I winced slightly reading that Deliotte’s suggested Celtic were a ‘top 40’ club in terms of turnover. The days we featured in their annual Top 20 report are long gone, lost in the raft of TV deals which flooded into England, France and elsewhere.
This is a problem for Celtic but at least we have a decent shot at Champions League income each year. Others in Scottish football have been left to wither on the vine (phrase of the week), as the likes of AFC Bournemouth cherry-pick their talent.
Celtic need a solution to help them compete with their peer-group of European heavy-weights but the solution has to accommodate the other top Premiership clubs. Dundee United have the ability to produce remarkable talent, if only they had the TV deal to allow them to retain it long enough to build a team. The same could be said for Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Inverness and Ross County.
Scottish football would benefit enormously by federating with a neighbour.
You would think after administration and liquidation those who look to Ibrox for their football fix would, to adopt a popular phrase around those parts, have suffered enough from financial ‘ambition’. Not a bit of it, it seems. Not when the spectre of “being battered” by Celtic looms like an enormous green and white tidal wave.
For the last 12 years of its existence, Dave King was one of the non-executive directors of Rangers, paid to ensure that financial controls and risk management [role of non-execs defined by government 2003 Higgs Report]were in place. I am not being glib or shameless when I say he did a remarkable job.
With Newco appearing to be in some financial distress, King told the Daily Mail he opposes planned cutbacks: ‘If we cut the club back to a level that’s just enough to win the League One or the Championship then that’s fine. But the gap between ourselves and Celtic when we get to the Premiership will be obvious.
“But I don’t feel the club should respond by cutting the costs to the point of saying ‘we only have to do what is necessary to beat East Fife or whoever.
“Because if you do that Celtic will build up to 10-in-a-row and we could be so far behind them that even when we are back in the Premiership we are not in a position to catch up.
“We cannot risk going to Celtic Park and being battered 6-0.”
Those trying to keep Newco Rangers afloat will not welcome suggestions that current shareholders don’t have the “appetite or willingness to invest”, a few months before they will ask fans to buy season tickets.
Learn your lesson, there is no shame in losing 6-0 to Celtic, this is sport, bad results can happen, but there is enormous shame in failing to live within your means.
I’m off to contemplate 10-in-a-row for a while. To hyphenate or not?
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ps.
there is a book about Burns in our works lending case.#written by some lady in the 1930s.
i dip in and out of it, very interesting, i did this because of your comments about burns,
allways learning.
pps, to others , ETIMS RUMOUR MILL , posting this week with big big news
Just back from giving my weekly donation to the Bookies to find that the Postie had been.
One package only today, from the packet I could tell it was my CQN Beanie.
It is perfect, first class job, CQN on the front and Lennybhoy on the back. Thank you very much paddybhiy1888.
If you have not yet ordered one contact paddybhoy1888 at patmcg1888@aol.com you will not be disappointed.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
jamesgang
You can hardly call yourself a Happy Clapper when you put Balde and Pukki in the same bracket as Bangura…..even allowing for your proviso. Incidentally, from what I saw of Bangura when he played against us, I can see why we took the gamble and bought him.
JJ
JJ
Bangura
Yep… Against us …. No attempts on goal and no goal threat whatsoever ……seems to fit the bill
I have not got a clue what you are talking about?
Celtic lied about what?
neganon2
12:32 on 25 January, 2014
HT that’s not the way I read it.
Tonydonnely you didn’t answer my question? For example do you defend celtic for lying to us about threats around safety certificates for the stadium?
JJ. I thought he played pretty well against us. Part of my point – a big part is – is that if you do spend a few £m on them then it surely stands to reason to give them a sustained run. Either starts or good decent spells. Balde – or any of the others – coming on at the 87th minute is no good to anybody.
HH jamesgang
starry
I hear you, and another thing.
It’s been posted before but with other words, what bit do Celtic fans misunderstand about about younger players going on loan?
McGregor, Irvine, Watt, Atajic, are not deemed ready make the step up, and it’s perfectly normal to expect they’ll be loaned out to gain match time.If not, they’d get a game for us, but they don’t and the expertise employed by Celtic arrange loan deals, where a young players wages are easier to be paid by the other club.
You don’t sign Pukki and Balde for x millions and then not allow them to be tested over a period of time. It seems to me we are also clearing the way for another striker, to add to the three we have completed by Stokes.
If we don’t we will in summer, having already completed the domestic double all of the biggest football clubs, loan players to smaller clubs.
HH
bournesouprecipe
I well understand the concept friend. Perhaps I’m just as convinced as you are that we’re doing it that effectively.
HH jamesgang
Not convinced I should say.
I can’t help feeling pee’d off when I hear that phrase we’ve ‘hit the buffers’ with yet another signing target. We so often end up at the tail end, chasing our third or fourth choice targets, at least that’s the way it seems.
