Swansea bring pot back to the boil

Is it Martinez?

2nd?

3rd?

4th?

podium?

Could Swansea know that a vacancy at Wigan might be about to pop up and they want to try and get some added compensation for their manager?

Top 5 - I'll settle for that

HAIL HAIL

For me we are just looking at availables and then we will decide who fits the bill.

Is it wrong to look at young promising managers (Coyle, Martinez etc)?

As long as the man fits the bill we will be fine.

Trust in the SSM.

Wouldn't break my heart if we got him. All i heard Saturday night though was that Big Mogga was a done deal so taking everything with a pinch of salt.

Am currently warming to the idea of Paul Lambert, certainly over half the names mentioned so far.

top 10

that's stretching it mattybhoy! ;o)

Anyways back to what i wanted to say.....i wouldnt be too disappointed if it was martinez he gets swansea playing good football and i'm sure he's got great contacts in spain as we've seen with his loan signing for swansea.

MB

Seemingly Rangers have enquired about this guy for next season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnUrnNEBJJE

For me, Martinez would be a more welcome appointment than most of the other names I've read about.
Whoever we appoint will have my full backing, as I believe the board will employ the best AVAILABLE manager.

Paul67 - According to the BBC, his girlfriend is Scottish.

Hmmm.....

He's young, he has some track record of overachieving in management, he favours attacking football, and he appears to be in demand from some credible clubs. Doesn't sound like a terrible choice.

The Independent suggested he might be "The next Arsene Wenger": http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/roberto-martinez-the-next-arsene-wenger-1609097.html

Hmmm.... I like the sound of this guy.

WMBT

I know mate but every time im on the post count is in the 100s so i thought i take a wee top 10 for a change!

MB

I know there are those amongst us who have disdain for all this speculation.

But whats the point in having an inter-web emailboard if we can't all froth and foam and speculate with no insider knowledge.

Personally, I'd be happy with Mogga or Martinez.

Anytime
Anywhere
Anyplace

that's Martinez

Morning bhoys

Re Martinez He has been a successful young manager but this is a huge risk!!

Its one thing being successful at Swansea, its another being able to cope with the demands of a club the size of Celtic.

19th?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8077007.stm

Sorry Paul, we don't need managers who are still learning their trade.
Celtic should be looking at guys who have a pedigree, been, seen and done it at the top level.

Clare's Bhoy @12:01 PM from previous post.

Re:Bilic, I would love to see him come in.
IMHO he would bring in the young up and coming players from Croatia along with a couple of old stagers who would put a bit a bit into our team which was saddly lacking last year.

Like Paul67 I think that the Martinez situation is just one of many irons in the fire, with hopefully BSB being one we are looking seriously at.

Bilic/McStay is the way!
THis BBC poetry week is rubbing off on me. (",)

/Bishop B

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8077007.stm

Would never have guessed

For those who say Martinez hasn't the experience.

Laurent Blanc in his 1st 2 seasons in management has led Bordeaux to 2nd and now their 1st title in 10 years.

Pep Guardiola - Barca win double in Spain and humiliate ManUre as a bonus to be 1st Spanish side to win "The Treble"

Ok both those guys played at a much higher level than Martinez but they were new to management.

Roberto has been considered by Fergie as his assistant, as was Moyes who we now can't get.

His team plays excellent football. He has an eye for a player and can operate on a budget.

Bajado en Roberto

MattyBhoy - you gotta grab it where you can! :)

I'm not going to comment on who should get the job, as it's not my place to say, but I think a decision needs to be made fairly soon, seems all a little to wishy washy - no Plan B.

I also happen to think Big Yogi Hughes will end up at Aberdeen.

WMBT

Also from that Independent story, some comments from Swansea fans about Roberto Martinez: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/roberto-martinez-the-next-arsene-wenger-1609097.html

"His foresight, guile and love of the game and how it should be played is on show for all to see when you watch them week-in, week-out. "

*******

"I first came across Martinez when he was a pundit on the Sky Sports Spanish games. He was simply the most intelligent commentator that I have ever heard on television, everything that he said was worth listening to, an incredible contast to the normal drones. When he got the Swansea job I was curious to know how he woul do and wasn't surprised at his success."

*******

"And they had the foresight to appoint the most exciting manager I've ever seen. He's got us competing in the Championship at our first attempt by playing the type of football that no other team in the Championship attempts to play, and all on a shoestring budget.

Thank you Roberto.

And if you do ever go on to pastures new, thank you for the last couple of years of watching the best football in my life."

*******

"To us the fans of Swansea City, Roberto is our Messiah"

Philvisreturns, yes, he played with Motherwell a while back and retains close links with the people at Hamilton Accies. The Independent article is consistent with a lot I hear about him.

Hoopsididitagain, yes, you will know my thoughts on the matter of recruiting a manager, anything less than several league titles is a huge risk. So was Paul Le Guen, though.

Martinez=McCarthy

Paul67

"Celtic are going through a thorough recruitment process"

if this results in Roberto Martinez getting the job then thats good enough for me.

Ulster-Celt

Arrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Why do the fans always worry about young managers being a risk.

We all spend a season complaining about the football on display and Martinez sounds like the perfect man to put that right.

He will also be able to attract some Spanish players to our team which is a massive bonus over any British options. Look at Jordi Gomez...

Peter, grab your Factor 30 and your glow sticks and get out to ibiza. You've got to get your man...

Posted this at the end of the last article only to be left talking to myself!!!

donegaldanny

I suspect that the transfer kitty rumour has suffered the Chinese Whisper Effect.

I heard much the same story from a "friend" of the Coyle family who told me that a figure of £1.5M had been quoted. Much as I have respect for the guy I told him that it had little or no merit given the money spent in the last 10yrs and the reported interest in Fletcher, Kovac and Janko with cash being offered I believe way above this £1.5M.

I find it hard to believe that:

a) PL would discuss such a figure in a preliminary phone call.
b) That the kitty would be so small.
c) That Owen Coyle would then discuss such dealings knowing they would be passed on. He IS a Celtic fan and would not wish to damage the club by doing so.

To further prove the Whisper Effect I had earlier been told by mutual colleague that the family "friend" had quoted £1.25M as the figure. One degree of separation and £.25M had already been wiped off our transfer budget!

BelieveitwhenIseeitCSC............

WMBT

Think your team need to do us all a favour and get mcghee in as ur manager....instead of him dragging his heels for us!

MB

Hoopsididitagain / Paul67
I think we would all like a manager with pedigree, but, as is the case of signing players with pedigree, it can be difficult to entice them to the SPL, for reasons known to us all.

WMBT

Think your team need to do us all a favour and get mcghee in as ur manager....instead of him dragging his heels for us!

MB

MattyBhoy - would happily take McGhee up to the Pitt.

However, I think he has his eyes on the main prize.

WMBT

I might be out of step with the crowd here...

I see this as a positive sign, not least because the Coyle/Mowbary/McGhee options, frighten the hell out of me, Martinez is clerlay in the frame, as is Steve Clarke, with I suspect Craig levine and possibly Mowbary.

Much as I loved the daft story about Wim Jansen and Henke teaming up to run the team, I cant see that happening, so unless the Good Doctor and and PL are keeping a real craker up their sleeves then I reckon we are most likely going to end up with one of the above

Incidently I thought the big dutchman played a blinder yesterday, doesnt look like he left years ago does it ?

Ming

BBC Wales interview with Roberto Martinez: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/raiseyourgame/pages/roberto_martinez.shtml

"You need to try to get the best out of every player. I think you do that by asking them to do what they're good at.

I think the key is that everyone enjoys their football. To do that, first you need to give everything you've got. Second, you need to be able to enjoy what you do."

"Sometimes people get too concerned about making mistakes. Football is a game of errors, it's how you react to them. When you've got a winning mentality, you don't care about mistakes, you're always looking for the next ball and you want to express yourself. I think that's the key, always looking for the next ball and being prepared for it."

I like the cut of this man's jib, and I'm not ashamed to say so.

I see 40 year old Leonardo has been appointed to his first managerial position - replacing Ancelotti at AC Milan. What are those crazy Continentals thinking about? I blame a lack of ambition on Berlusconi's part.

Vinibhoy ,

i've just had a vision of Peter Lawwell strutting about Ibiza in his big green Bermuda shorts with glow sticks on his wrist's , dancing to some Cafe Del Mar sounds. ;) What an image. lol

Hail Hail

The Martinez story looks like a go-er.

Given that Celtic have made a formal approach to his Swansea( BBC reporting ), I would imagnie that through informal channels Martinez has given them encouragement.

Swansea also don't sound too difficult to deal with.

Of all the names mentioned so far, his is the most far sighted. A risk, but a risk worth taking.

Not sure if anayone else has picke-up on this. Apologies if it has already been mentioned but according to PSV fans website JVOH has signed a 3 year deal with them.

http://psv.netwerk.to/nieuws/artikel...ontract%27.php

Starryhope

I am in two minds.

He is a rookie manager who has done a great job at Swansea. Has shown he has an eye for a player and plays an open free flowing style.

All pretty positive.

The negatives for me far outweigh the positves.

Lack of real experience, nevermind at european level but at any huge club like Celtic. A big diference managing succesfully at a low level than the presurised enviroment at Celtic.

He could well be the real deal I suppose time will tell and if he comes he will get the support of the fans.

However financially it makes little sense.

The whispers of low budget for transfers and compensation for managers we are led to believe, have been sticking points in our quest to recruit a manager.

Although with Martinez it´s reported he has 4 years on his current contract. If he´s on 5k a week that´s 2 million or so in compensation. Unless he´s got a get out clause then for me he must have been down the list of potential targets.

This does smell of Coyle and Mogga rejecting the oportunity because of lack of transfer budget. Martinez would most likley have no problem with a bare biscuit tin. As he´s not going to get any decent money at Swansea.

If he get´s the job I remain to be convinced by the direction our club is heading in. Nothing against Martinez I think he is a decent manager and could well be top class.

Wish I could be as confident in saying that about our club.

Paul67....You say he doesn't tick many boxes but you have to look at the situation and environment we operate in as well as demands from the fans.

This being the case, I think he ticks many of the boxes. Knowledge of British and more importantly, Scottish football? Check. Ability to manage a team on a budget? Check? Positive results? Check? Good man-management skills? Check? Entertaining football? Check.

The only box he doesn't tick is for experience of managing a big club but this is the financial reality we are in. As with players, we have to recruit young, talented, hungry professionals before they are out of our reach. I put forward his name after the Rangers defeat and I would be quite happy with Martinez....

Sorry - broken link in my last post.
Try this one
http://psv.netwerk.to/nieuws/artikel/20405_%27Vennegoor%20tekent%203-jarig%20contract%27.php

Starryhope

once a bhoy

Just to clarify, and you have every right to believe what you wish, It was not a friend of OC it was a close family member.

IMO 1.5m is not sifficient to build a team capable of improvning what we have now.

Barcabhoy from last thread

I've no idea where that money went as that was not mentioned, notice we never actually signed any of them though, strange that... I've heard of being unlucky in transfers but being incapable is a bit much.

DD

Possilbhoy,
I can imagine his big milky man boobs shaking around as he dances.
lol

Actually, thats quite arousing ;0)

Ellbhoy - "This does smell of Coyle and Mogga rejecting the oportunity because of lack of transfer budget"

It sure does, if you believe Celtic's enemies in the Scottish gutter press. The kind of people who - need I remind you? - were putting formal complaints into the SFA review committee about our players just a few weeks ago and trying to get our fans "done" by UEFA just a few months ago.

Personally, I'm not inclined to believe people who have lied about our club time and time again.

Personally, I'm not inclined to believe negative internet rumours spread by a mixture of people whose usernames have mysteriously popped up recently and other people who should know better.

Personally, I find it hard to believe our board have been sounding out people like David Moyes and telling them they'd have little or no money to spend.

Ulster-Celt, my thoughts when I first considered him was that he as yet didn’t have enough to make a strong recommendation on, unlike my suggestion, Solbakken, but I also think he will be secured on a high FA PL wage soon, it it’s now or never for this candidate.

bhoys 'r us, indeed.

geebee1978, yes, I hear you.

Rangers fans in swine flue alert!! - there is definitely a joke in here somewhere ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8077007.stm

Paul67 - like you I still think there are a lot of question marks regarding Martinez's credentials but if we were going for a rookie then for me this would be the guy, certainly in front of OC.

Martinez seems to have the trait the board want to build our future on. Spotting a player and bringing them on.

Huge gamble for us still and I imagine that PL will be having a word in the shell-like of Sir Awex regarding Roberto. Like him or loathe him, Sir Awex also has a good eye for these things. If he rates him enough to consider him as Assistant Manager then he must have something. All Man Utd Assistant bosses have went on to good things, Sir Awex doesn't surround himself with fools.

I remember watching his team in the friendly against us and thinking they played some good stuff.

He certainly good be a good un....

donegaldanny - Ah, you and your stories DD.

I heard from a close friend of the Danny family's pet tortoise that you're known in Donegal circles as "Jackanory Danny" and "Porky's II: The Next Day".

I also heard that you were one white glove covered in rhinestones short of a Michael Jackson.

Shamone!

The SwineFlu alert proved to be a false alarm.

The illness is characterized by incoherent speech, violent moodswings and delusional behaviour.

After tests it was confirmed ...

... this is Rangers fans' natural state.

BaDaBing BadaBoom!

ExiledBhoy on June 1, 2009 12:31 PM

just wondering if you have any old vases lying about ;-)

M

GreatwallifchinaNo1CSC

Ladies and gentlemen - up_over_goal!

That's it, a big hand for a up_over_goal!!

ha ha.

Paul67
I can see where your admiration for Solbakken is coming from.
However, he said on Danish TV yesterday that he still hopes to have the same group of players around him next season. That would seem to rule him out.

This primarily for Paul (I am too refined to know how to reach him directly, no doubt something to do with 'profiles', whatever they may be).

Here's a good point:
a mutual can’t pay dividends and so has to reinvest all of its operating profit in the football business. A profit making firm would never do this; the point at which the financial return on a marginal player purchase would be less than the cost of capital would be reached a long way before total dominance. (This ties into my theory that the problem with the PL is an excess of “football people” and a dearth of “accountants”, very much not the other way round).

The above taken from here : a source you could mine for several good articles to put in the bank and publish while you're in Rothesay for the Fair

Have there not been enough posts on here in the past few days to suggest to the the doubters that rookie managers can work, guardiola being the prime example.
Mr Martinez, yes please, the more I have read on this man the more impressed I am.
Haven't seen much of swansea but what i have seen I have liked. The man plays great football and does it on a limited budget, by all accounts that may be what were offering to any prospective new manager, the guys ticking alot more boxes for me than any other names put forward so far.

I hear he's catalonian minded too.

Vinibhoy - is it in a bizarre and off-putting Alan Partridge style daydream?

"It's vulcanised rubber, which means it won't perish."

Paul, what a wonderful forum you provide, thank you. I tried to post last week and registered the name in support of giving the job to Paul Lambert assisted by Neil Lennon. Both have been great servants to Celtic, they know the club, the Scottish game, what is happening down south and the suggested manager has notable European experience. Gordon got the job on the understanding that he had no real funds to spend. After the wasteful experience under John Barnes the club will be reluctant to let a new manager who is an outsider spend what will be required to fix our key problems ie up front, central midfield and left back. Best solution is to look to our winning captains. Step forward Paul and Neil...

donegaldanny on June 1, 2009 12:39 PM

Not having a go at your source mate. As I said I heard much the same story a few days ago which came from a mate who is friends with the Coyle family.

I too believe a starting budget of £1.5M is low, and stated as much to the Whisperer. I just don't believe it, maybe I am an old cynic. It strikes me some people like to put themselves in the know and most people in the know are there because they know how to keep schtum.

The proof will out.

Anybody know anyone from the Bilic or Martinez families out there???

According to Swansea fans, Marinez has a Scottish girlfriend and is getting married this summer. Hmmm........as they say on here.

Ah Philvis

You poor delusional wee poster, as I say believe it or believe it not, thats what was said by OC's own.

DD

philvisreturns on June 1, 2009 12:44 PM

Like you I don't take much if any notice from the gutter press or internet rumour.

However If you think Martinez was our number 1 target then I think your kidding yourself.

That begs the question what stopped others in front of Martinez from taking the job?

The logical answer is finances.

Not saying Mogga or Coyle where even on the radar, however they have been the most prominent in terms of betting and rumours.
So for the purpose of making and argument they seem the logical example.

Coyle will have money to spend at Burnley and Mogga is likely to have a half decent budget at WBA. Martinez will have the least to spend if anything at all at Swansea. So logically if there is any truth about our lack of funds then he would be an ideal option.

Look not believing the rumours, just observing what's been happening. We have not brought in players in the last two windows despite promises.

This summer will tell us if that lack of activity was by choice or by being frustrated. Hopefully there will be a substantial budget for the incoming manager, if it' Martinez then all I am saying is I remain to be convinced there is one.

The stories circulating about Coyle/Mowbray rejecting the job due to budget available for transfers are utter tosh. FFS, by Burnley and Coyle's own admission, there was no official approach. So that means an informal approach if any. Any informal approach approach would have been along the lines of "are you interested"?. There is no way they'd have been discussing salary and transfer budgets at such an early stage. (I know all of this because my auntie Mary's neighbours dog gets clipped at a salon owned by a guy who went to school with one of Owen Coyle's third cousins, so it must be true)

Re Martinez. Surely worth a try? This is the type of guy who we might just have a chance of landing before his stock rises to the Moyes level. Swansea played the most attractive football in the Championship last year, including all the teams who went up, and yes of course, attractive football is one thing, winning is another, BUT, they had just came up from League 1 so quite an admirable effort. We're not getting an established winner, so lets get someone with potential.

Once A Bhoy...... - A friend of a friend was in Ibiza at the weekend, and apparently Owen Coyle's entire family were there, telling anybody who would listen that Celtic only have a a transfer budget of 27p, some Woolworths shares, and a half-completed Panini World Cup 1986 sticker book, which the board hopes to "swap" for players.

Also heard that PL had offered OC the job on the conditions that he pay for his own petrol and bring his own football and plastic cones to training.

Don't tell anybody!

Paul67 are you trying to grift the bookies?? You put out a name and low and behold his odds shorten. Can you keep doing this until the day before the annoucement of the real appointment so that we can all put our money on a man whose odds haven't shortened. (Not questioning your integrity or anything like that):-)

I did see Swansea on the box a few times lasy year and was mightily impressed with the football they played. Howevvaahhh just like OC he would be a gamble. I even saw Jason Scotland score goals.

