I get confused with these de Boer boys, one was decent, one was very good, was it one or both who borrowed money through a Rangers Employee Benefit Trust? Who cares, what’s important is that many more than just de Boers took money through EBTs, leading to an unsightly liquidation.
It’s surprising, therefore, to read the Ajax manager refer in his media conference to the consequences of those EBTs, namely “the loss of Rangers”. The price, Mr de Boer, is an honest, clean, game, where everyone respects the rules. No one hides documents from HMRC, the SFA or SPFL. No one goes through the indignity of having their instructions to shred their contract read out in court. No club would live in fear of having to submit ALL required information to a league Commission.
The price is a clean game and we are thankful for it.
News that Scott Brown is out for several months was an enormous blow. Added to the suspensions of Nir Bitton and Stefan Johansen and we are totally without central midfielders. Charlie Mulgrew has been out for 10 weeks and may limp onto the field, but this will, without doubt, be an emergency line-up.
Despite that, there’s no Surrender Monkeys here. Celtic are never stronger than when they’re underestimated, an no one underestimates opponents quite the way Frank de Boer did yesterday. Bring it on.
Mike Ashley, why do they prod him with a stick? Don’t make statements which he can and will easily refute.
Bucketeers!
I watched and read the response to the Foundation Sleep-Out event earlier this month. Celtic fans do things in the name of our club which continues to astonish. If you’ve not gotten involved yet, you can do so on Saturday.
Before the Hamilton game the Foundation are having their annual Christmas Appeal Bucket Collection. Come along early, pick up a bib and bucket, and get a free ticket to the game. It’s great fun, a great cause and a wonderful way to pay a bit back to the ethos which brings you to Celtic Park.
Thanks to all who’ve bought The Winds of Change, a great read for anyone who lived through the great changes in our club from Liam Brady to Martin O’Neill.
Alex Gordon picks up the story in 1991 as Liam Brady replaces Billy McNeill and the Celtic support were about to have their boast of being ‘faithful through and through’ put to the ultimate test as barren years followed.
Eight Celtic managers, if you include Kenny Dalglish, sat in the Celtic dugout as our manager with some being much more successful than others. The book ends with Martin O’Neill leaving but there was time for CQN to add a note about the events of November 4, 2015 so that the reader can appreciate the task Celtic faced in these years, playing opponents with a loaded dice.
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Anyone know how Christie’s injury is progressing?
Rebus
Canamalar
The amount of money that goes to the top leagues totally dwarfs the smaller leagues
In 2014 we had around 65 million turnover. Swansea City had 99 million.
“All of which makes it essential that when signing players we avoid the Derks, Amidos Pukkis etc.”
Quonno,
There’s many a club would love to know the secret to only making excellent signings.
HH
TONYDONNELLY67 on 26TH NOVEMBER 2015 5:03 PM
quonno
Have you anything else negative to say before I head up to Celtic park? Just let me know if you have, I’m close to slashing my wrists here with your negativity, a win for the hoops tonight and you won’t be seen for a week, that’s one consolation , mon the hoops.
I make no predictions about tonight.
However, some weeks ago I did predict on here that we would not qualify out of this group.
AsI have said before. Don’t confuse hard truth with negativity.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/underestimating-celtic/comment-page-3/#comment-2725472
So funding has changed the football is still 11 v 11 and a baw
thomthethim
Download Crystal Ad Blocker for iPhone and iPad – blocks everything en route to CQN.
p.s. email you directly
HH
GEORDIE MUNRO on 26TH NOVEMBER 2015 5:09 PM
“All of which makes it essential that when signing players we avoid the Derks, Amidos Pukkis etc.”
Quonno,
There’s many a club would love to know the secret to only making excellent signings.
Agreed. However, how many would have signed Derk given his well trumpeted injury proneness.
At the time e was signed, I clearly remember a poster on here quoting a Dutch fan as saying that Derk was a wonderful player, if only you get to see him.
TD will see it as more negativity but once again, I would like to exactly who gets what out of signing dealings.
HH
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/underestimating-celtic/comment-page-3/#comment-2725476
Geordie,
I agree that our transfer policy needs a serious revision, but we are in the high risk segment…spending 1-2 million. How many of these result in the 10 million sell-on fees? I can think of only one that cost less than 2 million….Wanyama. The others all cost 2+ . Maybe the Simovic deal signals that we have upped the ante to ~3 million for prospects.