I know there are difficulties in attracting players, we play in a cr*p league, we can’t match even championship wages blah,blah and the situation won’t change as long as this continues.
In the case of strikers, I can’t help feeling that there’s an element of panic buying, just to get SOMEONE in. No reflection on Leigh Griffiths who is a good SPFL level striker but when this transfer window opened our priority was a striker who would be bedded in and scoring freely by the time the CL qualifiers come around. Tony Watt, for me, is the one most likely to succeed in this, but if he’s loaned out until the end of the season it ain’t gonna be him.
Just had to get that off my chest.
I have absolutely no reason for the following optimism, and nothing in our recent history gives me confidence that I am correct.
However, the day after Lenny says moves for a “very, very good player” ended abruptly, speculation is all over the press that were about to bid for a (presumably) much cheaper striker.
The unknown is why said moves for the very, very good player ended abruptly. Did the player flat out reject us? If thats the case then yeah it’s over, but usually you get some encouragement before you make inroads into signing a player. If his club are playing hardball with the price, or have jacked it up, then leaking Griffiths name to the press could be a bluff to bring them back to the table.
Maybe I’m giving PL & NL too much credit, but Griffiths makes no sense. He doesn’t fit the criteria of what we’re (supposedly) looking for, if the top targets aren’t available then hold off until the summer. If we are so flush we can afford to throw £1.5m on another squad player, use it as a downpayment for someone like Ryan Gauld, who could be a potential number 10 we need to create chances, because I don’t see our current strikers missing barrowloads in every(any?) game.
bournesouprecipe
Atajic will be happy to be a club where his boss thinks enough of him to notice him, involved him in the first team and then when the time is right for his development send him out on loan to develop even further..
There are some however who see Big Bad Celtic behind everything that happens at the club, that’s alright that’s there choice but don’t make the mistake of believing that we all think that.
Atajic was my tip for the top a wee while back and I still believe that and that it will be at Celtic, he was born to lead our line.
Although it might be unfashionable in some Celtic quarters to have an unbeaten record in the league the manager, the captain and some of the players have stated that it is indeed important to them thus giving the younger players perhaps less playing time as Neil entrusts the record and the winning of the double to his senior players who have delivered the title for the last two years and that’s okay for me too, everything in the right timem I don’t rely on Celtic to deliver happiness into my life that’s ma joab!!
And if wee sign thon ugly mug Griffiths I will take all my Coop coupons and rip them up in the streets of Basel…
Cowiebhoy
I reckon you might quaff a flute of champagne when Celtic win the big cup again ;)
glendalystonsils
The Secret Footballer is pretty interesting reading ref all the transfer shenanigans. Pretty interesting read in general. And pretty sobering to read how those that get paid millions to play the game we love can be so bloody miserable.
HH jamesgang
Anybody ken any tic friendly boozers in Dumfries! .
Big sean.
Jamesgang
The secret footballer is a fascinating read and a real eye opener on all thing re modern football.
TBJ
Take it you were out celebrating last night ?
Now I’ve got him to put up with fae Monday
Hail Hail
Starry plough
I don’t think an unbeaten league campaign is considered “unfashionable”
It’s the boring safety first approach( in a succession of games) which seemed to be attached to its pursuit
And in some quarters the outright denial that it is being pursued
That irritates some
Starry
I would love an unbeaten season. But I’d prefer to use the rest of the reason to bed in and/or blood an even better team to hit Europe and at home next season.
HH jamesgang
jamesgang
Let me make it clear. I no longer have a clue about professional football. Or, more accurately, about the running of a professional football club.
It is a mystery to me how the likes of young Ryan Gauld can be seen as a budding superstar yet our much more successful ( team-wise) young players are seldom seen in the first team and are farmed out to teams who never face the kind of situation these young guys will experience playing for Celtic. ie Packed defences and a very unforgiving crowd .
It is equally mystifying how a Club which does not have money to throw away seems willing to spend millions on players who are given little game time in the first team.
From my admittedly ignorant standpoint, I would have thought we could utilise our patently talented young players and only spend money on a player who would go straight into the first team as first choice.
Seems simple but it quite obviously isn`t otherwise Celtic would be doing it. If anyone in power at Celtic Park ever reads blogs, perhaps they could explain to the fans. After all, football is nothing without fans.
JJ.
I think you’re asking all the right questions Fhriend. My option would be to stay as close to home in recruitment. Look 1st to the academy, then within Scotland, then abroad.
I’m with you in many ways.
HH jamesgang
Lol, positive at all times yawwwwwwwwwwn!