But every decision like this is a gamble. There are no sure fire successes. How many would have thought Big Phil would get sacked in his first season with Chelski? Not I.

So if it is Boaby Martin then let the dice roll!

P67/Anyone,
Does anyone know what happened to Alan Dick's match report from the Feb game vs TFOD at Celtic Park?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/17/rangers-fans-sectarian-chanting-spl

Is gordon smith using it to balance up a shoogly table?

Three months on and nothing.

Come on SFA.....we deserve better!

I'll just keep wait wait waiting.

I sat down in front of the T.V. in order to watch a good Orc team win the Scottish Cup only because that is what I have been told on here a few times over the past couple of weeks. My opinion prior to this game was that the Orc is gash, crap, rubbish, mince, puke or whatever other superlative you or I care to use.

To all you out there, including you Ed. My opinion has now only been fortified.

It is an utter shambolic disgrace the Celtic lost the league to that load of gash, crap, rubbish, mince, puke muppets. Makes me sick to the pit of my stomache knowing that we let this lot stroll away with our trophy. They are rotten to the core both in their football and in everything they stand for.

No one nowhere will change my mind on that.

MWD still waiting .CSC

Had to double check the calendar that it was indeed 1st-June and not 1st-April.

I guess we shouldnt have been surprised that we are now shopping in the pound shop, thot we were a world wide brand. Come on Lawwell, get yur finger out and get us a manager. SSM has been replaced with Bargain Basement Chancer.

Rogue Leader

I don't disagree with the main content of your post but this sentence.....

"All Man Utd Assistant bosses have went on to good things"

Queiroz failed at Franco's works team (okay, difficult circumstances) and is not doing that great in Portugal (no wins in last 4). As for Brian Kidd, he flopped at Blackburn and Steve McLaren's report card is a bit patchy also. As for Archie Knox and Walter Smith, I am saying nothing!

Steinreignedsupreme

Merci, mon ami!

I always go for the obvious scoring opportunity - that's why I'm not wanted as a striking coach at Lennoxtown.

My attention has dipped recently - been enjoying the tennis and practising liking Andy Murray.

I see people are finally lowering their sights a bit on the hunt for a manager.

Martinez looks good to me. If we get him, I'll be happy. To be honest, I'm more interested to see what happens on the player front, which won't happen until July.

Think I need a football-free month.

Now dont get on my back about this im just reporting what i have seen first hand thru a workmate of a friends eyes...

Here goes...

Well a friends workmate was in m&s the other day shopping when he witnesed a man very similar in appearance to Dick Dastardly pushing a shopping cart which was filled to the brim with paella muttering to himself something about.... artur jorge.... they wont see this coming.... ah ha ha keevins...chic...maggie thatcher...winston churchill....

All the above is true.

Paul67,

I'd be delighted if it was him compared to the names that have been mentioned.

I like the cut of this guy. I think DD, PL and the board deserve some credit if Roberto is the man. I'm excited with this appointment if true

Have Celtic approached this guy?

donegaldanny - "You poor delusional wee poster, as I say believe it or believe it not, thats what was said by OC's own."

So, you're spreading negative rumours about Celtic that - allegedly - someone from Owen Coyle's own family told you on the understanding that it may or may not be true?

Hmmm....

Believe it or believe it not, but I heard from someone close to your legal guardian that you were originally made out of wood and have a little talking cricket friend who acts as your conscience.

I'm not saying this is true, you understand, I'm just going to imply that it's the truth by putting it out there on the internet because I crave attention.

==========

Ellbhoy - OK, so let me see if I understand your logical process.

1) You don't, like the rest of us, actually know what's happening.

2) You've heard of betting and rumours.

3) Therefore you choose to believe the betting and rumours, and you go a step further:

4) You believe the reason why the betting and rumours has so far not resulted in a new Celtic manager being appointed, must be for a negative reason.

philvisreturns - you may mock donegaldanny but the truth is out there (somewhere).

I have had the same story told to me regarding Owen Coyle (£1.25M was the number quoted). My source heard it from the the person who had spoken to the "close family member".

It can still be a load of tosh - but it may also be true.

RogueLeader, aye.

bhoys 'r us, he has a strong team together for next season.

English accent, I’ll store that one away, thanks. Agree with the key point that proper diligence needs to be done for each large transfer of a club will not reach its potential. Not sure I would recommend more accountants, though.

Winning Captains, you are welcome. I hear you but am also concerned that great captains don’t necessarily make great managers. Lambert and Lennon would be a risk beyond where I am comfortable with.

Steelica, if only that was possible.

OttoKaiser, no info.

WGS, I hear you.

The board got it right with Wee Gordon so I've every confidence they will this time. Martinez would do for me as it looks as though he wants to play the right way and of course he would probably come a lot cheaper than they are willing to spend.

Onwardswithwhoever!!

Philvis

have celtic ever done anything wrong? Ever? No honestly have they ever done anything to the detriment of the playing side?? I ask only because if i'm negative then your wearing the greenest of green tinted spectacles!

Do you not wish the best for Celtic? Is Martinez 'the best'???

I have utterly no reason to not believe the person who told me about OC, it does not surprise me though. look at 50k willo flood and losing the league as prime examples.

DD

Gents...
there were a few posts yesterday relating to the need to get Martin Kane home to his family.

Pablophanque has been in touch and we have worked out a way to sell raffle tickets at the NAFCSC convention in Vegas later this month. The NAFCSC made a donation a few weeks back, and I am sure we can gather a few more coins through the raffle.

Kitalba has offered to send me a copy of the DVD, which will help - many thanks, Kitalba.

Tiny Tim....thanks for the reminder.

ANYONE going to the convention in Vegas. Please hunt me down and by a ticket or two.

Paul67

I agree, but the pattern is shopping in the Championship and SPL for managerial candidates and bargain basement ones in terms of cost (mainly)

So much for a wide ranging search.

It is saddening that despite how we hear of a GOD and the financial sustainability of the club when the most important post becomes available we are looking no further than the domestic scene, seemingly looking to keep it low cost and not able to aim higher than SPL and Championship managers.

What is the GOD doing for the club beyond the balance sheet?

An average squad of mainly EPL rejects, Championship and SPL players. Inability to attract or unwillingness to fund a proven manager.

It is no wonder season ticket sales are falling

paul67, interesting stuff, so now I have two targets in my mind, 1 officialy confirmed by Swansea themselves and the other from a very reliable source on CQN (word of mouth offline, not posted). Both targets excite me, both have the same football ethos and both are young and foreign. excellent stuff, I see where our BoD are heading with this, perhaps a euro league really isnt that far away afterall...

Martinez certainly talks a good game and its quite easy to get excited about a young catalonian talking about playing football in the 'correct' way.

But for a club of our size and stature its fairly unprecedented for someone of such inexperience to be appointed.

(before the sycophants- who would no doubt applaud the appointment of Terry Christie- get excited; its not unprecedented for big clubs to promote from within someone who appears inexperienced; such a person at a big club would tend to have played at the absolute highest level under a very good and succesful manager; such appointments would then be given large budgets and be steering an already charted course eg Dalglish & Guardiola)

Be under no doubt ; the appointment of Martinez would would not represent any inspired foresight by our esteemed CEO. It is an appointment made under the auspices of downsizing and extreme financial parsimony. This may be necessary but it is part of a vicious circle made necessary by the lack of decisive action by our board at the end of last season and mismanagement by our CEO throughout this season.

Owen Coyle has said no to us, mainly for financial reasons.

Whether Martinez is 2nd or even 5th choice is debateable what is not in doubt is that he was not our 1st choice.

I hope he works out for us, God knows he has little competition to worry about.

SsuperSutton - Under circumstances where "It can still be a load of tosh - but it may also be true"

The reaction of most sane people would be to ignore such information. Otherwise we may as well operate on the basis that aliens are living among us and the chairman of Celtic is in fact one of aforementioned aliens as this may or may not be true.

Cadizzy - I regretted that sentence as soon as I hit Submit!

SuperSutton - being told the same pile of mince by two different people does not make said pile of mince correct.

PoundOfMinceCSC

RogueLeader

All Man Utd Assistant bosses have went on to good things.

Except that Smith bloke of course. There's always one!

donegaldanny

I don't doubt you were told what you say, though we might consider the possibility that those close to OC, or the man himself, might be tempted to find justifications for his refusal given their close links to the Celtic community.

Be that as it many, the £1.5M figure would be extraordinary if true: only a very steep fall in ST renewals would justify such a stance. However, I'm not going to get worked up over fourth-hand information (board-OC-family-you-me) on this or any other subject - and the truth will come out soon enough.

Add to last post

what is GOD Financial health doing for us - when we need it most i.e. now

philvisreturns on June 1, 2009 1:20 PM

Do you think Martinez has always been our number 1 target?

ExiledBhoy

Very much in agreement re Coyle/Mobray/McGhee. I'm really non-plussed by the Mowbray cheer-leaders. What's he ever done apart from presiding over mid-table mediocrity with Hibs and relegation with WBA? For the life of me, I can't see that any of these suspects is demonstrably better than GS.

If we're going for Steve Clarke it's worth remembering that he has never been a manager. If that's the kind of pedigree we're looking at then what price Willie McStay?

Whoever gets the job they'll have to start winning SPL away games fast. That's not going to happen without the addition of 2/3 good players with the added ability to mix it.

Rogueleader

Surely its only mince if you know for a fact it is mince?

Otherwise its as valid as anything else surely?

DD

DonegalDanny, I wonder what's on your Tivo? I heard a rumour which may or may not be true that you watch:

* MOVIE: "Liar Liar"

* TV SHOW: "Tales of the Unexpected"

* TV SHOW: "Fantasy Island"

* MOVIE: "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

* TV SHOW: "Jackanory"

Also, the same person told me your ringtone is the theme song to Storybook International.

"I am a storyteller, and my stories must be told..."

Believe it or believe it not, I'm not going to confirm either way, am just putting it out there to heavily imply that your pants are on fire.

these manager rumours and made up lies in the media reminds me of a book called The Black Swan - amazing book, well worth reading. I wonder who our black swan will be...?

Martin47

I'm with you on that one if the ones mentioned are what we're looking at then we'd be just as well, probably better off actually, letting Willie McStay have a go. Should know the club inside out and has won trophies for the youths and reserves under two differnet first team managers each with different ideas on how to play the game yet he has been able to adapt and get the youngsters playing in that way.

DD

Philvis

Fair play, each to their own.

DD

When asked a few months back who would I fancy as manager should Gordon leave I mentioned two names Owen Coyle and Roberto Martinez.

Martinez would be an appointment that would show real imagination and is one of the few names touted that gives me a shiver of anticipation.

donegaldanny - "Surely its only mince if you know for a fact it is mince?

Otherwise its as valid as anything else surely?"

Hmm, good theory. So any old dodgy allegation can be tossed out into the ether, and it's as "valid as anything else" unless we "know for a fact" that it's not.

What an interesting twist on the traditional concept of "innocent until proven guilty" idea when pertaining to negative allegations like the ones you have spread about the Celtic board.

So therefore my assertion that you're as credible as Milli Vanilli in concert is "as valid as anything else", since you can't prove otherwise.

Owen Coyle is not being portrayed in a very good light here. First of all, he's happy to divulge (presumably private) information to friends and family members. I doubt that.

Secondly, he is showing a staggering lack of ambition by rejecting Celtic on these terms. There is no doubt whatsoever that the opportunity to manage Celtic Football Club with the promise of circa £1m plus whatever you earn in player sales is better than going into the EPL with Burnley and no prospect of major outlay. The ambitious manager, confident in his ability, takes the Celtic job every day of the week. Burnley is the hedge your bets move and hope for Tony Mowbray style acceptance in 12 months. I think he's better than that thus I doubt the entire story.

DD - it is mince until it is proven to be true. As is everything else that is written here or anywhere else. I take everything I read / see to be untrue until proven true.

I would be more inclined to believe what you said if it did not fly in the face of all the verifiable facts we having regarding Celtic and just plain old common sense!!

This is me assesing your tidbit without the bias of the knowledge I have, where I KNOW what you have been told to be mince.

But my last statement falls under the same category as yours. Mince until proven otherwise, only my assertion does fit in with the facts and common sense.

http://sport.scotsman.com/spl/Interview-Mark-McGhee.5319376.jp

Interesting interview with Mark McGhee from yesterdays Scotsman in particular (talking about GS):

"Strachan departed on Monday but McGhee knew he was going a long time ago. "It was over the road there in Stravaigin (a restaurant] that he told me he was leaving. It was New Year's Eve. My brother was at a loose end about three weeks ago and Gordon asked if he would drive a van down to Southampton for him. (Strachan retained his house on the south coast). All the clothes and bits and bobs went in the van. There was no way he was changing his mind no matter what happened last Sunday. Win, lose or draw, the wee man was away."

Now, GS always seemed a straight arrow to me so I presume if he'd told Mark McGhee in 2008 that he was going then PL and DD would also have been aware.
Have the club refrained from sounding anyone else out between January 2009-May 2009 just incase it disrupted the squad in the run in? I can't see it somehow. Worried about losing the moral high ground for "tapping up" a manager?

Ellbhoy - "Do you think Martinez has always been our number 1 target?"

I don't know that he is our number 1 target, but I like what I've heard about him.

Equally, neither of us have any idea what contact may or may not have taken place between Celtic and the other names mentioned, or how the supposed candidates stack up in terms of how our board rates them, or how much money will be made available to the new manager.

The difference is, you choose to believe a negative spin on what are at this point rumours and speculation, and I prefer to give our club's board the benefit of the doubt.

derbyshirebhoy on June 1, 2009 1:34 PM

Like you I also mentioned Martinez, purely on his knowledge of the game in Scotland and the style of football he like to play. Plus at the time felt he would be a realistic choice.

A few month's however is a long time in football and for me many names are available who have vastly more experience. We are in a transistional period and IMV need at least 6 players, just hope if it is to be Martinez then he is given the funds to do his job properly.

Thismancraig

Not with the players we have now it isn't. Some shocking players among that lot. When a circa 40 year old pierre looks better than both your target men there is something a miss surely?

RL

Can't really argue with that, I think we'll see with the calibre and experience of the manager how much ambition we have. I said that last week before hearing about OC knocking us back and I stick to it.

Philvis

You didn't answer my previous question do celtic ever do anything wrong in your eyes? To the detriment of the playing side? or is signing no one and losing to rangers ok in your eyes?

DD

Once A Bhoy...

I do happen to know a close friend of the Bilic family.
And, I think, he told me every detail of every conversation that has taken place concerning his possible appointment.
Unfortunately, he chose not to do so in English.
But at least I now feel as much in the know as many other recent contributors here.

Like you, I do find them rather exasperating.

And, while I'm here.
EdwardUrsus
Well done your lot.
No quibbles this time.
If you can't score, you won't win.

Enjoy the moment in that special way that only those who rarely experience such things these days can. (Wee smiley face inserted here).
A bit of a wake up call for some of my lot, I think.
Turning up isn't always quite enough.

Clouds boiling up here now.
Last chance to get this pesky weeding done.
They do seem to pop up everywhere, don't they!

Paul67.
I think you have some weeding of your own to do on this excellent plot of land that you have cultivated.
Good luck.

Congratulations Willie McStay and the bhoys for winning the Hong Kong IP Global Soccer Sevens.

Celtic won a first IP Global Soccer Sevens title in Hong Kong on Sunday after edging out Glasgow rivals Rangers 1-0 in a tight final.

After a scoreless first half at Hong Kong Football Club, 21-year-old Northern Ireland midfielder Niall McGinn, who moved to Celtic Park in December from Derry City, set up striker Paul McGowan, 21, just after the restart to open the scoring for Celtic, who beat Australia Under-18s in the quarter-finals.

Rangers, who downed West Ham in the last eight before eliminating two-time defending champions Aston Villa in the semi-finals, could have earned extra-time in the closing stages but Archie Campbell fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

"It was a fantastic spectacle and both teams played the game to win," said Celtic manager Willie McStay.

"There were plenty of incidents and both teams had their chances so it was a great game for fans.

"It is my third year here, we lost in the semi-finals two years ago and lost the final last year and now we have won it so I am absolutely delighted.

"We have a great record against Rangers at youth and reserve level and it is always sweet to beat them." Yuo can say that again Willie.

Willie McStay for Manager it is his destiny.l

If we can't get Bilic or a name to capture the imagination of the support, lets go & get Levein. He has built teams at Hearts & Dundee Utd with buttons to spend, his teams play attacking football, he can work with a small budget & he knows how to beat the huns

dd

You think Owen would reject Samaras and McDonald for Burnley? Whilst there are of course some donkeys at Celtic Park, there are also some good players and a not to big gap to bridge.

Please stop repeating the unconfirmable pish about someone apparently turning a non existant job offer down due to lack of funds ( allegedly).

Especially if it emanated in "dear old donegal".

PLEASE.

You don't know this, I don't know this. None of us do.

What I do know tho' is that if "myths" like it are allowed to proliferate as quick as you can say "biscuit tin", the mongs amongst us (apologies to the Mong Emerald67 CSC btw)will repeat this back to the meeja and hey presto - keech headlines and subheads will abound to welcome the ascension of our new messiah.

And another thing, "Word Up!" for wee Terry Christian!

Antsman, are we looking no farther than the domestic scene? News to me.

What is the G.o.D doing for the club apart from the balance sheet? Six out of nine leagues and the most trophy laden decade in our history – don’t underestimate these things so lightly, they were beyond our dreams nine years ago.

As for the balance sheet, the whole last nine years have been enormously unprofitable for Celtic. Success on the field has come at a considerable financial cost.

This information is all available in many history books/web sites, and the financials are available to download from the official site.

For good measure, we won the European Cup in 1967 and the Coronation Cup in 1953. Celtic's history is well worth reading.

mountain_bhoy, who knows.

Ian58, tell me about it!

philvisreturns on June 1, 2009 1:40 PM

Where did I say I believe the rumours?

I just said this apointment would leave me to be convinced of the direction our club is heading in.

From my first post, to remind you.

"If he get´s the job I remain to be convinced by the direction our club is heading in. Nothing against Martinez I think he is a decent manager and could well be top class."

Martinez? what an absoulute joke 35year old manager of swansea,no experience,no chance.If thats the best lawell can come up with then its time for him to follow strachan.

