As Brendan Rodgers mulls over additions to his coaching staff, one possibility, Kolo Toure, has taken a position with the Ivorian Olympic team.
Kolo’s role at the club in the early part of last season, when he steadied a shaky defence sufficiently to see us through the Champions League qualifiers, could be reprised this season. Due to injuries, we’re short in central defence, while running with only two strikers until January (at least) seems tight. A Kolo-type figure may help both positions.
Scratch deep enough, however, and it gets more complicated. Kolo did well at the start of last season but was soon erring consistently, before being retired by omission. This was someone playing at the top of the game the season before.
Bringing in another experienced addition to the squad to patch gaps in defence or attack works on paper when you look at Kolo’s early work, but there are significant downside risks. The match fitness of anyone out of contract right now is unlikely to make them suitable to undertake hugely important games in the coming weeks.
Then there is the question of attitude – Philippe Senderos once looked like a good idea, but Phil took a red card instead of jumping for a ball, when his team needed him most. The small matter of money also has to be considered: Kolo was paid a fortune for his time in Glasgow; straight from the football budget.
Opportunity cost is another issue. Kris Ajer will not see a great deal of first team action this season, but his development would be hampered more with a 35-year-old team-mate on £35k per week as first reserve. And surely we hope to promote a striker through the ranks?
The final issue to consider is what will happen to the squad in the final week of the month, if Champions League qualification is secured and the transfer window gets into full swing. We were scourged for so long by squad fillers.
Sign quality combatants, able to last a season in the first time and with years of development ahead. This is where strategy has to be.
Listen to the new CQN Podcast below…
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Jamesgang…
Your a braw laddie…
Hope your stag doo goes brawily….
(Anither zwei anima squeezed in there!)
Smiley tied to lamppost things !
Braw
This is that Uni. Mob up ti there larks again, doin homers , then doin a runner, shockn man.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Cosmetic procedures such as these and which carried out by a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or dental technician are already regulated and regularly reviewed.
“We intend to regulate procedures carried out by non-healthcare professionals, for example at beauty salons, to ensure they meet similar standards to those in place for healthcare professionals.
“We are currently consulting with the profession and regulatory bodies on how this can be done.”
Rizwana Aslam, says she was left with “uneven lips” after having a plumping injection last Thursday at the salon.
She said: “I went along last Thursday. I’ve had them done several times before so I know where the needle goes.
“She kept constantly telling me she was qualified.
“I didn’t get asked any medical questions.
“She was really confident but I felt like I was telling her what to do, where to put the needle.
“She carried out the procedure and it was fine when I left.
“The next day, they were uneven. She told me to come back and she would correct them.When I went back on Friday, she wasn’t there.”
“A plumping injection”. …
Is that a medical term for “comrade” ???
Smiley Bankiebhoy thing
Braw
I have noticed that previous days’ blogs are no longer available. Is it me, or have I missed something?
TBB, £16m in tax losses at 2016 and £10m capital allowances pool.
£26m in profits before we’d be paying tax. 2017 may have been profitable but not to that extent I’d guess. New pitch and PA system, Kolo, Scott and Moussa wages and sign on fees, umpteen players on loan we were carrying at least part of their wages. I doubt there’s a huge profit and if there is it’s an outlier over recent history.
However a kick back from Virgil, a Moussa or (God forbid) Kieran offer of the magnitude mooted plus CL qualification and I’m right with you, we want to spend on wages so as not to earn profits. P67 has long confirmed the business plan is to break even over any reasonably measured period. That has meant not spending in recent years. Will be lovely to see the flip to a period of spend on football. VVD commission plus qualification and we’re in that territory.
The conundrum is pre Astana or those other triggers £4m with no obvious return is a massive leap. But not beyond us. Regardless of all of that it would STILL be contrary to the overall plan on development but could be the move that entices KT to commit further, and possibly Stu.
Oh to be a fly on the wall of the budget discussions and player management between Peter and Brendan. Pure accounting porn.
HH
Bearing in mind transfer fees are amortised (ah, the good old CQN days) over contract and tax relief follows the amortisation the way to break even is a quality squad on wages competitive with the likes of Stoke and WBA.
The PS was cut short! Should be:
Bearing in mind transfer fees are amortised (ah, the good old CQN days) over contract and tax relief follows the amortisation the way to break even is a quality squad on wages competitive with the likes of Stoke and WBA. Our issue remains transfer fees where we cannot compete with WBA and Stoke, and getting the players in to be able to pay those wages. Hence development is the strategy and being seen to be the place where players are developed, as Moussa’s agent did.