….pfayr supports weeoscar
13:35 on 25 January, 2014
Starry plough
I don’t think an unbeaten league campaign is considered “unfashionable”
It’s the boring safety first approach( in a succession of games) which seemed to be attached to its pursuit
And in some quarters the outright denial that it is being pursued
That irritates some
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
PF the unbeaten record for me is not that important be nice if we do it, be better if we win the league and the Cup with a wee bit of style, I like to watch Celtic teams with a bit of verve but you can’t deny it was used a stick to beat Neil over the head with by some on here who might like to change the manager for reasons as yet unclear!
Most managers have tried and trusted players that their success is built on but it’s very typical as soon as success is secured that we all want wholesale changes and this and that.those games you are talking about I take it you mean the 1-0 were games that had to be negotiated and one, I don’t think the record was as important as the three points at venues where we’ve slipped up at before.
Apples and oranges innit Mate!!
We all want Celtic to be succesful and to play good football whilst they’re at, disnae always happen with a new middy in the Norweigen Bhoy and a striker, one that scores goals in the penalty box we’ll know be far away..
Jungle Jim.. at 13.37
Pal.. Ah agree.. Oh! How MUCH… Ah agree..wi’… THEE~
Ah hiv an Answer tae Yer Implied Question, Though..
A shoart an Sweet wan, Tae…
And it is This..
Neil.. is a Feartie…
Oh, Yes..he is!
Case Closed.
Kojo
Still, Laughin
In times like these Ah Consult the Dug,
Who Digs Square Lornes.. No Purina!
So, here’s Hiz Take.. Oana Striker, Who’s
Great… N Hoat As a Jalapeno!
This Guy hiz Girth n Strength n Weight,
n Mair than a Wee Tate..
O’ .. Moxie!
He’d Haud hiz Ain.. agin.. Pansy Poatter’s Wean.
or
Even the Sons o’… John Knoxie!
His Name is Irish, as the Bogs,
Where Peat is Born..
In Erin.
If ye canny guess, jist whit it is.
Then … Should Ah be No Acarin’? A
Howevahh…
Ah’ll pity thee,in yer time of Trial.. n Cast a Hint Yer way.
Although,HIs Name,it may be Irish..
He’s No An Irishman….per se.
Kojo
Still, Laffin’
Seeya..Kiddies.
Cowiebhoy
He invited the rest of my colleagues out for a beer… lmfao.. I think one went .
Didnt even say tata as he left yesterday. . Walked right past my office. Stupid little boy.
And I did go for a few shandys in my local to celebrate my good luck… and your bad luck ;)
jamesgang
13:36 on 25 January, 2014
Starry
I would love an unbeaten season. But I’d prefer to use the rest of the reason to bed in and/or blood an even better team to hit Europe and at home next season.
HH jamesgang
————————————–
Live for today, tomorrow never comes, live fast die young, and be a good looking corps ;))
jamesgang
Manchester Utd *big club* have at least four times as many young players out on loan, as Celtic.
As was recounted yesterday in the Celtic first team we have stars previously loaned in their careers Stokes, Mulgrew, Forster Samaras. Never did them any harm?
I even for got about Fridjonsson whom we signed before the window even opened, and has presumably overtaken Atajic. Neil Lennon as with other managers relies on tried and tested seniority, we can’t afford another Morton. and all loan players are contracted to Celtic, and will make the grade at Celtic if they are goo enough.
The decision to loan players is calculated and not taken lightly,
because it’s usually make or break, and I can’t think of a player
Celtic loaned away, only to become a superstar elsewhere.
HH
Just for the record. I do not find Celtic at all boring to watch. I enjoy the probing in an attempt to find a way past well organised, professional footballers and the sudden thrust when a multitude of passes sometimes creates an opening.
Some see this as boring, tippy tappy football. I don`t and that is why I invariably enjoy my regular visits to Paradise.
JJ
Jamesgang
thanks for that info. I will have a read of that.
Great this is Tony I reckon we could do both. Bed in the youngsters and newies and play some footie as beautiful as you!!!
See. I am fundamentally a happy clapper!!!
HH jamesgang
HamiltonTim, if that tckt is still available I’d love to have it. Blantyretim and Oldtim have my mob num I think. Failing that my email is msincent@yahoo.co.uk. Hail hail Estadio
BSR
Are you sure those players have been loaned? I`ll need to ask SFTB about that 0:-)
JJ
Tony D
I kind of agree with you about jam today.Unless this is the first time we have ever planned for the future, then right now is the future we once planned for ! Let`s enjoy it before planning for the next future 0:-)
JJ DoctorWhoCSC
Tom English takes redundancy from Scotland on Sunday….
Jungle J
At least he owned up 【ツ】
jamesgang
Is this the Happy Clapping Saturday Club!!
Allez Las Vertes!!
glendalystonsils
I’m done with it so email me your address and I’ll send it to you.
Cantjf@aol.com
HopeYouDon’tLiveTooFarAwayCSC!!
HH jamesgang