Better the devil you know?
By Shaun • Jan 12th, 2010 • Category: Featured ArticlesIt seems Boro boss Gordon Strachan is going back to his former club Celtic in a bid to revive Boro's ailing season. Press reports are claiming that FOUR Celtic players are on their way to the Riverside, with some even claiming that medicals have already taken place and that the players could be in the squad for Saturday's trip to Sheffield United.
The players who are allegedly due to join the club are Gary Caldwell, Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen.
Caldwell, a 27 year old Scottish International Centre Back released by Newcastle United as a youngster, is rumoured to be also interesting Wigan Athletic and rumours are abound that he is set to snub his old boss to join the Latics.
Whilst these signings will not exactly capture the imagination of the Teesside public, I think it is a clear indication that Strachan wants to strengthen this squad and add some much needed experience to the side.
I think David Wheater has struggled this season since Robert Huth departed, and I am of the opinion that he needs someone a bit more vocal with a bit more experience playing alongside him, could Caldwell be just the type of player to get Wheater back on track?
It is plain to see that we are crying out for some experience and grit in the midfield too, Rhys Williams has done ok though he is much more suited to a defensive role, Osbourne has come in on loan and not really impressed in my opinion. It is for this reason that I feel the signing of Barry Robson may be a good addition, he is an experienced box-to-box midfielder who works hard and gets stuck in. The only worry is that the general consensus from Celtic fans is that he is very limited technically.
The other 2, Flood and Killen, I am not convinced about at all. Flood is a player who has bounced around at this level of football without ever really settling anywhere and being a consistent performer. Killen seems to be something we have had in abundance at Boro in recent seasons, a striker who fails to find the back of the net on a regular basis. I will reserve any judgement until I have seen them play in a Boro shirt, assuming that a deal does go through, but I am not exactly enthused at the thought of this transfer swoop.
There is no doubt that our squad desperately needed strengthening but is this just a case of Strachan going back to players he knows rather than putting any sort of trust in the clubs scouting staff?
Shaun is A Boro fan and owner of BoroMania.com. Born and brought up in the North East. Favourite players are Juninho, Slaven and David Wheater.
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Your club is about to go through what we Celtic fans have endured for the past four seasons.
It seems Caldwell has decided to go to Wigan. Believe me you’ve dodged a bullet with him, however the other three are not what any aspirational club needs.
Genuinely feel bad for Boro and it’s fans, first you’ve been saddled with a PR disaster manager who promises much but delivers little. Get ready for mundane football and disappointment, it can’t be anything else with the three players your about to sign from Celtic.
I am a little confused too and I am a Celtic fan. Strachan brought both Flood and Killen to Celtic and never gave either of them playing time. truthfully I am happy to offload Killen. I remember his days at Hibs. He is not worth a salary. Flood I think has potential, but his top level may be where your team sits today. If you gain promotion this term or next, he won’t make it. I can see why he never got games at Celtic. Barry Robson is a good buy. If he can stay fit you have a diamond. I don’t want to see him go. He is higherlevel than the Championship by a mile.
As for Caldwell, his ambition outweighs his abilities. He is a pretty good player who is not quite as good as he thinks he is. He is not a solid defender and from what I have been reading about Boro this season, thats what you need.
I wish you luck but don’t wager too much on this group. Chances are that Flood and Killen won’t see you through to the Premier League. Robson will be the best player on your books.
Has he chosen Wigan for definite? I have to say I have been reading a few Celtic forums and the general consensus is not great on these 4, apart from Robson (who some like and others don’t).
Robson is a good gritty experienced player, who will slog his guts out when needed. He’s not bad on dead balls too. I would have liked to have kept him, but I don’t think he fits into Mowbray’s ‘vision’. If he stays fit he’ll definitely do the job.
Caldwell has really went off the boil, but he has experience and we have seen him play consistently well in previous seasons. That zonal marking lark that Strachan seems to like is a nightmare, and with Caldwell trying to apply it you might see a few disasters. He might work brilliantly or it might go tits up - hard to say. I agree he seems to think he’s the business, but really has let his game slip.
Flood never got a chance to show us what he could do, but he played really well for Dundee United, so again it’s a gamble.
Killen never impressed me, but again he wasn’t given much of a chance. Of the lot I’d say he’s the one that will make least impact. Not really what you need in a striker.
SSN reporting Caldwell snubbed Boro and is in talks with Wigan. As a Celtic fan I hope he agrees terms and leaves our club.
As for Robson, you wont find a more committed player. Celtic fans love players who will run through brick walls for them, he is certainly one of those. The problem is he’s very one paced and extremely reliant on one side (his left) This handicaps him in terms of looking ponderous at times, being so one sided IMO gives decent defenders an advantage.
