Former Celtic star turned Sky Sports commentator Davie Provan has taken a massive swipe at the Celtic board for not being more pro-active in the transfer market.
The media man spoke about the need for more quality and used Edouard as an example of what the club can get if they spend big and proceeded to make an astonishing attack on the boards priorities.
“When Edouard reduced the anxiety with Wednesday’s equaliser, the crowd rose to applaud their record signing. I’m surprised punters could see it for the wool being pulled over their eyes.
“Too often it’s about the bottom line.
“Remember, this is a regime who took a home Champions League tie to Murrayfield in return for a nice wedge from Commonwealth Games organisers.
“There’s nothing wrong with balancing the books, but simple arithmetic tells you Celtic are rolling in cash right now. Where is that money going, because it isn’t buying players.”
Many view Provan as a man who sold his soul to the media after his football career was over.
It’s quite astonishing in a window where Celtic have broke their own transfer record there’s people shouting the board won’t back the team where they can.
Of course, Rodgers admits himself he’d have liked some more players in sooner but has yet to find the quality he’s looking for.
Provan is an ass, a bit like Nicholas. Thats not to say that he, bor Nicholas, don’t often have a point regarding Celtic, but the attitude of the board has changed, they have employed a top manager and resisted the money we could have gotten for lots of the current players who we could easily have sold on, I agree we could spend more and we should pay an extra half million for McGinn, but Provan is ignoring the positives
We ned defensve back up.Its been the very same the last few seasons.Actually its always been thefcking same And its going to End up costing Us,Big Time.
As much as the board have got us French Eddy and refrained from selling our better players.Our Teams doing Great,But we definitely need cover at the back.There isnt a team in Scotland that can get near us,When we are on our game,But we always get found out in European games.
The proof is in the past. Provan is correct as the Celtic board have always taken us for mugs, and as mugs we keep on stumping up for season tickets every year. That’s a choice I make, but Provan has choices also, he could report on the cheating in Scottish football, that though takes courage, honesty and integrity, easier to have a pop at Celtic not spending money.
He is 100% right. The board have failed over 5 trnasfer windows to bring in the quality of CB needed to compete in Europe and will sell Simu and Boyata this window and will not replace them. But aites like this and the supporters are easily duped and bought off. Buying one player does the trick. If you want to play in the CL you have to pay. Sutton said it early last week if you don’t it is 7, 8 nothing and humiliation. If celtic refuse to spend to play in the CL they become an irrelevance as the SPl will not cut it for the majority of supporters. Unless you are a moron who simply wants a return to the duopoly and beating them is enough for you. And there are tons of them out there, But enouh to fill the park every week, I doubt it.
Yes more cover at back then everything will stop punters moaning bring in mc gin common the hoops
I agree 100 percent, we need defensive cover, at least one centre back and right back
I said on here a while back that we may just have spent our entire budget on Eddy with his transfer fee and wages it could have came close to 12 million. Provan is correct in his assessment but the board need to be frugal.
1. We are operating in an inflated market.
2. Others know we need a CB and can add leverage.
3. Further up the field players have more leeway to find their feet. Given we tend to look at younger players this works , just look at Eduoard. Jozo cost 5.5m. Can we afford to splash that out on a young player who won’t get the same willingness from fans to accept mistakes? We can’t expect another Van Dyke.
4. Flip side of that…older experienced players will expect higher wages. Toure gave us just enough experience and presence, but it is a fine line between experience and being done.
Maybe we are getting to the point where our criteria is narrow, hemmed in by the experiences above.
We have broken our transfer record and spent 9million on a player,has Provan conveniently forgot that. I ‘d be more worried if we were offering £200,000 for some ageing forward
Provan has no credibility. He just cannot wait to have a go at Celtic. Perhaps he regrets not singing for the blue bigots all those years ago.
With the huge transfer fees and wages our TV rich neighbours down south generate it is very hard for us to compete in the market with them, but in saying that I think we need strengthening at the back and I only hope we don’t let John McGinn slip through our fingers as I really rate him. It is very easy for these pundits to criticise the board from their comfortable positions on the gravy train down south.