Thanks for diverting the discussion away from the endless boring saga of Rangers/Sevco and their next incarnation.
Rebus
Geordie, There is no doubt that compared to previous Ajax sides, this team is poor. I hate the expression Pub
teams and running down the opposition but up to now we have under performed in Europe under Ronny.
Hopefully tonight will be the start of the recovery.
quonno
I REALY don’t think you need to make any predictions for tonight, I think we all, well I do, get it.
rebus67
Yea I hear ya, we should all just move on right?
The same wage bill since Seville tells you that we have too many players
Generally, the better players win.
Generally, the better players go where they get paid more.
Celtic’s wage bill in 2014 was 38 million. It’s stayed fairly consistent, ranging from about 36 up to 41 between 2007 and 2014
In that same time period Evertons wage bill has went from 38 to 69. I imagine their 2015 will be a big increase on that.
Our wage bill of 38 million is consistent with top Championship clubs (Leicester 36, Reading 35, Blackburn 34)
There is often the term “downsizing” used when discussing the clubs spending. The clubs wage bill has been consistent for about a decade. The quality of player or risk attached to signings is increasing because of the increase in competition due to tv money.
I know it’s nothing new, just wanted to put context into Lawwell’s statement.
corkcelt,
I hope that you are correct but the signs are not good. Having to create a new midfield for a game like this puts it into a wing and a prayer scenario. The defence is still a work in progress and is vulnerable to cross balls. Apart from the issue of qualifying, this is our best chance to get one win. If it happens it will be a significant achievement.
Rebus
for any folks in Moycullen on Friday or Galway on Saturday nip down to the farmers market where I’d say it’s worth pointing you in the direction of the black pudding and chorizo from castlemine farm stall
I hope that you are correct but the signs are not good. Having to create a new midfield for a game like this puts it into a wing and a prayer scenario. The defence is still a work in progress and is vulnerable to cross balls. Apart from the issue of qualifying, this is our best chance to get one win. If it happens it will be a significant achievement. – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/underestimating-celtic/comment-page-4/#comments
Well it’s obvious this one isn’t going tonight, my god, it’s unreal.
SAINT STIVS on 26TH NOVEMBER 2015 5:26 PM
Atitle bit of nostalgia but if you had to rank out top 10 European results I reckon Liverpool away in UEFA is in there.
Off the top of my head.
1. Internazionali 2-1 neutral.
2. Leeds 1-0 away.
3. Leeds 2-1 Hampden. Home.
4. Vojvodina 2-1 home.
5. Barca 2-1 home.
6. Real Madrid 2-0 home.
7. Liverpool 2-0 away.
8. Ajax 2-1 away.
9. Sporting Lisbon 5-0.
10. Benfica 3-0 1969 ?
Others ?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/broony-lewis-fraud-or-not-establishing-locus/comment-page-10/#comment-2725488
Rebus67,
I’d be hesitant about calling it an achievement, Ajax are no much better than us.
Getting results against clubs with more resources than us is an achievement, usually a flash in the pan but a achievement none the less, tonight we are meeting a team on the same level maybe even a bit lees resources than us and we’ve no faired too well against teams like that recently.
Corkcelt,
Ajax aren’t the ajax of old but neither are celtic.
They are top of the Dutch league.
If we win tonight missing our captain, last year’s player of the year, the season befores player of the year and our next big hope/transfer fee I’ll put it down as one of our biggest wins in years.
HH
Tony D,
Do you think what you publish on here makes a whit of difference to what will happen to Sevco or its re-incarnation? Didn’t Jock say external things like the bias/quality of the ref does not matter if we are good enough to put the ball in the net. We should be miles ahead of any team in Scotland and that edge should be enough to see off any reborn version of the other lot for years to come.
Away and cheer on our team tonight and be thankful that you have that opportunity,
Rebus
!!BADA BING!! on 26TH NOVEMBER 2015 5:23 PM
The same wage bill since Seville tells you that we have too many players
Or to put it another way. The butter is being spread too thin and quality is being sacrificed for quantity.
