Bitter lessons await

240

At the risk of touching on a topic that is best left until the end of the season, Leicester City were relegated to the third tier of English football yesterday, 10 years after being champions and five since they won the FA Cup.

The title win, Champions League campaign (and subsequent European runs), and revenue from selling some of the countries hottest talent at their peak, should have led to the reinforcement of the model which took them there and a lengthy period of top flight football.

Instead, they overspent and lost £92.5m in season 2021-22, then did the same the following season, resulting in am £89.5m loss, leading to the departure of manager Brendan Rodgers.  Winning the FA Cup against Chelsea in 2021 is one of the greatest football days for any Leicester fan, but it provided the seed for their downfall.  Confidence was sky-high, so there was no resistance when the football department wanted to change the model.

What’s it got to do with us?  Successful business models are difficult to put in place and easy to destroy.  Once they are gone, there is a lag before performance catches up, but it inevitably does.  We have football games to win over the next five weeks, but whether we win the league or not, I have concerns.

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  1. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    “In discussions……”.

     

     

    About a manager?

     

     

    You were telling us earlier someone had been appointed?

  2. lets all do the huddle on

    😄😄

     

     

    no, still some left.

     

     

    that site is a riot, get a different answer every time you refresh.

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  4. BSR @ 4:54 pm,

     

     

    Totally agree…

     

     

    And no, I don’t think they have the capability. (Getting the point of a comment and answering the question!! It will never catch on).

     

     

    The fact is the Managers…

     

     

    Tony Mowbray – Emptied in short order

     

    Lenny – Youth coach promoted, fingers crossed

     

    Ronny Delia – New first team coach, promoted, fingers crossed

     

    Brendan Rodgers – Teir one manager needed to stop the rot.

     

    Lenny MkII – Shower loitering, given the role fulltime fingers crossed

     

    Eddie Howe – Given the job, waiting on backroom staff, what!? No backroon staff ooops

     

    Ange – Sliding doors appointment, work well- who knew!?

     

    Brendan MkII – Needed to replace a top manager with a top manager – well, while we had UCL football anyway (thanks to our co-eff monkeys)

     

    MO’N MkII – Hail Mary appointment to steady the ship – steadies the ship

     

    Wilfried Nancy – He was French wasn’t he?

     

    MO’N MkIII – Hail Mary appointment to steady the ship…. to be continued…

     

     

    So no, they are clueless on the managerial front…

     

     

    Which kinda’ really concerns me, you see rumour had it, that someone, somewhere has appointed a new Manager for Glasgow Celtic football club…

     

     

    As you say…

     

     

    “The whole club needs restructured ( Ask Martin? ) on and off the park. We should be bringing in experienced, quality executives, a Head of Football operations empowered to overhaul the footballing departments, particularly around recruitment, analytics and player development. We should be aiming to be fully prepared for the mammoth job we are going to have in the summer to rebuild the squad, and re establish the chasm that opened in 2012

     

     

    It was my sincere hope that we would be well underway with at least the first part of that before some exsiting Executive said the “M” word…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Actually feel sorry for Leroy’s boy

     

    (It’s a generational thing)

     

     

    Comes across as a decent bloke.

     

     

    Doesn’t sound all Chelsea arrogant.

     

     

    Maybe that was part of the problem.

     

     

    3 months into a 78 month contract?

     

     

    Hopefully he has a good lawyer who chases Chelsea for eight figures and settles for very high seven.

  6. 🎶And you dared to call me a hypocrite while you looked down your nose

     

     

    When I think of the subverting deeds you chose🎵

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  8. Its all been cleared up now on Twitter

     

     

    it was James Madison fault, not Brendans, what a relief

     

     

    The Jets and the Sharks can stand down

     

     

    The butterfly effect that now separates Leicester & Everton by 2 leagues 🦋

     

     

    ————

     

     

    If James Maddison decided not to go out the night he met his wife… 👩‍❤️‍👨

     

     

    They wouldn’t have got pregnant & found out they were having twins the day before a crucial 6 pointer against Everton in May 2023.. 🤰🏼

     

     

    Causing Maddison to take the penalty off Vardy (who had scored 34 penalties for Leicester) because Maddison wanted to do the “rock the baby” celebration 👶🏼

     

     

    Which was saved by Jordan Pickford after a quick check of his water bottle which read:

     

    ‘James Maddison – Stay – 60% centre’ 💦

     

     

    Which turned out to be absolutely crucial on the final day as Everton avoided the drop and finished above Leicester by just 2 points, relegating them and starting their downward spiral to League 1👇🏼

     

     

    Had Vardy taken it, there’s a good chance Leicester and Everton positions could be in reverse positions right now & it could be Everton in League 1 😮‍💨

     

     

    It’s a funny old game.

