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You are at:»»Armstrong, Asset Management, the folly of the past

Armstrong, Asset Management, the folly of the past

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

You remember the days we used to bang on about Asset Management?  The Martin O’Neill was glorious but that team left with barely a dowry.  Great players were kept on ever-increasing wages, some until they could scarcely run the length of themselves.  Tales of John Hartson’s bleep test live in the memory!

This was unquestionable folly.  Celtic lost money each season under Martin (and Gordon Strachan), debt rose ever-higher, while the background noise was an incessant call to spend more money.  The early days of CQN saw demands to show the kind of ambition Sir David Murray did at Rangers, or for Dermot Desmond to donate cash, by some who had confused Celtic’s charitable ethos with being a charity case.

A successful trading strategy is crucial for any club to achieve its potential.  Keep them on wages you can afford and sell them to a wealthier market when you cannot get them to extend their contract.

All of those great goals from Stuart Armstrong, the Cup Final equaliser, all those trophies he won, cost the club zero.  Absolutely nothing.  His transfer fee to Dundee United and entire wage bill was more than covered by the fee from Southampton.  In fact, we made a profit, which is available for us to kick on with.

There were two alternatives:

Let him leave without compensation next year.  Celtic would be busy looking for a replacement as Stuart’s agent would be shopping him around.  And there would be no money to reinvest.

Or, break the wage structure to match what he can get in England.  And even then, he might still fancy a the chance in England.  There are some players worth breaking the wage structure for, but with all due respect to Stuart, you can only do it for an unequivocal first choice.

More important than the money, Celtic cannot stagnate.  There are lots of reasons to feel good about our general domestic brilliance, but your football club regards itself as a Champions League operation.  On that front, we have plenty of room for improvement.

Just as there are limits to our wage bill, there are practical limits to the squad size.  We need to churn those on the fringes and try to replace them with players who will become un-droppable.

Best of luck at our benefactor-by-the-sea, Stuart.  I hope you are a huge success.

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  1. beatbhoy on

    Insanè decision to leave out Leroy by Löw, paid das Preis.

     

     

    Ripped up the EPL as Citeh romped it. And Germany had not one player who could run at, and take on, a defender.

     

     

    Maybe he had been on here reading how shit the EPL is, and acted accordingly.

     

     

    Dummer Mann!

  2. Neustadt-Braw on

    oh oh …will give the Germans a wee half hour before I console them with knowing nods of the head….should be a lot of free beir to go around …

     

     

    smiley hoopy birthday to Angel Gabreil thing

     

     

    Braw

  3. beatbhoy on

    BMCUW@12:20

     

     

    Lovely day up here, so thanks for saving me having to come on to make the point about the MO’N miracle turnaround (again).

  4. 50 shades of green on

    A very youthful Celtic XI will play a friendly against Lowland League side East Kilbride with that match kicking off at 7pm.

     

     

     

    Did not know that,,, borrocks

  7. beatbhoy on

    Just puked there as Lineker smiled smugly, waving a hand, saying ‘Wiedersehen’.

     

     

    That’s why ABE abounds.

  8. beatbhoy on

    Still watching replays of the GOAT’s wonderful goal. As I said previously, it’s the beauty of so many of them.

  11. jinkyredstar on

    BBC commentators sound like that criminal Stuart Hall at It’s a Knockout

     

     

    I have no affiliation for Germany but the Playskool crew on Engurkand TV would make you boke.

     

     

    Well Karma has a big rid hot poker and I hope a country without brollies and bowlers sticks it right up their ……..chairs

     

    ABE

  12. Tontine Tim on

    THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 27TH JUNE 2018 12:26 PM

     

     

    Tontine

     

     

    IIRC the other team was Vorwaerts of East Germany, the very team Celtic play this afternoon.

     

     

    *Hmm I think it was our old friends Rapid Vienna, well they were our friends back then, green and white strip. As for cheering when we heard baxter had broken his leg, I know that sounds kind of hunnish but he was a thorn in our side at the time and this was just pre-Jock time, we had nothing else tae cheer about.

     

     

    I recall Tims cheering when caldow broke his at Wembley, in fact one remarked that it was a pity he wisnae treated like horses when they broke theirs.

  13. beatbhoy on

    Schönes langes Glas, und Flaschen von Erdinger Weissbier im Kühlschrank, aber nicht veil länger!

  19. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    The last time the Germans failed to make it out of the

     

    group stages was 1938……………we know what happened

     

    in 1939.

     

     

    justsayinglikeCSC.

  23. Delaneys Dunky on

    NBRS

     

    A now defunct team called Rangers won the league in Scotland. Think something happened in Poland too.

  25. 50 shades of green on

    Aye it’s that time of the year when CQN diets bite the dust…..

     

     

    Sausages anyone ???

  27. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    Tontine and WeeBobbyCollins

     

     

    Thanks to both of you for reminding me that it was Rapid Vienna who played Rangers when Baxter broke his leg. I think Rapid wore green and white hoops at Ibrox. Rangers played Voerwarts the same season and I think there was an issue because of fog, Game had to be rearranged or something. Huns won.

  29. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Wee teaser:

     

    4 Celtic players have captained Scotland at Wembley v England.

     

    Any idea????????

  32. Matt Stewart on

    Neustadt-Braw, on my wee ramble yesterday I noticed that you had started up a wee delivery business in Polmadie…..If it isnae you, you should be claiming recompense (I nearly to my eternal shame said ‘royalties’ there)….:)

     

     

    MInd you I cannae understand why anyone was ordering a pizza frae Edinburgh.

     

     

    http://alturl.com/ozryw

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    Matt (If you could do me a meat feast at about 9.30pm I’d be in your debt)

  35. weebobbycollins on

    Who thought up ‘scented poo bags?’ Ridiculous! Obviously wasn’t a dog owner…

  40. CaltonTongues on

    Why do we go to Austria ?? every year? Every year they’re kicking the shit out of us. I know it’s mainly youngsters tonight but, If Broony or Griffiths get injured????

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