Good luck Shaun.
CELTIC are delighted to announce that Shaun Maloney has returned to the club, taking up a role as a development coach with the Under-20s. The 34-year-old, who previously enjoyed two playing spells with the Hoops, has now finished his career as a player, and will begin coaching with the U20s.
Shaun, a graduate of the Celtic Youth Academy, spent seven years at Celtic between 2000 and ’07 before moving down south to join Aston Villa. He returned to Paradise in 2008 and spent three further years with the Hoops.
In total he made 215 appearances for Celtic, scoring 52 goals and winning five league titles, five Scottish Cups and three League Cups. He gained 47 caps for Scotland, while he also enjoyed spells with Wigan Athletic, Chicago Fire and Hull City.
Everyone at Celtic welcomes Shaun back to the club and wishes him every success in his new coaching role.
Girls who grow plump in the night….
Braw album…
Braw.
BLANTYREKEV
You mean good players at good wages but not at huge transfer fees???
In Layman’s terms:))
HH
Wonder how many Caravan bairns are with us?
Smiley towing\static thing
Braw
See they have found 15 billion pounds worth of Scottish oil again….Unionists unite CSC
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DG35TCmXYAED9T5?format=jpg
Braw.
The smiles last smiles the brawest…
Braw.
https://twitter.com/record_sport/status/895649891057377280
Wee Shaun back as a coach
Wirdie of the moment ..
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGyUSITXcAIUYKo?format=jpg
Braw.
I guess time will tell.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists there is no bid that will persuade the club to sell Philippe Coutinho.
Barcelona are understood to have had a follow-up offer of around £90million for the Reds playmaker rejected on Wednesday, having already seen a £72million bid turned down last month.
Klopp has been firm in his stance that the Brazil international is not for sale.
Jurgen Klopp, right, speaks to Philippe Coutinho during the EFL Cup semi-final at SouthamptonJurgen Klopp, right, speaks to Philippe Coutinho during the EFL Cup semi-final at Southampton (Adam Davy/PA)
And the manager was quoted on Thursday as telling Sky in Germany: “From a financial standpoint there is no price limit to let him go. A price at which we are ready to give in.
“Our goal is to have the best possible team so we want to keep our guys and add new ones. That is our plan. Liverpool is not a club that has to sell players. That is set in stone. So what they pay in the end doesn’t matter.”
And we don’t even have the best players or squad in the country either :))
Celtic are “like a machine” and even stronger than last season, according to Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald.
The Scottish champions crushed Kilmarnock 5-0 on Tuesday in the League Cup as Thistle beat St Johnstone 3-0.
The Glasgow sides meet at Firhill on Friday in the Premiership with Archibald believing last season’s domestic ‘Invincibles’ are even better.
“I think they are. I think that [5-0 win] just reinforced it with the amount of changes they made,” he said.
“I think they made a few changes against us last year, and they weren’t as strong as they were the other night.
“They are like a machine with the guys that come in. They just looked the same. They played a similar way in terms of tempo, pressing the ball and with the ball. They are certainly stronger squad-wise.”
Celtic made eight changes and started with five teenagers against Kilmarnock, after opening the defence of their Premiership title with a 4-1 win over Hearts.
Thistle v Old Firm – 2016-2017 season
v Celtic v Rangers
Lost 4-1 – home Lost 2-0 – away
Lost 1-0 – away Lost 2-1 – home
*Drew 1-1 – away Lost 2-0 – away
Lost 0-5 – home Lost 2-1 – home
Thistle have never beaten Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, losing all but one of their 19 meetings – a 1-1 draw at Parkhead in April ending a run of 24 consecutive defeats overall in the fixture.
Partick have also struggled against Rangers, their opponents in next month’s League Cup quarter-finals, having lost all four league meetings last season.
Archibald admits there is a degree of trepidation when it comes to taking on their Glasgow neighbours, but insists his players are ready for the challenge.
“I think that fear factor is always there,” he added. “They bring such big crowds. But I think the players will still embrace it – I think we have got to.
“You see that with Motherwell on Saturday, they were really unlucky against Rangers after Rangers’ good start.
“It is down to the rest of the teams in the league to make sure we put the challenge in and make sure it isn’t so easy for the top two – if they are going to be the top two and it’s not going to be Aberdeen [runners-up for the last three seasons] this year.”
Celtic Football ClubVerified account @celticfc 4m4 minutes ago
Replying to @celticfc
JK on @ebouekouassi97 injury: “We’re awaiting scan results. It looks better than first feared.”