     

     

    #LCFC #EFC

  9. that Leroy interview just now, he is like a character from east-enders.

     

     

    78 month contract, corporate diddies, we can sell him a chief exec if they want.

  10. the Bada Bing on

    BSR- Nobody was taking any responsibility

     

     

    Crisis ? What Crisis

     

     

    #supertramp

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  12. Clashcitybhoy on

    Being well down the road of appointing a manager is a long way from appointing one. It can mean anything from we’ve agreed to wait and see what emerges from this season, to we’ve set a structure, profile and process, we’ve contacted some agents or we know who we want etc.

     

    Personally, our key criteria should be finding someone who is better than MoN, and if we emerge with one or two trophies this year, that won’t be easy.

     

    One final point on Leicester, I remember a former boss telling me that you judge colleagues not just on the here and now, but on their legacy.

     

    Right now at Celtic, its not just BR whose legacy doesn’t look too clever.

  13. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Bada @ 5:52pm – Wow.

     

     

    I was miles out.

     

     

    Still can’t get my head round how much these guys earn nowadays.

     

     

    If a condition of the pay off is it stops or reduces when he finds his next job?

     

     

    … I’d put my feet up, find the remote, and be all over skyscanner every day.

  14. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    Reminder that the masters of the universe P67 refuses to scrutinise spent £11m on Tounetki and Balikwisha and planned to spend another £4m on Mvuka. A guy that looks like he won a raffle to play for Celtic.

     

     

    Nicholson is unspeakably crap as a CEO.

  15. Well that was a jovial wee jaunt to the village in E.K and in the company of the bould Kelvinbhoy .

     

    Good Celtic havering.

     

     

    All the best

     

     

    HH

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  17. the Bada Bing on 22nd April 2026 6:07 pm

     

    B2B- I guessed £7-8 million, but stories saying 24-25 million

     

     

     

    I dont believe these figures ever.

     

     

    Any fixed term contract at that level will have performance related break clauses, for both sides.

     

     

    For example, you must get us to CL position in season 2. Or losing x games in a row will be a performance penalty.

     

     

    Still walk away with millions though.

     

     

    what a racket football emplyment is.

     

     

    wouldnt it be funny if Brendan rolled up next.

  18. Bada Bing

     

     

    What’s the word on our latest managerial appointee?

     

     

    Any word my friend

     

     

    HH

  19. AT,

     

     

    I heard the new guy is actually working at the cup-final and will be appointed straight after.

  20. the Bada Bing on

    AT- My own guess is Askou, I think we are downsizing by the looks of it,he’s got average SPLF players playing well above their previous form ,Welsh,McGinn, O’Donnell….rumours we are looking at Just and MF from Hibs,sounds like we are staying local? Who knows mate,Herald had Thomas Frank this morning…

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  22. St .Stivs

     

     

    Wee bit of digging requested.

     

     

    I believe Turnstile Bar have requested of the licensing board for an extension(out the back) for up to 1,000 folk.

     

    Could you check it out ?

     

     

    Also,if so,how for you think the club would react?

     

     

    Is the turnstile bar a trojan horse for future development around the Celtic footprint? (I know that would be personal view)

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. Clashcitybhoy on

    Re Rosenior.

     

    Most clubs have break clauses in their managerial contracts – similar to a probation in most other jobs.

     

    Strangely, I dont think this is good news for us.

     

    There are a lot of “elite” managers available in the summer, but not so many elite jobs, which is where we fit in. Guys who can command £6/7m salaries may find that they need to go to a lower half EPL team paying £3/4m. Or, they look at a £2/3m job with a big fish in a small pond.

  24. I think where the argument from Brendan’s fan boys falls down is simple…

     

    Brendan had the final say on ALL player sales during his tenure.

