Cuellar's a good deal for Gers
MURRAY MUST SPEND TO STOP CELTS
WITH Sir David Murray under siege from unhappy Rangers fans and Carlos Cuellar’s locker empty at Murray Park, some Celtic fans are already uncorking the champagne in celebration of a fourth consecutive title.
I hope Peter Lawwell and Co have more sense. The biggest danger to Celtic right now is complacency.
If they really have the ambition they could have the title in the bag by the time the transfer window closes in two weeks’ time.
They have the financial muscle to bury Rangers in the transfer market. Do they have the will?
When Murray had Celtic on the floor in his glory years he bludgeoned them.
Any time Celtic even threatened to get close the chequebook came out, a Gascoigne or a Laudrup appeared, and normal service was resumed.
Traditionally Celtic fail to capitalise when they are strong and there is evidence they could be sleepwalking towards the abyss this summer.
Cuellar's deparfture has caused much mirth in Glasgow's East End
If the club’s directors were seduced by that unlikely title win last May then they should book themselves in for a reality check. Over 38 games you could barely get a cigarette paper between the Old Firm last season.
Were it not for Rangers’ fixture pile-up implosion, that could have been a trophyless Celtic playing in Kaunas 12 days ago.
The current Ibrox civil war hasn’t suddenly made Gordon Strachan’s team world beaters. They were a distinctly average side for all but the tail end of the last campaign and have done little to change that.
Paddy McCourt, Marc Crosas and Glenn Loovens? Sorry, that’s not a club tooling up for a serious tilt at the Champions League. That’s a board trying to do just enough to win the SPL. And while Cuellar’s departure has caused much mirth in Glasgow’s East End it’s only likely to make Rangers stronger by the end of the month.
Those who believe the Spaniard was allowed to leave on the cheap at 10 million euros — or £7.8million — should get real.
Apart from the silly money Spurs paid for Alan Hutton, Premiership clubs are wary of paying top dollar for SPL players with good reason. Jean Alain Boumsong was found out at Newcastle, Stilian Petrov and Shaun Maloney haven’t cut it at Aston Villa and James McFadden barely caused a ripple at Everton.
Cuellar’s sale was good business even if the timing stank. More importantly, the hysteria it caused has forced Murray’s arm so far up his back he has no alternative but to splash whatever cash he has.
The Ibrox owner is no different from your average football director. They don’t like the heat.
The only way Murray can appease those wanting his head on a plate is to bring more players in.
Celtic are taking a huge gamble if they go with what they've got
This week the additions of Valencia kid Aaron Niguez and Pedro Mendes saw Walter Smith bring his summer signing total to six. The acquisition of Mendes in particular will help counterbalance Barry Ferguson’s absence.
Even at 29 the former Porto midfielder is a much more accomplished player than fans’ favourite Steve Davis and we can expect the Rangers boss to be busy throughout the next fortnight.
If he gets the pedigree centre-back he’s looking for the Ibrox outfit will be in decent shape for the domestic season without having to contend with the extra demands of European competition.
Across town Celtic are guilty of taking a huge gamble if they go with what they’ve got.
With a recent monopoly of Scotland’s Champions League cash they have an advantage over Rangers that Fergus McCann could only have dreamed of. If they don’t make it count they deserve everything that comes their way.
WITH just three weeks left until our first World Cup qualifier in Macedonia, I hope George Burley gets both a performance and a result against Northern Ireland this Wednesday.
But what is this squad all about? This wasn’t the time to omit David Weir, Christian Dailly, Lee McCulloch, Garry O’Connor and Shaun Maloney. It was a totally justifiable opportunity to enforce the five-day rule allowing us a proper dress rehearsal ahead of the game in Skopje. Be it on your head George!
P.S. With the afternoon temperatures currently nudging 90 degrees in Macedonia this opener is a potential banana skin against a country that managed a draw against England at Old Trafford. The kick-off was brought forward because there are no floodlights in the stadium in Skopje. In the interests of nicking three points shouldn’t the SFA have offered to shell out for temporary lights themselves?