Yesterday was a poignant and touching day for me and reminded me of what Celtic Football Club IS all about.

Still hurting from losing the title I genuinely woke up yesterday thinking that I didn't want to go to Celtic Park for the tribute match. My rationale was that I was and am still hurting and I had also paid for my ticket and therefore had made my small contribution to the late, great Tommy's charities. However I had a cold shower, gave myself a shake, met my friends for a couple of glasses of Magners, and made the walk along the Gallowgate. The atmosphere before, during and after the game was relaxed, friendly and memorable. People were smiling and I am of the belief that it wasn't just the nice weather that gave them the feelgood factor - thinking of Tommy and the warm memories that it jogged reinstated my own personal love of the club.

TOMMY BURNS epitamizes what Celtic are all about. Yes of course we all want to see a successful team playing attractive, fast flowing football, but we are more than that. The feeling inside that I had yesterday wasn't tangible, but very, very real. I am proud to be a Celtic supporter and thank Tommy Burns from the bottom of my heart for reigniting my love for the club.

Let's put aside the fratricide and bickering over the merits of managers and players, past, present and future and think of warm memories of the REAL reason we support Celtic.

In no particular order;

Tommy Burns
Phil O'Donnell
Jock Stein
Bobby Murdoch
Ronnie Simpson
Jimmy Johnstone
Johnny Doyle
John Thompson
John Cushley

God Bless you all

Celtic have made an official approach for Swansea boss Roberto Martinez
http://itn.co.uk/28e9614cdfa445c976839c4233d5ca14.html

donegaldanny - Let me ask you a question. Do Celtic ever do anything right in your eyes?

The reason I ask is because I've only ever seen you complain, whinge, moan, and allege bad faith on the part of our club's management and board.

It's enough to make one think you're one bunch of flowers stuffed down the back of your trousers short of a Morrissey.

We don't care what the animals say

moving hearts

...and it's time for you to go back to your own club's message boards after a comment like that..you clearly ain't a Celtic fan, so toddle off back to....Tynie?

Forever Changes - See Celticdelia

WG

TMC

Who knows Skippy definitely not but sammy I'd reject as hes heartless.

bankiebhoy

FYI it emanated in Rutherglen not 'dear old donegal' as you put it.

DD

The way I see what has been happening is this.

Moyes has always been number 1 target. He probably told Celtic wait till after FA Cup final.

In the meantime Celtic sound out other possible candidates. Coyle etc. This is all it has been, sounding out. I doubt very much figures were discussed with any of them, merely the premise of managing and no doubt available budgets were tailored per candidate and experience as is normal in all forms of business. (Just for the record Owen Coyle oversaw a transfer budget of £4m last year. Celtic would be right not to give him a heap of cash. Letting him have what he brings in would not materially affect the clubs finances but give the board an idea of how well he would spend it with a view to allowing him a larger budget in the future)

Now it comes to Monday. Moyes has said he wasn't interested and all of a sudden we make an official approach to Swansea. WHich correct me if I am wrong is the VERY FIRST official approach we have made.

What that says to me is Coyle, Mowbray etc were way down the list.

Moyes was first. Then Martinez and Celtic have moved fast. The timing of this today seems to back this up.

Philvis

Ah now come on I asked first.

Yes we used to but we've been going backwards for some time now or do you disagree with that also?

Standing up for diddysCSC

DD

Ellbhoy

just a last night

i refuse to believe that Martinez was top of our list

IMO....we have been left with him to consider, as others , for whatever reason , have rejected overtures from us

Martinez has done very well at Swansea ..in fact he has as much experience as Keane ...but does he have enough of a personality for the CFC job ?

twist n turns celtic man all my days.ill voice my opinion as i see it Martinez just not gd enough.now lunch is over isnt it time you were back in school?

Cadizzy....

McLaren had a hard time with the big egos in the England set up but who hasn't? His record with Middlesborough and now, with Twente was excellent. There are worse CLUB managers about than him with better reputations....

RogueLeader

What makes you think Moyes was 1st choice, just the timing of it?

As you say this is the first oficial aproach we've made.

Moonbeamswetdream @ 1.15 :- Far be it for me to try and change your mind about Rangers, I've often posted on here that I don't like the standard of football being played. Watching the final didn't do anything to change that.
However when it comes to your description of Rangers as "It is an utter shambolic disgrace the Celtic lost the league to that load of gash, crap, rubbish, mince, puke muppets. Makes me sick to the pit of my stomache knowing that we let this lot stroll away with our trophy."
Awe poor diddums, it must hurt that the team you describe as that proved over a season to be better than your own team, it must really hurt to know that you can't even match that low standard, and it must hurt most of all to realise that it's no longer your trophy.
For your poor suffering stomach try peptobismal, or even try realising that football is a competition and you have no divine right to win all the time. The team that wins the league deserves to win it and if they are a load of gash, crap, rubbish, mince, puke muppets it means they are the best load of gash, crap, rubbish, mince, puke muppets in the competition.
Still on the bright side, you have a nice balance sheet.

Donegaldanny, you're a bit of a comedian so you'll at least like this -

on the speculation and unconfirmable rumours.....

" They come from Bonny Scotland, they come from County Cork, they come from dear old Donegal.......and even from New York..."

Bdoom Boooosh!

McGrory for Arsenal

Oh great one,I bow to your omnipotence ,your greatness,
your all seeing eye.

Geezabrek.SYCOPHANTSRUS.

Paul67

I added - In our time of need i.e. now where we have lost our title and need a manager to give us new direction. what is the GOD or balance shhet doing for us?

Looking beyond the domestic scene - news to everyone else it would seem?

This GOD and is meant to be enabling surely, but all the evidence thusfar suggests that when we need it most it does not enable us to shop beyond the Chamoionship or SPL for managererial targets. It is not allowing us to get a proven manager it would appear. We should be happy to pay big wages for a proven manager as the ROI would surely come in the long term.

Philvisreturns

Where would the fun be in having anything positive to say about Celtic and how it is run when it is so easy to moan about it from a position of ignorance or at best ill informed gossip.

For some folk being malcontent and having something to rally against without ever having to do anything constructive yourself is a lifelong condition or indeed aspiration.

Others, such us yourself, see a broader perspective.

Rougue,

I am with you about Moyes and Martinez and the other being dow the list.

Roberto is in Spain at the momeet. Was GS not their last week? Janko looking more and more if Jan has been punted.

Interesting, but Martinez has been up for a few games recently over the past couple of months and also watching Hamilton. While evrybody was assuming he was scouting for players maybe he was watching his future team and potential targets like McCarthy and Aguiar for example.

You reckon Donati might be in a with a shout with the new man? Looked good in an advanced role yesterday. I know you can't judge him on that. But he looked pretty decent in a more forward role and the shackles released.

Ellbhoy - yeah the timing. We have had a full week of rampant rumours. We have a manager who would clearly tick all of the boxes, but was involved up till the weekend. He has also made noises about wanting to manage here. I think he would be top of many lists.

He publicly says No and the very next day we fire in our first official approach.

Makes sense to me....

The reality is none of us really know too much about him
This makes me nervous

Paul67 you mention that he does not tick all your box's ! !
what are your minimum requirements ??

From my point of view - I am confused I really don't know what I want now Moyes (always a long shot) is out the running
Do I want someone who "understands" Celtic ?
Or do I want an "outsider" ?
Do I want experience or youthful energy?

Time will tell
And for the record I am STILL not over not winning the league

PF ayr on June 1, 2009 1:52 PM

I completely agree with you, no way was he 1st choice. To me we are appointing a manager in a similar way we go after players. We seem go after any amount of them and wait for one to bite on our terms.

""Martinez has done very well at Swansea ..in fact he has as much experience as Keane ...but does he have enough of a personality for the CFC job ?"

Again I agree however your asking about his personality, I supose that's a question that can only be answered when he's in the job. For me though the correct personality or not he or anyone else has no chance if he's not given the tools to do the job.

Rumour has it Guillem Balluge is coming as assistant :) Only joking by the way.

Their doesn't look like there is anyone in the UK who is up to the Celtic job that we can afford, so rather than getting someone in for the hell of it, let's spread our nets. I am sure there are plenty of managers out there who fit the bill and would jump at the chance to manage Celtic.

Can't help thinking Coyle,Martinez etc are not the favoured choice as new manager.I just feel any deal to bring them here would be concluded by now.
Im sure that our main target has'nt been named yet.

bankiebhoy

WAHEY! very good.

DD

Ian58 :- Thanks, your line "Enjoy the moment in that special way that only those who rarely experience such things these days can. (Wee smiley face inserted here)." A witty, clever, subtle and effective dig deserves an instant witty reply, I can't think on one, I think I hate you lol

OttoKaiser @ 1.38pm. i read mark mcghee's interview yesterday too and was surprised that his statement passed relatively without comment.

There were many at the time who believed that the lack of investment in Jan was due to the board with-holding funds from an outgoing manager. McGhees comments seem to give this theory credence.

Hopefully the board will have been beavering away in the background to get the right guy in since Jan and proper funding will be available to him.

If that were indeed to be the case, there might be a few people who have once again learned the lesson that if we take our info from a hostile press core, we end up with a very dim view of the world.

And...if it is Martinez (or Coyle or Mowbray or whoever), then I will welcome them in the knowledge that they have been observed by the Celtic board for quite some time before their appointment.

After watching the last half of last season, which was rank, it may be worth thinking that this was actually down to the fact that the manager was already leaving (in his own head),history tells us that this always ends up badly.

Maybe we'll get a young motivated manager to re-galvanise the players and have the purse strings released to bring in some additional players.

I am not sure if that would fit in with many of the lap-tops agendas though

up_over_goal - I know what you mean on several points.

If you want a break from football and fancy some fantasy then stay on here. Some of the stuff that has been posted in the last week has been hysterical.

The new players thing will be interesting – although my mate, who works as a roadie for the band that were the support band for another band who were bottom of the bill when Slaven Bilic’s band played recently, said Bilic turned down the Celtic job because there was virtually zero cash available for transfers unless he sold the replica of the European Cup!

My mate’s got big Slaven’s plectrum if you don’t believe me.

Just for the record I’m not really the roadie’s mate … I know a guy who used to go out with a girl who was at the same school as the roadie’s cousin!

Rogue leader

spoken like a true financial acolyte

CFC..IS A BLOODY FOOTBALL CLUB

would you really be happy that CFC brought a manager in and didn`t have sufficient faith him to give him a decent transfer budget

a complete nonsense statement

what does that say for Martinez ..if you`re correct then it is as i , and many others ,fear.....little experience ..little money

do you advocate this ??

as for moving fast...they`ve known of WGS departure for months and Martinez is their second best candidate ...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

hells teeth pal your DD and PL`s dream

get real

WGS - I think no matter who comes in Donati will be a large wage they will want off the bill. I think he has his heart set elsewhere anyway so he probably would not want to stay.

I think the transfers will be put in a holding pattern until the gaffer is in place. Once he is in place I think we will see some rapid activity...lets hope Janko says yes. The board will see him as an investment. Double your money if he maintains his Austrian form in the SPL / Europe.

ed

well done for standing up for yourself mate,,,,,,,now beat it your gloating is getting on my tits,,,

hail hail

ifcanthavealaughwhatsthepointCSC

I'm sure there are quite a few names in the frame at the moment - and we would be remiss if we didn't talk to a few possibilities. It doesn't mean any one of them is the favourite or our number one choice though.

I can't see how Martinez can be called an imaginative choice. He is highly topped as someone who might be a great manager one day, so looking at him is just following the crowd.

A truly imaginative choice would be someone totally unexpected. Someone not on the short lists pulled together by every hack journalist around. Someone from left field.

How many CVs do you think Peter Lawell has received over the past week? 10? 100? From what I've read about other managerial vacancies the latter is probably closer. There will be some names in there than none of us have mentioned.

FWIW, a couple of seasons of playing good football at lower levels is well below the type of CV I would expect to see in a new Celtic manager.

RogueLeader on June 1, 2009 1:59 PM

Seems logical.

Just not to sure if Martinez was the first next go to guy. I suppose we will never know that for sure.

However if you are correct and Moyes was indeed a realistic option, then that gives you heart that a half decent budget for players must be available.

Ed,

"Hate" tends to be a defining characteristic for a lot of your support! No?

But then no-one likes you, and you dont care!

(inserts smiley face!)

donegadanny

Do you ever stop and think it is an amazing wonder that the club has managed to come from also rans 15 years ago to having won 6 SPL titles in the past 9 without listening to your advice.

Just imagine if they did take your advice, maybe we would be world champions by now and not that Man U.

Hey you ought to have a word through your well informed grapevine and see if the other DD might slot you in to replace the Lawwell guy as clearly he does not have the combined interests of the club or its consumers or it's shareholders at heart.....

or did you ever think maybe he is trying to take us back 15 years when we had even more to moan about and could all be wallowing in negativity......how good would that be ?????

WGS

Janko. I can't tally at the moment. Would we be spending our largest financial outlay (circa 5 million) of the close season on such a signing without a boss ?

Would you be happy to take the job if 5 million (of the 1.5 million DD has told is set aside but that's another point...)has been spent ?

I think Janko's in limboland.........

Big Wavy

hi ghuys

have any of you heard the rumour,that there are loads of rumours going about,,,,,i dont know if its true or not,,,,but i blame PL and the board,,,,,

hail hail

First time poster....

I dont think the appointment of Martinez would exactly excite alot of supporters..he doesn't bring with him a great CV and although he managed to win league one on a low budget - every team in that division had the same conditions and so i believe they were only the best of a poor league.

My choice would be Bilic and when his agent was in Glasgow to play in the TB game yesterday it really doesn't give the board an excuse not to sound out how serious his claims were earlier in the week about wanting to manage us. Anyone know whether compensation with the croatian FA could be a stumbling block here?

Ed,

I am hurting at our collapse more than your victory.

If only we had played our strongest team every week I would not be sitting here hurting knowing that 4-in-a-row was stolen from us due to incompetant decisions at PLC level and tactical decision made by maangement.

Rangers (as you call them) are the worst team to have won a title in my time watching football in this backwater "best small country" ever.

Nobody can ever take that away from you. Enjoy. :o)

MWD waits and waits and waits . CSC

PF Ayr - No I wouldnt be happy but I also would not be happy giving a guy who has been in charge of zero budget free reign.

In any walk of life if you get a promotion and are suddenly in charge of a much increased budget your boss would take steps to ensure the budget was correctly managed and you were capable of managing it.

There would be question marks over OC's ability to manage the budget purely as he has never done it before therefore it would be plausible for the situation I outlined to take place.

It is nothing to do with being a football club, it is common sense.

Note I didn't say this DID happen, merely gave a scenario whereas OC would have been told what people say he has been but that also marries with the facts that there is plenty available to spend, and with the info I have been given, we are in fact making in-roads towards spending it.

And if you have read my previous posts you will see I am dead against any rookie manager for the post and yes, I would suspect Martinez would have his budget restricted, but Martinez seems to have a better record at spotting players than OC has so the board would perhaps give him more.

As I said this is all speculation.

I said they have moved fast after what I believe their first choice, Moyes, said No. What is your problem with that?

Celtic is a football club AND a business. Some people need to accept that.

I think you should chill out PF Ayr.

Martinez I would take him in a flash.

No serious big boys want to come and manage in the SPLell, we are a platform for players and managers to get experience and get in the shop window, the sooner we realise this the better.

We are a big club, because of us, the fans, not beacuse of the league we play in or our 6 games in the champions league.

EPL managers are demanding £50 million just to finish 5th in the league.

Even if we offered some managers £20 million with the targets as win the league, last 16 of champions league or at least a good run in the uefa cup they would run a mile.

Burnley78

Bravo, I prostrate myself before the worlds greatest living comedian.

Mediocre is as mediocre does I suppose.

DD

WGS / Wavy

Janko is being watched very closly by Bundesliga teams and i fear we may not get close, but would be great.

He has a chance to beat the league record this week for most goals scored.

I would think we may be beat to the punch.

As a West Brom fan, I have to say that Tony Mowbray is a fine and very promising young manager ... but he's not the finished article yet. We were relegated this year because, and he has admitted this, he's still a little bit naive (i.e. fantastic midfield, rubbish attack, and a defence that made the attack look good!). I think staying at West Brom will give him the opportunity to grow and learn (hopefully getting us back in the Premier League in the process), but I would fear for him at the moment if he went to a club competing in the Champions League.

I'm surprised a club the size of Celtic aren't going for managers that are already proven in Champions League football. Any of you Hoops fans clue me in on this?

Anyway, whatever happens good luck - Celtic is a truly great club; love to see you in the Premier League one day ... but that's a whole new debate.

ED

you`re crap and you know you are

over 38 games we were just a bit more crap

you had an excuse , perhaps a valid one , for losing the league lasts season ...we have no such excuse

i feel you deserved it for your performances after Christmas

we on the other hand were dreadful and got what we deserved which was hee haw

I don't know enough about Martinez to make an informed decision. That said, and as many have already stated, Barcelona's manager has won the Champions League in his first year in charge. The one big difference is that Senor Guardiola had a lot of experience as a player at the highest level. No, that in itself is no guarantee of success. We've all seen top quality players who've never quite recaptured the success as a boss (John Barnes anyone?). But guessing if a manager is going to be any good is an art form. We can all point at people who just simply couldn't be the manager at Celtic (David O'Leary, and Glen Hoddle are 2 names that spring to mind), but figuring out who will make the grade at Celtic is beyond me.

However, whoever gets the job will need to be strong enough to ensure the clubs ambitions match his own, and he will need to set the bar at a higher level than it is currently set at. I get the impression that the Celtic board seem to be aiming some what short of what we might like. Could be wrong here, but it the feeling I have. Martinez has by all accounts done a pretty good job with Swansea, but I would worry that his lack of any experince at a higher level could be a problem. With all due respect to Swansea, but their ambitions might be somewhat lower than Celtic's. This would certainly be true of the fans, if not of the board.

Also, the new manager is going to have to deal with living in the goldfish bowl called the Scottish Media. The Scottish Media are an all encompassing force that could overwhelm anyone who is not made of strong stuff mentally. Especially given the way they are more intrusive than they ever have been before. They generally also tend to support the other side of Glasgow. It's bad enough for the players. Must be hell for any manager. These days, the manager almost has to be as adept at handling these mongrels, as he does the players.

Whoever gets the job, I wish him well.

