Celtic reaction to UCL knockout - Hooper, Wanyama et al

[shefcanary 2,385]

Some interesting discussion by Lennon after Celtic were knocked out last night.  On BBC text pages he is quoted as accepting that the quality players within his squad would disappear in the summer to pursue further UCL glory.  Celtic have to be a club that develop players and then sell them on at a profit.  But on the BBC news this morning it showed an excerpt from his press conference post match where he said the difference between the two sides was Celtic''s lack of quality up front - Juve took their chances, but although they created several Celtic''s frontline did not take theirs. 

 

How would you read this?  My view is he was not that happy with the performance of Hooper et al, but does expect to loose the likes of Wanyama etc. but to really big clubs!  With comments like that he is obviously opening up for bids to players like Wanyama, but is he either trying to dampen demand for Hooper because he wants to hold on to him or his discussion last night underlining that he is happy to see Hooper go?

 

Either way, it would appear that we might struggle to convince someone like Wanyama to come here.  Also is Hooper really going to be the source of goals for us, when he struggled to score against Juve (if we really are to push on next year).  I personally now think not.  Time to look elsewhere, and I think Hughton will.  Celtic (and Hooper) missed a trick there.

 

[Morisons Prozac 0]

Just picking up on your last comment, you do realise Juventus are one of the bbest teams in the world don''t you?

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

I think it isn''t worth reading too much into comments made on the fly just after a football match. I doubt Lennon was making any calculated statements with the potential value of his players in the summer as his main concern.

 

Lennon will only have slightly more idea than most fans as to what level of clubs will be interested in Wanyama, Hooper et al come the summer. From what I have seen Wanyama and Kayal have the potential to play for teams towards the top of their respective leagues - although probably couldn''t hold onto regular spots at a Man U, Man C size team. Hooper is a bit more unclear, but that is more often the case with strikers.

 

With the influx of cash arriving at every team involved in the Premier League next season it is hard to predict where players will move - will the chance to earn double/triple the wages a CL club from Italy or Spain can offer draw players to a mid-table Premier League team? Whilst teams within the Premier League won''t be to richer compared to each other, as they all get the same extra money, even the smallest Prem team will be able to blow 99% of European clubs out of the water in terms of transfer fees and wages.

 

The smart club might not look to sign the players from Celtic, but to steal in on the players Celtic are considering buying - their recent track record at unearthing cheap talent is very good (the main reason why Rangers crashed and burned whilst Celtic managed to survive).

[shefcanary 2,385]

"Morison''s Prozac" said:

Just picking up on your last comment, you do realise Juventus are one of the bbest teams in the world don''t you?

 

 

MP, I do, but there''s nowt wrong with a bit of ambition is there?[;)]

[Morisons Prozac 0]

True shef but Holt apart, I can''t see many of our players scoring against teams like that regularly. I say Holt because of his record against the top clubs in the past

[Google Bot 3,256]

When i read that, i think NL is simply just speaking the truth.

They weren''t good enough up front, and he knows he has players who''ve had a taste of the CL and now desire the same experience on a more competitive scale.

Celtic just can''t offer that, but what they do offer (In terms of support etc.) is amazing. However, we can offer the next best which is competing with EPL teams like Man Utd/City, Chelsea etc. on a regular basis. I think most players wanting to move their careers forwards would be happy to use us as a stepping stone.

Too many, and you end up with a team of individuals.

In terms of value, i think Hooper''s an odd one, there''s always teams like QPR/Blackburn who will come out with massive transfer kitties for players. In the real world he''s not actually worth a great deal, but if we''re in for him again we need to do it early, before the market gets distorted AGAIN.

You can guarantee that up at Celtic they feel he''s as good as rhodes, and should therefore justify at least that price tag.

However, Just like when you sell a secondhand item, players will go to, and be worth, whatever a club is willing to pay at the time.... These freakish fee''s really shouldn''t bare relevance on other dealings, but obviously tend to.

[Pyro Pete 1,889]

I watched a bit of the Juve v Celtic match last night.  The commentators mentioned that Hooper had only scored one goal in his last eight games (so that''s 1 in 9 now).  He still has a good record overall for the season, but it highlights how hard it is to judge an individual playing in a sub-standard league like the SPL. 

[Bert sneakers 0]

I think all the transfer talk in January put him off a little as he hasn''t been same since then, still a very good striker and I''d be delighted to see him join in summer but you see it time and time again when a player gets involved in transfer talk then go off the boil.

Don''t write this bloke off because I think he will be a premier league hit with whoever manages to sign him.

[can u sit down please 0]

Id prefer Jordan Rhodes any day of the week and if Bburn dont come up..........

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

[quote user="can u sit down please"]Id prefer Jordan Rhodes any day of the week and if Bburn dont come up..........[/quote]I think we need to be aiming higher than Hooper, or Rhodes. Kind of along the lines of what Bethnal Grren & Yellow was saying above...

[Lavanche 0]

From the names Rhodes, Graham, Mackie and Hooper I would still take Hooper before anyone else. He oozes quality compared to three others ^^

Still I hope we go for striker abroad, if we are going to sign one. We already have hard workers who make their goals by size or just brute force, now we need a guy who can offer something more.

[can u sit down please 0]

[quote user="The ghost of Michael Theoklitos"][quote user="can u sit down please"]Id prefer Jordan Rhodes any day of the week and if Bburn dont come up..........[/quote]I think we need to be aiming higher than Hooper, or Rhodes. Kind of along the lines of what Bethnal Grren & Yellow was saying above...[/quote]Rhodes should have been a PL player this year. A fantastic finisher who rarely misses the target. He would be a perfect foil for Holt as he never drifts out wide etc.Id love to aim higher but realistically, who? If we had kicked on this year and broke into the top 10 i would agree, a la Swansea..