West Bromwich Albion News 24/7Writer: Lord Shepherd 
Date:Monday June 2 2008
Time: 4:29PM
UK time is: 21:55:37
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Gera to leave West Brom for Celtic???
Wolverhampton based newspaper the Express & Star is reporting that Celtic have entered the race to sign the Baggies' Hungarian playmaker Zoltan Gera.
Whilst acknowledging the fact that Celtic are one of the biggest clubs in Britain is this really a good career move?
OK, Celtic can offer Champions League football, at least for the early stages but the Scottish Premier league is so poor that it does not compare favourably to the Championship. Remember, Zolly desperately wanted to leave the Championship behind, so why would he want to now go to an inferior league?
It seems to be the ambition of most Scottish based players to play in England. For Gera to head north of the border now, he is settled with his wife and new child in the Midlands, would be astonishing.
Stranger things have happened though.
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Your Comments
Championship better than SPL ?! Don't make me laugh:) Reaching last 16 of CL last 2 years (not to mention UEFA cup finals) still means 8 top european games against world's best players. Doing that in front of 60,000 fans might be better than playing Colchester & Scunthorpe. Good luck getting spanked every week in EPL & keep this Gera cause he ain't good enough fo the Hoops.
LARSSON*7*CFC
WBA or Celtic ??? Tough one eh :)
LARSSON*7*CFC
He'd be flippin mental. If Championship sides played SPL sides, granted a couple of defeats, the Championsip would take it to shreads. The very fact that Chris Porter, formerly of Oldham, decent enough pro, nothing special, takes the SPL by storm.
Boxer
celtic all day long
celtic4life
Rangers and Celtic aside all of the other SPL teams would struggle in the Championship.
The Championship is better supported than the SPL and more competitive which is why there has been a steady stream of players and managers opting to ply their trade down here.
Gera not good enough for the Hoops but Lee Naylor is?
Lord Shepherd
a championship side beat celtic what drugs are you on
celtic4life
Barnsley beat strong Liverpool and Chelsea teams in the F A Cup so why not beat Celtic?
Lord Shepherd
Lee Naylor has been pants for Celtic this season. Plus plenty of supposed good EPL players have come to Scotland and done poorly. Players such as Graveson and Jarosik, who would grace any Championship team were very very poor in Scotland. The same applies to Massimo Donati. Aberdeen got out of thier group in the Uefa cup this season, beating Copenhagen 5-1 in the process, which is something i doubt even WBA could do. Please do not judge the SPL with the typical English arrogance.
lallybhoy
barnsley beat liverpool and chelsea under 21s
celtic4life
Scottish Football is poor having been dominated by the big two for too long. The Championship is highly competitive, there are no easy games and I would imagine that West Brom would easily be the match of Aberdeen.
As for Barnsley beating Liverpool and Chelsea U21s you should check the teams.
Lord Shepherd
kenny miller is a superstar in the championship but in SPL he is pish. The SPL teams outside old firm are better than majority of championship but don't offer the same wages. Virgo was SPL flop but Championship superstar.
LARSSON*7*CFC
I was at the Celtic 5 - 1 QPR game and I can tell you that SPL teams are much tougher to beat as league stats show. end of.
LARSSON*7*CFC
it is just typical english arrogance.I lived in england for five years and they all said larrson would be an average champoinship player at most... the SPL isnt the best but english football is just over rated....and gera isnt good enough but then strachan has a nak of signing players that arent good enough for the hoops.
donaldo1979
i did check the teams it was under 21s
celtic4life
Another example would be Dion Dublin. He was very very average in the SPL but seemed to do very well for Norwhich this season. No Celtic fan would argue that tha Scottish League is great, but English people write it off with very little knowledge. How many of you have ever watched an SPL game not involving Celtic or Rangers? You cant judge something if you havent seen it.
lallybhoy
Bednar was average in SPL for Hearts but WBA's best player. You want more evidence that this article is pish ? You can keep Gera by the way.
LARSSON*7*CFC
And as for the Championship being competitive, of course it is as it is impossible for a single team to dominate a second tier division. Any league that has 6 different teams in it every season is going to be more competitive than a league with more established teams. A constant state of flux makes the continuity that there is in top leagues, and lets not kid ourselves the same teams have dominated every top league in Europe, its not something that is common to the Scottish league.
lallybhoy
I was there when West Brom beat QPR 5-1 earlier this season.
I have seen enough of Scottish teams to make a judgment and they are poor whichever way you look at it.
Kenny Miller was never a superstar and where Norwich finish.
As you say don't judge something until you have seen enough of it. Having watched the Championship and the Premier League first hand and SPL on the box I can honestly say that the SPL is third best.
Lord Shepherd
the SPL maybe isnt that great but thats because there is no money...if you put celtic or rangers in the english premier one of them would win the league within 5 years...as the money they would recieve in england and the size of their fan base they would become massive....
donaldo1979
Is this Gera fella any cop? Would he be able to handle the step up in class from the Championship to the Champions League?
The Green Griffin
This gera guy simply ain't good enough for Celtic so lets end the matter there. Hibs/aberdeen would win the championship too but who cares. Enjoy your season of being pumped before you are back in the championship.
LARSSON*7*CFC
so the spl is third best but celtic is the best
celtic4life
I think Gera would be fine at Celtic, though if the rumours of offers are to be believed I think he'll want to stay in the England top-flight - the OVERALL standard of the Premiership, and even the Championship, is much higher than that in the SPL. Derby have been bad, but nowhere near Gretna.
Alex Humpage
Are you actually being serious?! Lets have a look at why Gera would want to join Celtic:
- 60,000 fans every home game
- Champions league football every season (and if early stages mean the last 16 then fair enough!)
- Silverware every season
- The cance to join one of the biggest clubs in the WORLD not just britain
- The chance to be admired and adored wherever you go and become a big name
Now, these are just a few points that spring easily to mind, (and correct me if West Brom tick any of the above boxes?!) but i think if Gera passed up an opportunity to actually win competitions and rub shoulders with Europes elite i think he'd be letting his family down!!
If you honestly believe any player in their right mind would sign for any championship club over Celtic then you are deluded!! When i heard this story my first thought wasn't "Are we big enough for Gera?" the question i asked is "is Gera good enough for Celtic?!"!
frando25
What planet you on pal? Glasgow Celtic a "bad career move"? Celtic's one of the worlds great institutions, has to be seen to be believed, and it has the greatest fans in the world. Get a grip man.
STEINO!!!
Do Celtic play against quality teams week in week out? No one disputes that Celtic is a great club but players want to be playing against great players every week and certainly there are not that many players in the SPL that English Championship clubs would covet let alone the Premier League.
Lord Shepherd
Whats the point in playing against top opposition when your gettin pumped every week?? doesnt really make sense - he could play against "good-average" competition...in front of 60,000 fans, play in magical european nights, enjoy unquestionable success and fame, and be idolised (if he's good enough). Henrik Larsson is the best player i have seen with my own eyes at Celtic Park, im sure if it was so great down south im he'd have picked his club to go to.....
frando25
Looks like you won't have to worry whether he signs for Celtic. Portsmouth look like they are going to take him.
Lord Shepherd
oh well in that case he's done himself proud......pprrrrttt! i just cant understand how professional football players are more motivated by money than success, well, i can, but its a shame!
frando25
But it gets worse, Fulham turn out to be the ones who are going to sign him.
Lord Shepherd
He never looked good enough for the Premiership so you are probably better off replacing him.
dazza71
He is very in and out. He can look world class one day and the next day look like he has never played football before. Although I will be sad to see him go he won't be missed as much as some people might think.
Lord Shepherd
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