Scottish Premier League - Venus patient on signings

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.

FOOTBALL Celtic management duo Tony Mowbray (left) and Mark Venus (right), seen here while at West Brom in 2009. - 0

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."

PA Sport

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  1. Stuart,your team selection,or what you consider to be­ left is almost the exact same squad that won the­ double!!!!!!!!!!! Cant work out your point,unless its­ jealously,that we can win a double with a shoe string­ squad and you,with"world class players"­ venegoor of castlemilk,samaras,brown et al couldnt win­ a tombola???? Please discuss

    From METZ, on Fri 26 Jun 1:10PM

  2. Nok...well said m8...I like someone who works on facts­ not fiction...Again I would rather be in Celtics shoes­ than Rangers...please see below and give me ur­ thoughts...BTW is ur m8 a non exec Director

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 12:47PM

  3. To Add to what Ginger said a few posts back, I heard­ that Doumbe was desperate to play again but Chesney­ just wouldn't play him. He did the same with Bobo­ and Ríordan and Donati. Don't know where ye get yer­ info from Paul that it was Lawwell that had the say,­ but I can till you with fact that it's pish. All­ the board leave the decisions on the field to the­ manager - And I get that info from One of the Board.
    I­ can't see wee Skippy leaving - That may come back­ to haunt me, but I honestly think he loves playing at­ Celtic... I know that Crosas, Big Loovens and a few­ others are really impressed with the treatment and­ training facilities - They won't get that anywhere­ else. As far as I have it, J.P. Doumbe, Jan Vennegoor­ of Hesselink and Paul Hartley are the only possible­ movers so far with Naka already gone - Only one of them­ is a reasonable loss. But like Tommy G says, we got the­ best European footballer for a decade for something­ like 700 grand - You don't need to bust the bank.

    From NokturnalKelt, on Fri 26 Jun 12:24PM

  4. So for the 1st approx 6-8 games unless the gers sign­ someone, the team will be
    Alexander
    Whittaker Weir­ Boogie Papac
    Davis Fergie Mendes Naismith
    Boyd ­ Miller

    Subs
    Novo Velicka + youth players

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 12:17PM

  5. Team as it stands with injured players and suspensions­ that will last till approx Oct
    Alexander / McGregor /­
    Whittaker /
    Weir /Papac/Boogie /
    Davis / Novo
    Fergie­ / Mendes
    Naismith / Miller / Bhoyd / Velicka

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 12:12PM

  6. Team as it stands with 8 fringe players gone
    Alexander­ / McGregor /
    Whittaker / Broadfoot
    Weir /Papac/Boogie­ /
    Davis / Edu / Novo
    Fergie / Mendes
    Thomson /­ Naismith / Miller / Bhoyd / Velicka / Lafferty

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 12:10PM

  7. Team as it stands at end of season
    Alexander / McGregor­ / Graeme Smith
    Whittaker / Broadfoot
    Weir / Mcculloch /­ Hendami
    Papac / Steve Smith
    Boogie / Dailly
    Davis / Edu­ / Novo
    Niguez / Fergie / Mendes
    Adam / Thomson /­ Beasley / Naismith / Miller / Bhoyd / / Velicka /­ Lafferty

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 12:07PM

  8. Rangers squad 2008/2009
    Alexander / McGregor / Graeme­ Smith
    Whittaker / Broadfoot
    Weir / Mcculloch /­ Hendami
    Papac / Steve Smith
    Boogie / Dailly
    Davis / Edu­ / Novo
    Niguez / Fergie / Mendes
    Adam / Thomson /­ Beasley / Naismith / Burke
    Miller / Bhoyd / Darch /­ Velicka / Lafferty

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 12:05PM

  9. Pt191...thats why most teams double up on him...and­ whoosh was the sound big Kirk heard b 4 he brought him­ down for the pen....I bet u think Whittaker or­ McCulloch are better

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 11:33AM

  10. He plays on the left, he plays on the right, Aiden­ Mcgeady is so f.u.k.i.n. shyte

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 11:28AM

  11. Pt188....Squad m8...whats ur starting line up then for­ ur first game this season?

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 11:25AM

  12. PT187...u r stupid.... jvoh samaras boruc­ donati naka­ naylor heartly...i agree but not the others..as I said­ a new manager will always want his own players...out of­ the 2004 celtic squad (29 players) there is only 2 left­ John Kennedy and Maloney

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 11:24AM

  13. It was nearly the same team that got to the uefa cup­ final although this current team is even better since­ edu, mendes, miller and bougy came in

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 11:19AM

  14. 184, your having a laugh, jvoh samaras mc geady boruc­ brown mc donald donati naka mc manus naylor heartly,­ all these are leaving and more not one would i want

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 11:16AM

  15. Paul G ...u must be the only Gers fan I know that is­ happy with the current squad...do u think they are good­ enough for the CL

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 11:15AM

  16. Its"dont touch what isnt broken"

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 11:12AM

  17. @#$%...even our outgoing players are better than what­ you have at IPOX.........

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 11:11AM

  18. Pt182...we lost the league and need to change...whats­ the Ranger party line....oh yes were Skint...or is that­ not in the Dailt Sport paper

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 11:10AM

  19. The cull at ceptic park is well under way. Any new­ players yet?

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 11:05AM

  20. Pt179...Its dress down day at Primary seven so hes­ wearing his Noddy suit

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:50AM
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