Hail Hail

riotsurvivor - agreed 100%

My only gripe is that we didnt have the new guy already lined up/gentlemen's agreement etc. to avoid all this nonsense in the papers and to shut up these morons who host the radio rant-ins.

PFAyr :- No argument from me, neither side have been that good this season, I've said for a while now that I thought it would be the least worst team that win it.

RL

i wish i could chill out

but

to see the huns on Saturday play so badly and win the cup ..to add to their league triumph ...made me stone mad

this season is a disaster

add to this that we are looking at rookie managers and you are advocating that their inexperience is good reason to give them a minimal budget ...not good enough

last season was a dereliction of duty by ALL at CP

this must be sorted

get a decent manager in (Martinez may be decent ) and give him cash to spend

trust you own appointment or you shouldn`t be appointing him in the first place

I'm not worried that Martinez might not have been first choice.

MON wasn't and he did OK, though I sometimes wonder where we would be now if we had a few years of Hiddink.

The club needs a good shake and a young up and coming man might be the answer. The thing is no one can guarantee success but at least we should see some football.

Owen Colye could also have done this but we shouldn't consider someone who leaks stories to family and friends no matter whether he knocked us back or not.

I would say that the amount available to the manager should be the same regardless of their experience, and that amount should be the maximum we can afford while still operating sensibly.

PF Ayr - I agree. I made the same argument last week when the Owen Coyle'ers were saying give him the job but put in an experienced assistant to help him. If he needs one he shouldn't be in the job!

We want the same thing for boss but I fear we are being unrealistic. Perhaps I have resigned myself to the fact we will be getting a Martinez instead of a Rijkaard or Moyes, which was my hope last week.

If we are going to pick a Mr Underwhelming as manager, we may aswell pick somebody who is hungry and has impressed alot of folk and give him his shot.

So with the lack of a Rijkaard, I would take a Martinez. I am not happy about it, but I suspect it will be the case.

Baggie37

Thanks for your kind comments about Celtic.

Best of luck in getting promotion back to the premiership next season.

Hail Hail

Roccobhoy.

This is from the BBC News website - Swansea FC. If this guy is as good as the Swansea fans say he is he may just be what we're looking for?

He's exactly the kind of manager Celtic need.

He's likely to be cheaper than most other options. He's experienced in the Continental game. He's used to working under somewhat restricted budgets. He'll get your team playing nice, passing football, and he'll undoubtedly win things.

He's been given a little too much credit for his player acquisitions (both Ferrie Bodde and Jason Scotland were being scouted by the club before he took over as manager, and others were spotted by our chief scout), but if he brings his entire backroom staff with him, then you can be very pleased with the deal.

Hi All,

Before I tell my tale, I don't speak Spanish I don't live round the corner for RM's mum's auntie and I wouldn't know his Scottish girl friend if she slapped me in the face(gently of course).

But I did work briefly with a new Swansea signings wife, who was telling all about her move to Swansea etc. (this was only 10 days ago).

It turns out that RM is big into fitness, he pays a lot of attention to how his teams set up and the ball should never leave the floor. She said that he told them to live x amount (can’t remember how many) of miles from the training ground as he would be in 7 days a week.
Aiden won’t like this bit, team ‘bonding’ sessions are family meals together on a Saturday night.
To be honest I think I saw Swansea twice on TV last season and I really don’t know much about the guy, but I liked what I heard from her.
Don’t know how they will feel having just moved to Swansea mind.

Would martinez be our youngest ever manager?

DD

Hi Paul,
lurker not a poster but have been thinking a little about Martinez and what that might mean for the team.

First thought - Loovins and Crosas to start a good run of games, Willo back to DU where Levin knows how to get the most of him, Mick to any other SPL team wich, imho, is his level, thanks and good luck to him. Feeling better already.

Second thought, we pay the £3m for Gomis (Swansea) and take 'arry's £8m for Skoosh, leaving £5m for a pacey striker. Gomis and Crosas in the middle, pace up top. Feeling happier and haven't spent a penny yet.

Spanish contacts to fill the void at left-back (oh-God) and Naka's leaving. Fresh ideas about bringing some of the young blood thru Mizun, Hutch, Ferry Conroy.

Go make it happen Peter otherwise I won't be happy with you.

M

DD
Maley was 29 when he became manager

Philosophically;

What's the margin between a Generation of Domination, and a Generation of Missed Opportunities?

NaturalScepticismCSC

Roberto would look good in the team photograph ...Don't you think ?
Tell me who would look better ....

RL

Martinez will be fine if we offer him a decent budget

i just don`t accept that he was our primary target ..and..i`m getting a little worried as to why others have not shown an interest in the job

OC`s rejection of the job ...i have no doubt it was offered to him ...is very concerning

he would walk over broken glass to get work at Celtic ...something must have been badly wrong with the package offered

Modern gash, crap, rubbish, mince, puke muppets is rubbish.

I haven't seen anything substantial of Swansea's play - there are a few clips on YouTube of course.

But everything I've read/heard about Martinez seems positive.

His Swansea record is good.

His success with them suggests he understands the daily grind and is able to work on a budget.

But he has nevertheless gained a reputation for attractive football.

When he has appeared on Sky he has seemed well-informed and thoughtful.

He, presumably. will have good contacts in Catalonia, elsewhere in Spain and perhaps further afield.

He has British playing experience, including the SPL.

And, as one of the newspaper articles suggested, he could be one of those not-top-drawer players who had to think hard during his playing career just to keep up, which meant he developed a greater overall understanding than those who were more naturally gifted (not unlike Jock Stein perhaps or Ferguson).

If the likes of Rijkaard is non-starter then Martinez could be a really good pick.

From Wikipedia

"Maley never worked with his players in training, he watched games from the directors' box and never indulged in team talks or spoke to his players at half-time or post-match. Maley would not even announce the team: players learned if they were in or out through reading the line-up in the newspaper"

Presumably no diagrams or charts either then.

DBBIA :- How would you know, down south in the wilds of the border modern means horseless carriage :-)

Like most, I'd like a manager with something remotely resembling a half-decent CV. Martinez does not fall into that category. Maybe one day he will have one, maybe he won't, but Celtic's not the place to experiment.

Unless we've got a right good crystal ball (or we're as broke as the Foe Malign), such an appointment will most likely reflect poorly on the status club.

Can you imagine any other top 25 world club taking such a risk?

Also, how much latitude do you think Martinez will get from the Board to assemble a squad and how much time will fans give him if, say, we get bumped out of the CL in record-equalling time?

And what merits would Martinez bring that Willie McStay wouldn't?

Ed- au contraire mon copain.

Only yesterday Dumfriesshire mega-star Ashley Jensen was in front of me in the check-out queue at Somerfield's, clearly stocking up on all the great things she can't get in Rodeo Drive, like Irving's Empire biscuits.

PF ayr on June 1, 2009 2:43 PM

"OC`s rejection of the job ...i have no doubt it was offered to him ...is very concerning"

You have no doubt that Owen Coyle was offered the job - based on what? a Scottish rag of a newspaper or perhaps a 2nd rate radio phone in. Celtic, Burnley and the man himself all declared publicly that he hadn't been approached.

At least let the club announce the new manager and a possible budget before voicing your concerns.

Just to change the record on the managerial turntable (How old school am I?) here is how our Champions League challenge is shaping up. That first game is in 8 weeks so lets hope an appointment is made soon.

Draw for 3rd round on 17th July
3rd Qualifying round for non champions
28/29th July and 2nd leg on 4/5th August
Possible opponents
Sparta Praha, Dinamo Bucuresti, FC Twente Enschede, Dinamo Moscow or Sivasspor(Turkey)

Draw for 4th round on 7th August
4th Qualifying round for non champions
18/19th August 2nd leg on 25/26th August
Possible opponents
Arsenal, Olympique Lyon, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP Lisbon or Panathinaikos

Lose in the 3rd qualifying round and we go into the 4th round of qualifiers for the Europa League
Lose in the 4th qualifying round and we go into the group stage of the Europa League

Hi folks, just to let you all know that the Helping Martin fund is now up to £4,107 !!! An absolutely outstanding effort folks and I would like thank every one who has donated so far and if you haven't got around to it yet, would you just take a wee minute to think about giving any amount no-matter how small ?

Let's get the Big Ghuy home

pablophanque

might as well, I got it on good authority (somebody made it up)GS was offered money in Jan, but was told if he could win the title without any more spending he would get a bumper kitty for the transfer window. He accepted tha challange and failed, the bumper kitty is still available.

luckybhoy

i don`t read rag newspapers nor listen to phone -ins

call it intuition

as for concerns

i have been concerned for some time re CFC ..for 2 seasons in fact

my concern is not recent

imo i see reason for that concern to continue

do you not think that OC was offered the Celtic job ..i`m not talking about this "official approach " semantic BS either

Except Canamalar the bumper kitty would have included CL cash.

Just been looking at a few stats of some of the guys that have been linked with the management post and it doesn't make for good reading.
Of the six names that have been touted around the redtops the past few days David Moyes is really the only one who would be close to what you would expect of a candidate for the Celtic job.

Here are the finishing positions of the various managers:

Martinez - Finished 8th in the Championship
Coyle - Finished 5th in the Championship qualified for EPL thru play-offs
Mowbray - Finished 20th of EPL and was relegated
Moyes - Finished 5th in EPL
Levein - Finished 5th in SPL
McGhee - Finished 7th in SPL

Just makes you wonder what we would expect if one of these managers (Moyes apart) got the job.

Think I've depressed myself too much now.

/Bishop B

andycol - I doubt it, history has shown us that the board don't give out cash they don't have. Even if there's a reasonable guarantee of it arriving.

PF Ayr I believe there would have been exploratory talks with OC. I would be surprised if Celtic would make an official approach without testing the water. Does this mean PL laid all his cards on the table? Not necessarily. Incidentally I believe the number of leaks from friends and family of OC reflect badly on him if they are true.

andycol,
remember we dont count european money till after we've got it, so the money is already there with no one to spend it.

Have to laugh at the "we were just a bit worse than the huns" attitude.

Perhaps if Celtic,regardless of how faltering they became,where given a fairer playing field at the split and the hun wasnt given every shocking advantage possible,I firmly believe things would have panned out differently.

The huns are mince but while they are the establishment club they will always be given the help,history doesnt lie.

A fair and deserved 52 my Jim Royle.

weeminger - I was commenting on the existence, which I doubt, of a bumper kitty but the CL cash was more than reasonably guaranteed even if it falls far short of the extravagant claims of the press.

Bradford Bhoy,
here here, we cant expect to beat the establishment everytime eh

PF Ayr - Even if he was offered the job unofficially, and even if terms were discussed. It doesn't automatically follow that those terms weren't good.

Perhaps he just wanted to see through what he started with Burnley before moving on.

It's not always about what we have or haven't done, when something doesn't go the way we want it too.

celtic4orme

the huns won because we threw it a way

yes ..they played their part by winning games
BUT
we were 7 points clear ..they had only 2 games against us .....it was ours to lose

they only managed a 3 point swing in the derby games yet won the league by 4 points ...a swing of 11 points in less than half a season

they deserved it we didn`t

doesn`t mean we didn`t throw it away

common purpose ....post revisionist BS..they could have had all th "common purpose" they wanted ..it wouldn`t have been enough had we not been so damned awful

Bishop B -I wonder why the name of Hoopslegend Mick Mccarthy didn't crop up more prominently, given that he won the division in which OC finished 5th, and he's also managed an international side?

BB

of course i agree that the hun get every advantage

however

dropping 11 points to them in 2009 is simply unacceptable

the biggest assistance given to the hun was by us

Mick McCarthy outshines all but Moyes in the names mentioned so far, surely to god we've 'approached' him!

Unfortunately I don't know any of his family so can't get the low down....

DD

DBBIA

he`d want decent wages and a decent transfer kitty...greedy beggar that he is :¬)

PF Ayr - "OC`s rejection of the job ...i have no doubt it was offered to him ...is very concerning

he would walk over broken glass to get work at Celtic ...something must have been badly wrong with the package offered "

You have no doubt? How do you know this considering every quotable source regarding this says the exact opposite?

The only ones saying he was offerred the job are the media and the cousins, grannies friend of Owen Coyle.

The man himself said he was not offerred any job.

So how can you have "no doubt"?

PF ayr on June 1, 2009 3:01 PM

Mark McGhee has already stated publicly that Gordon told him over dinner 6 months ago that he was leaving at the end of the season, win, lose or draw. Intuition tells me that Gordon Strachan would also have informed his employers of his decision to quit. Now if that is the case, and to paraphrase yourself, 'I have no doubt he did' then Peter Lawell would have began (discreetly) the task of identifying the new incumbent immediately. The thought that Owen Coyle was his No 1 choice 6 months ago is ridiculous. Yes I grant you that he may have been 'sounded' out if he wished to be CONSIDERED for the post.

Swansea have publicly stated that an official approach (the very first) has been made, intuition tells me that Roberto Martinez has also been 'sounded' out if he too wanted to be considered, likewise David Moyes and any other names on Peter Lawell's list.

DBB

He obviously doesn't fit into either of the boxes so well, he's neither the obvious 'downsizing' appointment nor is he the obvious 'yes' man. Apparently that's all there is on that bad bad Peter Lawwell's list.

RogueLeader

I have absolutley no doubt he was offered the job, and it wasn't his granny.

DD

pf ayr

just going on what ed said. certainly made me think that we all have our part to play, however small.

apologies for the sweary word, paul67 please delete if unsuitable

RL
my opinion

of which i have no doubt

i may be hopelessly wrong ...

as for the relatives etc ...why would they say it if it had no substance

and btw

i neither trust nor believe CFC ..they think we`re all daft sheep ..all this" official approach "stuff is semantic BS

KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT ..THE BOARD LOVE THIS ATTITUDE ..LOOK WHERE IT HAS GOT US ..A LOVELY BALANCE SHEET AND HEE HAW ELSE

Len 3.04

Would you be any happier if we went for the managers who finished 1st, 3rd or 4th in the SPL ? Or indeed 2nd in The Championship.

Now you're really depressed :-}

andycol,
this was not an extravagent meeja claim, as I said, it was made up :o) Anyroadup, when have the meeja ever made extravagent positive claims about us? As I've got my season ticket I can only hope the money not spent on players the past 2 seasons is going to be available, if not this will be my last season. I really couldnt give a monkeys about balanced books. I have reviewed my motives for supporting Celtic and after much much anguish and deliberation I have come to the conclusion (again, just like the end of last season) I have no interest in how well the finances of the business is doing if the core is failing. I do not buy a season ticket in the hope that 10 years down the line Celtic might have a good team, I buy it to see a good team today, I dont believe in tomorrow anymore. Sad but true.
What is the policy on ticket returns up to the first game of the new campaign ?
My love for Celtic may be unconditional, that love does not extend to the board.

Pablo

Just watched the Kano vid,the cqn team are doing him proud.

I still haven't read this thread, so forgive me for interrupting again !!!

As some of you may know, I was offered a Celtic top signed by the current squad by a lurker on here some weeks ago. My initial thought was to put it up for auction, but having spoken to Paul about it, he agreed with me that a raffle would perhaps bring in more funds for the Helping Martin appeal.

My next problem was when would be the best time to do this bearing in mind that the final outcome of the season was not known at that time and having spoken it over with someone who shall remain nameless, I decided to wait until the end in the hope that it's value would be greater being signed by a league-winning side.

I still think it would be a great memento to have as a permanent reminder of Gordon Strachan's last campaign. So, how does one organise a "Cyber-Raffle" ??? The best solution that I could come up with is this;

I've set up a G-Mail account called Celtictop@gmail.com If you wish to be entered in to this draw, please send an e-mail to that address making your interest known to me. The "tickets" are £5 each and there is no limit to the amount that you can buy.

You will be sent details on how to pay and the draw will be made at the golf day in just over a month's time.

Good luck to you all and thanks for your continued support of our dear friend.

pablophanque

LUCKYBHOY

i have never suggested that OC was the top candidate

do you think that Martinez was

sounding out/official approach ...imo semantics

OC rejected CFC ..i am concerned by that

PF ayr

Do you honestly believe that Owen Coyle told his family something along the lines of....

"Peter Lawell has just been on the phone. He told me that I was to be the new manager of Celtic and that I would have the 1 and a half million to spend on new players".

If you neither trust or believe Celtic Football Club then why bother supporting them. Would you have us going back to the days of the Kelly's, White's et al or perhaps we should bring back Jock Brown or Terry Cassidy.

Gies a break.

canamalar

hear hear

DD - "I have absolutley no doubt he was offered the job, and it wasn't his granny"

My line wasn't a direct dig at you. I have no idea why you in particular have got it so tight today regarding that when so many others have spouted the same line last week unchallenged.

PF Ayr - saying you are of the opinion OC was offered the job, even though it flies in the face of all publicly available knowledge, is vastly different to this line

"OC`s rejection of the job ...I have no doubt it was offered to him ...is very concerning"

That's a big jump based on "intuition"

luckybhoy

Re going back to the days of the kellys and the whites? You mean appointing unproven rookie managers to deal with a team thats just lost to rangers? Spending hardly any money on players?

You know you might be onto something there.....

DD

Interesting report that Celtic have officially approached Martinez. Note that the ITN Report only says that PL wishes to talk to Martinez. There are a lot of assumptions here that PL wishes to speak to Martinez with regard to the Celtic Manager's job

What if Celtic are actually proposing that Martinez becomes the Celtic #2 working for an as yet undisclosed experienced Manager? (Bilic? Scolari?) Such a proposal would allow Martinez to gain real experience of a BIG club, including European experience, without exposing such a young Manager just yet to the harsh realities of making it as a Manager at Celtic FC. Such a scenario would allow Martinez to really grow and be groomed as the Celtic #1 while at the same time de-risk Celtic PLC's plans for the immediate and near future.

Yours in Celtic,

Jim.

I'dLikeToStartMyOwnRumours-Bilic&MartinezForMeCSC

If we get the Swansea manager do you think he`ll change his name to Roberto McGuirez to become accepted?

donegaldanny

I was referring to PF ayr's statement that he doesn't trust OR believe Celtic Football Club - are things really that bad.

Jim the Tim - at 35, Martinez is far more experienced than Bilic.

Asking permission to talk to a manager does not necessarily mean that he is the man that we want, simply that he is one of the guys that we think it worthwhile to have an in depth chat with.

