Agility in the football market

990

When you’re shopping in a sellers’ market, agility is the only way to survive.  You need contacts, sufficient coverage to trawl outlying corners of the bazar, and enough experience to ensure you don’t get burned.

If you’re trying to buy Champions League-calibre players for £100k you’re shopping in a serious sellers’ market but there is good strategy behind the deal Celtic have struck with Icelandic club, Fram, for the signature of 20-year-old striker, Holmbert Aron Fridjonsson.

Holmbert may or may not be the next Ibrahimavic, experience suggests you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs in this game to find the one you’re looking for, but if Celtic are to bring a player to Glasgow who is capable of hitting the top, we’ll have to get him before the hundred-or-so other clubs floating around the wealthy leagues of Europe, which means we shop early.

We can afford to sign a few at £100k in an effort to fill just one place in the team.  The argument could also be made that our more expensive players have only a marginally higher success rate than those signed for six figures or less.

Thanks for the big response to the launch of the second edition of the CQN Annual [which is now shipping]yesterday, as well as CQN Magazine, and the ‘10’ event, which the occupants of the comments section are being given a head start on.

If you are on or near South Uist tomorrow make sure you take in the Hebridean cultural event of the year, when Alex O’Henley has a book signing of his biography of Celtic great, Malky MacDonald at the Dark Island Hotel from 1-2pm, before a Q&A at the Polochar Inn, from 7-8:30pm.

Not only does the book chart the life and achievements of a pre-war Celtic great, it does so in two languages (English when read one way, flip the other way for Gaelic).  It’s a great work, available from the Islands Book Trust.
[calameo code=000390171e05b9b63a832 lang=en page=1 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500] Order your CQN Annual here:


Puchase Options




Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

990 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 12
  5. 13
  6. 14
  7. 15
  8. 16
  9. 17
  10. 18
  11. ...
  12. 27

  1. blantyretim.

     

     

    I’ve got the most important piece of equipment my phone I’ll be going home around 5.or 6pm, so don’t require meds until I have a meal tonight.

     

    I’ve just taken my 18 tablets for this morning. I’ll end up at Ibrox today,I’m feeling like a Zombie, so may as well join them.

  2. Cowiebhoy – excellent start to the day, thanks. Will email Laura later today.

     

    She’s doing a fine thing.

     

    HH

  3. Big Nan.

     

    Don’t want to be patronising but your presentation, calmness under challenge and all round confidence in reply were first class.

     

     

    One thing does puzzle me. What’s this “Big Nan” thing all about. Have I missed something?

     

     

    I had an Auntie Nan and you look nothing like her.

  4. stpatricksbhoy

     

     

    07:48 on 15 November, 2013

     

    Cowiebhoy

     

    22:54 on

     

    14 November, 2013

     

    ** Message from Laura on behalf of HCPT group 77 **

     

     

    Well done Laura and all who supported her.Keep us all in your prayers when you get to Lourdes.

     

    Our Lady of Lourdes pray for us.

     

    Hail Hail.

     

     

    Thanks for the message,

     

     

    My birthday is on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes :-)

     

    The photo in the magazine, Doc put up, is on that day, with the Lisa Hague, wee Oscar tie

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. yarranabbe bhoy

     

     

    07:54 on 15 November, 2013

     

     

    “Gallant pioneer” ye maybe, I was one of the first or even the first to put a celtic poster up in the machine shop.

     

     

    Hope all goes well at the agm. Phoenix at 2.00 will need to do for me. Need a kip now.

  6. Must be more bad news coming from ibrokes soon…….

     

    Papers are full of negative story’s about Celtic, super joes ready to leave, brown ignores Lennon on Scotland, big FF might not get picked for England. The press just can’t handle it HH

  7. Brian

     

     

    08:24 on 15 November, 2013

     

     

    Big Nan.

     

    Don’t want to be patronising but your presentation, calmness under challenge and all round confidence in reply were first class.

     

     

    One thing does puzzle me. What’s this “Big Nan” thing all about. Have I missed something?

     

    ……………………………………..

     

    Brian you don’t need to explain I will take all the praise that is going and there has been copious amounts of it on CQN because every plaudit gives me satisfaction that I did the subject justice and that was a possibility that I dreaded.

     

     

    Having canvassed, begged, cajoled, all repeatedly, posters on here and elsewhere I could not have lived with myself if after having done so I made a fool of myself and by inference and association my supporters so the praise is music to my ears as my worst fear was that a mob would be baying for my head for letting them down.

     

     

    Big Nan is simple. 44+years ago I married Agnes (Nan) a tall brunette air-stewardess with British Caledonia. This tall (big), jet-black haired woman is now more of a pleasantly plump, shortish, blonde who doesn’t often use CQN so I can say this without fear of retribution from my wonderful wife, who in turn reckons that she married a handsome, tall, athletic brown-haired Adonis who is now a balding silver fox wi a fat belly.