     

    If the board had sold a single player in his time without his approval then that would have given him his perfect excuse to leave the job which he so badly wanted.

     

    He wrecked the squad deliberately so he could convince the majority of fans that it was the boards fault.

     

    To repeat myself….Did Brendan Rodgers say to the board…’ No, I don’t want to sell Oh, Lagerbielke, Kyogo, Kuhn etc’?

     

    No he did not…..Ask yourself why?

     

     

    Wait until the end of the season and you can guarantee that Celtic will reveal a lot more about this charlatan.

     

     

    Last thing…we might not win the league but we had absolutely no chance with BR in charge.

     

     

    BlesshimCSC

  25. Bada,

     

    I could ho along with Askou for the reasons you outline.

     

    For some reason my head is turned by Martinez,having been to a few games lately,rumours on my side of kids enrolled at school in Embra,

     

    But when are we right,I hope as Stivs infers the appointment is made and we are ready to go Monday after cup final

     

    As with yourself BB see out the victories and title are ny main focus.

     

     

    HH

  26. bournesouprecipe on

    World class balls, talking about the next appointment, from the guy that convinced himself that Wilfried Nancy was perfect for Celtic?

     

     

    Comedy of errors CSC

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  28. Anyway…defo time to park Brendan and concentrate every positive thought and every bit of energy on to supporting the team against Falkirk on Saturday evening.

     

    We all have a part to play.

     

    COYBIG

  29. An Tearmann on 22nd April 2026 6:23 pm

     

    St .Stivs

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Wee bit of digging requested.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I believe Turnstile Bar have requested of the licensing board for an extension(out the back) for up to 1,000 folk.

     

     

     

     

    Could you check it out ?

     

     

    ————–

     

     

    Funnily enough, daughter wanted to go see cars at Mount Vernon last friday, and that gave me the excuse to have a wee snoop around. Something is happening as the “palestine wall” at turnstyles has been cleared some of overgrown vegetation, and some tidy ups around the back that curves behind dalriada street. I thought this was a tunnel system, but that is before and after (through springfield road and onto whitby street).

     

    I would suggest some survey works have been done, but not yet site preperation works.

     

    The site itself, a long, thinish sliver, i suppose it will be depend on how much of the space behing the tenement block is in the scope.

     

     

    As to the plc, they might regret not getting ahead of somethng themselves, but with all these things, I wonder other than match-day, how do you generate enough revenues throught the rest of the year.

     

     

    I will go ask some people in the business what they know, and what they think.

     

     

    A few weeks ago, I was up past Ibrox after the cup game for a look see, Eddiemunster house was deserted.

     

    I will do more digging.

     

     

    I went to Barrowfield as well, and my immediate thought was, if you are here with another team you would struggle to find it, not a sign-post, not a banner, nothing.

     

     

    The old club as well, my goodness it needs some investment.

  30. Chelski

     

     

    I have zero time for.

     

    When i lived down there they were a yoyo club fron 2nd division who made it up,the odd season, if they had a goalscorer,in my time kerry dixon.

     

    Their ground was an absolute dump,3 sides of piggery and a 3 tier stand that put them in financial peril.

     

    Ken Bates aas at end of a couple of poor owners and had it up for sale and there was a Russian called Roman Abramovich who liked blue!

     

     

    Years and billions laundered thro Chelski,2 champions league tho.

     

    Their fans have the same job as ManU fans,they won’t reach that again.

     

     

    HH

  31. I find the Askou favouritism quite bizarre.

     

     

    Well play a Brendan like possession based football, with lighning Ange type bursts, but like us before them, it is found out over a season and savvy managers find a way to stifle it.

     

     

    Burst ball for the fella, imho.

     

     

    Lets see where their 5 team of the year players end up next.

  32. We would definitely won the League this season if Brendan had stayed.

     

     

    We’d have definitely won the League if Martin O’Neill had stayed…

     

     

    There is a slight possibility we might not win the League, if that does happen, and I think we’ll win it, but ifbit does happen…

     

     

    It will be due to the fact the somene appointed Wilfried Nancy & Co at a crucial time of the season.

     

     

    That’s not on Martin or Brendan.

     

     

    Hail Hail

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  34. bournesouprecipe on

    MON would be going for a treble had the board appointed him, ahem just the once

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