Latest news with #PAOK
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Sutton on Celtic transfer blow and areas needing attention
Securing the homecoming of Tierney is seen as a coup for the Parkhead men but manager Brendan Rodgers wanted him to be competing with Taylor for the left-back slot. However, the 27-year-old opted not to sign a new contract and to move on for a new challenge with Greek side PAOK. With last season's loanee Jeffrey Schlupp no longer in the building, Scotland star Tierney is the only senior left-back option. Sutton feels they are short in there as well as on the wings. "I think Greg Taylor's a loss," he said. "I think he's a big loss, playing that inverted role. "I always felt sometimes Greg in one vs one situations at the highest level may get caught out. "I thought he was so good in that inverted role and integral in Celtic dominating the middle of the park and he played that very, very well. Read more: "He's going to be really difficult to replace in that respect. 'Jefrrey Schlupp's gone back and he's ended up at Norwich actually. That's an area which I think the Celtic are short on. "You look at the wide areas, losing Nicolas Kuhn even though it was good money. "If anything happens to Daizen Maeda, you're in trouble. "James Forrest. You've got Yang. I think Marco Tillio's back as well. "You get the sense it's not where Brendan wants to be. I get that."
STV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Chris Sutton: Celtic are weaker than last season and need to strengthen
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton says the champions' squad is not as strong now as it was at the end of last season and the club needs to add signings. Kieran Tierney, Shin Yamada and Benjamin Nygren are among those already recruited this summer but the squad has seen some high-profile deparrtures over the last year. Manager Brendan Rodgers has talked about his wish to add quality so he can continue the progress made last season in Europe alongside domestic success and has suggested he wants more new arrivals who are first team starters. Sutton thinks it's evident that the club need to be moving soon to make new additions. 'I think there's still work to be done for Celtic in the transfer season,' he said. 'If you look at the squad going into the season I think it's a little bit light. Brendan Rodgers, everything I've seen him hint at or say [suggests he] feels the same. 'It's fair to say that the squad right now isn't as strong as the end of last season. That's not ideal but there's still plenty of time left in the transfer window. Squad-wise there is still work to be done.' Sutton sees his old position as one that definitely needs attention but sees wide players and a back-up left-back as other areas where recruits are required. 'Celtic sold Kyogo in January and I think Brendan talked about how he wanted to replace him then,' he said. 'It didn't happen and it hasn't happened in the summer. 'If something happened to Daizen Maeda then the club are going to be in a bit of bother. 'Whether Brendan goes with Adam Idah this season, I think the jury is still out and towards the end of last season Brendan was leaving him out when Kyogo had gone. 'He's still in the development phase so it could be a big season for him. Having said that, he did score 20 goals, which was impressive. 'Losing Nicolas Kuhn and with Jota injured they are short in some areas. I saw Greg Taylor at the airport heading out [to PAOK] and with Jeffrey Schlupp went back to his club though Kieran Tierney has come in as a big boost it still feels like there's work to be done for Celtic to get to the level Celtic want to be.' The defence of the Premiership title begins next week and there is a crucial Champions League play-off to come. Sutton says they don't look ready quite yet, and the difference from last year is stark. 'They won the league in the first half of last season and they set off like a house on fire,' he said. 'They had real momentum going into the season and they had a good pre-season. 'It doesn't quite feel like that right now and there's the the burden of the Champions League qualifiers and we know how big they are for the club. They've got to navigate their way through that.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Euro clubs risk sack and survival scraps but they must strive for top
The historic triumph had also dominated the front and back pages of every national newspaper on the Sunday and led to in-depth discussions among supporters, former players and journalists on radio and television sports programmes, internet messageboards and football podcasts. But one pundit predicted the surprise result could ultimately have grave ramifications for the man who had masterminded it less than 24 hours after goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov had saved the final spot kick from the hapless Alistair Johnston – [[Aberdeen]] manager Jimmy Thelin. Read more: 'If his team start the league the way they finished it off this season and they suffer a couple of heavy defeats in Europe then he could find himself in a precarious position come October,' he said. 'He may suddenly discover his jacket is on a shoogly peg.' For crying out loud man! Can you not let Jimmy enjoy the open-top bus parade through the city before you start penning his obituary and speculating about who will be brought in to replace him? His plucky giant killers hadn't even reached the town house yet. Truly, we can be a heartless and bloodthirsty lot in Scottish fitba. The individual in question, though, had a completely valid point. Being involved in the group stages of a continental competition can lead directly to managers being sacked and sides sucked into relegation dogfights near the bottom of the table. Previous accomplishments count for nothing when humiliations are suffered. Just ask Thelin's predecessor Barry Robson. The Conference League games against Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany, PAOK of Greece and HJK of Finland were enjoyed by all of their fans back in 2023. However, they took a heavy toll on Graeme Shinnie and his team-mates and their domestic form nosedived. Their captain admitted it was the most gruelling season he had experienced in his long career. Robson was sacked in January with [[Aberdeen]] sitting in eighth spot in the top flight table. He is far from the only man in his position to suffer such a fate. The previous season Giovanni van Bronckhost had been jettisoned by Rangers after the