     

     

    Marriage is a marvellous institution and I am the luckiest man in Scotland to have met and married my nom de plume!

  8. BEDROOM TAX: The most invidious and insidious tax ever. And invented by New Labour.

     

     

    New Labour had a chance to correct their horrible mistake by voting against this tax….46 New Labour MPs failed to vote against this reprehensible tax.

     

     

    The tax remains: The Peoples Party.

     

    Aye Right!

  9. Morrisey the 23rd

     

     

    Sorry I can’t make the AGM today, but you have my proxy. Thank you for fighting the good fight and I look forward to reading the reports of proceedings on here later on.

     

     

    HH

  10. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    Good luck to the Bhoys going to the AGM today I hope you get some satisfaction from the answer to your resolution.H.H.

  11. BIG NAN

     

     

    Indeed we do live in interesting times,and with people of your calibre around then such interesting times just might also become a watershed for the Scottish makers and shakers to behave with more transparency in future.

     

     

    Hope springs eternal and thank you for putting your head above the parapet.

     

     

    Wonderful public performance the other day, sir.

     

     

    Proud to have signed your petition.

     

     

    Keep on Keeping on.

  12. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    Big Nan – I got round to watching your bravura performance last night – as composed and assured an appearance as I’ve ever seen. I hope you dont mind me making a contrarian point though – as I’m sure your response will enhance your argument; my point is about privacy. I’m worried about the argument “If they have nothing to hide, then there’s nothing to worry about in this proposal” – as this argument is used by governments across the globe (including our own) to introduce the most invasive surveillance of their population. How do you square your proposal with an individual’s right to privacy?

  13. mighty tim supporting wee Oscar on

    Morning Bhoys and Ghirls good luck to all at the AGM today and I hope that resolution 12 gets through. Thank you Canamalar, Morissey the 23rd, Auldhied and BRTH. I think this is just the start no matter how the vote goes.

     

     

    Big Nan just watched you this morning sir, you were quite magnificent. The ease in which you swatted them aside was incredible. As MLK said I have a Dream keep it lit mo character.

     

     

    Weefra I hope you feel better today remember it’s always good to wake up being a Tim. Take care pal.

     

     

    Blantyretim read back late last night and noticed that I may have to come out of retirement on the 22nd. I am working on it and trying to get a swap of shift as I would like to attend the KSC that night. Also a favour to ask I cannot get internet access at my work today and working till 10.30 tonight can you txt me how the resolutions 10,11,12 get on today. Thank you.

     

     

    Good luck bhoys.

     

     

    KTF

     

     

    HH

  14. canamalar this is your day mate. Power to the small shareholders and the Celtic support. You struck the flame and others carried the torch so well done mate. Enjoy the moment. It is a big deal. I hope that Celtic PLc respond in a meaningful way. We are all Celtic. Stay positive and be part of moving forward. Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

  15. Today is a very big day for Celtic. Good luck to the resolutioners. To the board please recognise what is in front of you represents a crossroads for the club.

  16. Cold & damp in by the beach in South Ayrshire.

     

    “aff oot” to my 1st AGM.

     

    Should be interesting.Up the resolution.

  17. Thanks for that BN.

     

     

    On a less light hearted note it was interesting that only one person declared himself a non mason. I am sure most of us were weighing up the others one by one.

     

     

    Perhaps in another country this sensitive issue would have been addressed by the chair before proceedings. Something along the lines of, ” Before we begin, does anyone wish to declare an interest?”

     

     

    Maybe not in Scotland.

  18. Estadio Nacional on

    drambowiecelt 21:51

     

     

    Apologies for the late reply, gosh sided tracked…

     

     

    Forster

     

     

    Fisher, Ambrose, van Dijk, Izzy

     

     

    ……….. Biton……..

     

     

    Forrest………………. Commons

     

     

    ………… Rogic…….

     

     

    Stokes and Pukki

     

     

     

    For AC Milan

     

     

    Forster

     

     

    Fisher, Ambrose, van Dijk, Izzy

     

     

    Forrest, Kayal, Ledley, Samaras

     

     

    ……..Commons

     

     

    ………. Stokes

     

     

    Keep it tight and hope to get joy on the wings, win corners or free kicks as is the managers creative limits.

     

     

     

    What’s your thoughts?

  19. We have committed individuals like Tom Minogue, Morrissey,Canamalar,Paul Brennan,Phil MacG,to name but a few articulating our thoughts and hopes and fears in public forums.We are in good hands and our blogosphere Bhoys never stifle debate or counter arguments ,which I think is brilliant.

