You and I know there is still work to so, but ask Newco fans or client journalists and they will tell you, they are out of the league chase this season, the title is going to Celtic. The question is why? At the very least, they have to give some credit to Celtic.
Ange Postecoglou transformed Celtic from the moment he arrived, bringing players from a market few in Europe had proper access to. Despite losing the title in 2021, the infrastructure at Celtic and profile of the squad was sufficient to raise money in order to scout, buy or loan with an option, Kyogo, Hatate, Maeda, Jota, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Juranovic, Hart and more.
The rebuild process continued at Celtic Park in the summer, consequentially, Celtic have won all but one of their domestic games this season. They are imperious rivals, far stronger than the side which lost their way in season 2020-21. If you want to compete against them, you need a comparable budget and scouting system; Newco have neither.
Despite taking over midway through a campaign, Giovanni van Bronckhorst won one of the two domestic trophies available to him. His immediate predecessor won one from nine. As we left Hampden in April, out of the Scottish Cup, we knew we had a resourceful rival.
In what seemed an impossibility, he eliminated Sparta Prague, Brondby, Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and Leipzig on his way to the Europa League Final in Seville, losing in the narrowest of margins possible. History will record that this record was one of incredible overachievement.
Then came the summer. He sold his two best players, bringing in over £30m in transfer fees this calendar year, money that would have been enough to challenge Celtic, but he was allowed to spend less than half this figure. After qualifying for the Champions League group stage – something I never thought I would see – Giovanni was given no additional funds. Zilch!
Two weeks ago I explained some of what happened inside Celtic when Neil Lennon’s side came off the rails, why Celtic did not sack him early in the season, how it is easy to sack a manager but immeasurably more difficult to get the next decision right. In particular, that “Proportionality of response is required if you are to be taken seriously by serious candidates.”
Celtic could have recruited those desperate for a job, but right then, they were not attracting a candidate that convinced them to hand them the keys to the kingdom. If you think ANYONE inside Ibrox right now believes they have a plan to flip fortunes with Celtic, you are wildly mistaken.
In that earlier piece I wrote, “[Newco] can sack a manager who achieved spectacularly for them, or face down some entitled fans. It will be a measure of their board if they are prepared to take abusive flack personally when a scapegoat is available.”
Abusive. Flack. Personally. This is impossibly difficult. I watched it at Celtic, when Peter Lawwell took on the grief because, as he told me at the time, he believed that firing Neil just months after his successes, would make it more difficult for him to attract a great candidate. He wanted to be able to say to a new manager, “I have your back when the going gets tough”. This counts in football.
The experience was painful and in all honestly, I don’t know if I would have gone through the same. It is no surprise those in charge at Newco reached for a scapegoat instead of facing down their more entitled fans at next month’s AGM.
There is another pertinent question, why didn’t Newco sign anyone after disposing of PSV Eindhoven to reach the Champions League group stage? Why were they unable to invest more of the cash they took in, or some of the guaranteed European revenue? Why did they send Gio into battle naked?
For this, I refer you to two news articles published in September.
Firstly, Uefa’s statement on 2 September. Newco were one of 19 clubs mentioned that Uefa said “will be monitored closely in the upcoming period” with regards to the new Financial Fair Play regulations.
Then in his annual report, Celtic chief executive, Michael Nicholson wrote, “Celtic played a significant role at a strategic and technical level in the development of the new regulations.” Having crossed swords with Uefa on FFP for many years, last season, Peter Lawwell spent half a day a week working with Association on their new FFP regulations.
He was hugely influential in drafting their objectives, which were material in inhibiting Newco from splurging cash again – material in what happened today. When I read the new FFP regulations in the summer, I mentioned to ‘sources close to Celtic’, “This is going to get wee Gio the sack.” I wasn’t wrong. From now on, if you want to catch Celtic, live within your means, run a good business, recruit good people and take your chances with the rest of them.
