West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Sweet & Tender Hooligan on May 29, 2006, 04:51:18 PM
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There are few names that would unite the Celtic support in agreement when it comes to universally approved signing targets.
This hypothetical list is restricted even further when we consider only players that we could afford to pay and that would come to the SPL. Since the early hours of Sunday morning, a name has been filtering through in whispered rumour and wink, wink, nudge, nudge conjecture that would surely fit the bill as a genuine signing coup for Strachan and for the Celtic family generally.
News to reach us at ETims though would strongly suggest that this gossip has more than a grain of substance to it, in fact, we'd go as far as to say that, to our knowledge, there is now ‘only’ the matter of a changeover in the selling club presidency standing in the way of this player being in the Hoops by August.
What would the Celtic support say to a player who was signed by a mid ranking EPL side as a virtual unknown and quickly became one of the finest midfielders in the Premiership? What would the support say to a player who was plucked from that EPL side to play for the biggest club in the World?
What would they say to a midfielder who has been capped 60 times for his country, and whose combative, dynamic performances have seen him coveted by a number of Europe’s top clubs and who could instantly bring power, class, swagger and ability to next years Celtic side?
What would the Celtic support say to Thomas Gravesen?
Anyone who watched the Premiership between 2000 and 2005 would be more than aware of just how talented the powerful Dane is. Having been signed from Hamburg by Watty the Waistcoat, Gravesen was firmly established as a defensive player, having played for Hamburg as a defensive midfielder and, before that for his Danish home town club, Vejle Boldklub as a sweeper. While Gravesen played well under Smith it was the arrival of former Celt, Davie Moyes in 2002 that really ignited his career and saw his reputation move from steady utility to European class game-breaker. Moyes' more adventurous style prompted him to move the Dane further forward and play him as an attacking midfielder, a role he accepted with enthusiasm and by the 2004 season was scoring goals at a rate of 1 every 4 games and ranking in the top 3 midfielders in the Premiership for assists.
His revitalised league performances also saw him gain a more prominent role in the national team under the newly appointed Morten Olsen. Gravesen had accumulated a number of caps under the previous Danish coach, Bo Johannson but the Swede had been a little reticent in his selection of the midfielder and had famously commented that he was worried that Gravesen was not "psychologically stable".
While this was probably a tad unfair there is no doubt that if your team has their back up against the wall, Thomas Gravesen is a man you'd want beside you. Along with central midfield partner Stig Tofting he ruled the roost in Denmark's group in the 2002 World Cup, and was a man possessed when up against a French midfield of Zidane, Makelele and Vieira, battering and passing the Frenchmen into submission to see the Danes run out victorious in a 2-0 victory.
While his performances seemed to get better and better on a weekly basis and his reputation grew steadily it was still some surprise when in January of 2005, Everton accepted a bid of 2.5 million from Real Madrid.
Gravesen's contract was set to expire that summer and he had shown little inclination to renew so the Merseysiders took the cash on offer and the Dane signed for the Spanish superstars. The continental switch saw Gravesen moved back to his traditional position in defensive midfield and he settled quickly, outplaying several of his more celebrated team mates. The merry go round of coaches and administrators though that has blighted Los Galacticos over the last 2 years, allied to poor European and domestic form for a club of their magnitude has seen Gravesen drift in and out of the team, and he is aware that, at 30 years old, his last major contract is looming large.
A tentative if audacious approach from Celtic was made and it would have come as no great surprise if a polite "thanks but no thanks" was the response but to the mild surprise of club officials Gravesen seemed keen from the outset. We now understand that a fee has been agreed with the Spaniards and Gravesen has signed off on personal terms. Only further administration changes in Madrid can now, we are led to believe, stop the transfer becoming a reality.
Lawwell has recently been forced to deny allegations of downsizing, cultural or otherwise at Celtic Park and surely those denials would be lent substantial credence if a player of Gravesen's ability and pedigree could be lured to the club. Its entirely conceivable that Strachan's midfield options for the Champions League could consist of Keane, Lennon, Gravesen, Nakamura, Petrov and Maloney (and Riordan come January) and should this be the case, the conspiracy theorists would have considerable difficulty explaining how a 'downsized' club could start the season with, arguably, the strongest Celtic midfield line up in 30 years.
Add that to the track record of top performing Scandinavians in Scotland and its just possible that we are about to see the Strachan "vision" begin to manifest itself into a team of genuine Champions League quality.
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would be a good signing!!!
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Article goes slightly over the top, but he would be a good signing for Celtic.
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If he doesn't desire too much, i knew Ajax had interest in him to but his wage desire was too high.