As good as it gets at centre half

124

Last week I wrote that Celtic were lucky their central defensive crisis happened during the transfer window.  They had time to make their move, although the requirement could not have been easy to fit.

A player was needed who could play in the Champions League alongside a young Swedish defender who is new to the club.  That sets the bar quite high, but the player would also know that with two new central defenders signed this window, Brendan Rodgers will be motivated to develop them whenever possible.  Game time may tail off when Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki return to fitness.

I would walk past Nat Phillips without recognising him on Buchannan St this afternoon, but on paper, he is about as good as we could hope for.  Interestingly, he was the player Bournemouth signed as replacement for Carter-Vickers when his loan period there ended two years ago.

I hope he spends much of today and tomorrow in the company of Gustaf Lagerbielke.  They have lots to talk about before Sunday.

Welcome to Celtic, Nat.  Own it, while you’re here!

More blogging to come today.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

124 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4

  1. All the while Pedro is counting his bonus..

     

     

    Even got his son a gig.

     

     

    Liarsinccsc

     

     

    D :)

  2. SAINT STIVS @ 4:47 PM,

     

     

    You come across as a smart guy

     

     

    So I’m sure you know when to use the data and when to use your experience

     

     

    There has to be room for signing prospects, we can identify these players, we can develop these players, we can give them experience in elite competitions

     

     

    It’s huge

     

     

    If we don’t take our eye off the ball, that football is a results business, and we have shown that you can’t take a season off.

     

     

    You fly backwards, no disrespect to Lenny, he was a great player, replaced Paul Lambert, he is a good manager, he isn’t a great manager and didn’t replace BR.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  3. BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 5:09 PM

     

     

    The immiseration of Celtic Football club. How effing depressing.

     

     

    HH

  4. KPI’s are for normal corporate commercial businesses .

     

    Football clubs are not normal commercial businesses.

     

    Nomatter how much anyone knows about commerce and balance sheets, this knowledge is not transferable to a football club.

     

     

    For example: DD has facilitated some players by paying renumeration out of his own deep pockets. I’m absolutely sure that his other business interests are far more lucrative and would follow stated KPI’S .

     

     

    In my opinion of course.

     

     

    HH.

  5. The Battered Bunnet on

    “DD has facilitated some players by paying renumeration out of his own deep pockets.”

     

     

    FFSCSC 🤦‍♂️

  6. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    As well as checking Celtic transfer progress on Newsnow, I keep tabs on Brentford.

     

     

    Brentford are quite happy to splurge £30 or £40 million on a new forward – but the players they want seem to think they have better options.

     

     

    Different budget – same problems.

  7. I too thought that Brendan’s demeanour was a bit on the down side at his press conference but maybe that’s because Ange was always so masterful in that situation. I’m sure a great win on Sunday will give him (and us) a lift.

  8. HAIRLIKESPAGHETTI @ 5:29 PM,

     

     

    That’s great news, heard rumours but great to hear it confirmed.

     

     

    Think the bhoy has bags of potential

     

     

    Hail Hail

  9. GREENPINATA on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 5:18 PM

     

    KPI’s are for normal corporate commercial businesses .

     

     

     

     

    Football clubs are not normal commercial businesses.

     

     

     

     

    No matter how much anyone knows about commerce and balance sheets, this knowledge is not transferable to a football club.

     

     

    ———————————-

     

     

    30 years nearly as a PLC, you would think they would know what they are doing by now –

     

     

     

    STRATEGY, THE BUSINESS MODEL AND OBJECTIVES

     

     

    The Group’s objective is to create a world class football club through our strategy and business model for growth focusing on three key areas:

     

     

    (i) Core Business – football operations

     

    with a self-sustaining financial model, relying upon: youth academy; player development; player recruitment; management of the player pool; sports science and performance analysis; and football

     

    success.

     

     

    (ii) Development of the Celtic Brand –

     

    incorporating the Celtic Park Masterplan and the development of international revenues.