It does mean more than just having unofficial soundings out with people, which may well have gone on with Owen Coyle (who quite clearly has not been offered the job) & others, & it would be extremely surprising if we have not been/are not casting our net around pretty widely, but if we do intend to try & get Martinez, who may well have other options available, then from what I have seen & heard of him, I'd be quite excited. He seems like a very impressive guy.

Ok, he is clearly not an experienced guy, & doesn't tick that box, but with the best will in the world, a top class manager with a proven record of excellence, unless now over the hill, is just not a realistic option. We are a huge team, but have little money because of where we play, & play in a truly dire league. An obviously excellent manager will have better options than us.

Of the other guys mentioned, no-one other than perhaps Coyle seem that they may have the possibility of being truly top class, & I reckon that Martinez has a better record than Coyle, & he strikes me as being the more impressive individual. Presumably he will also have a better knowledge of the Spanish market too.

So, whilst i have no idea if he is likely to be appointed, or who else the board are looking at as possibilities, we either go for a McCarthy type of decent, but far from inspiring, proven guy; a seen it & done it older manager who may no longer have the motivation; or a young, intelligent, hungry man who has some, but necessarily limited, managerial experience.

Personally, I'd like Roy Hodgson if possible, as a rare example of the 2nd category that I think still does have that desire, (i'd concede that he has never been a truly exceptional manager, but he does have an impressive track record in many countries) but if we go down the 3rd route, Martinez looks to me like the best bet.

luckybhoy

Losing a league to a poor rangers team from a position of strength while failing to improve the playing staff with little answer as to why will naturally breed mistrust of those at the highest level of our club.

Also the pursuit of rookie managers with little or no experience is also worrying for a club of our magnitude. Some may say this is a misguided view of how 'big' we actually are but I would disagree. I believe we are massive and think for the right money we could get a coach bbefitting of Celtic Football Club.

DD

Jim the Tim

a) Martinez would never leave to become a number 2 and b) it could be argued that he is more experienced than Bilic so no idea why you bracket bilic as experienced?

DD

donegaldanny

I was being serious. I cannot begin to imagine the energetic vibe and motivated staff there must be in whatever company or business you run with your positve leadership capability.

Given your obvious grasp of commercial reality, and constant ability to see where the current leadership team at CP are going so badly wrong, the PL role would be a piece of cake.

donegaldanny

I do very much agree with you that we are a massive club but I also believe that the league we operate in and the limited budget that goes with it is in itself restrictive and prohibitive of us being able to attract the very best.

ps Jock Stein, Billy McNeil and Davie Hay were all relatively 'rookie' managers.

Whats this obssession with DM and OC
IMCO TBBF both are crap
TM as well the chances of FR or RG ,GH total fantasy
No SPL manager should be considered
IMO Spain is the main centre for football exellence ATMIT ie PG Barca and the performace of there national side therefore the appointment of RM is TBW

MAH

Re big Mick - I have it on good authority that he was offered the job, but was told that his salary would be commision based only, i.e. he would only be paid for the games that he won. Even allowing for this big Mick was willing to come but was then told that any new players coming in would have to be paid for out of his own salary, and any money coming in from players sold would be saved up by the club for a rainy day. Negotiations broke down completely when Mick was asked about his own personal finances and whether he would he be willing to offer the club an interest free loan as an incentive to offer him the job. The search continues.

i cant say i know much about rm but im seriously disappointed if he becomes manager as it shows a serious lack of ambition .he may be the greatest guy ever but should a club of celtics standing be considering a guy of 35 with 2 yrs managerial experience at a time when we need investment and re-structuring of the team. this is from a guy who has 20euro at 20's on martinez as manager

Sir Paul

I have been waiting for this.

This is the Foist Public Confirmation, by an Official of another Club.. That Celtic, have made a Request to HEAD HUNT, their Incumbent Manager.

Now, whether or not Celtic's Offer is accepted.. this News still qualifies as OFFICIAL.

And

Official NEWS, sure beats.. Un-Offical News,by the Longest of Chalks... Anytime!

So

I hereby go on Record that my Interest is definitely Piqued!

And

I am excited by the Prospect of this Young Man,being the Anointed One.

I am a great believer of giving Youth a Chance,and Young Martinez, has shown within a short span in Charge,that he is made of the Right Stuff....

Most Importantly, I believe is that to obtain his signature on the dotted Line..

Celtic, shall not need to dip too much into their Treasury.

All in All..

I wish, Pierre and Co. good Hunting, in this One.

Kojo.

penang_bhoy on June 1, 2009 3:41 PM

Well said.

some wild over exaggerations -

First up - Peter Fae Ayr

The "hee haw else" comment. 6 titles out the last 9 aint hee haw and I'm already aware that you feel the football quality is not great btw, so no need to go over that old ground for my "benefit" ta.

The "official approach" or "semantic BS" as you refer to it. I'm assuming that you accept the the Club has to Follow the legal rules and regs??? Naive on my part possibly, but get these things wrong and it can cost you a lot of money. Perhaps someone with thorough legal grounding could help us out here, in a calm, authoritative manner. Any actual lawyers on the blog?? anyone familiar with the Laws of Contract?? Embdy?

"you never Trust The Board or CFC" Forgive me If Im paraphrasing
but a healthy scepticism is perhaps required as we are all familiar with the shenanigans of the Whites and The Kellys but is it not at least resonable to give the current custodians a modicum of trust and respect for turning the financial ship round - even just a tad??

Thanks in advance.

Hail, hail

Bankiebhoy1

murdochauldandhay

tmi

Len Brennan on June 1, 2009 3:04 PM

Just been looking at a few stats of some of the guys that have been linked with the management post and it doesn't make for good reading.
Of the six names that have been touted around the redtops the past few days David Moyes is really the only one who would be close to what you would expect of a candidate for the Celtic job.

Here are the finishing positions of the various managers:

Martinez - Finished 8th in the Championship
Coyle - Finished 5th in the Championship qualified for EPL thru play-offs
Mowbray - Finished 20th of EPL and was relegated
Moyes - Finished 5th in EPL
Levein - Finished 5th in SPL
McGhee - Finished 7th in SPL

Just makes you wonder what we would expect if one of these managers (Moyes apart) got the job.

Think I've depressed myself too much now.

--------------------------------------------------------

Other than Moyes, who states he is ambitious yet ignores the possibility of managing a team at the highest level of European football (CL) to stick with a team who he has taken as far as he can and has virtually no chance of breaking the monopoly of the big 4, and Owen Coyle, who has shown something of a magic touch, Martinez would be my choice from that list. He is an up and coming prospect who has shown in under 2 seasons he can be special.

All the others are re-treads, failures either at the level they are at now or at a higher level in the past.

Let's look at it this way - If Martinez comes in and is a failure the worst that can happen is we finish 2nd in the SPL (surely) and have to go into CL qualifiers again next season, which will be the case even if we did win the SPL back. So it is a gamble, but not massive.

Kojo,

I'm praying this materialise. I will be over the moon if this guy is appointed.

luckybhoy

thanks. I think thnat we are very much on the same wavelength here.

luckybhoy

it is clear that i was referring to the board and spin doctor Reid and PL

me /you/most on this site are CFC ..not them

i believe that OC rejected Celtic ...i`d love to know why

do you consider Martinez as the top candidate ?

if you do then we should be very concerned

if not we are being fed BS ...official approach nonsense

I can't wait to see who we get in as manager, then its onto the players he will bring in. I think based on the way he talks about the game Martinez, will be able to produce the football we all crave. His view is all about players be able to express themselves and enjoying the football that they play. This was probably one of Gordons biggest flaws, his micro management, and rigid systems. We have players who let loose would cause havoc, as we seen with mcgeady in the CIS cup final. Tucked in behind the striker(s) he is a devastating player, with the ability to roam around into space, coming short, then appearing out wide makes him unmarakable. Unless you use Zonal marking . . . . .

Think your headline encapsulates the article Paul. I see this news more as confirmation that Celtic are looking rather than any great cause for excitement or indeed that Martinez is the chosen one and also if indded PL has identified him as such, there is still no guarantee that he will be interested or minded to take the job. Looking at his background and experience I would be tempted to say he would make a good Assistant Manager?
On another point I heard that Setanta has been unable to achieve its immediate funding requirements in order it does not breach its facilities. This could be interesting times for the SPL clubs reliant on TV Money?

RL

i have no doubt in my opinion ...different HOW ?

with the use of semantics like that you could get a job at CFC

Attention CQN

As we are all aware Gordon Strachan has left the club. I first joined this site just after Gordon was appointed, hence the name WGS. However, as a new man is being sought i am in two minds whether or not i should change my blog name. I don't know will it be the same if i blogged as a different name.

Thus, i'll leave it to you guy's to decide. Should i stick with WGS or rename myself? Over to you lot !!

MAH,

What?

Pabbers- just to say I think the work you[ amongst others] have put in with the fund-raising for Kano recently has been fantastic, well done.

[Anything that keeps you away from spinning your discs is fine by me]

God Bless Kano.

WGS

How about CWGS as in cheerio?

or

WTFIONM, as in Who ..... is our new manager?

PF Ayr

Sorry to butt in, but if I can answer your question to luckybhoy -which he'll no doubt do himself, but I thought i'd butt in anyway ;-) it really depends on how you define "candidate", & whether you take a realistic & pragmatic approach, or wish to indulge in fantasy.

In the latter event, then Martinez is miles down the list, which probably starts with Mourinho, or maybe now Guardiaola, works down through Wenger & Sir Alex, & moves down a few notches again to the likes of Moyes, etc.

None of these guys, even Moyes, is going to want the job. I don't like that any more than I suspect you do, but that is the reality.

Taking the first approach, then we have the options I'd put in my earlier post, ie

- we either go for a McCarthy type of decent, but far from inspiring, proven guy; a seen it & done it older manager who may no longer have the motivation; or a young, intelligent, hungry man who has some, but necessarily limited, managerial experience.

I emphatically don't want a type 1 candidate, & unless we could get a really good type 2, who are thin on the ground, its got to be type 3.

WGS - I think you should change your blog name to woolybooly.

bankiebhoy

remove the chip from your shoulder

unhappy cause naebody speaks to you

believe what you want

i`m comfortable with my own opinions...

cherry pick and quote out of context to your hearts content if it makes you happy ....for sematic read polemic

did you enjoy this season ?

WGS- Joshyboy?

CQN classic.

WGS

Don't change anything yet. 3/4 titles is a good memory and we'll soon forget the turgid football...

The 'S' must stand for Scout and not Strachan now!

WGS

You know you're not wanted.
Oh sorry that is the real WGS ;0)

I believe that Celtic did indeed approach, Mr. Coyle, with a view of his taking over the Discarded Reins, at Parkhead on the Clyde.

The Question remains...

Why did such a Faithful, True and Enthusiatsic Celtic Follower, turn that offer, down?

The Answer is Elementary, my Dear Watson.

Besides,the no small matter of eschewing the Challenge of Competing against the Best of the Best....
As far as Mr. Coyle was concerned...

Celtic's, Job offer.. No matter how persuasive and tempting to the said Mr. Coyle.. PALED, into Insignificance, when compared to the LOSS of the Promised BONUS... OF ONE MILLION POUNDS OF SWEET POTATOES,from Burnley... that,his acceptance of the CELTIC offer, would entail.

That is all she wrote!

Kojo.

WGS....

Don't change it. Our new manager might be the Wily Graeme Sounness....you heard it here 1st, or 4th or podium....:)

penang bhoy

perhaps i`m just a bit disappointed that managers of mid table Championship teams are the extent of our aspirations

however

i am not naive enough to accept that Martinez is all we have gone after

i believe that we have been rejected by others and i am concerned by that

WGS,
Name has to stay. It's now part of our history. And the original WGS is a Celtic Legend now also.

PS On RM, I hadn't heard of him until last week. But the more I hear and read about, the more I'm convinced. Sign him up Peter. Or maybe it's already done, when did the Gomez rumour start again? Coincidence?

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. WGS.

The Choice is easy,pal.

Keep your present, Nomme de Blog.

Mr. Strachan, gave us Three Glorious Years of Service.

It should be a Privilege and an Honor, to retain his Name.... out of Respect for the Man.

I say ...

Keep the Name,pal.. Keep the Name.

Kojo.
yer pal..who likes you a loater.

:) Keep them coming lad's.

How about VodkaMartinezShakingNotStirred

I'll get my coat.

Pete Fae Ayr, no chip here matey, sorry you think that!

First things first -

I can beleive totally that you are "very" comfortable with your own opinions, please dont let my rash and evidently ill-considered "polemic" impede you on your way. Sorry guv'nor.

Honest query of mine on 3 very bold claims from your goodself in black and white and some ALL CAPS even.

So no requirement to cherry-pick as you say, no requirement even to lean closer into the blog, you shout out your opinion for all to tremble before!!

Anyway, if you wont answer the questions no probs, we'll look for some debate elsewhere. The "friends" comment was wee bit mean, and I admit you did hit the target there, you got me ye silver-tongued wordsmith you! (Damn)

By the way ye really like that word "polemic" dont you?!
Hmmmmmmmm.

The prosecution rests!

Bankiebhoy1

Mor to the point if WGS was leaving and people knew this, who was signing all the teenagers from europe?

Vladimir Lawwell?

DD

PF Ayr,

Fair enough, but who has rejected us? If its Coyle you are referring to, given that all concerned, including Owen, have said that no job offer was made, how could he reject something that was not offered?

Even if, for the sake of argument, Owen was informally sounded out, & wasn't interested, that in itself shouldn't lead anyone to despair. There are many reasons why someone might not want to take a job- Kojo has identified a milion of them! Also, if you thought that the club had their eye on someone else, & weren't that interested in you, you might want to reject their approach rather than saying yes, you are interested, & have them reject you.

DownforSam and Kojo,

That's was i was thinking myself. CQN without WGS would be weird for me, plus i liked Gordon. It was just over the past year and half his decisions, footballing ones started to get to me.

hi posted a few days ago when full of the vodka just posting now too say feel your loss bloke and hope everything went ok today for you and your family hail hail

I wrote on here back in December/January that Martinez was one to watch and that I, for one, would be delighted to see him take the reins at Celtic Park. Nothing since then has changed my opinion.

The only thing he lacks is experience. I'm looking forward to next season already.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. WGS.

Then....

Cut.. Dim the Lights.. Thatsa a Take!

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes ye a loat.

EdwardUrsus.

Just back in for a wee break from the weeding to watch Countdown.
(Why do we curse the lack of weather like this only to curse the consequences of it's arrival?)

Only had a quick scan but it looks like I may have made you a target for those not worth of the bother.
Not my intention, I can assure you.

naka fast flowing football, thats what wee want.hail hail

luckybhoy on June 1, 2009 3:18 PM

I work beside the girlfriend of a Celtic player and according to her the players had no idea that Gordon Strachan was going to leave until the announcement. He may have told the board 6 months ago, as some say but most if not all of the players weren't aware of his decision to go.

penang bhoy

fair comment again

simply don`t buy this "official approach " line

business doesn`t work like that

for it to be suggested that no potential manager will be spoken unless an official approach is made is naive in the extreme ..( i`m sure don`t subscribe to that suggestion btw)

bankiebhoy

polemic ..good word in context ..i try to keep within house rules

why are you so patronising to me ?

got it

you`re in the polis

the 3 in a row polis :¬)

hee haw ..ref this season

official approach ..see above

and
naw i don`t trust the CFC board at this time ..i did trust wee Fergus ..delivered what he promised

can i help you further

btw

did you enjoy this season ?

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friedn..Nakamura San..@ 4.36

Congratulations,pal.. ye done swell!

Roberto, could be the ONE.

Besides, I have noticed that Established Managers..not all...

As they grow older, and become more settled in their ways.. go into an extended period of decline..

Although,it appears that Mr. Ferguson has not.

Howevahhhhh...

I am positive, if His Money Spigot was turned off..and .. who is to say that it may not Happen,AND soon?

Then, I propose that the STAR of the Saturnine and Obnoxious Govanite... would then begin to Falter and Decline,indeed.

Kojo.

Yer pal...who likes ye a loat.

WGS

you could do a Prince and invent yourself a wee symbol and call yourself

"Squiggle(the Blogger formerly known as WGS)"

TLWIO

If it is Roberto, then time for PL to contact Robert Takuda to see if Naka is willing to give it one more season. Naka in Roberto's system and style of play will be a joy to behold as will Senor Crosas.

His fellow Catalonian will no doubt see him as the lynchpin to his side.

PF Ayr

I agree that you would want to sound someone out informally to see if they might be interested before making a formal approach. I don't doubt that Celtic have put out lots of soundings, including to Moyes just to see if by some miracle he was interested in coming, but doing so doesn't mean that you are seriously interested in actually appointing the guy approached.

Celtic may or may not have had a serious interest in Coyle. But what is clear is that he wasn't offered the job.

PF ayr
Like yourself , i happen to think Coyle has been sounded out,unofficially or not.
Like you again, i don't need people on here telling me to stop reading the daily record or listening to clyde because i ''dare'' to hold an opinion different to theirs.
Seems to be the in thing these days, if you disagree the board are doing a fantastic job for our club. I wonder if Jack McGinn posts on here under an alias, hope not, he once told us Lou Macari was going to be great manager for us!

If Matinez gets the nod , i wish him well, suppose he wont be any worse than some of the names being mentioned for the post.
I was hoping we were aiming a bit higher but its starting to look more like Martinez now.

The Rumour

I knew a man, that saw a woman, that spoke tae another guy,
who said he heard a rumour, that's no word of a lie,
he swore it was, the bloody truth, Ghods honour he would say,
You know me, I'm honest, I go tae church each day.

He told me who wiz the manager, I nearly fell right af ma seat,
I probably need ma ears cleaned oot, I thought he said 'David Pleat',
don't be so bloody stupid, he laughed as he put me in place,
he's only gonnae be the assistant, tears runnin doon his face.

I suppose yae want me tae repeat it? he smiled wae another laugh,
by this time a wiz gettin annoyed, actin like a wiz daft,
no interested in yir rumour, yae can stick it where it don't shine,
I'll just wait fir the white smoke, then I will be fine.

nolisteningCSC

penang bhoy

i don`t see it that way re OC

as i have stated above i could be very wrong

but i feel that there was real substance in the OC story ...therefore his rejection ( and my opinion is that it was a rejection) causes me some concern

you see clarity where i don`t .....all about opinions

Thought Strachan leaving would have brought an air of peace and harmony to this board.
Maybe Gordon wasn't only reason for discord?
Think the Celtic boards preference of profit first has got fans nervous and causing doubts about their leadership amongst fans.
Let's adopt a wait and see and hopefully we will be pleasantly surprised.
Think if we get a positive thinking coach we will succeed.