At the risk of being negative. Has anything been seen or heard of the great Desmondo since the agm.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/underestimating-celtic/comment-page-4/#comment-2725486
Saint Stivs on 26th November 2015 5:29 pm
Vojvodina 1967 tops the lot.
Fernando Ricksen guest of honer at Celtic park tonight, nice touch.
rebus67
No not at all, you want to slag RD, I want to slag the Huns, each to there own, fill yer boots.
Canamalar,
I agree with you. We should be playing in the big tournament but the Europa is where we are at present. So far we have no wins, despite leading in a couple of games. We should beat teams like Maribor, Legia, Malmo, Molde, and the current level of Ajax. We should even have beaten the under achieving Turks, even with their spending power. However, we didn’t. So getting a win here will be progress, especially given that RD will have to pick a “different” team with one or two players in new positions.
I keep hoping that RD is forced to play a different formation from 4231 because of circumstances and that it proves to be a success. Then, perhaps, he will see that change is necessary.
Rebus
Tony D,
I guess you are correct. I know I am negative towards RD. I want him to be successful but I have lost faith. I see no progress at all. What hurts the most is the continual devaluing of Celtic in Europe. Still, someday some team is going to get a doing from us against the odds. Then sweetness and light will enter my football world.
Rebus
john james article today spot on. huns run judidcery states bdo going in for appeal looks like big mike might need worlds finest law team to beat masonics up here celtic nothing to lose tonight 2 0 celtic hh
Pub team beating Dortmund. Borussia Quick News must be in meltdown.
Saint Stivs on 26th November 2015 5:29 pm
Topically enough, Ajax 1 Celtic 3 in Amsterdam in 2001 is one I would put in there.
I know Ajax were a young side at the time but they still had names in there like Yakubu and Ibrahimovic.
It was watching that game in the ArenA that made me think, for the first time since the 70s, that we could really go places again.
Tonight is a Celtic night. Underdogs, lost our midfield to injury and suspension, nobody giving us a cat in hell’s chance.
Such nights are made for Celtic. Forrest, Griff, Ambrose – time to step up. I would love to see Allen start – he’s got that bit of gallus we need.
Mon, hurry up kick-off.
Ride am off to the brazen for a couple before the game, HH
St Stivs,
I’d add the Di Stefano friendly in 1967 at Madrid. RM 0 Celtic 1.
Rebus
Good evening friends.
Not long now……
Real hypothetical.
Given in the run to seville we beat English teams. Germany. Portuguese.
Then narrowly beaten by the next year’s champion.
How well might we have done if we had made it to the c l
!!BADA BING!! @ 5:23 PM
“The same wage bill since Seville tells you that we have too many players
Or to put it another way. The butter is being spread too thin and quality is being sacrificed for quantity.”
Or to put it another way, we have a whole midfield out injured or suspended, think how bad our choices would be if we had reduced the number of midfielders but still had the same number of injuries and suspensions.
Quality players are just as likely to be injured or suspended as squad fillers.
That is why we need the depth.
The factorial growth in wage levels since Seville as timaloy (5.23 ) describes means comparing wage levels and quality to that time is just rosy eyed nostalgia. For £6m then you got Chris Sutton, now you get Brett Assongalonga, For the price of John Hartson you get half a Jordan Rhodes or Ross McCormack.
Calling all Italia based Tims.
You may know this already, but Sky Italia is showing our match live.
1-0 would do me.
HH!!
Saint Stivs –
4-0 Ajax (2015)
Bus took a half hour to get from Buchanan St to Cowcaddens cause of the police marching the Ajax fans away from Sauchiehall St. Probably miss KO now. Great.
St. Stivs
Basel who beat us to the CL groups are our best guide.
They qualified from First Group Stage in 2nd place to Valencia (Liverpool finished 3rd and went into the UEFA comp). Basel, then narrowly missed out on last 8 qualification (there were only 4 2nd stage groups ) as they were level on points with Juve (and 4th placed Deportivo) but lost out on head to head record. They had 2 wins at home against Juve and Depo, 1 draw- away to Man U and 3 defeats- quite creditable performance
The 8 qualifiers that year, when Milan beat Juve on pens after extra time, were Milan, Juve, Real, Man U, Valencia, Ajax, Barca and Inter