Sad reading some of these opinions. Too many still not doing their job, i.e. SUPPORTING the team/club.
I know very little about Howe or any other of the players or their respective traits and abilities to play for Celtic.
What I would venture though is chasing some dude, whether that be Howe, or any other, and being rejected for whatever English club is another knock at the Club's prestige. If Howe will be off at the first EPL suitor .......well he isn't worth getting.
We suffered a blow this season, no doubt. But for me it wasn't so massive, I know how difficult it is to beat ANY opponent on the pitch at ANY level, let alone win 9 league titles, and 4 back-to-back Trebles.
We or more accurately the club failed to prepare. A general observation.
The one identifiable mistake this season , and I think it is the only one that can be safely identified, is the signing of the Big guy Duffy. Genuinely nothing against the lad and in a different team of different style, he would be ok. perhaps a MON team ?
Here's what happened to one aspect of our season imho. The defeat in CL kicked us in the teeth.
After a luke-warm start in the league we lost a goal to big lumbering forwards. The pen at Killie and one at Hamilton. We drew and won these matches respectively.
The opposition forwards, upset Celtic's ball-playing centre backs, nothing else. Celtic had the best defensive record last season. Hence the trophies btw. No big guy will 100% win against another large lump. These facts were not enough for us.
The furore that followed caught like wild-fire and IMHO some of our "entitled" fans, well, they shat it.
That was the cause of the mistake. The ACTUAL mistake was made by whoever in the Celtic football management team listened to our support. Someone therein actually listened to our support greeting on ....and you can insert any SMSM outlet you want here. Is ate that because it is the ONLY avenue open to the person, as there are no fans in the ground to hear. As a result Big Duffy arrived.
I know nothing about the Bhoy personally or football wise other than he is not a football playing CB. Celtic were still a footballing side then. We had been more pragmatic in style under NFL, as opposed to Brendan. Big Shane's lesser ability (football wise) and the effect on the team was the cause.
Someone listened to Celtic fan's hubris, or more exactly the build up in entitlement that all the trophies had created. Ironic huh ?
The stupidity of Gordon (exit) -Varkas* (too big a change for the guy) - Forster's ( failure to spend btw) cost us. I'd really love to know if Craig's exit was linked to drumming up the cash for Forster.
For me I'll be happy if we Tims remember what made us strong, togetherness, being the under-dog, but essentially the reaction to that underdog status.........fight.
Keep the club what it is bring through our own and don't hike them off to Arsenal ffs. Otherwise you get mercenaries and piss the money away.
* I like Greece visit it often. But the idea of a guy living in Athens, then plying his trade up here, in the frozen north was always risky. For a goalie it was too big a risk. Those who have stood up at Lennoxtown will realise the cold win that freezes yer haw-maws, will get what I'm on about. Contrast it with the temperature in Hellas.