Apologies for cutting across a few my daddy is a better fighter than your daddy posts but to try and catch the end of the day shift and also catch the back and night shift in the one go.

The now traidtional CQN summer book club is now open, as usual anyone got any good recommendations please post them and I will pull them all together and publish as a list.

Im away back out to sit in heat which is greater than Tenerife or LA. Just click on Caddizzys spanner for confirmation.

Im sure I could wee wee higher up the wall than any of you anyway.. so I win.

271st?

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Lyncott67

I wish to take you to task on the matter of your expectation that Celtic should aim a lot higher in their Managerial Selection Process..than thye are presently doing.

SO..

I beg the question..

Who/Whom, would you suggest, would make for a More Exciting and Viable Celtic, Managerial Candidate, than the ones who have been in the news,up to now?

Keeping in mind, at all times.. that the strict Parameters.. Monetarily speakin.. which will and do,influence, Our somewhat Limited Selection Process.

Kojo.
yer pal... who likes ye a loat.

Lynott

cheers

Martinez it is ...i think

he`ll get our support

i just hope the board also support him

Stato of Fantasy Football fame was on Talksport and was asked about Martinez. (he works for betfred now and gives updates on prices)

he thinks Martinez is in with a good shout for the job.

because in his words "he is Catholic and has a Scottish girlfriend"

Ulster-Celt

PF Ayr

Owen Coyle clearly has not been formally offered the job, but I concede its possible (although i suspect unlikely) that he was told informally by someone with authority to offer him the job that it was his if he wanted it.

I suspect we'll probably have to wait till the SSM brings out his autobiography to find out what the real position is with Owen ;-)

Agree that its all about opinions- whilst they are like assholes in that everyone has one, this blog would be very dull if we all thought the same way;-)

GL2

always knew you were simply the best

UC

good credentials ..but only if the girlfriend is a tim aswell :¬)

GL2- they're not paying me enough to 'click on Cadizzy's spanner'.

Anyways, 'the Book Thief' is the best I've read this year.

The bairns don't know it yet but I'd very much like the new Antony Beevor book about D-day, and the Normandy campaign, for Father's Day.

WGS

I look out for your posts because of your fitba knowledge,keep the name.

penang bhoy

quite ...

and a pleasure to trade "opinions " with you

btw had to read your post again thought you were calling me an A hole

heaven forfend

that would have been the first time this hour :¬)

DBBIA

If you're interested, Beevor was talkikg about his new book on "Start the Week" today at 9.00 am. Might be worth listening to it if you missed it earlier.

Radio4 CSC

WGS 4:03 PM

WGS

Keep it as a memory of what went on before,
something everlasting that the man brought to our door,
a name that steeped in honour, that will always mean the best,
a moniker to match the man, head and shoulders above the rest.

whatsinanameCSC

greenlion2 on June 1, 2009 5:06 PM

The Star Rover - Jack London

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Rover-Rebel-Inc-Classics/dp/0862418879/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243872992&sr=1-4

PF Ayr,

no, certainly not- I have enjoyed debating with you, & hope to do so again.

WGS,

I do hope you're right because to me Naka and Crosas are tremendous footballers and, if they can be utilised better in the SPhell, we are in for a treat.

I must say the panic on this blog is a little depressing.

I'm not at all certain why.

The Board almost certainly has a shortlist of names that thay are interested in.

Like any interview process they will first find out discretely which of these names is actually interested. Unfortunately, at this stage a number have/will decide to make this public (almost certainly if they are not interested to strengthen their own contract negotiations or job hunts). There can be several reasons for disinterest and lets be honest some will simply not fancy the hassle of moving/setting up again... there is no reason to take this as a personal slight on Celtic.

Next they will want to speak to candidates preferably formally to get a measure of whether they will fit into the Celtic structure and whether they actually like their ideas... again we may find one or 2 drop out.

After that the most acceptable candidate will be given a formal offer and hopefully he accepts.

I really think people here are vastly overreacting to stage 1 of this process.

B

GL2

How many beers do you need to have before you can enter the highest wee wee comp?

Only asking as I'm going for a few scoops on my break in about an hour and a half.

I'll get back to you.....

There I was driving calmly along the M77 between junctions 1 and 2 Southbound when my car careered across both carriages and then onto the hard shoulder were i stopped took a deep breath or 2 before carrying on home.

The reason for the sudden and unexpected direction of my car was a belly ache. You see i had Talk Sport switched on when Ian Wright and his co-host were talking about the Celtic managers vacancy discussing the merits of Martinez for the job when Wrighty announced that he had heard rumours that Grahame Souness was a front runner for the position. Well did my shirt nearly split as the belly aches and laughter began.

Seriously, how surreal are these rumours going to get. Honestly what these guys will do to stir up emotion in football fans in order to get them calling their programmes.

MWD waits and waits and waits .CSC

P.S. obviously the bit about careering across 2 lanes on to the hard shoulder of the M77 was made up. but hey it is the silly season.

Moonbeams...check my previous comment..........

Riding high in April shot down in May

PF Ayr,

Take it easy, put the foot on the ball a wee minute and look up, (to coin a phrase.)

Hope you don't think that is patronising btw. Just advice from my perspective. ( If anyone contradicts you or questions you are they being patronising?)

True, I did get stuck in, but you presented a fairly large target of big bold statements that I was keen to follow you up on. At the end of the day, I'm no really that bothered, but it's a blog, and IMO you were shouting and adopting a hectoring stance. I suspect you will disagree VERY STRONGLY. ( Ok, now I'm being a wee bit patronising, but the "friends" jibe did cut me to the quick!)

BTW, I also put the bit about you not needing to tell me that you felt the football was poor throughout the season, to pre-empt you asking me something like

"how did you enjoy the season?),

as I have already come on here and shared my displeasure at how the season has unfolded..... and I'm all too aware that you are not happy with the football product either.

PS - where I live the "polis" are called Gards, and I'm
neither.

Cheers and Hail, hail

Bankiebhoy1

My fair old grandmother said I shouldn't mock the afflicted but the news that some of the faithful from iPox caught swine flu while traveling to sunny Dundee has filled me with a thousand punchlines, but I shall resist.

Excited about Martinez.

WGS, keep the name! That said, look at mine, hmmm.

ulster celt

maybe he said Martinez was Catalan not Catholic

wgs

keep your name - missing him altready

Hooped Dreams- cheers for that.

GL2

'Any Human Heart' and 'Restless' both by William Boyd are great reads. As are 'The Winter of Frankie Machine' and 'The Power of The Dog' both by Don Winslow.

'London Irish' and 'Big Jessie' by Zane Radcliffe are entertaining too.

'Cold Granite' and 'Dying Light' by Stuart MacBride are crime thrillers set on the mean streets of Aberdeen (my neck of the woods) and are excellent.

I'm also a big fan of anything by Chris Brookmyre (even if he is a St Mirren fan) and Carl Hiaasen both of whom specialise in thrillers with a particularly dark sense of humour.

The bulk of the above list are thriller / crime based but if that kind of thing is up your street any of the above will keep your interest.

As for our new manager I've not posted on the subject as I'd rather wait until we have an appointment to discuss. For what it's worth I'm in agreement with much of what Penang Bhoy says. I'm not keen on his 'type 1' and feel if we are to go for a 'type 3' then Martinez seems like an interesting appointment. I'll keep my powder dry until we've got someone in. I expect the board to back whoever comes in with a half decent kitty - we all know we need new blood into the first team.

Hail hail

EHIY (enjoying 27C sunshine in Leeds...)

Another nail in the already Well Secured... "Mr. Moyes, for Celtic", Coffin.

I have been only just infomed, by one of my Crack Team of Researchers, that..

Mr. Moyes, has been the Manager of Everton..

For.. SEVEN YEARS~

A Goodly time, I would suggest, for Mr.Moyes to show some of his Latent Managerial Ability...for..

Speaking under the Aegis, of, in MY opinion..

As far as Mr. Moyes, Managerial Ability goes..

It could be definitely described as Extremely... LATENT.

He is ... again, in my opinion...

Another One ..who is..as they say in Texas..

"ALL HAT.. AND.. NO COWS!"

Now ye know.

Kojo.

Kojo

IMHO Moyes is showing anything but ambition by staying at Everton. He has achived all he can there, and save the possibility of a legue cup or perhaps FA cup victory, he has zero chance of silverware and will never split the top 4. Unless he is lined up for a job at one of the top 4 what is the point at staying at Everton.

Not even convinced he is the man for the job, his brand of football is hardly what I would deem inspiring. More akin to dare I say it WGS's style. (Mince)?

Over the past season as folk were abusing and moaning about the capabilities of Gordon, who at that point had a 100% record of league wins I used 'Paul Sturrock' as a metaphor on the blog.

I used him as a metaphor for the type of candidate which Celtic might attract if the consumers did succeed in complying with the agenda of those who would 'do us down' and hound our manager him out.

Right now it feels that this is close to where we might be. I for one am unsure wh ere we will get a manager with the kind of experience of Gordon, and someone who comes close to ticking the boxes in the way he did.

He made mistakes, and had his flaws. OK ego is a difficult thing to manage in football but i cannot help but think that we (the collective we including the board) could have dealt with this scenario so much better.

Support and guidance, and coaching are helpful whether you are running a top business or a sales team, or a team of technical people. Positive strokes of encouragement help massively too. Gordon got none of these things and my sense is that the view throughout the club (board / support / consumers) that a change would be better.

I cannot see any candidate who will tick more boxes around right now and I fear we might be close to the metaphoric level is was talking of.

Sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until it is gone. I really hope we are not saying this in 6 months time !!

CON SHARE COMP

Forget about our who our new Manager is going to be and start building a friendship with porridgeandbananas. He is the clear winner of the above competition which has been running from January, netting a profit 214k.

The CQN team managed to outperform the FTSE by 22% and turn in a total paper profit of 371k.

Now I'm off to concentrate on the Bent Book for the CQN Golf at Aberdour.

Hail, Hail.

Book CLique - not read a great deal recently but enjoyed Haruki Murakami's 'What I talk about when I talk about running'. In fact it rather inspired me to exercise more and differently as part of my weight loss for Kano. It's a short book cum long essay about about writing, running (he's completed 20+ marathons) and life.

WGS - stay WGS

celticlover

Tell me more. Could you post the full results for the comp, including details of investments and returns? Are you saying this was 22% over 5 months, thus equating to an annual return of 52%?
Are you thinking of setting up the CQN Hedge Fund in the near future??

Whatglobalmeltdown CSC

PF,
I see your love for the 'polis' is shining through again :)

STV

Rumour is that Setanta has defaulted on a payment of £2m-£3m to the SPL. Clubs all due a share of this payment.

Scotland Today reporting that Setanta have defaulted on a payment to SPL. Is the House of Cards about to collapse?

Kojo
I don't seriously expect us to land Mourinho or Hiddink but if the hun can tempt PLG, ok a disaster but they got him all the same and more than a few of us were worried when they did.
Maybe Martinez will be sensational if he gets the job and i have to admit i like what i'm hearing about him.
Just hope we appoint someone soon and he's a good 'un.

Moonbeams wet dream,

Love your post..! bampot weather and hysterical "scoops" in the the meeja.!

Shirt ripping laughter..? :))))

Keep your journals coming.

Ironbhoy.

PS. Wonderful atmosphere at the Tommy Burns Charity Day. Great way to end the season given the recent disappointments. Well done to all those who made the effort. We could do with Cadette and big Pierre up front on a play as you go basis next season.!!

soldier bhoy

ah canne help it ..axiomatic

bankiebhoy

i know not what to make of your post

sorry i wasn`t aware of opinion re the season ..forgive me for not noting your erudite posts

i don`t expect others to agree with my opinion ...or for that matter care if they don`t

i can be wrong ...and happy to accept it when i am so proved

others have disagreed with me ..no one tried to be smart and patronise me other than you

i don`t understand why you have to miscall me professionally and attempt to ridicule me

did a lawyer stuff in your divorce?

were you thrown out of law school ?

if you have a problem i`m sure i can help

btw

names Paul

take care and watch out for those damned lawyers

bad yins awe them

btw

don`t get the "friends" quote

With all the talk of Swine Flu epidimic in the papers and on the telly I find comfort in the knowledge that it hasn't yet jumped to humans:>))

Gallagher are you still expecting a press conference tomorrow?

WGS name is staying. Thanks for all the reply's.

Somebody going put a zip on Peter Raffertay. Just seen his response with regards Martinez. This after his "Celtic Minded" comment last week. Can someone inform the media that he aint a voice and speak for all Celtic fans. I mean come on. Why doesn't he just say it's just his opinion.

FREE THE MARTINEZ 1!!

Setanta in trouble - what happens if we all cancel?? Would love to see Scottish football back on Sky or even BBC.

Let's hope that Booth gets his P45 - and that there's no money left for a payoff!

heard about this one this morning, it's only internet news

JVOH for the off?

Scotland Today:

'Celtic Fans' Spokesman' Peter Rafferty on Roberto Martinez:

'Maybe no' the candidate we would have chosen right out as a one-off but nevertheless, if the agreement's made and the Celtic board decide that he is the man, then I can assure you the Celtic fans will back him and give him every chance to be successful'.

'chosen right out as a one-off'? And this guy speaks for Celtic fans? For the record, although described in caption as 'Celtic Fans' Spokesperson', I understand his title is 'President of the Affiliation of Celtic Supporters Clubs'. Not quite the same thing.

I feel as if my spanner's been tampered with while I've been away.

Jesse Kellerman .. "Brutal Art"
Jesse Kellerman ..."Trouble"

Most Val McDermid but not the ones with Robson Green in them.

James Ellroy....everything but especially "The Cold Six Thousand" and the Dudley Smith trilogy (which includes LA Confidential)

RJ Ellory "A Quiet Belief in Angels"

Nigel Williams "They Came From SW19" "East of Wimbledon"

"Lucky Jim" Kingsley Amis (still funny after 50 plus years)

Been away for a few hours, have I missed anything?

WGS - maybe you should change your name to Peter Rafferty - that will confuse the journos as their investigative skills are clearly not at their sharpest these days.

CelticFansSpokesmanMoiCSC

Cadizzy,

See you are a Jesse Kellerman fan. Have to say I hated Trouble - only really bought it to see if he was any good as I love both his of parents' books. Looks like he got a book deal on his name.

Not that I'm jealous or anything ...

StrugglingAuthorsCFC

PS - If you're looking for a good new thriller writer check out Jason Pinter.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Lynott67

Thanks fur the reply,pal.

I understand your position, in this discourse, perfectly.

Waiting on a Kettle,to Boil, is a tiresome task.

But,it always eventually gives off White smoke..

So..

Keeping that in mind,this period of anxiety,apprehension, disquietude..and last but not least.. Foreboding.. shall also pass.

As I keep on telling anybody and everybody who will listen..

"Things Ayeways turn oot fur the Best"

I believe that .. implicitly,by the way.. I am NOT saying that, in jest.

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes yer style.

Not sure about Martinez. In fact, not sure about any of the guys being touted.

Let put martinez head to head with Pauls Danish candidate:

Martinez - Promotion with a lower league club, contacts in spain.

Solbakken - league championships in a lesser european league and CL experience, progression in same and a couple of away results. Contacts throughout scandinavia and possibly further afield. (Wonder would he have the imagination to appoint Henke as Player/ Coach???? yes, I know herik is a swede, but a man has to have his dreams and has to bend parts of his argument to suit his own thinking!)

If I was judging them on CV's alone I would be telling SSM to get his finger oot and go bring home the bacon of a Danish variety.

I am very uncomfortable with where the press seem to be telling us this process is headed. I hope Celtic are throwing up a massive smoke screen here. Could that be what we are witnessing?

Much to ponder in priest's words

Gordon_j

I thought trouble was okay. Certainly didn't hate it. Brutal Art was better. I will check out Mr Pinter. Cheers.

aye Paul - Celtic appointed Lou Macari as manager. Felt he deserved a second chance(er)

Father murder 'primitive evil'

WGS, ah stuck a tenner on Rab Martinez at 4/1 with Victor Chandler the smorning,av also got a ten spot on Keane at 28/1 paddy power,wis it you that wis gonnae put £300 on Martinez ?

Ah wid liked tae hiv seen Oweny Coyle get the job,but Roberto is an up an comer as well so al be pleased if he gets it.

roberttressell

There's nor-way he's Danish

Crappy wee piece by John Barnes on BBC - shows Celtic fans a photo of RM - one from five knows who he is. Big deal. You work for the BBC John, that used to mean something.

OK PF Ayr,

you got me again with your rapier wit and haughty disdain!
Let me "off the canvas" you Keltic Heavyweight.

Please, I can't take much more of this.

Your axioms have seen me off, damn it!

Bankiebhoy1, (bowed and battered.)

roberttressell
First, a little bit of splitting hairs.......Ståle Solbakken is Norwegian, not Danish.
Secondly,....he is staying with F.C.Copenhagen next season.
Apart from that...
I like the way ye think....
as the Las Vegas CSC likes to say.

bankiebhoy

if only

Cadizzy
did you like Brutal Art

i thought it a bit transparent and the ending was cringe worthy ...was a decent story though

Bloke_109 on June 1, 2009 6:48 PM

A variation on the Moravcik who he,we all no what happened ther.

hi ghuys

any truth in the hesselink leaving story???????

hail hail

GL2

BOOK CLUB

S FAULKS .ENGELBY
N CROSS.BURIAL
B SCHLINK.HOMECOMING

READ ALL RECENTLY ..VERY GOOD

terry oneil

i could not agree more mate,,,,,too many people writing the guy off without knowing anything about him,,,,silly sausages,,,,i for one would be quite happy with martinez,,,,he has always impressed me,,,,and who knows we might even get some barca boys on loan next year,,,,,,sexy football here we come,,,,

hail hail

Gordon J

the books i posted to GL2 would interest you

did you ever read Caro Ramsay ?

book club

hidden agendas - john pilger

Gordon_J

spot on about setanta mate

heres hoping eh?

the coverage is shi** at best

Book Club

Larsson ( sadly not that one )

The Girl with Dragon Tatoo Trilogy

Also

Netherland

by O'Neil

again not that one

haud the bus a minute
some people on this blog are making love on a stretcher
and definately getting carried away
Among the 14 pages of "eat shit timmy" in the SM
and NOTW a wee article jumped out.
My interpretation of this article was that this
manager was gently putting his hat in the managerial ring
Of course it was plg
But seriously compare him with Martinez
OK he had a bad time at GA trying to tell monster munch
porridge and bananas was the way to go.
Compensation - Nil
decent pedigree and admits he made mistakes(always a good sign
gordon)
So the burning question is could he do a good with the
present Celtic squad
Another question, why are we getting excited about a guy that
finished fifth in the championship, when the guy that romped it
an ex celt btw is never mentioned
Just a sobering thought
pepe le phew csc

Reuters; rangers fc fans may be banned from travelling to europe next season because of swine flu,it is thought that the bus from Dunoon carrying fans to hampden for the cup final may have infected the rest of the support and spread the virus amongst the fans in the stadium.Viral expert Dr A Hugger from Rotterdam has already warned the W.H.O that the full effects of swine flu will not be known until the autumm were it is expected a more virulant strain of the virus will appear

PF Ayr,

I know of Caro Ramsay but haven't gotten around to reading her yet.

roberttressell, what are you trying to do to me?