     

     

    (iii) Improvement in the football environment in which Celtic plays –

     

    representation within football governance and administration at domestic and European level.

     

     

    If you could tell me how those strategies for growth are not normal commercial business operating as a PLC

     

    then I am all ears …..

  10. more bloody business jargon in those annual reports, look at this corporate guff from the 2022 one –

     

     

    THE BUSINESS REVIEW

     

     

    The principal activity of the Group is the operation of a professional football club, with related and ancillary activities. The principal activity of the Company is to control and manage the main assets of the

     

    business whilst the majority of operating activity is carried out by a subsidiary of Celtic plc, Celtic F.C. Limited. As a result, both of these companies are managed and controlled as a single entity in order to

     

    achieve the objectives of the Group.

     

     

    The operation of a professional football club encompasses a wide range of activities including: football operations and investment; operation of the Celtic FC Youth Academy; match ticketing; merchandising; partner programmes; marketing and brand protection; multimedia; stadium operations; facilities and property; catering and hospitality; public relations, supporter relations; and human resources.

     

     

    The Group has three key revenue streams:

     

    (i) Football and Stadium Operations;

     

    (ii) Merchandising; and

     

    (iii) Multimedia and Other Commercial Activities.

     

     

    A segmental analysis of these streams is reported in Note 5 to the Financial Statements. Football and stadium operations includes all revenue in relation to all football operations, ticket office, stadium

     

    and youth development.

     

     

    Merchandising includes all retail, wholesale and e-commerce activities. Multimedia and other commercial

     

    activities include all other revenue generating departments including sponsorship and rights sales.

     

     

    Given the nature of the business, all revenue streams are inextricably linked to the success of the first team.

  11. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Abada’s new contract is like signing a new player😉

     

     

    Hatate’s new contract will be announced at 11.59👍

  12. and just to rub it in that it is a normal commercial business operating in the Football sector they go and hide measurabe outcome KPIs deep in the annual report –

     

     

    KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

     

     

    The Group monitors performance against the following key performance indicators:

     

     

    • Football success

     

    (refer to page 7 and page 35 Five Year Record);

     

     

    • Match attendance statistics

     

    (refer to page 7, Stadium and Matchday Operations and page 35 Five Year Record);

     

     

    • Sales performance per revenue stream

     

    (refer to The Financial Review page 10 and Note 5, Segmental Reporting);

     

     

    • Wage and other costs

     

    (refer to page 11, Operating Expenses and page 11, Current Trading and Outlook);

     

     

    • Capital expenditure

     

    (refer to page 11, Property Plant and Equipment);

     

     

    • Profit and cash generation

     

    (refer to page 12, Current Trading and Outlook);

     

     

    • Shareholder value

     

     

    (with weekly share price reporting disseminated within the business);

     

     

    and

     

     

    • Player trading

     

    (refer to page 11, Net Player Trading)

  13. Incredible that Follow Follow is a better place to be than a Celtic blog in a week when we have signed 3 players and maybe more. Offloaded 4 and we are set to play our rivals at the weekend.

     

     

    The negativity on here really reeks of arrogant customer entitlement which is more in line with what that lot over the city demonstrated back in the early 90s.

     

     

    Our board get plenty wrong. Compared to our rivals and most of football we are on another planet in terms of proper governance though.

  14. My Stoke supporting son in law reckons Sead Hakšabanović has had a medical but they’re looking for a loan move – at the same time POAK is not giving up on signing him

  15. The faux pro Board comments,re excellent posts about concern over lack of cover/investment in positions, from the Happy Clappers ,is very boring.

  16. BURNLEY78 on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 5:55 PM

     

     

    I thought your rant on Brendan Rodgers earlier would have been perfect on the pages of FF.

     

     

    I’m sure somewhere that dose of negativity has cheered up some sevconian nutjob.

