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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Ex Celt scores for USA.
Greenpinata,
For you to say what Sally said to NFL was not as bad as behaviour of some of our own towards him implies you know what he said. Do you? If so, please share.
Note: this is not condoning what our own did or said. It is merely an enquiry into if you know the facts or not.
Brilliant finish. Weah
Weah looks bigger..
Is Ramsay still world class?
Fred Colon
He did have world class breakfasts.
I remember the ole Burke and Weah
Undeserved yellow for Bale.
MPSHANKS on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 7:38 PM
By Alan Thompson:-
“and Lenny went to shake Coisty’s hand.
“I was stood so close that I clearly heard Ally tell Lenny, ‘And don’t you be speaking to my f***ing players like that’, only for Lenny to tell him, ‘They’re not your f***ing players, they’re Walter’s.
“It’s never been disclosed what was actually said in over a decade now — but I’m telling you that was the spark that lit the fire and Hell was hot”
HH.
Celtic’s first mention in WC courtesy of Weah’s goal
I wonder how much the bevy is in the US military bases in Doha ?
there is only wan man ah want back, and thats dave king ………
oh ma achin sides
That awkward moment when Aaron Ramsey arrives towing a caravan.
Greenpinata
The base is names Al UDEID
Ramsey and Bale are a couple of conmen,who are getting found out, never fit for their clubs, their only use them to keep fit for Wales, both blowing out their arse after 40 minutes, no chance of keeping up at this level,with no proper game time,they don’t deserve to play football.
Ange postecoglou was the answer to a general knowledge question on Mastermind tonight. The lady got it correct.
The player who really created the shitstorm that night, according to Thommo, was Diouf.
“HeraldScotland
Thompson was alongside Lennon on the touchline that day and discussing the moment, he told The Sun: “One of the main talking points of that season was the Lenny v McCoist battle.
“The first game at Ibrox was a classic which ended 2-2.
“It was a great result for us because we finished the game with ten men with big Fraser Forster getting sent off.
“That game was also the birth of ‘The Broony’ which became a very iconic celebration as Scott Brown scored and stood with his hands in the air directly in front of El Hadji Diouf, almost face to face.
“Scotty said afterwards that it was the best yellow card he had ever received in his whole career!
“The Scottish Cup fifth round replay was back at ours and if the first had been ill-tempered, then this was to be known as ‘the shame game’ — with players almost getting locked up by the police off the pitch and a few red cards thrown in for good measure.
“Rangers defenders Madjid Bougherra and Steven Whittaker both saw red with Diouf getting up to his old tricks and he saw red also.
“The game from start to finish was absolute mayhem. It’s not as if these games are normally good-tempered but this was extra spiteful.
“McCoist at the time pointed the finger at Lenny regarding what happened between them.
“He said Lenny acted over-aggressively, which wasn’t the case in my opinion, and I broke them up.
“What really started it off was Diouf gave our physiotherapist a hard shoulder and it escalated from there.
“Brown took a few kicks and Kris Commons got clattered in front of our dugout, which sent our emotions sky high.
“All the way through the game Diouf was dishing out verbals on everyone in a hooped shirt and even directed a few to myself and Lenny on the sidelines.
“Don’t forget it was Lenny and me opposing him exactly eight years previously when Celtic played against Liverpool in the Uefa Cup match at Parkhead — and he infamously spat at Celtic fans.
“You look at Diouf and he was pretty decent.
“The guy had been with some good clubs but in my opinion the only reason Rangers brought him in on loan was to wind the Celtic fans up.
“He was brought in by Rangers for the shock value.
“Diouf was ‘on one’ that night and I told him many times to ‘do one’ away from our area as he was constantly trying to sneak in closer to our area to noise us up.
“When the final whistle blew, and we had won the game, all the staff went over to shake hands with the opposing team as you do, and Lenny went to shake Coisty’s hand.