     

     

    The Orcs have Leggo the Jakey,McTurdo the Evangelist, Chris Graham the deluded and the sinister Vanguard Deady Bears…….says it all really.

     

     

    Enjoy your day today Bhoys…..Wish I was in my city of birth today joining you all for a beer.

     

     

    300 miles south….working from home ….eating kit kats and drinking coffee but wishing I was staggering along the Gallowgate late afternoon with a fish supper in hand, after a skinfull in the company of the CQN malcontents.

     

     

    Hail Hail…..great to be a Tim.

  20. The Spirit Of Arthur Lee on

    Today’s word is ………………. Fluctuations

     

     

    I was at my bank today; there was a short line.

     

     

    There was just one lady in front of me, an Asian lady who was trying to exchange yen for dollars.

     

     

    It was obvious she was very irritated ….

     

     

    She asked the teller, “Why it change? Yesterday, I get two hunat dolla fo yen.

     

     

    Today I only get hunat eighty?

     

     

    Why it change?”

     

     

    The teller shrugged his shoulders and said,

     

     

    “Fluctuations.”

     

     

    The Asian lady says, “Fluc you whities too”

  21. Morning all

     

     

    Reading the blog from last night before heading off to work. Sorry if o offended anybody with my comments re Bobby Shearer. Family feuds and that!

     

     

    Anyway read Sheik Yerbouti’s best 11 – good team I’ll admit but I’ll counter with

     

     

    Banks

     

    Mcgrain

     

    Moore

     

    Beckenbauer

     

    Maldini

     

    Johnstone

     

    Gerson

     

    Socrates

     

    Marradonna

     

    Pele

     

    Van Basten

     

     

    Subs

     

    Zoff

     

    Baresi

     

    Matthaeus

     

    Best

     

    Cruyff

     

     

    No current players though when Pirlo, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi retire who knows?

     

     

    Vive la resolution

     

     

    Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox

  22. Spirit of a.l

     

     

    Belter

     

     

    Good luck at the agm everyone and have a nice scone and tea after it you deserve it after all the hard work you have put in. HH, I think with what you have done agms today’s and in the future are going to be a lot more interesting.

     

    HH

  23. It could be a great night for Fraser Forster as he is in line to pick up his first international cap. That would surely give him even ore confidence moving forward – and a trip to Brazil to play for.

     

     

    Good luck big man.

  24. Phyllis Dietrichson

     

     

    08:51 on 15 November, 2013

     

     

    Big Nan – I got round to watching your bravura performance last night – as composed and assured an appearance as I’ve ever seen. I hope you dont mind me making a contrarian point though – as I’m sure your response will enhance your argument; my point is about privacy. I’m worried about the argument “If they have nothing to hide, then there’s nothing to worry about in this proposal” – as this argument is used by governments across the globe (including our own) to introduce the most invasive surveillance of their population. How do you square your proposal with an individual’s right to privacy?

     

    …………………………..

     

    ################

     

    Phyllis Dietrichson…….Thanks for the compliment and being something of a contrarian myself I welcome that view and I agree with you that there would be a danger to an individual’s right to privacy if my petition sought to interfere with individuals as such, but I don’t target individuals I target “Decision Makers” those who act in a judicial or quasi-judicial capacity and assume powers which affect the lives of others, sometimes affecting the lives of others to the extent of a life in prison.

     

     

    With these powers come grave responsibilities and in particular the duty to reassure those being judged that they are being judged fairly. So there is a balance between the rights of arbiters and their responsibilities and the ECHR is clear that when there are any doubts raised about the impartiality of any arbiter/court there is an obligation on the court to show not only that their impartiality passes the subjective test, but the objective one as required by law.

     

     

    A good example of this two-part test was in the case of Victor Duncan’s partly successful appeal to the Social Security Commissioners. But of course SPICe omitted that publicly reported case from their briefing and instead dwelled on the 10 page submission from Grand Lodge which played on 2 spurious Italian cases about job discrimination of Masons. See my petition facebook page for Victor Duncan’s case which together with Domstol rules I will insist is considered.

     

     

    Funny that the PPC decide to ask the police’s view (who don’t feature in my petition but do in GL’s) but omit my 2 strongest sources, Norway and DHSS.

     

     

    Am I up against it? You better believe it!

  25. Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon

     

    09:33

     

     

    Aye, good luck to big Fraser, but he will need to play well.

     

     

    Chile are a very, very interesting team, often using an attacking and unusual 3-4-3 formation. They have the players for it. It usually means both teams get chances. I think England’s slow midfield will really struggle and that Chile will get quite a few chances, suggesting that the big Celtic bhoy will be called upon on plenty of occasions.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 12
  5. 13
  6. 14
  7. 15
  8. 16
  9. 17
  10. 18
  11. ...
  12. 27