Ibrox outfit had lost all six of their Champions League group stage matches. (Image: SNS Group) The Dutchman had been hailed as a hero by fans for leading his inexpensively-assembled team through to the Europa League final the previous term and then again when he oversaw a [[Champions League]] play-off victory over PSV Eindhoven. Those results had banked tens of millions for a club which had wrestled with serious financial matters. But they counted for nothing when heavy losses to Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli were suffered and punters voiced their disgust. The crippling injury list which Van Bronckhorst, who in many respects was a victim of his own success, was wrestling with was completely ignored. At one stage, he had to play Leon King, his fifth choice centre-half, and James Sands, who was more of a midfielder than a defender, in the heart of his rearguard. But nobody was interested in listening to his tale of woe. Russell Martin will be eager to complete an aggregate win over Panathinaikos in Athens on Wednesday night and progress to the Champions League third qualifying round. But is his new-look team really ready to take on Europe's elite? Would dropping down into the Europa League be the worst thing for him in his first season as Rangers manager? Or even the Conference League? It would perhaps make his cause easier if they did. There were great celebrations when Hibernian ground out a 1-1 draw with Midtjylland of Denmark in [[Europa League]] qualifying away from home on Thursday evening and much excitement at Tannadice the same night as Dundee United recorded a 1-0 triumph over UNA Strassen of Luxembourg in the Conference League the same night. Read more: But do those clubs have the strength in depth to cope with going deep into those competitions and fighting a war on two fronts? If they do progress, they will have to get their recruitment spot on to avoid suffering the sorry fate which so many sides from this country have in the past. The members of their sports science department, too, will also have to step up to make sure that every member of the squad is in peak condition. The same goes for Aberdeen who are, as a result of their cup win, guaranteed group stage European football this term. They actually did pretty well two years ago all things considered. They drew three and won one of their six games. They will have learned lessons from those outings. Thelin has brought in seven new players in recent weeks. (Image: Alan Harvey - SNS Group) It is vital, despite the headaches which Europe presents [[Jimmy Thelin]] at [[Aberdeen]], Brendan Rodgers at [[Celtic]], Jim Goodwin at [[Dundee]] United, David Gray at Hibernian and Russell Martin at [[Rangers]], that our leading clubs and managers continue to aspire to compete at the very highest level possible for the good of the Scottish game. Maybe some of them will defy the doom mongers, hold onto their jobs, lift the sport in this country and give their supporters memories which will last an entire lifetime.
Scottish Sun
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Watch moment former Celtic star Greg Taylor stuns PAOK team-mates as he belts out Abba tune for his initiation song
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT has become one of the rites of passage for any new signing. And Greg Taylor didn't shirk the challenge when put on the spot by his new PAOK pals to come up with an initiation song. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 2 Greg Taylor belts out the Abba song Credit: INSTAGRAM @paok_fc 2 His team-mates were loving it Credit: INSTAGRAM @paok_fc Images shared on the Greek outfit's social media channels show the Scotland man and former Celtic star bravely going up on stage and belting out a lusty version of 'Gimme Gimme Gimme! (A man after midnight). It's a belter of a song - known the world over - and the Scot's team-mates certainly seemed to enjoy his rendition, introduced by "no-one will understand but I will sing!" The caption on the video read simply: "Preseason rituals! It's singing time for the newcomers! Good job, mate!" Taylor has been a smash hit with PAOK boss so far - impressing on the club's Dutch training camp after completing a move to the Thessaloniki club in the summer after six years at Celtic which saw him win 11 major honours. He was praised as a 'super player' by his new boss Razvan Lucescu after making his debut in a 2-1 defeat to Ajax at the Dutch side's academy ground, De Toekomst. His fellow former Celtic full back Jonjoe Kenny also made his first appearance, winning praise for his display. Lucescu said: 'Greg Taylor is just a super player and we also have Jonjoe Kenny, who showed a lot of intensity and energy. 'They both showed they will be very comfortable in our team and both already looked at home. 'Both of them have fitted in well to the team and I am happy with their preparations for our first game of the season. 'There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare, but I am very pleased with the way the players have adapted to their new club. They will be big players for us this season.' Celtic star Daizen Maeda spotted doing press-ups in technical area after being subbed-off against Sporting Lisbon Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
The National
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Watch: Greg Taylor belts out ABBA classic in brilliant PAOK initiation
The left-back opted not to renew his deal at Parkhead and signed for the Greek giants on a three-year deal earlier this summer. He will play alongside ex-Celtic flop Jonjoe Kenny. Read more: As is customary at clubs, players sing initiation songs. Things were no different for Taylor in Greece, as he belted out ABBA's 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)' in front of his new teammates. Taylor recently made his debut for PAOK in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Ajax. Despite the loss, he was praised by boss Razvan Lucescu post-match. He said: "Greg Taylor is just a super player and we also have Jonjoe Kenny, who showed a lot of intensity and energy. "They both showed they will be very comfortable in our team and both already looked at home. "Both of them have fitted in well to the team and I am happy with their preparations for our first game of the season. "There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare, but I am very pleased with the way the players have adapted to their new club. They will be big players for us this season."