     

     

    Ironic csc

     

     

    HH

  17. BURNLEY78 on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 5:55 PM

     

     

    Incredible that Follow Follow is a better place to be than a Celtic blog

     

     

    ————–

     

     

    there is a very very funny thread on there or rangers media about the european draw they had.

     

     

    as is their want they believe they are going to have a good season in the Europa because right now that is their level, and they will have the joy of picking up points and going on another journey and i quote

     

     

    “when we go to dublin we will follow on”

  18. !!BADA BING!! on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 6:00 PM

     

     

    Bada I know, Annual reports audited and filled on time are boring, but it is just a hobby i have while waiting on the window closing.

     

     

    I am hoping one day soon to take up a NED position myself , I find that if you want to know something about how a company operates, and then what their outcomes are those annual reports go someway to explain it.

     

     

    It is not a pro-board stance per se, but what it is is a source of proper information rather than made up stuff from unqualified people.

     

     

    Next someone will say I bet Lawell is getting a bonus for all this money in the bank.

     

     

    As an aside and doing my own fag packet analysis, if we did a live cash on hand and monies due analysis at midnight tonight we must have circa £70m in the bank or due in this next trading period.

  19. Gene – or we play them 2-3 times and give up on them due to the unforgiving nature of trophy hunting.

  20. BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 5:09 PM,

     

     

    Great Post – As Per…

     

     

    Selling him after two seasons for a mega price is part of the Celtic deal, they don’t tend to want to go to Dingwall or Livingston too often, life’s way too short.

     

     

    Oor Moussa to a “T” that wis….

     

     

    Hail Hail

  21. its possible to be positive whilst being a realist – are we stronger going into this season champs league campaign?

     

     

    I’ll always get behind the team and dream that Yang, Holm, Bernardo, Palma, Oh etc. exceed expectations at that level. The realist in me suggests they could flourish with experienced and stronger players anchoring them.

     

     

    I don’t think we fully accomplished that – central defense yes, LB No , center mid No and Striker support No

     

     

    Board operating at Scottish league ambition

  22. David 66 From earlier, as far as I’m aware the Celtic Chairman doesn’t receive a bonus, not sure what Lawwell does receive but somewhere in the back of my head, I think I read that the previous Chairman Bankier was paid 50,000 pa.

     

    It is a non executive position,

     

    The biggest earner now at Celtic Park will be Nicholson.

  23. This was our team selection when we played Real Madrid at home last year

     

     

    Hart, Taylor, Jenz, Carter-Vickers, Juranovic, McGregor, Hatate, O’Riley, Jota, Abada, Giakoumakis…

     

     

     

    Subs…Bain, Siegrist, Kyogo,Haksabanovic, Mooy, Turnbull, McCarthy, Bernabei, Maeda, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh…

     

     

    Stronger / weaker – who knows

  24. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Chelsea have just paid £42.5 million for a footballer who has started 3 league games in his career.

  25. GENE on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 6:04 PM

     

    The way projects become first team players is to play them. We don’t seem to be great at that.

     

     

    Gene, a quick scan, 30 players got game time in the first team last season.

     

     

    I would suggest the subs rule is in our favour for that, and also the end of season shuffles from ange. gave some irregulars a rare starting berth.

  26. CORKCELT on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 6:35 PM

     

    David 66 From earlier, as far as I’m aware the Celtic Chairman doesn’t receive a bonus, not sure what Lawwell does receive but somewhere in the back of my head, I think I read that the previous Chairman Bankier was paid 50,000 pa.

     

     

     

     

    It is a non executive position,

     

     

     

     

    The biggest earner now at Celtic Park will be Nicholson.

     

     

    ————

     

     

    Bankier was on 80k, Pedro will be on similar.

     

     

    Nicholson will be over a million a year once he does a full year in position

  27. Saint Stivs

     

    We don’t see a fringe player getting regular game time – I don’t want 30 different players

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4