it or not. He’s quite quick, and he’s not really that [type].
I just want to say to you that he’s not the John Hartson type, or the type when Chris played alongside Henrik Larsson.
He’s quick, he’s agile, and he wants to prove himself. If you think he’s the immediate answer to any sort of problem we have, I’m not sure I’d throw that sort of responsibility on him.
Cvancara hasn’t played a competitive match since December 4 when he made his final appearance for Atalyaspor.
He did play for 46 minutes in a friendly for Borussia Monchengladbach on January 5 but it is clearly a stretch to see the new signing starting away to Hearts on Sunday.
The Celtic squad is currently in Bologna and won’t be back until Friday.
Any new signing will only have a Saturday training session to get to know new team-mates with the clock ticking down towards the 3pm kick-off at Tynecastle on Sunday.
I don’t care if he has a cast on one leg wae a calf injury & hamstring tear, he MUST start the game on Sunday……
HH
Why the F*ck was this not dealt with on The 1st of January…
A shameful shameful shambles of a board !
Sorry Martin, but you’ve dropped a clanger there:
“..If you think he’s the immediate answer to any sort of problem we have, I’m not sure I’d throw that sort of responsibility on him.”. ?!
What the hell has this loan striker been brought in for then?
Martin O’Neill sitting there , waiting and ready for the loaded questioning from those scoops …hoping he would falter and say something out of place for them to have a story which grows arms and legs by the sentence . Tough titty …he saw you coming at 100 paces.That mob will have to be much smarter than that to out fox Martin ! In other words – no chance ! Go and sample the local ice cream parlours in Italy ..that’s the only treat you will be getting . Make sure you get receipts for your bosses …money is tighter than a brown jockstrap, especially at the tabloids !
I had a look to see what I could find out about him yesterday once his possible signing for us was aired. He’s shown as a striker (1st) right winger (2nd) and left winger/2nd striker next. So perhaps a utility forward which I think makes absolute sense. Interestingly his stats show him scoring more often (games to goals) when starting as right winger than elsewhere so maybe that’s what MON was getting at.
If he’s fit, though clearly not match fit, I’d certainly be giving him a run out against the diets, maybe even starting. I mean, if it doesn’t ‘happen’ for him we’ve got two Lawwell class subs in JK and SY just itching to go out and prove what they can do. Or hopefully not, what they can’t do!
He came on as a sub against us at Celtic Park back in 2021 when he was playing for Jablonec. I don’t remember anything about him, although to be fair I have other reasons for that being a less than memorable evening….. I caught COVID19 on a packed train from Carntyne back to Central. A sub is what I expect he will be on Sunday too, unless his fitness isn’t even at a sufficient level to allow that.
Sounds like Martin is just managing expectation with his comments. It won’t do the lad any good to introduce him as the next Erling Haaland when he’s very obviously had a difficult couple of years with a lot of chopping and changing. Fingers crossed he can hit the ground running – and scoring!
If he’s not an immediate answer to any problems we have then he shouldn’t have been signed. End of. Why is this board wasting or time on poor to very average players. We need players that WILL sort or problems out NOW. What a great review Martin has gave the guy. His stats are crap. Poor signing on paper. Most probably a worse signing on the pitch. We are going to lose the league this year.
Martin is a Wiley old fox.
This guy will Def play against hearts. And hopefully score a double.
It’s all f**k bullshit, Martin,the Celtic board,the whole lot of it,Bodo glimt capacity just under 9000, Celtic 60.000, WTF is going on ,forget this monetary disparacny,We are shite and there’s a lot of smaller Euro clubs doing much better than us or any other dross teams in the spfl, surely with all our money and our board,” who are the best in the world” this is a joke,how does nicholson sit with the board of Bodo glimt, with 50 times their finances,how can he say we’re a well run club.boycott or be stuck where we are, nobody’s in Europe and soon to be losers in the mickey mouse SPFL, don’t buy STs or merchandise,we have to get rid of this board,The difference between our board and that of Bodo,is Bodo’s board just try and get there team better which has shown,our board just try and make more money for themselves and fuck the team, boycott is the only way ahead.
Who’s side is Martin on ,the fans who pay all the wages or the board who run roughshod over everyone,I know Martin loves the club but not enough to stand up to and shame this board and his big mate desmond, Seriously if you got asked to come in and steady the ship , which Martin done ,then you got told Nah,we don’t need you anymore, you’re surplus to requirements,and then they come back and ask you,oh we fucked up ,can you come back again,nah fuck that, Martin should have told desmond to fucking do one ,if a boss brought you in to steady the ship, which you done , then told you right ,fuck off,we don’t need you , we’ve got a new high flyer in,who then turns out to be a disaster,oh Martin we need you back, O’Neil should have told desmond get to fuck but instead he come scurrying back,what kind of backbone is that ,I know Martin says he loves Celtic but he should have told they cunts on the board to fuck off,but he didn’t so he’s just as complicit as desmond and nicholson and the whole fucking lot of them.
I hate to say it but Martin is a human shield between the fans and the board and he will take the boards side every time,what do we expect,he will not rail against his paymasters,and he has proved that,he’s never once come out and said this board have let him down,the same as they did with Rodgers,if Martin loved Celtic as much as he makes our he would have walked by now because the board are taking the piss as regards to strengthening the team,he is desmonds lackey ,the same as Brendan was who decided to say fuck it ,And the vitriol that come from desmond was disgusting,and for Martin O’Neill to come in after that just shows that money and big moustache heed desmond rules the irish.
Lost a bit of respect for Martin,he is a board lackey,making jokes about getting players in at the end of the season,he should be giving desmond and the board fuck but he won’t because he’s getting paid millions,,why would you cut off your money supply just to pretend you like Celtic.
He got told quickly by his paymasters, desmond and co ,” Martin shut the f**k and we’ll still pay you loads o money, never mind if sevco or the diet’s won the league you’ll still be better of by the millions ,just don’t mention we want sevco to win the league, and if we don’t strengthen your team this transfer window, well that’s just too bad ,but wink wink you know what we mean,and if we just lose the league by a baw hair, you’ll still be at Martin the boards trusted friend along side you’re old mate Lenny, hail hail all the old norn irn celts togeth