Provan100% CORRECT now 6 transfer windows without a decent central defender, the wool is definitely being pulled over the eyes I was on a full bus on Wednesday and everyone is of the same mind, almost back to the biscuit tin. 10 years ago we spent £4m on Broony now they won’t spend a similiar amount for a player in McGinn who is a far better player than Broony was when we signed him. Come on PL GET THE FINGER SNF THE CHEWUE BOOK OUT
Davie Provan is spot on, the board have coined in £7 mill for Armstrong and another reported £7 mill for the VVD move. They have signed French Eddie, and nothing else, meanwhile a few of the fringe players have moved on. Sponsorship deals are at an all time high, TWO shirt sponsors ffs, bonus monies rolling in for trophy success and champs league money and a waiting list for season tickets! I’d be astounded if another big money sale doesn’t happen, Ntcham or Boyata or Dembele. The defensive frailties have been known for two years and not addressed. This board are not in it for the fans but for the bottom line, why else the silence on Res 12, or the SFA refusal for an enquiry, nope the board like the status quo, staying ahead of triggers broom FC but not to far ahead that they become disinterested. Charlatans to a man, 30 million plus in champs league revenue plus anther pile in player sales does not equate to signing a guy already here and a possible loan of an Ozzie teenager
Relax don’t forget double treble the day you start listening to Provan and Nicholas they need to continually keep there name out there £££ when have you heard them singing praise of our achievements ..Trust
You just have to read between the lines of recent statements by BR that he is not a happy man with the way the board are conducting transfer business. As some said, we have had this defensive debate for ages now and it’s still a not resolved. We are heading for the CL once again to be torn to shreds by the lack of quality at the back.
Mr Provan is implying that the quality is there just we don’t want to pay for it and we would rather source gifted youngsters and no doubt sell them on. Personally I think we deserve a box office signing and a gifted No10 would great. We are short at the moment but in Brendon we trust… Hail Hail.
Celtic got over 1 million in January for a center half and 7 million for Armstrong they have actually spent £500 thousand in this transfer window I think the board are doing great as the team are but if wee let that mob back in from lack of investment they will have a hard price to pay ?
Must have missed the transfer window closing. Never mind, maybe next time we’ll remember when it opens and CLOSES.
Keep you cards close to your chest, tell the media nothing.
First time iv’e agreed with Provan in many a year,but he’s correct,how many times since MON days have we asked where all the CL money and profit from player sales over the last decade or so gone?How many times since Lennies tenure have we asked,nah,pleaded for a decent CB .Yes the board sanctioned £9m for Edouarde,but who will argue he is a 64 gold carat investment,along with Dembele and Ntcham,he is going to make the club,around £100m,when the trio are eventually sold.The board are not daft they must know this,surely they could use more of the estimated £40/£60m already acrued over the last 10 years or so,to give us one,even two quality CB.s and a R.B.We have at the minute one of the best attack minded midfield players and frontmen in our squad for decades.Come on Celtic give us the defence we deserve,one to back up our offence,with the added confidence to be even more offensive,with the assurance of a steady backline to protect them. HH
If not on players how about putting a roof on the stadium, paying for season tickets and being handed paper towels to dry your seat is not looking after the fans, surely this not only would please the supporter’s but would also enhance their corporate status, and think of the atmosphere on a CL night.
It’s easy to see why Provan never coached or managed!
Davy Provan
Utter nonsense, did we miss his comments on the double treble?
Negative and anti Celtic by nature
Any one who thinks this board runs the club for the best interest of fans is delude. Selfish greedy small minded bunch who don’t mind us being embarresed & humiliated in Europe.we spent 9million on French Edd.? Don’t make me laugh. 7/8 mil for Armstrong money for vandyke to Liverpool from Southampton. No Roberts . Yes we’ll run we are . But for who .? Dermot & Peter.the money comeing into the club is serious the money being spent on players is laughabel.This board get away with so much because of fans with blinkers on. Wake up take a stand and be heard concerning this situation . If not things will stay the same. It’s not right it’s not fair & it ain’t there money. They get it far to easy because fans are happy with domestic domanace.what about a bit of pride in Europe .