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ERNIE LYNCH on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 12:57 PM
WHAT IS THE STARZ on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 12:43 PM
“God bless Peter Lawwell,”
###
“I’ll see you and raise you.
Peter Lawwell bless God.
Now beat that for sycophancy.”
Peter Lawwell God, bless. por cierto
another half-mill coming, thanks Peter, your scouting picks up players who are good enough to go to the world cup, cheers.
——————————
Former Celtic players in Qatar
Ex-Celts at the 2022 World Cup include Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands), Timothy Weah (USA), Jackson Irvine (Australia) and Olivier Ntcham (Cameroon). Only Frimpong and Ntcham can make Celtic any additional money.
Taking that into account it seems the club would qualify for one-third each of Frimpong and Ntcham’s group-stage participation, netting them approximately £45,000 for the former and £42,500 for the latter (depending on how they factor in his Marseille loan spell).
Of course, this estimated combined total of £460,000 to £500,000 or so is all based on group-stage participation only.
If any of the six go further in the tournament then Celtic will be entitled to even more, within the round-by-round maximums.
How much did Celtic earn last time?
During the last edition, in Russia, Celtic earned $1,186,062 (£929,480). Manchester City topped the lot with $5,003,440 (£3,924,348).
Four Parkhead players were at the 2018 World Cup: Dedryck Boyata (Belgium), Cristian Gamboa (Costa Rica), Mikael Lustig (Sweden) and Tom Rogic (Australia).
Boyata went furthest with Belgium eventually beating England in the third-place play-off. Lustig made the quarter-finals with Sweden while both Gamboa and Rogic were eliminated at the group stage.
Three other ex-Celts – John Guidetti (Sweden), Jackson Irvine (Australia) and Ki Sung-Yueng (South Korea) – were there but none qualified for payment due to their departure dates.
Tom
Dont care. I beleive it :)
Can anyone provide an accurate guess on the size of Gio’s payoff?
A signed picture of Gareth Southgate to the winner.
That Gareth Southgate makes Craig Levien look like personality of the year.
AN TEARMANN on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 1:57 PM
If your in the Coatbridge area
https://twitter.com/derekmc29243796/status/1594476959521816577?t=0OvBsikMX5GQmavbbp_s7Q&s=19
HH
AN TEARMANN on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 1:57 PM
If your in the Coatbridge area
https://twitter.com/derekmc29243796/status/1594476959521816577?t=0OvBsikMX5GQmavbbp_s7Q&s=19
HH
AT
St Bernard’s parish shawhead, not that far from Xavs are doing the same from 6-9pm Tues and Thurs.
Just back and haven’t seen the England game. Will I need to do any cheering because they did the Djalili suggestion?
Why do we have to put up with McCoist???
to be honest with you ………………
feckin lying bassa
PARKHEAD
Totally agree. IF you listen to what he actually says (I know, I know) he offers almost zero insight in to what you are watching. In Russia four years ago, flown over and put up in a hotel for three weeks or so, he actually said something like “…he buzzed down the wing, cracked it over, the big man meets it with his napper, goal!”
And I thought, what the actual eff does he add? Jobs for friends, as usual.
Dutch Orange looks a bit off colour ?
Ally McCoist commentary – pitiful
McCoist is an arrogant hun barsteward who covers his bigotry up with smart ass remarks. The majority of the viewers in UK don’t know he is a tnuc. We do.
Fred
Aye indeed J
I have on dutch commentary
I dont speak dutch and all I know is “a crepe and a shmoke”
Still makes more sense than lisyening to mccoist
Who would win in a fight between the Senegalese drums and that fat tit McCoist’s voice?
Mod 1888
Someone creped into the crypt and crapped upon the stairs, the finger of suspicion points at you…..😂😂
“Having crossed swords with Uefa on FFP for many years, last season, Peter Lawwell spent half a day a week working with Association on their new FFP regulations.”
You can say what you want about big Pedro…
That feels better doesn’t it.
