August? What about the pre-season tour of China? Surely we'll be able to question Sparky's selections in July, based entirely on our deep knowledge of everything Chinese, from Chicken Chow Mein to Crispy Duck
Does Redmond-Armstrong-JWP in the 3 of a 4-2-3-1 work? Armstrong has done that for Celtic, and I like Ward Prowse there. Is it too much of a coincidence that we signed him two days after not getting Maddison, who is definitely a number 10? It makes me think/hope we signed him to play in that space. I don't really expect to start next season with 3 defenders again. Hughes didn't seem to have much history of that. But who knows.
Subject to us signing at least one decent CB, I agree. Especially if it's one who can classed as a leader. My feeling was always that Hughes saw it is the most pragmatic option, based on the players available to him. A short-term option to keep us up, rather than a long-term plan. He saw how a back four did against West Ham, got scared stiff (understandably), and declined to venture back to it (other than when we needed a goal).
I mean I guess it kind of works. Redmond is a winger, I am just not sure he is good enough and would like to improve there. JWP to me is a center mid all the way. IMO, his best strength is the way he distributes the ball and controls play. But I mean, Shaqiri technically plays as a winger but spends most of his uptime in the middle of the pitch in sort of a free role. Tadic played a bit like that as well. That 3 just kind of looks like our team last year except with JWP for Tadic which in my mind is either a downgrade or possibly breakeven at best. I feel like we badly need a creative attacking player AND a Redmond replacement/challenger. Unless Armstrong has some tools he has previously not displayed, he doesn’t fit either box. If he can score some goals, that definitely helps, though. I don’t hate the signing at that price. Celtic supporters seem to believe that he will do okay, just won’t be anything special. At today’s prices 6 or 7m for a solid/average midfielder is a good deal. To me, it’s just not the impact signing we need, and really we may need 2-3 impact signings. And it’s getting a little late in the game, especially when I think we may have to fend off offers for Bertrand and maybe one of the DM’s as well. TBF, the big moves do usually take longer so that may be why we haven’t heard more. But that cuts both ways. We could see a last minute bid for one of our guys as teams miss out on targets. My trepidation with the signing has less to do with the player than with Reed. Just like how I felt with Hughes. Nothing particularly wrong with either move in a vacuum, but I believe the team needs major changes and these moves seem to indicate the club is not of the same mind. So far we appear to have lost Tadic and gained Armstrong. Which would you rather have for next season? That’s all I’m saying.
The difference is that Tadic doesn't want to be here next season (or so we've heard), whereas presumably Armstrong does.
Celtic fans consistently list Armstrong as a box-to-box mid, and his biggest drawbacks (touch, passing, composure under pressure) are the sorts of things most-needed in a number 10, so I'd think it'd be a little like playing a better-shooting Steven Davis there.
I agree. I don’t think he really trusted any of them as a two, so gave them an extra body hoping to stop something.
Traveling down for a medical and should be announced Wednesday. I am looking forward to how he gets on next season, seems to have the Celtic fans divided on how good he is. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport...rmstrong-undergo-southampton-medical-12784750
Once he is under the Saints banner, all moaning stops and we give him a chance. Right. I am watching you, you know.
He seems to be quick, if we can get in a speedy winger that should drastically improve our counter attacking which is something we really needed to do. Front four of ------------Gabbi------------ Promes Armstrong Sims would be fun to watch on the break. (Just saying promes out of a lack of solid names)
http://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...ms/southampton/11416572/the-best-of-armstrong Two goals shown before plus a couple of others.
Just asked my Celtic supporting mate what he thinks of Armstrong. His reply was "yes mate you've got yourselves a good player ... he has very good creativity, a great left foot and will put in a real shift wherever he plays" That'll do for me.