– hopefully good news – could be an outstanding player for us and possible replacement for Broony role
MulletandCo2
Is there any evidence that the so-called “5way agreement” is legally valid never mind enforceable? Unless all clubs agreed to it, or the SP(F)L had a firm mandate from all the clubs (and that is certainly a possibility) then that is open to question.
HH
TURKEYBHOY on 10TH AUGUST 2017 11:26 AM
20 lashes of the Cat for Tony Donnelly.
*you mean “kitten”, bramladesh in joke BTW
STARRY PLOUGH
Yes, exactly that.
Young Kieran put me in mind of Tommy Gemmell the way he took that goal
Good afternoon from a sunny and warm north staffs – been out all day – has anyone mentioned how long the sfa has to respond to the developing story before it is made public
From fatboab on KDS:
‘I understand the main topic of discussion is the profit on any future sell on fee. City seem to want all of it which obviously doesn’t make sense. A loan may be the result, but it does seem certain that Paddy wants to sign’
We should agree to the profit going to City, sign him for 5 years, allow him to run down his contract and leave on a free, then paddy can pocket the signing on fee and City get nothing……greedy english/arab badstarts !!!!
Bateen Bhoy says PADDY COME HOME on 10th August 2017 4:56 pm
I think we need to be mindful that its good to keep good relations with clubs that have good players they can’t find a place for and may prefer to make available to us rather than a direct rival,
HH
Celtic hire baby faced coach.
I can see the logic in that, but I’d hate to see us become a development club for a team as morally corrupt as Manchester City.
They want us to develop their young talent and then pocket all the profit ? Nae having that.
I realise we get access to some of the best youngsters, but I’d rather go down the road of developing our own talent and signings like Moussa Dembele, Ntcham, Benyu, etc.
Quite angry at the moment. Who the f do City think they are ?
NEUSTADT-BRAW
I don’t even have a wedding dates set!
Though I did tell my other half last that CQN was saying ‘hurry up’!
HH jamesgang
From Aberdeen Forum Stand Free – SFA, SPFL Sponsor boycott list
It’s been a busy week for me, but I’ve finally got around to making a boycott list.
While I’m sickened by the blatant cheating and Milne’s condoning of it, I’m not at the point (yet) where I want to punish my own club by not buying tickets.
However, Regan and Doncaster’s bonuses both directly relate to the SFA and SPFL’s income from sponsorship and broadcasting.
SFA’s are here: http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish….cfm?page=3305
The SPFL’s are at the bottom of their website.
Together they include:
– Vauxhall
– William Hill
– Specsavers
– McDonalds
– Tesco Bank
– Bank of Scotland
– G4S
– JD Sports
– Mars
– IMG
– Avia Signs
– Adidas
– Park’s Motor Group
– Sky Sports
– Irn Bru
– Betfred
– Sega
– EA Sports
– BT Sport
– Ladbrokes
– Impact Signs
Next stage is to contact these on social media to register disgust at them supporting corrupt institutions.
I’ll encourage everyone else to do likewise.
Regan and Doncaster have already shown they don’t give a sh!t about what fans think. Maybe they’ll reconsider if it starts to hit them financially.
Jamesgang
25th may is an unforgettable date so you’ll never miss an anniversary.
So get a move on
Afternoon ghuys, my pal Benny, whom some of you may know, is coming down for the Thistle game tomorrow. He has decided to to go through to Musselborough for the racing tomorrow,question any CQNers going to the meeting who he could meet up with? If you could let me know I’d be grateful. H H Hebcelt
Musselburgh???
BSR
New Celtic coach breaks ankle falling off treatment table:)
HH
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 10TH AUGUST 2017 4:56 PM
Tony Donnelly
Hamilton Tim has no opinions.
……………….
You should hear his opinion of you. It’s not complimentary.
A lot of classroom work involved in coaching these days…:)
mussullburgh?
is it benny from crossroads?
will be lucky to get to firhill on time after the racing finishes. nightmare of a drive at rush hour. the train would be the least bad option
or a time machine
anyway, hope he pummels the bookies
Gene
;-)
Might well go for an easy to remember date!
I’m not the brightest!
;-)
HH jamesgang
BATEEN BHOY SAYS PADDY COME HOME on 10TH AUGUST 2017 5:05 PM
Quite angry at the moment. Who the f do City think they are ?
——-
Paddy is their player. They are under no obligation to do any deal with us that doesn’t suit them. I would also say that Manchester City are a first class football club. Any partnership with them should be welcomed.
JAMESGANG
DAVIDOPOULOS recommends April 1st.