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

Comment 159 - 178 of 238

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  1. Ginger...he still will not answer the question of whos­ leaving the gers.....cause he knows I know...

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:47AM

  2. 178 - I know that, and you know that, Stuart..­ Don't confuse his wee brain!! Today's the day­ he gets to use the crayons as a special treat,­ remember!!

    From Singin' Ginger!!, on Fri 26 Jun 10:42AM

  3. Pt175...Naka was offered the 1 year extn to his­ contract by Celtic, however opted for a 2 year contract­ + poss 1 year extn, like any other sane person would do

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:39AM

  4. Pt174...stop reading friggin rags, plick....and if you­ want to call The Balgarth Hotel in Ayr and ask if Mr­ Boyd left his sunglasses in the restaurant...I am sure­ they will tell you he can collect them from the­ reception....

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:37AM

  5. 174 - So Boyd was photographed humping the former­ president of the United States Of America, was he? I­ suppose the Michael Jackson story must've pushed­ that one off the front pages then!!

    From Singin' Ginger!!, on Fri 26 Jun 10:37AM

  6. 168 - Yokohama Marinos were making plans to take Naka­ back to Japan LAST SUMMER! But, as we all know, the­ GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS kicked in, and Nissan were not­ prepared to bankroll the move. Yes, Naka's contract­ was up, so he clearly was left with TWO CHOICES - (1)­ sign on for a new club; or (2) sign a new contract with­ celtic. After getting his translator to read the Yahoo­ sports messageboard to him, he got the hump with a wee­ windae-licker (no names mentioned!!..), and decided­ said windae-licker was unfit to lace his boots, so he­ decided to be JOE THE TOFF!!

    From Singin' Ginger!!, on Fri 26 Jun 10:35AM

  7. There is a pic of boyd in dubia with fergie as of­ yesterday in the star....... hmm

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 10:31AM

  8. The only person you were with was bungle out of rainbow

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 10:30AM

  9. So whos going then????

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:29AM

  10. PT167...Paul G u do talk some pish....I was with Kris­ Boyd yesterday and I can assure u that Rangers are­ trying to offload him...however his good lady is not­ going anywhere and she is the one who has made­ sure...as u have said sees out his contract

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:29AM

  11. Even if this was the case it wouldnt bother me one bit.­ The bulk of that squad will be there with the few­ youngsters which is more than enough to dominate AGAIN

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 10:28AM

  12. Paul G...as ginger states only interest and remember he­ only cost 700k..so we will make a profit...think he­ will stay though.....as for not having cash I see that­ the Fortune deal is done to Celtic or Hull (Info from­ his agent) so would Celtic be in this position to buy­ if they had no cash.....only news from Ipox is bye bye­ to 8 and no-one in

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:26AM

  13. Just one more, nakamura. Was due a new contract and the­ board would not stump up so they hit the papers with­ " he's homesick, he's going home".­ Funny how he signed for a spanish club who will pay him­ more wages. I really do laugh at you lot. Your getting­ short changed

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 10:25AM

  14. Stuart we all know its lawell who picks the team,­ examples, Big bobo was a great player which strachan­ also thought so, wasnt to be because lawell didnt like­ it when he stayed put when he tried to sell him against­ the managers will. Did rangers do this to boyd, ehhhh­ no. Miller, strachan rated very highly and always­ played him then all of a sudden lawell sold him ­ hmmmmmmmm. There's more but need i go on. The list­ is endless. I thought hearts were bad.

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 10:22AM

  15. 156 - First of all, this is not a done deal. Hull­ have"expressed an interest". Secondly, Skippy­ has not had the strike support up front with him last­ season (08-09), so he was largely ineffective on the­ goal-scoring front. If we keep him this coming season,­ and get support there for him.. WHO KNOWS?? The other­ two players mentioned in the papers this morning are­ MASSIMO DONATI who, IMHO was over-rated. Played well­ when he first arrived (I watched him against QPR), but­ did not meet the standards or expectations of what an­ Italian footballer should be. So, no great loss there!­ The other name mentioned is Jean-Joel Pierre Doumbe,­ who looked the part before his injury, and I cannot­ understand why Strachan never played him when he was­ once again match-fit. Nobody knows what went on behind­ closed door, so maybe there's more to it than meets­ the eye. But, bottom line is - whoever is sold WILL be­ replaced.

    From Singin' Ginger!!, on Fri 26 Jun 10:12AM

  16. Flo had a great goals to game ratio

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 10:10AM

  17. Define can't afford better..!!!
    King Henrik and­ Magic Lubo where not bank breakers,maybe wanegurs­ wouldnae be skint just noo, if they didnae buy mince­ like Tumche Andre Flop.

    From tommygunn...Scotlands Elite, on Fri 26 Jun 10:08AM

  18. Paul G...A new manager and assitant will always want­ there own players...and they will buy and sell to­ acheive that....Wattie has been told that he will lose­ 8 players!!!! Name the 8 windae licker

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:07AM

  19. PT157...Answer the question Paul G

    From Stuart, on Fri 26 Jun 10:03AM

  20. The thing is, celtic cant afford better

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Fri 26 Jun 9:41AM
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