Book Club -

"Catch 22" by Joseph Heller - A classic wit from a one-hit wonder.

"Use of Weapons" by Iain M Banks - Sci-fi may not be your scene, but an excellent tale of morality that wouldn't quite work in any other setting. I'll challenge anyone to see the twist coming.

"The Terror" by Dan Simmons - Excellent fictional account of the lost 1840's expedition to find the northwest passage. The attention to detail is fascinating.

Isn't the position thon Peter Rafferty holds down a self-created and self-appointed position. I have far too often cringed at his comments, like I did with the numpty on BBC Scotland this evening who didn't want Matinez because he wasn't a Celtic man. Crass.

Paul 67 shun

what have you heard about big Jan

latest is he has passed a medical and will sign a 3 year deal with PSV this week?

i wish the big man all the best if it is true

he has never been the same player since his latest batch of injuries

It's probably stupid and immature of me, but I'm more excited at the prospect of a Bilic or a Martinez than a Coyle or a McGhee.
"No man is a prophet in his own country." How true, or at least, true in my case.

Parkheadcumsalford

agree mate

these people dont represent the true celtic fans

the fans that couldnt care less if the new guy is celtic minded

i never saw the tv clip, but this guy has obviously been cherry picked to make us look daft

i bet they interviewed plenty of people that said they cudnae give a monkeys if he is celtic minded

this celtic minded shi** is really starting to annoy me now i must say

biggest lot of p**h i have ever heard

who cares FFS

was wim jansen celtic minded?

or henrik larsson for that matter when he signed?

its what they do for the club that matters

"it is not his creed nor nationality which counts, but the man himself"

Willie Maley had the right idea

dennis 47

me tae shun

too right

they will hopefully raise the technical level of our team

which is long long overdue

no more SPL players please
had my whack of them
unless they are technically excellent, like a jamesy bhoy mccarthy

WGS @6:21pm

I'm not long in from work,i'm nervous as i'll get slaughtered on here if there's not. Leave it with me i'll be back on around 10pm

itsafinelineCSC

SonsofErin
Something Happened by Joseph Heller is as good as Catch 22 (though far more depressing which makes it less enjoyable). Not a one hit wonder in my opinion.

LENNONDINHO18

correct

this Celtic Minded bollocks is media fiction which they are desperate to perpetuate to our detriment

those who repeat it are not helping our cause

Rafferty is a balloon

and self appointed

SonsofErin

Maybe a one hit wonder but certainly not a one good book man.

Something Happened is a good satire on office politics and boredom and God Knows was his attempt at a Big Book. Godd as Gold is readable too

Favs!

Lennondinho18, big Jan passed a medical? Ha!

I’m sure we will not see him in the hoops again.

Whitney/SFTB - Yes, I've read and own Something Happened. I had to read it after how much I enjoyed Catch 22. It didn't do it for me, but maybe I expected too much.

Catch 22 is one book I think everyone should read at some point in their life.

Another is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Very few books have left me a changed man, those books that give you a slightly different perspective on life and morality are rare and precious.

Book Club -

1. The Corrections - Jonathan Frantzen

2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggars (not THAT one)

3. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke

4. Chronicles Vol. 1 - Bob Dylan

exiled hoop in yorkshire/gl2

"the power of the dog" is one of the best thrillers i have ever read.

henning mankell was recommended to me by someone who loves thrillers - she introduced me to brookmyre and hiaasen as well.

GL2 - Re the book club.

PF Ayr & I seem to be on the same wavelength - I thought Kellerman's Brutal Art was very contrived but really enjoyed Faulks' Engleby.

Haven't read McGrainInSpain's Murakami recommendation yet but I'm a huge fan of his other work, particularly Kafka On The Shore.

Ghostwritten & Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (no, not that one) are both truly original. I think SFTB is a fan as well but don't let that put you off.

A wee bit of humour? For the surreal try At-Swim-Two-Birds and The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien. For something more modern I think the funniest writer around just now is Davids Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day, Barrel Fever & Dress Your Family In Corduroy & Denim are all laugh-out-loud funny.

Anyone read Beevor's D Day yet, should arrive tommorrow, Stalingrad was breathtaking....the literay version of the Wire.

Martinez 120/1 to be next boss of Man utd!

Terry O'Neill,

Aye it was me. I can't believe it. On Paddy Power on Friday night Roberto was 40/1. I haven't got an account with them but i phoned my sister to see what she thought. I entered 300 quid on the online betting slip and 12300 came up with what i would get back. As i said i haven't got an account and had to register to my details etc.. I chickened out of it as i was thinking how bad i would have felt if i lost £300 on a feeling.

You win some and you lose some i suppose.

GL2

I have had a year of interesting but not really GOOD books. Some poster on here recommended "The Given Day" by Dennis Lehane, a story centred round the Boston Police Department strike in 1919.

I thought at first that my run was continuing as this is not my kind of thing. It's heavily plot-driven, almost breathless in its rush to the next scene but, every now and again, he gives himself a couple of paragraphs of description or comment and allows his writing to soar. This guy is a better writer than he allows himself to be at times (maybe read too much Hemingway but he's even more terse than pablophanque's match reports).

Anyway, grudging or not, I'm putting it on your list. Read it before it gets filmed!

Another near miss was Sebastian Faulks "Human Traces", about the early days of psychiatry and sanitoria. Most Faulks fans disliked it. I think it is a flawed failure of a Big Book but a good read for psychologists, amateur or otherwise.

Finally, as good as recommending what to read, can I add my recommendation on what NOT to read. Will Self's "The Great Ape", the only book I've ever thrown in a dustbin before reaching Chapter 3- a disgusting book and a product of a sick mind. Self will probably stick that on the book jacket.

Dick Byrne

did you guess the what the eponymous character Engleby had been up to

i didn`t at first

you should try Neil Cross..Burial ..i really enjoyed it

The more ah read the more am intrigued

Match made in Heaven ?

This,"first choice", thing is poison and just helps the media to put the boot into us.
Maybe the man we finally get will be better than the first choice, maybe not, but we'll probably never know.
It's just not important.

Book Club -

In no particular order..

Ask the Dust - John Fante
The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakow
For whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway
The Green Fool - Patrick Kavanagh

Is Martinez out the country at the moment?

Some of my favourite books being mentioned like "Catch-22"and "Brave New World". I would thoroughly recommend anything by Anthony Burgess and Graham Greene. Wordsmiths both.

Book Club -

Try Philip Roth,

"Portnoy's Complaint" is an obvious one, but also try "American Pastoral" or "The Anatomy Lesson"

Simon Schama - The American Future
Mark little - The New America ( both good reads in tandem with the other.

Also worth a read is "Great Hatred, Little Room" Jonathan Powell's memoirs of the peace process.

TerryO

the quote at the bottom page is what the game shoud be all about

if that`s his attitude

get him in

Well, I don’t know if it’s Mr Martinez or not. I don’t know anything about him, but he sounds like the type of manager we should be taking a chance on. Anyway.

In February, The Guardian had an interesting article on Jordi Gómez, who plays for Mr Martinez.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/feb/24/swansea-jordi-gomez-scouting-report

It’s interesting to see how the Swansea system is laid out:

“Gómez was obviously brought with a specific job to do as he fits in perfectly with Swansea's 4–5–1 formation, primarily in the centre of their three-man midfield. Swansea's system works well for Gómez because with or without the ball, they do not ask the winger on the opposite side of play to tuck in, meaning they keep the pitch big at all times and so create space for the midfield three to play in against the opposition's two. For this to work, the midfield three need to dominate possession, make sure they are an option for the lads at the back, support the loan front player and, most importantly, retain possession at all times. This is where Gómez comes into his own”.

This sounds like music to my ears. Creating space for the midfield 3.. supporting the loan (Guardian typo) front player… sounds suspiciously like joined-up football. Of course, a system depends on who you are playing against. The Guardian values Gómez at £2m. Anyway, apart from Donati, played further forward, Celtic don’t have an obvious candidate for the Gómez position. I know, I know; despite everything I have lots of time for Donati, but I don’t know if recent history will mean he’ll not be with us for much longer, or that he’d relish playing as a no 10 role. What it does mean is that we need a different type of striker. So if Mr Martinez is to play his system, there needs to be at least a little money attached.

WGS when you first mentioned Roberto Martinez it made me think back to a visit Roberto an Roy Keane made to Celtic park recently,may have been the Dundde Utd game.

Attack is the name of the game for me an Roberto likes to attack so he'll day me.

I've just finished, "The Husband", by Dean Koontz.
It was good.
I'd never read one of his before.

"Dare to be a Daniel" by Tony Benn is a good read. Certainly not literary award winning stuff but very witty in parts and a great insight into political shenanigans and where the power really lies. Passages referring to his family life are quite moving really. I don't believe you need to be Tony Benn lover to enjoy this book, but I find the man talks more sense than most (imho)

gabriel marcotti looks like a chubby 8 year old in his photo in that link

Has anyone read, Hughes's, "The Fatal Shore"?
That's one that'll keep you going over a three week holiday.

Terry, I seen your post earlier. I feel we got an escape with Owen Coyle and Sandy Stewart. I could be wrong on Owen just like i could be wrong in my opinion of Roberto, however, something was not right with me going for Owen. I don't yet what it is, but it never felt right for me.

I posted three Categories i think in March what i hoped Celtic would be looking at. My choices were: I was desperate for Van Gaal but it did not happen. Hitszfeld was next on the list with Lambert.

However, out of the market we are dealing in which looks like the up and coming, then Roberto, Steve Clarke and Michael Laudrup were the ones i thought we should look at. Paul67, shout on Stalle Solbaaken though was a belter and i never even gave him a thought.

I just hope Roberto is the man. Seriously, i think Celtic fans will be delighted with this appointment if it comes off. I wonder who will be assisting him though. I don't think his current assistant Graeme Jones will be in the frame. He used to play at Hamilton, but i think you might see someone else.

I see Steve Bruce almost Sunderland bound, i hoope PL has the contract just about signed as Wigan will pounce.

PF ayr - re Engelby.

Like yourself, I got there eventually.

paul67

the loss of Bobo/Jvoh/Naka should save the club at least £3million per year in wages approx?

considering only one of these players was an effective first team player this has to be seen as good news in regards to future player recruitment don't you think?

Ulster-Celt

Paul67 shun

ha ha, good point

maybe a pay as you play deal then

addendum

Philip Roth - Patrimony. Classic.

PF ayr

Agreed, attacking philosophy is yir man. Roberto......

“Football is a results industry, but I don’t believe the result can ever make your style of play irrelevant. To me it is important that the route to the result is attractive…You have to find the chance to score rather than chase it. As well as the skill, you need a clear understanding of the game and a clear control of the tempos of play with the possession of the ball. As a manager I want to rely on the talent of the player, not on percentage football, to win a game. I believe this approach is vital. I will never subscribe to the view that as a manager you can take any way to a win because that can only bring success to the football club in the short term. It doesn`t allow you to build and grow something for the future.”

Apricale,

Naka if he stays could easily play it, but Scott Brown and Aiden might have a shout as well. Brown played better in a 3 man midfield when GS played him there. We'll see what happens. Koki and Paddy McCourt could be ideal as well.

TerryO'Neill

great quotes form Martinez

he does not subscribe to the possession football but in trust of the player

and also not chasing the goal

sounding good so far

Reading Michael Koryta's A Welcome Grave having previously read his Sorrow's Anthem and Tonight I Said Goodbye.

Very much in the Michael Connelly vein.

Someone mentioned Dennis Lehane. He's a writer I very much enjoy along with John Lescroart.

GL2 I hope you'll publish your choices nearer your hols.

bankiebhoy1 on June 1, 2009 7:53 PM

Portnoys complaint,av never looked at liver the same way since.

Lose Owen Coyle Peter it aint right. Cut him loose from the list, your on the right track. Lose Coyle as i think our advantage over Rangers that GS and MON built up will be gone if he is manager.

Forget all his friends in the press. I don't read the papers but still we get people still keeping his name in the mix.

FFS - the season is over 2 mins and Im on the CQN book club already - ha ha.

Anyone read Jack Blacks Mindstore book - not required reading for the 1st team squad apparently

PF ayr on June 1, 2009 7:31 PM

here here shun

Lennondinho18 for new fans spokesman

cast your votes now

Ulster-Celt

You're forgetting that Naka brought a lot back to Celtic with his image rights, and the money that came in from the Japanese market as a result of him being with us.

I think Celtic should keep him if they can - I'm pretty sure Martinez would love to have him if he becomes the manager.

Ulster-Celt

your right about the wages shun

i make it almost bang on £4million a year saved including win bonuses etc

that could allow us wages for:

5 players on £15K a week with money leftover also

up_over_goal on June 1, 2009 8:11 PM

very true also but he does free up money nonetheless

he easily paid back his fee in all his image rights, no doubt

another player with the same would be great

promotion for young koki?
(remember he was the JLeague player/young player of the year before we got him)

up_over_goal

I would be very pleased if he stayed, he has been the biggest success story, player wise, of WGS's reign.

I thought he was going, I read he was in talks back in Japan with his team.

Ulster-Celt

WGS

Good point about Naka. I hope he stays, but if he does he mustn't be allowed to wither on the wing. Celtic do have some good players (and some ordinary players), I just feel that we have not seen the best of them.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. WGS

I note your curiosity regarding who would be in line as an Assistant to our Next Manager.

Curiosity, is natural.. but that is as far as it should go.. and no farther.

It matters not, whomsoevah shall be our next Leader's, Assistant.

Remember, the wise adage..

"Never consult the Monkey, Whenevah the Organ Grinder is not in the Room"

An Assistant,per se... is truly indispensable,for a busy Leader.. I soitenly agree, as I have one myself..but,only for the most menial and time consuming of tasks.

If you doubt my reasoning..

Think ..Mr. Pendrey,amongst others,of course.

Na..

Whomsovevah ,shall be the New Manager's Assistant, is the least of our thoughts in this matter.

Kojo.
yer pal...who ayeways hiz time fur ye.

I like the mention of the Book Club.

This site is great but some people go on about Celtic a bit too much for me.

Has anyone read Shantaram ?

i bought it the other day .....a weighty tome

is it worth the effort ?

BTW

THE WHITE TIGER ...booker prize winner was excellent

as was

THE RELUCTANT FUNDEMENTLIST

SORRY CANNAE MIND THE AUTHORS

Kojo,

You need a good assistant. You need someone you can trust and can bounce ideas off. You also need someone who you can tell anything to and you know it will not get repeated. That's why you need a good assistant.

jinkysboy
I'm searching back now to remember the house I built
with that book.

jinkysboy on June 1, 2009 8:09 PM

Been on one of Jack Blacks courses when he first set out,good positive guy, Tony Robbins type stuff.

At wan time ah think ah read every positive book goin,ah hid tae wis selling Life insurance at the time,used tae think insurance had the word naw attached tae it.

GL 2

I thought these were good:
Anything by Piers Paul Read eg The Junkers; Polonaise; Monk Dawson; the Free Frenchman.
James Ellroy's LA Trilogy.
Almost anything by Philip Roth - The Plot to Destroy? America is v. good but American Pastoral is v. depresssing. The Human Stain is v. interesting.
Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead.
Anthony Burgess - also really good. Earthly Powers is excellent
PJ ? O'Toole only produced the one novel - A Confederacy of Dunces. It is excellent.
The Damned United by Pace? You know, the Clough book. It is good.
Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls by O'Connor.
Ragtime by EL Doctorow is most enjoyable.
Denis LeHane is generally excellent except when he resorts to lazy writing and summons up a Polish giant as a deus ex machina to fix a stalled plot.
Two good early 20th century Americans - John Dos Passos (Manhattan Transfer) and Upton (or is it Lewis) Sinclair (the Jungle).

Ulster-Celt

Think you're right - it feels like the end for Naka - but it's worth a shot.

On Roberto, my only worry is whether the SFA refs will evolve to reach a better standard, where being shoved to the ground in the box is deemed worthy of a penalty (Naka @ Hibs).

dennis 47

I have read "The Fatal Shore".

It's the finest non-fiction book I've read. It's the history of early Australian penal settlement and that guy, Robert Hughes, an art critic, can write the clearest English I've read. As good as Conrad and Bennett (Arnold not Alan).

PF ayr on June 1, 2009 8:18 PM
Has anyone read Shantaram ?

Naw but av hid a curry oot it.

Calltheguards on June 1, 2009 7:52 PM
Martinez currently on holiday in Spain. Not due to return until later this week.

book club

really recomend stigg larsson trilogy

cant put down stuff

funniest book ever is

hitler my part in his downfall

spike milligan

history

fall of berlin

anthony beevor or stalingrad

ian macewan
atonement or amsterdam

agree re murakami

the wind up bird chronicles is amazing

and one of the scenes in it is unforgetable for the wrong reasons

Went on a Jack Black thing years back. He was big on positive thinking, imagining the postive outcome. He told the story of working with Rangers, around mid-90s. He asked them 'will you win the league' - they all said yes. He asked them 'will you win the cup' - they all said yes. He asked them 'will you win the European Cup' - they all said 'wooft, dunno, not sure, lot of good teams, don't think so'. Jack Black then paused. 'You know? They've never won the European Cup'. Some of us laughed. A lot.

