Eurosport - Thu, 25 Jun 15:01:00 2009
Celtic assistant manager Mark Venus will forego Champions League football this season in order to get the right players into the club.
The new Hoops' management team of Venus (pictured right), manager Tony Mowbray (left) and first-team coach Peter Grant are already preparing for their first Champions League qualifier on July 28 or 29, which comes before the SPL season begins on August 15.
He said: "Obviously we have lost a couple of players and we will be trying to bring players in. Who they are and where they are, I don't know. Personally, and this is me speaking, I don't care how long it takes to bring people into this football club."
Celtic will be without key man Shunsuke Nakamura who is to join Espanyol, and there are doubts over the futures of midfielder Paul Hartley and striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who are both out of contract.
Skipper Stephen McManus will miss the start of the season as he recovers from a knee injury and midfielder Scott Brown is a doubt with an ankle problem.
However, Venus, speaking to the media at Celtic's Lennoxtown training centre, claimed there will be no panic buying over the next few weeks.
He added: "If we have to miss the Champions League qualifier, the bottom line is, I'd like to think we will manage this football club for a lot of years and I'd like to think the players we are going to bring to this club are going to stay with us for a couple of years.
"So I would not want to panic into bringing in a footballer to do a job on the 27th of July when I might regret bringing him in for the next four years.
"We have to bring in the players who we think are right."
Comment 217 - 236 of 236
Any news from IPOX yet?......YES and as predicted Davis to Sunderland
T10...the guys a warmer....arms 5 ft long and plasters all over his knuckles....someone needs to tell his old bhoy that all the drink going missing from the hoose is being knicked by his numnut son
237... my sentiments exactly, although for Paul G you may want to define stagnate as he probably thinks that's a piss up before you get married LOL!
Pt235..T10...u have got to admire the metz bhoys Celtic attitude of faithfull through and through to his team, however I am a lot more happier with our outlook than that of other Rangers fans I speak with.....Celtic have made changes that wer required regardless of whether Moobs was 1st 2nd or 10th choice....if we are gonna look back and discuss the past then look at New coaching team of O'Neills or Strachan and look at the trophies etc then it appears to work bringing in fresh ideas....I think the word is Stagnate
Pt233...In current climates m8 I think they are doing a not too bad job...virtually debt free....I hope ur rite re your team but thought there would have been a slighty little more PR from the gers re signing etc by now...saying that Wattie does always pick up a bargain...all Im saying is if what has come out of the gers recently had been at our hoose I would be extremely worried re the silence....btw we will need to all meet up for a beer and a chat at some game (Paul G no)
#232.. I don't think so either, but all im interested in is who the hoops bring in to strengthen the team, although im sure whoever comes in will be good enough to bring the title back to paradise.
Pt230...do u not think the gers need to buy this close season, can u wait till Jan 2010...I know Celtic cant
#231 I know you went ballistic at strap-on,but surely it should have been at the board?? we all make mistakes and we should all learn from them,Rangers will srengthen,like ever other season bud,just this season might take a week or two longer
Pt229...I dont think the current gers squad is good enough to retain the league either
Pt288...Metz...the hoops fans were just about to go nuts when we lost the league re Starchan and the footie we were playing...Wee GS leaving lessened that and although we didnt get who we wanted, and a lot of hoops were of differing views...Moyes was a never...Coyle and Martinez said no so u move on ( I think Rangers will be in this same position shortly) I think Moobs and his team need to be given a chance and I know that that mite only be 1 season, however we needed to refresh and we are doing that and I hope the Gers do it to...but
#229 you are right,the lisbon lions were world class,dont think you will find any1 to say otherwise,but if you think that if we get a run in europe without buying in then you sadly mistaken,we bought shota mid season,mols too,so we will buy new players no one thinks that we will get to the last 16 with the squad we got any one who does is foolin themselves
#226... you're probably right that nobody thought celtic would win in 1967 other than hoops supporters, but you've got to admit, the lisbon lions were a world class football team, unlike the rangers team 2 years ago... Every team needs supporters such as yourself who'll back the team no matter what, but my previous points were only stating(my opinion) that the current rangers team without any further valuable additions aren't good enough to make the last 16 of the champions league.
#227 Again I agree with you Stuart,think it will be a very bumpy ride for the both of us,but if we all stand up to our respective boards and tell them we refuse too be treated as cash cows(& mushrooms in our case) we might just get the teams we want not what we get
Pt226...Fair comment m8..but its gonna be bumpy for both Celtic and Rangers and I hope the rest of your crew have as much faith as u.........
#225 never said they were,but if I didnt have some faith in my team I would be as well going to support hibs or cork city,no1 thought that we would get to the cup final in euro 2 seasons ago but we did,no thanks to the sfa/spl,so why shouldnt I be allowed to think what I want,did any1 outside the east end think septic would lift the euro trophy when they did??? I doubt it
#223... do you honestly feel the current rangers squad is good enough to make the last 16?
Pt220...god isnt gonna stop the gers shedding 8 players or cut ur debt and give u money for new players....if you really think that with what u have at the moment at IPOX will retain u the title and get u into the last 16, then good luck m8..(Walter Smith said last year btw..."that a club like Rangers have to bring in new faces every season to ensure that we can not only compete for the SPL but also in Europe".....u said u welcome the chase...we are in front already.....if news comes oot of IPOX this weekend re progression I will be the 1st to congratulate u and ur team, however if there is nowt said then I will be asking u the same question...Whos shoes would u rather b in?
#222 I bow down to your infinite wisdom,am mean we only won a double last year,what did you get?? mibee we will,mibee we wont,but we will still get further than you Fail!!!! Fail!!!!
#221... unless rangers seriously improve the team(aint gonna happen) then there is no chance they'll get into the last 16.
#220 God willing we will,dont see any reason why not,last season was a wake up call,after the success of the year before,although we were beaten in the final by the better team,they did go on to win the super cup after all,Hopefully we have learned some lessons from our euro flop last season and what doesn`t kill you etc,etc
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