Anyway when Rangers were around he didn’t seem to know what the FFP rules were, to the point of insisting upon a “silver bullet”, from those who were demanding action on Rangers’ cheating the FFP to get a UEFA license.
Once Rangers died it seemed he thought Celtic had to continually sell our “high value” players to compete in the UEFA champions league, we didn’t need 40 million in the bank to comply.
So it’s good he’s crammed up on it and now he’s resigned, seems to have eventually grasped the thing.
To think he wasn’t responsible for Neil Lennon’s resignation but is responsible for Gio’s – crazy eh!!
It’s looks like as the squad returns from the other side of the planet
Big Pedro looks like returning from a parallel universe.
You couldn’t make it up
Oh, wait a minute.
Hail Hail
MODERATOR1888
Is that a euphamism for — ‘I’ve been smoking weed’ ?
BOURNESOUPRECIPE 4.35
A Senegalese drum rammed up his erchie would make me laugh.
McCoist’s commentating is rotten – it really is!!!
I have to say, McCoist is a good commentator, if I’m being honest.
At least he brings a bit of down-to-earth humour to the show and speaks like the man on the terrace.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 4:04 PM
Just back and haven’t seen the England game. Will I need to do any cheering because they did the Djalili suggestion?
_______
Never saw it but I doubt it. Harry & Co maybe needed schooled a bit on the good cause front.
If Kevin “Muskie” Muskrat gets the hun job, will hoopy appear dressed as Deputy Dawg the first time they come calling to Celtic Park?
Couldn’t comment on McCoist commentary. Immediate use of mute button for me when he is on.
In 2021Ally Mccoist was voted the UK’s most popular co- commentaror.
I have no axe to grind with McCoist. If he’s good and trusted enough for the family of the late great Tommy Burns then that’s good enough for me.
HH.
My pal used to work in The Nile in the late 80s. A well know pub for the Rangers team.
He said McCoist was OK and apologised a couple of times for some of the others. He said the most loathsome was Gough; racist stuff.
My pal is a Buddie so no axe to grind, just his observations
After 5 minutes of the second half the padded seats above the halfway line are still slow to fill up.
The Scotch Pies in Qatar must be brilliant.
McCoist loves this ‘“cheeky chappie” persona. I don’t buy it, he’s like everyone who played for them – cow-towing to the hun hordes and encouraging them in their vile singalongs.
Super Salary’s inability to keep his inane comments short is grating. Champion brings in the Rainjurz to keep ‘the Union’ alive
Just spotted the hoops behind the Senegal goalie
My nephew, who is Celtic daft, is a PGA golf pro and has played a few rounds with McCoist won’t hear a bad word said against him.
I agree with Tom, he brings the common touch to proceedings and a bit of humour. The worst one for contributing less than zero has to be the one co-commentating on their CL games. Kevin Thomson I think. Could hardly string a sentence together.
CONEYBHOY
In 1989 — the night Arsenal pipped Liverpool to the league at Anfield — I held a job-leaving party in a pub just off George Square. We were downstairs in a function suite.
Some of us noticed Ally McCoist, Ian Durrant (on crutches) and a fringe player (McDonald?) were upstairs. After a while, the bar owner approached me and asked if McCoist and 2 of his mates could sit in the corner as they were getting a bit of grief upstairs. I agreed.
McCoist approached me, shook me by the hand and thanked me. He also said he had put £50 behind the bar to buy my party a drink.
He spent time signing autographs and posing for pictures with some of the girls. They stayed for about an hour before he thanked me again before leaving.
He was very much the gentleman with not a bit of arrogance about him.
exactly how thems expect a new manager to polish a turd, I do not know
Gakpo scores the exact goal Giakoumakis should have scored in Warsaw v Shakhtar.
they have no idea the extent of the rebuild ahead of them
CCV a sub
Not really into football finances . But I can’t quite get sevco raking in europa run money , crazy money for bassy , crazy fees for Paterson , aribo cash With CL money to come , and they never made any attempt to by players , hope were watching that mob , something smells again .