GL2

Praise be to you.

Thanks for changing the subject:o)

PF Ayr

Shantarm is excellent

faction but a great read

PF Ayr

Reluctant fundamentalist was Moshin Hamed, great book. i noticed someone mentioned Murakami, I loved Kafka on the shore

BookclubCSC

For books, if you want something to keep you going over the summer, give Lanark by Alasdair Gray a go.

I would love to make that book into a film

Bloke_109

Hope things went as well as you could have wished for today.

the Big Box by Roderick Hunt is a must read.

Ulster-Celt

Bloke_109

I echo what EDB says.

Ulster-Celt

With Martinez (and no doubt a few other names) in the frame, there seems to be a few doubters among the faithful as to the calibre of candidates were are allegedly pursuing.

Reminds me of this guy who managed two Scottish clubs. He won the Scottish Cup with one club and another 'mickey mouse' cup with another. Hardly what the fans seem to be wanting. Using the fans perceived criteria, would we sign Jock Stein today?

bazza67 on June 1, 2009 8:27 PM

Re Spike Milligan hav yae read Puckooon,wan ae the few taht have made me laugh out loud (on a train tae)

Aye Hitler my part in his downfall,really funny, innocuous pictures until you read the captions underneath .

Reading wan the nu that ah cant put doon......the history ah glue.

EDB

Thank-you. Getting there. I'm back to posting my usual nonsense now :-)

WDH

The house on the south bank of the river indeed

Terry

me too - positive thinking - with 2 mins left at CP last week I still KNEW we could win the SPL

dennis 47

We must have a similar library. I have Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" but my Dos Passos favourite was Mid-century.

Two good modern authors Don De Lillo and Jonathan Frantzen.

I wonder if one of the author names will appear on the short list for the managers post via a combination of lazy journalism and chinese whispers.

Did Kafka not have a football background?

U-C: thank-you.

Ulster-Celt, yes, agree, plenty of scope in the budget.

Can we assume for a minute Roberto Martinez is appointed. It all goes pear shaped, the football is poor, the fans are disallusioned. Nightmare. Roberto would last a season tops, maybe even until xmas. The board would have to fork out a compensation amount and would revisit their criteria on what the new (new) manager profile would have to be. Rangers are chamions for the 2nd season in a row. There. All the negatives in one paragraph. I've lived through worse.

Lets have a taste from the "glass full" scenario now. Roberto comes in, and like the late great Big Jock, has limited experience. He does however have a similar outlook. Play attacking football, using players in positions they are comfortable with, doing only the things they are good at. When adopting such an approach, weak links are quickly identified rather than tinkering with systems and tactics to fit the weak links. A free flowing Celtic run away with the title and CP is abuzz again every other week as the fans thrive on the team playing the beautiful game "the Celtic way". Roberto Martinez could well be exactly the manager we have been looking for you know.

We can all dream. Me? I'm going to live in hope that my dream of a Jock Stein style Celtic is just around the corner. I can tell you..it feels good. Keep the Faith.

A decent punt for free?

Portuguese centre-back Ricardo Rocha has been released by Tottenham after his contract expired.

The 30-year-old signed for £3.3m in January 2007 from Benfica, where he won the Portuguese Cup and league title.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friens.. WGS.

You may need a good assistant on a Building Site or whilst Bossing the Factory Floor, my friend..

Howevah... I am not so sure if I should pay too much attention to mine,in the running of my own business..

The Job that is performed by a Soccer Manager is more of a Cerebral Type of occupation... brain over brawn.

And.. A Soccer Manager, must be a Take Charge type, who has every confidence in his Own Ideas oan how to Fly the Airline.

A Man like Jock Stein,for instance..or.. Going further back.. A Willie Maley Type..

These Gentlemen, I am soiten would agree with my good self..as to my stated opinion.

And..

By the way..

Who was the Assistant to Big Jock.. I am not sure.. Was it, Sean Fallon?

Anyway, I kin see that we are not gonna get a "Pinkety, Pinkety", on this wan,pal.

And that's awright...

Vive la Difference!

Kojo
yer pal.. who likes ye a loat.
'

Terry O'N

Puckoon brilliant too, the bit with bar straddling the border was totally original

I dont laugh out loud at books much but that was a cracker

strange how depressives make such great comics

on the other stuff the american guys I find really heavy way too ornate language wise

fae the fancy guardian nae less,,,,,

Celtic retain an open mind regarding their choice of new manager despite making an approach for Swansea City's Roberto Martínez, with Owen Coyle and Tony Mowbray remaining on what a senior source at Parkhead has described as a "fluid" shortlist for the vacancy.

The Swansea chairman, Huw Jenkins, confirmed he received a call from Celtic's chief executive, Peter Lawwell, "making me aware that they'd like to talk to Roberto". That approach has been rejected for now, with Jenkins due to hold talks with his 35-year-old manager when Martínez returns from a break in Spain on Wednesday.

Martínez has four years remaining on his contract, so Swansea would seek a significant seven-figure sum in compensation for the Spaniard, who is understood to be attracting attention from at least two other clubs, Wigan Athletic and Real Sociedad among them.

Initial suggestions from those close to the manager who guided Swansea to eighth in the Championship last season are that he is keen to speak formally with Celtic this week. "We'll do everything in our power to keep him but ultimately it always comes down to the individual himself, how he feels and what we wants to do and what he wants to do with the next step of his career really," said Jenkins.

Celtic, though, have not completely ruled out the possibility of luring Coyle, the Burnley manager, as Gordon Strachan's successor. Coyle, on holiday in Florida, distanced himself from a move north last week following a discussion with Lawwell. Yet the 42-year-old, a lifelong Celtic supporter, is still to put pen to paper on improved terms at Turf Moor after leading the club into the Premier League and, while that remains the case, officials at Parkhead believe he may be attainable.

The club also retain interest in Mowbray. West Bromwich Albion have again stressed there has been "no official approach" from Glasgow for their manager but the former Celtic player is very much on Lawwell's radar and is expected to be privately sounded out over his thoughts and aspirations. Mowbray has refused to comment on speculation linking him with a Celtic return.

Craig Levein is the fourth name currently under Celtic's consideration. Levein, the Dundee United manager, is understood to be keen to work alongside the Manchester United youth academy director, Brian McClair, in what is, at this stage, the unlikely event he is offered the Celtic job.

Kojo
Sean Fallon was Jock's number 2 and covered for teh big man after his car crash

Bloke_109

You've not been far from my, and I'm sure many others on here, thoughts recently.

Just wanted you to know.

All the best.

TLOPG

Kojo,

You always need a assistant, no point in carrying your own big notepad, plus you need 2 to play knots & crosses.

I'll second Calltheguards recommendation for the John Fante book Ask The Dust.

hoopeddreams

All the info is on

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pSwcU-4OOGmGRMqCjEG5rAA&hl=en

but, in order to view, I may have to invite you. If you are that interested email at undefined.celticlover@gmail.com.

I have thought of the idea of a share club.

twists n turns, yes, no point worrying yourself sick over what might not happen.

Antsman

very possibly my shun

Terry O

Ha!

Even before reading "portnoys complaint" I suspected liver was bad, I still can't read the book without putting on a comedy Jewish voice, and it's one of those books you daren't read on a plane or train.

I'm away to find it again!

Martin 47

Re American Pastoral I found it difficult in parts, not depressing but I did feel releived when I got to the end right enough. Haven't read the Human Stain yet

Geez

Our manager will be younger than rangers captain!

Its a funny old game

Bloke_109,

I heard Jack Black tell exactly the same story. "When I asked if they thought they would win the European Cup, not even David Murray said yes. I knew right then that they wouldn't win it, as they didn't believe in themselves!"

As you say, a few of us could think of many other reasons.

Positive thinking is all well and good, but Jack Black sells it as a cure for everything. When I worked in Easterhouse he was telling people that negative thinking was all that was keeping them in low paid jobs and poor housing.

Makes a mint out of hiring the Concert Hall and filling it with people desperate for the secret of success.

twists n turns

Great post, if everyone could keep the same perspective Paul's bandwith costs would be a lot lower.

WDH

What colour was the "roof" on your house, across the river??

I seem to remember mine had to be red when all I could envisage was it being emerald green. ( Brainwashed see!)

MindstoreemptyCSC.

My dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. Gerry.

There shall be no disputation,from here oan that ...palomine.

Ye soitenly need an Assistant fur the prosaic and mundane tasks..

As you have so humourously, Underscored.

I am soiten that ye may be stating a truth,in jest,pal.

Honestly,whenevah... the more Celtic were drifting out of the Game..

The More Vigorous, was the Juggling and Scribbling oan the Notepad, and the Highly Animated Expressions of Urgency, that passed between Gordon and his totally confusedly appearing,and Distraught Amanuensis.

Who, in all honesty, reminded me so, of Manuel..who appeared in Faulty Towers.

Kojo.
yer pal.. who likes yer style.

Quiet on here tonight so signing off. Night all.

I'm firmly in the "I want an experienced manager" camp.

Interesting to hear many using Guardiola as an example of a first timer doing well. There are many more examples of first timers getting it badly wrong. And Jock had five years management experience when we hired him, all in the top division, so he wasn't exactly a rookie.

Getting a manager with a proven track record does not guarantee success, but then nothing does. What it does give is far more information about the man's record at a big club, in attracting international class players and in utilising a transfer budget. We know none of that about a manager from a lower league, making it much more of a gamble.

Of course every appointment is a gamble to some extent. But I don't think we can afford a major gamble in an environment where success is expected, not hoped for. The trick is to try to get as near to a sure thing as possible.

FAO all Book Club members (apologies to those wanting to discuss football matters).....

I`m not much of a reader, however am due to go on a 3 week trip to France and plan to read a couple of books while the kids run wild.

The only proper books I`ve read fall into two categories...

1). Sports Biographies (Fav was Sir Alex's)
2). Irvine Welsh novels (Loved Glue and Porno in particular)

Can anyone recommend any biography and / or novel given my preferences.

Many thanks
jamiebhoy (who would be very pleased to see Roberto come to Paradise).

Come to think it lads,

Since the new year probably February we have been linked with a guy Eliesu of Malaga, Castillo of Real Sociedad, Gomez from Espanyol and Bojan from Barcelona.

Not forgetting Roberto has been up watching McCarthy supposedly for Swansea. He was also up watching us against Dundee United supposedly scouting for Swansea and he was then spotted again at Hamilton in the final game of the season, no doubt watching McCarthy. He then comes out and says Swansea can't afford Gomez or McCarthy the week after.

It's starting to add up i hope or am i clutching at straws?

Re the CQN Book Club,

Martin47,

You got in there ahead of me with Philip Roth's The Human Stain and The Plot Against America. Thoroughly enjoyed both.

Terry O'Neill,

Puckoon is without doubt one of the funniest/wittiest LOL books I have ever read. Spike Milligan was a genius.

The Power Of The Dog by Don Winslow is superb.

The Road by Cormack McCarthy.

For those who, like me also enjoy the fantasy genre (and the usual minimum trilogy or more) I can recommend The as yet unfinished A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin and Robert Jordan's A Wheel of Time (all 11 books and also still unfinished!).

For those like PF Ayr and the legal eagles try anything by Richard North Patterson.

Non-fiction-wise I have recently finished Blood and Sand by Frank Gardner the BBC reporter who was shot and left for dead in the Middle East. It's an excellent book detailing the fascinating life of this man who happily straddled both Western and Arabian cultures.

Please Father, that is all I can remember :-)

HAIL! HAIL!
Token

Terry O/PF Ayr -

I genuinely think I backed "Shantaram" at Hamilton a few weeks ago!

Phil Roth - I Married A Communist is good

celtic4orme/ GL2

I agree 'The Power of the Dog' is one of the best thrillers I've ever read - a sprawling saga of a life story - it reminded me of The Godfather - only better! I'd love to see it made into a movie, but it's just got so much in there, that I fear they could never do it justice. It was recommended to me by a good mate who's a FOD - he has his uses!

Louise Welsh's 'The Bullet Trick' is a decent read too. To those suggesting Ian McEwan I'd add his 'Saturday' to the list. If anyone enjoys their crime fiction and for some reason hasn't got into Ian Rankin's Rebus series I'd strongly recommend that - and start at the beginning with Knots & Crosses - that series will keep you going for a good while given it runs to about 20 titles.

I've just started reading Luke Rheinehart's 'The Dice Man' - only a little way in but enjoying it so far and has been strongly recommended to me by 2 of my favourite people - by brother and my old man...

EHIY

jamiebhoy

Tony Cascarino's book Full Time is a lot different than you would expect from a footballers biography.

a good read, and it won't take long. also eamon dunphy's only a game about his time at Millwall is a good read.

Ulster-Celt

You canny beat the old commando comics

TT

The wheel of time book of three is heading your way in october you can pre order on amazon.

SOAL

Commando comics?

Are those the ones where Superman forgot to put his pants on?

sounds good Ulster, cheers.

jamiebhoy

Think I can help, as I read a lot that sort of fit into both your categories.

Sports autobios - try the following if you haven't already:

Roy Keane
John Hartson
Tony Cascarino (honestly, a great read - never read a more honest appraisal of a sportsman's own flaws)
AJ Hackett - Jump Start (this is the guy who invented bungy jumping in NZ - a great story!)
Alan Brazil - There's An Awful Lot of Bubbly in Brazil

Given you like Welsh I'm confident you'll enjoy pretty much anything by Chris Brookmyre who I mentioned earlier. He's a St Mirren fan and the bulk of his books are set in Scotland or have Scottish main characters. They are usually thrillers laced with swathes of very dark comedy. A lot have the same lead characters in more than one novel, so for ease probably start at the beginning with 'Quite Ugly One Morning'.

If you like Brookmyre you will almost certainly enjoy a guy called Carl Hiaasen who is American but writes in a similar vein.

Hope this helps.

EHIY

Right - that's the new Manager's team-talk sorted...

CQN Book Club means it's summer..
I will run through the the titles later. But just noticed Mr Roth being mentioned... Fascinating man. A very close friend did a graphics job for him once, after George W was elected. He called back later to ask for a second job... Car stickers for himself and his friends ....
With the phrase 'Bring Back Monica..'
Made me like his writing even more...

Alittlebitofpolitics csc

UC

You beat me to it! Great minds and all that........

EHIY

EHIY

Magic, cheers bud.

Exiled Hoop In Yorkshire

I have only started listening to Talksport this last year or so. never knew before that Alan Brazil was a Celtic man. I think I will get his books.

Ulster-Celt

cqn book club

the secret history/ donna tartt
well worth a read.

The game yesterday made me realise something. As Celtic fans we maybe don't realise what we've got until it's gone. That is, after all, a very human trait but for me at any rate it was the amount of affection that poured forth from the stands for Di Canio, Van Hooijdoonk and Cadete that was significant. Players that all shafted us seemed to be viewed with more affection than our current crop. They, rather, were all viewed with scepticism, a bit like a first time buyer at a car show-room.

Admittedly our current team lost the league and it was only a friendly but Donati scored the best goal of the game by a mile and it raised barely a flutter. By contrast, when Hartson scored I thought we had won the League.

Is it possible that as Celtic fans we are guilty of revisionism and look back on trophiless seasons with filtered specs, simply beacuse we played football the Glasgow Celtic way?

My worry is that in 10 years we're looking back at the noughties as halcyon days....

megansdad

t's a good shout. I was also thinking would Roberto Martinez be less welcome if he was Bobby Martin?

Ulster-Celt

Miodrag Krivokapić Under 17's Coach ex Motherwell

Chris McCart Youth Team Coach ex Motherwell

Maybe Roberto Martinez ex Motherwell, has been the plan all along, then again maybe not.:)

SFTB

That is your gay monthly mag that you are thinking about.

Love

How the Celts saved Britain is on BBC 4 now.

Presumably it's about the time they drove Attila and his Huns out.

the day of the triffids - sci-fi masterpiece
candid/zadig - never tire of reading them
Pickwick papers - destroyed culture shock for india

.....been a bit of an odd one here today.

There's two flights leave Rio on a Sunday (AF442 and AF447). We had a lot of people on 442 but not 447. So the relief/guilt scenario kicked in once the "where's everybody - now" was cleared up.

However, I've not had it confirmed yet, but think one of the Irish travellers on AF447 (there are three, as yet, unamed) maybe a Celt I met last Sunday.

petethebeat

reminds me of this book.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Irish-Saved-Civilization-Irelands/dp/0385418485

SOAL

I laughed my pants off

Ulster-Celt

Pete....,
it was the vikings we chased :o)

Ulster-Celt, 9:33, I’m in total agreement.

Rio,

Sobering news - difficult to know what to say.

PF ayr on June 1, 2009 8:18 PM

Shantaram is a good read,it could have been a bit shorter but a good read in my humble opinion.

book club

Squire-ess is the woman for all them Kellerman-type books - when you ask whether she'd like a cup o tea for the 40th time she responds as if I'm an eejit "AH'M READING MA BOOK".

I generally stick to sporty biogs and as above particularly recommend Roy Keane and Tony Cascarino. Miles above the tabloid-ese tripe of various mirror group hacks. Cascarino's is written by Sunday Independent (?) Kimmage and is particularly noteworthy regarding the extent to which he actually hated the game by the end up. keane's is written by Dunphy so say no more.

N Quinn's is a decent read and offers reasonable flip-side of Saipan fiasco. You wonder how Keane ever got job at Sunderland afterwards.

T Adams very good read too.

http://www.guillembalague.com/blog_desp.php?titulo=Roberto%20Martinez%20gains%20recognition%20he%20deserves&id=319

lETS TIE THE SPANISH BHOY UP.

COME ON PETER!!

Just got in from my run trainign for the Kano run and expected to find one or two books put up on the site but thanks for the response for the book club, highest number of entrants yet and thats before PJ gets in. Now all I need is a holiday to read some of them on.

EDB usual rules for me only take books on holiday which are recomended on the list. The last 3 years holiday readingS have been great. Power of the dog which has been mentioend a few times already was read last year along with another 9 or so.

InkyBhoy how high did you get?

Jamiebhoy if you click on my spanner it takes you to the last couple of years lists. I would recomend
a season with verona by Tim Parks,
The miracle of castel di sangro Joe Mcginnis
Damned united David Peace
Stein Archie MacPherson

Has anyone read any good books on Americaqn sport especially corruption in it?

Rioskorrie

the reports in Ireland have 3 Irish women on board?

Ulster-Celt