“I was stood so close that I clearly heard Ally tell Lenny, ‘And don’t you be speaking to my f***ing players like that’, only for Lenny to tell him, ‘They’re not your f***ing players, they’re Walter’s.
“It’s never been disclosed what was actually said in over a decade now — but I’m telling you that was the spark that lit the fire and Hell was hot.
“Lenny was right because Walter was the gaffer and Ally was only the No 2 at that time. Ally didn’t take well to that.”
Good team USA.Easy to see why CCV struggles to get a game.Great goal from Weah.Right back,very similar style to JJ.
SAINT STIVS on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 7:54 PM
there is only wan man ah want back, and thats dave king ………
oh ma achin sides
===========================================
Deluded is not the word,
Paul 67
The UEFA rules are no longer FFP (Finacial Fair Play) but FSR (Financial SUSTAINABILITY Regulations but whoever was responsible for the cost control regulation, and answers on that subject were responded to Chris McKay at the AGM whom I understand was involved in creating the new FSR rules under the leadership of Andre Traverso (remember him?) possibly/probably aided by PL’s experience, deserves all the praise going because the reckless financial behaviour by Rangers introduced moral hazard to Scottish football that the new regulations help address.
I recall raising this issue with PK as far back as 2010 by drawing his attention to an article on SFA reform on Celtic Underground no longer available but that original can be read at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/0B62m3ggkEX2RN2ZYaUxzeGwxWkU/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107947982974245186134&resourcekey=0-24wsH7Vnd-zq0WePX2jGQw&rtpof=true&sd=true so even though it has taken 12 years and UEFA to bring it about because SPL/SPFL clubs did not want it it is for me a game changer but long overdue.
Sterling work was also done on FSR on overdue payables to tax authority regulations to strengthen them both in respect of the licencee ) and the licensor (The SFA)
The difference between the old and new rules are set out at length at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H-P__qnDltDrCuxlYXNOLZvSr92GMDdE/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107947982974245186134&rtpof=true&sd=true
( and I mean at length) but I’ll copy over the Comment at the end in terms of what the changes now mean to me.
Comment on UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations 2022 in Respect of Changes to Overdue Payable Regulations.
The extract from Sky in the introduction explaining UEFA’s intent for tighter control of overdue payables is clearly supported by the corresponding Financial Sustainability Regs (FSR) of 2022 in respect of overdue payables to tax authorities compared to all the previous associated articles from 2010/2018 listed at the link.
The areas in new FSR Regulations are highlighted in yellow as either new additions or continuation of previous rules that need kept.
Article 72 contains an additional date highlighted at 72.01. The expectation is that any unpaid tax at 31st Dec in previous year will have been identified by 28th February in following year and paid by 31st March in the following year.
This is of course the whole purpose of this set of rules as failure to pay by 31st March after 3 months to settle is a signal of a club heading for insolvency, hence located in the insolvency set of rules.
The responsibilities of the Licensor (The SFA) and Licensees (the club/Rangers) in respect of granting a license is to make sure all tax due at end December in previous year is paid by 28th Feb in following year and for Licensor to take steps to confirm that they are being told the truth when a club applies for a licence.
Had this clarity existed in 2011 Rangers could have claimed technically that the DOS tax was under dispute as a “potential liability” as it did not become a payable until 21st March 2011 after 28th February but was still overdue by 31st March if it failed to meet reasons for exemption, which it did.
However, the 31st March was the determining date in 2011 and even then, this following requirement to report significant change under UEFA FFP 2010 Art 3 Definition of Terms
“An event that is considered material to the documentation previously submitted to the licensor and that would require a different presentation if it occurred prior to submission of the documentation.”
which is duplicated in Article 4 of UEFA FSR 2022 was not fulfilled. By 31st March 2011 The Rangers Board knew such a change from potential liability to payable had occurred on 21st March and as application for licence was not submitted to UEFA until 26th May 2011 there was plenty of time for Rangers to report the change from 20th May 2011 when HMRC sent a collection letter to Rangers and for SFA to make enquiries following mainstream media coverage of Rangers Interim Accounts from 1st April 2011.
