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After endless speculation over who stays, who goes and who’s he, another January Transfer window has finally closed for Celtic.
This was Ange Postecoglou’s second as Celtic manager and fourth transfer window overall as he continues to revolutionise the playing staff at Celtic Park.
In reality – such is the forward thinking at Celtic these days – this transfer window began months ago for Ange, Michael Nicholson and new head of Scouting & Recruitment Mark Lawwell as the fine tuning of the squad continues at pace.
As far back as early November Ange confirmed that the January work had all but been completed and that plans for the summer window were already well underway.
Speaking at the time he said,
“A couple of weeks ago, we sort of did our transfer planning. The bulk of the work’s been done.
What this time gives me is a little bit of opportunity just to plan for the rest of this year and probably the next summer window.”
Gone are the days of the last minute signing and the stress of the deadline day dash.
This Celtic take a whole new approach.
And it’s a breath of fresh air.
Celtic’s New Approach To The Transfer Window
Signing Yuki Kobayashi in late November and Alistair Johnston in early December shows just how far ahead of the curve Celtic currently are.
Whilst we had to wait until January itself (Nicholson out?) for the signings of Iwata and Oh it‘s clear to see just how well planned and executed this window has been.
Ange and his team have known for some time that the futures of Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis lay somewhere beyond Celtic Park and they responded accordingly.
Both Alistair Johnston and Oh were in the building before their predecessors left, ensuring a smooth mid-season transition.
Indeed if you need further proof of just how differently Celtic are doing things these days then the fact that not one of our four new players has been signed from Europe is a huge indicator.
Such is the inflated market in England there’s now very little value to be found in the Premier League or Championship and this has been the case for some time.
Ange knows it, his support staff know it, and Celtic have now taken things in a completely different direction.
Tellingly, across Ange’s four transfer windows Celtic have signed twenty-six first team players and only two – Joe Hart and cameron Carter-Vickers (both Spurs) – have come directly from English sides.
Celtic are now finding talent – and value – in every corner of the globe.
Our first team squad now contains Japanese, South Korean, Canadian, Argentinian and Australian players amongst many other nationalities.
No feasible transfer market will be left untapped as the club continue to unearth more valuable signings.
Celtic Continue To Back Ange Wholeheartedly
Whilst Ange Postecoglou remains on a rolling yearly contract there will always be concerns that he could one day have his head turned by another club who see the impact he’s had at Celtic.
You never know in football but to listen to him at any press conference provides reassurance that Ange is building something here and doesn’t plan to deviate from those plans any time soon.
At least for the medium term it looks like his future is in Glasgow, and Michael Nicholson and the board have backed him accordingly.
Speaking on the final day of the window Ange said:
“Our objectives going onto the window have been achieved.
The success of that will bear fruit over the next few months and beyond based on how well the new players contribute.
And to be fair to them they’ve already made a contribution.”
Ange is a man with a plan.
He knows where he wants to take the club, he has a plan to get us there, and the club are fully backing his vision.
Changed Days at Celtic Park
Getting business done early doesn’t have the excitement, the tension, or the drama of seeing a player paraded on the steps at Celtic Park at five past midnight a la Robbie Keane or Craig Bellamy.
You can’t replicate that and – for a while at least – this is something we all clamoured for.
Things are different at Celtic Park these days however.
Given the choice now, I’ll take the calm, controlled and carefully planned signings that arrive even before the window has officially opened.
All. Day. Long.
John A
says:Fantastic our approach is now, many of the last minute signings were panic signings and showed how PL really ran the club.
Tino
says:All very different around Celtic Park these days John.