Robson will give everything no doubt but for me that’s not enough for a club with decent aspirations.
“Celtic fans love players who will run through brick walls for them”
So do Boro fans so he should fit in well here! To be fair our midfield is really lacking in any kind of leadership or aggression so he may fit the bill
Not all Celtic fans are as dismissive of Gordon Strachan’s tenure as EB. I’s woth remembering that in his first 3 seasons Celtic won the SPL 3 times in a row, a feat not acheived since the halycon days of Jock Stein’s ‘9 in a row’ team. We also won cup doubles in 2 of those 3 seasons. He also brought Celtic to the last 16 of the Champion’s League in consecutive years, a feat unmatched by any other team in Scotttish history. It’s true last season was a disaster. Strachan displayed a pettiness and spitfulness in regard to certain players , particularly Aiden McGeady which cost us the League. His refusal to employ different tactics and stratagies was painful to watch. Quite simply he burnt his bridges with the club and the fan’s almost overnight and instead of being rememered as a legend he is seen rather as enigma, and a not very plesant one at that. One final myth that really needs to be nailed is the suggestion that Strachan’s team always played medicore football. Some of the football played was a joy to watch, as sweet and flamboyant as any I witnessed in almost 40 years watching the club.
If Gary Caldwell has gone to Wigan, be thankfull, be very thankfull.
I’m a Celtic fan and can I just say that, if you sign Barry Robson, you’re getting a player who’ll work his socks off for the cause. Our best form this season has coincided with his return from injury. Don’t let his age put you off, he still has bags of energy and will always give 100%. The guy is a great professional and i’ll be sad to see him go.
Caldwell has his ups and downs, he was pretty solid (by his standards) for about 18 months, but didn’t show great form at the start or end of his Celtic career. Willow Flood looked a good player at Dundee United but has to prove himself at a bigger club, wasn’t given much of a chance at Celtic but never looked great when he did play. He has potential though. Chris Killen can score goals…apparently.
Like I said though, Barry Robson is a steal for that price if yous get him, I love the wee man and he’ll be sorely missed. He won us the 07/08 title when he came in in January 08 and that’s not an exaggeration. Ask any Celtic fan. Good luck for the rest of the season guys, hope wee Gord takes you back up!
VincentD, while I respect your opinion, it’s deeply flawed.
Much discussion has been undertaken on the subject of WGS. A Boro site is not the place or indeed the time to regurgitate this discussion so for that reason I will try to keep it brief. Many fans are beginning to wake up to what was clear throughout his tenure. It was/is clear he was slowly dismantling the very ethos of our great club. His manner drove a wedge between the club and the fans, something I never thought was possible on such a vast scale. I can’t agree with your OTT assessment of how he had us playing but I can accept your opinion. IMO he was the driving force behind the apathy that we have slowly begun to see take hold of our club. His contempt for the media is one thing but it seems that contempt didn’t stop with them, Player fall outs, too many to go into on this forum. Along with his sharp sound bites all helped drive suspicion amongst many of the fans.
It seems from his brief spell at Boro he is following a similar pattern. Player fall out with Sean St Ledger and making sharp comments towards the media. This man may have had a very successful spell in charge of Celtic and for that I am grateful. However you know as well as I do, to regards of the limited challenge we had from across the city. To even utter his name in the same sentence as the great man (Jock Stein), IMO degrades a genuine giant of our club.
Popes11, Too right.
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With regard to EB’s post above.
While I agree that Gordon Strachan is certainly no Jock Stein, I mean who is, he won three league titles in a row in four years, something no other Celtic manager since the great man, including the terrific Martin O’Neill, could manage.
Gordon Strachan was regarded as something of a cult figure by most Celtic fans I knew before becoming the Hoops manager and while still managing in England.
His quick quips and quirky humour went down well.
His personna did not go down well with the Scottish media however, as Strachan made them look foolish with sarcastic replies to their banal, somtimes abusive, and often stupid questions.
I loved it.
Cue frequent attacks on Strachan in the Scottish newspapers.
Strachan was not a former Celtic player or supporter, his team was Hibernian as a youngster, and this was viewed with suspicion by many Celtic fans who labeled him ‘not Celtic minded’ and these almost daily attacks on the Hoops manager by the media was taken up by some Celtic supporters.
I think it’s fair to say that the support was divided, and although it was a large minority who didn’t like him, it was still definitely a minority.
With regard to Gary Caldwell.
Say a prayer of thanks ‘Boro fans.
You’ve had a narrow escape!
I liked and continue to like Strachan, he had his shortcomings, but he did the job he was given by the board as well as anyone could have. Perhaps a more ‘Celtic-minded’ manager wouldn’t have accepted the hachet-job and down-sizing, but he brought a very respectable amount of success to the club, and carried out the job he was brought in to do as well.