It would not be stretching credibility beyond breaking point to think that the latest UEFA FSR changes at least on overdue payables to tax authorities suggests Andre Traverso, Head of UEFA Club Licensing to whom a case was further argued by Celtic shareholders lawyers on 29th September 2016 in response to his reply to the shareholders law firm on 8th June 2016 and who is the current UEFA Official responsible for the new FSR has learned some lessons from the pursuit by Celtic shareholders from 2013 of the failed licensing process by SFA in 2011 and has been a significant factor in tightening up the policing of overdue payables to social tax authorities regulations in the latest UEFA FSR.
Bale living on past glories (such as they were, a conman at Real Madrid). Fine finish by Tim Weah.
BSR,
Somebody said you knew Burke and Hare !!!!!!!!!!
:-))
Ramsey making the same impact he had at Ibrox.
GREENPINATA on 21ST NOVEMBER 2022 7:49 PM
I wonder how much the bevy is in the US military bases in Doha ?
Probably the same price it is in any of the other 800 military bases the US have outside the USA.
Calmac probably played more minutes of football last season than Bale and Ramsey together in previous 5 years.
Really?
DENIA that wasn’t directed at you, bloody log-in problems!
Some pictures of the air con for the terrorist supporting, racist sectarian, corrupt misogynist and homophobic Quatar World Cup.
As the head of the UN says we have 10 to 15 years or global warming CANNOT BE STOPPED.
We have a world cup in a small desert country where no one played football.
Remember everyone watching the blood sports in Qatar “dont look up”
https://twitter.com/FBAwayDays/status/1594064113520582657?t=ouLNYkEl_UCwEW2-cizFqw&s=19
EMERALDBEE \O/ A DOUBLE NINER!! – thank God, thought I was going to have to back up my throwaway comment by digging through the stats 😱😂
Greenpinata
Thanks for your response. I have never read Thommo’s account of what was said. Based on that account – specifically the language / profanity used – I would say it’s on a par with what some of our own supporters chanted / sang in numbers. One on one interactions:: I have no idea if a profanity was ever used by our own support towards NFL. It was by Mr McCoist.
On the internet, some abhorrent things were communicated. But that’s anonymity for you.
Keep it lit.
From Celtic Underground
All I know is that whoever replaces GVB at Ibrox is going to have some pretty small shoes to fill.
I posted my comment about meeting McCoist at a social event 33 YEARS AGO to a backdrop of people expressing their hatred of the guy for being this or that, in other words a Gers fan, ex-player and ex-manager.
Now I and others are brought to task for daring to describe McCoist as a “gentleman” in one isolated incident.
This all started after a plethora of comments slaughtering him for being a terrible commentator. I said I thought he was a good co-commentator. I judged him on that and that alone. Who he played for had nothing to do with that assessment, but hey, I’m the bad man, accused by a few clowns for having the audacity to have a mind of my own.
I am well aware of the man’s reprehensible behaviour as Gers boss, long AFTER my meeting him. I said he was a gentleman THAT NIGHT. that is all. I will not apologise.
Are they keeping the back room staff on or have they got their jotters as well…
Turkeybhoy
Thank god somebody got it .
Evening all.
A clip from a World Cup game 40 years ago.
Compare and contrast, to todays style of football.
What would you prefer to watch.
https://youtu.be/MO5oM7Mi2eo
USA make 3 subs. No CCV
The Blazer/Aprons at Hampden should be made to watch tonight’s game on repeat – Wales – the Ross County of world football came through a qualifying channel which included Scotland.
Do they feel responsible- no, will they alter their behaviour, no, will they ban plastic pitches, no, will they condemn agriculture anti football, no.
Dark ages Scotland
Even if Wales have just got a penalty!
Ramsey SHOULD take it.