We never had a bid accepted to find that out. Loads of rumours that Hooper would have accepted near parity wi the tap earners to stay. It is easier now to hear that he didnae want to stay.
I don't think there was any real chance of us signing Finnbogason . He has two or three years left on his contract. If he was interested in leaving or if his club wanted him to go, I am sure there are very many EPL teams with better ways of raising inflated transfer fees than us would have signed him by paying over the odds. The Fact that he didn't move anywhere is testament that there was no deal on.
TEEMU PUKKI has admitted it’s taking him time to adapt to the rough and tumble of the SPFL Premiership – and reckons it’s tougher here than in the Bundesliga. But the Celtic striker insists he’s now getting to grips with things and wants to prove it by going on a scoring run. Pukki has netted just twice since his £2.2million summer switch from Schalke and is determined to add to that tally in today’s clash with Partick Thistle. The 23-year-old said: “In the last couple of matches my form has been better. “The only thing that has been missing is goals. But they will come. I’m confident I can go on a scoring run. “Away to Ajax would be a nice time to score but first of all we play Partick. The Scottish game is not easy – far from it.You don’t have so much time on the ball. There are aggressive defenders but it is good. “Every opponent likes to mark closely so it is not so easy to score. In Germany there was more space to run into other areas of the pitch.” Beram Kayal is key for Celtic, says Stiliyan Petrov In the past couple of games Neil Lennon has played Pukki and Anthony Stokes together but the Finn admits the partnership is taking time to gel because of Celtic’s hectic schedule and international interruptions. Pukki said: “We have been playing so much we haven’t had much time for training. But it is getting better the more games we play.” The new Bhoy is also focussed on helping Celtic progress in the Champions League after making his first Euro start for the Hoops against Ajax last week. He was delighted to play his part in the 2-1 win and now wants to build on that by getting a result in the Amsterdam return next month. Avoiding defeat would put Celtic in the driving seat for a third-placed finish in Group H – giving them a crack at the Europa League after Christmas. But a win against Frank de Boer’s side would make for an interesting fixture against Milan at Parkhead as the Hoops bid to reach the last 16 for the second successive season. Pukki is well aware of the different scenarios that could unfold and has a positive outlook. He said: “The Ajax win was important and the atmosphere was amazing. It’s the best place to play your football. I’ve been waiting for this moment. “I was on the bench against Barca and could see it from there. The atmosphere when the Champions League anthem starts is amazing. “When I played in Germany there was also a good atmosphere in the games but this is better at Celtic. “We deserved the victory against Ajax and now believe we can win in Amsterdam. The target is still to finish in second place. “We had chances to win and draw against Barcelona and Milan. But they are such good teams that they will score if we do not take our opportunities. “This is a really tough group but the Ajax victory will give us confidence. “The next round of fixtures is important. We would expect Barca to beat Milan and it is up to us to do something good in Amsterdam. We need to get points. “It is possible we can win over there and then any team that comes here will fear playing in this stadium. We have a chance to beat anyone at home.” Pukki is taking his time convincing Celtic’s fans he’s the real deal but that is not the case for Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman looks every inch the part and offers a calming presence at the back. He will be crucial in the Amsterdam ArenA and Pukki said: “I didn’t know about Virgil before I came here but he was the best stopper on the pitch against Ajax. He is an amazing player. “I also hope my Finland team-mate Niklas Moisander can play in Amsterdam. He is now fit again for Ajax and it is not often you get two Finnish players playing against each other in the Champions League.”
Pukki and Stokes can't play together , Pukki without doubt the better player ,thought he played well today not carrying any luck .Once he gets one and the fans get off his back he will come good
I thought he almost got his shots away perfectly especially in the first half , just a foot further away from the keeper and he could have a brace . Big Balde looks almost unstoppable when he heads for goals , his size and pace means defenders are afraid to get too close to him . I think he is going to be some footballer when he finishes growing.
I think Pukki did ok... He was good against Ajax and did ok yesterday. Think I'd rather see Balde and Pukki given a shot to form a partnership (rather than Stokes n Pukki). Pukki playing off Balde rather than a front two.
I am not sure Balde game is developed enough yet to bring others into the game. I doubt if he can play one twos to open up a defence . He can certainly run at the back four and I think they are afraid to get in close . I think Stokes and Pukki play further apart than Hooper and Stokes , and maybe that's why they are not as effective.
