Celtic were far from their slick best on Saturday, but they still dominated Hearts and could easily have won by a more flattering margin. For most of the game, Steven Naismith set out to defend as we predicted. It was only when Hearts pressed Celtic that his side belied their place at the bottom of the league – and managed to disrupt the champions.
I don’t often hear the positive characteristics of directors at Ibrox, so when I do, they stick in the mind. Apparently, Oldco’s much maligned Martin Bain and Newco’s Stewart Robertson had little time for calls to the baser instincts made by their clubs. John Bennett, who resigned as Newco’s chairman and interim-CEO on Saturday, falls into the same category.
Sipping hemlock from that Loving Cup is a mugs game. Hopefully Bennett will recover from his brush with toxicity.
I don’t have time to write, and you don’t have time to read, everything we could share about Dave King today. The man who as non-exec at Oldco was paid to look after the interests of all stakeholders, while the club marched towards liquidation.
Who then campaigned relentlessly against the Newco founding fathers as the fledgling club tried to establish itself. The same person who advocated Newco “overinvest” in an attempt to catch Celtic, leading to today’s consequences.
Yesterday, he nominated himself as the man to rejuvenate the failing club. “I’ll come in, stabilise it, get the right people in place, get the club working properly, at least give it direction, give it a plan.” It’s that simple!
He sprinkled his comments with fairy dust like “Steven Gerrard”, who is lauded for winning one trophy in nine, in a season Celtic collapsed on all fronts. He also said, “Saudi, obviously”, I mean, obviously, he’d mention Saudi!
And apparently, “There’s a lot of interest in America”, and in case you are in doubt, “[Newco] really should be able to march on and actually dominate in Scotland.” Actually. Dominate. In. Scotland!
Neither of us have time to digest this in full, so let’s get to the golden nugget:
“I think we’ve got to get away from the model where we just rely on supporters writing out checks. There is money out there, but that money is not going to come from Rangers.”
There are two views on how to run a football club:
1. Live within your means.
2. Do not live within your means.
Despite all his precious Rangerses have gone through, Dave still believes that surviving on the teat of a sugar daddy is the way forward. This is populist nonsense, which liquidated Oldco and wrecked Newco.
Give him the job, let him set aside all those promises John Bennett made about sustainability. If we put a plaque on the wall of Celtic Park with Dave King and David Murray’s names on it, there would be more candles lit below it than there are at Carfin Grotto.
We’ll pick up on those two world views on how to run a club next week.
148 Comments- Pages:
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Celtic40me
All businesses have monthly management accounts- so they all know what’s happening.
Gary Shaw ex Villa striker, RIP
Only my opinion, but we MUST have Hatate in our team on Wednesday, he’s the most talented player we have, again, IMO
Still, just win Celtic and get that monkey off our back once and for all
KINGLuBO
Has AT been on complaining about all this nasty little Rangerses news.
I would be agreeing with Hatate on Wednesday,if he was not a tad careless at times.BR faulted him for it before.His only flaw.
Europe not as forgiving as the SPFL.
!!BADA BING!! on 16TH SEPTEMBER 2024 1:55 PM
Which is nice
Does anybody actually care about the Ibrox scum, I know I don’t give a flying fornication
KINGLuBO
Hatate is a “see’er , sees a move long before some, which sometimes means his pass goes astray. love the guy.
KINGLuBO
Kinglubo- I would play McGregor and Bernardo as sitters,let Hatate go looking for the ball,Engels running from MF to support Kyogo, Bratislava will be far better than anyone we’ve played this season, so I would be cautious given our CL record.
GENE on 16TH SEPTEMBER 2024 1:59 PM
As Chairman he’d be in the firing line for the mess when the annual accounts are published, and his chairman’s report would have to explain it away while being upbeat about the future. It’s someone else’s job now, or quite possibly, nobody’s
As various posters have said, I think a midfield of Arne, Cal and Paolo could be damn effective.
What was it BR said about Reo needing to take better care of the ball? Esp true in Europe.
Over Kinning Park way, there’s nothing in the CEO department, nothing in the Chaiman’s chair, nothing on the playing field and nothing in the bank. We’re not half of anything but blogs spend so much time spilling ink about them, we’re clearly half of nothing.
Let’s focus on Wensdy.
BRATISLAVAPALAVER CSC
For Wednesday, McGregor, Engels and Bernardo…Hatate on the bench…
In last season’s CL games, I have memories of Calmac making a few mistakes with slack or dangerous passes, especially when playing out from the back.
He doesn’t get the same time or space he is afforded in the SPFL which those around him need to be aware of and not leave him isolated.
Hatate’s passes go astray far too often. Gets away with it in the league but won’t in Europe. On the bench Wednesday…
connaire12 on 16th September 2024 1:59 pm
I have paid out serious money for tickets. Those tickets have yet to arrive chez moi? Is anyone else still awaiting the arrival of tickets?
Hi connaire12 I have same issue. I phoned the club. Told me to wait until tomorrow! Fingers crossed!
I expect Bernardo to start on Wednesday. With CalMac and Reo Hatate. With more space than on the weekend Reo should be much more effective and Paulo will provide defensive help. I would also expect Engels to make an appearance in the second half.
T
Celtic Quick News:
Another article about Rangers.
Who we definitely don’t want any dealings with whatsoever.
No Sir.
We’re not half of anything etc etc.
Dear host.
Please fix the blog.
Yours etc etc
The Battered Bunnet on 16th September 2024 12:14 pm
We might expect to see sight of the Annual Report in the coming week. Jobo should run a charity sweepstake on the cash balance to be reported.
My guess is that Celtic will show more cash in the bank at 30th June than the sum of the Total Equity of all other Scottish Football Clubs. That is, notionally, Celtic’s cash balance is enough to buy every football club in Scotland.
There’s a thing to ponder.
———————————————-
Your guess may well be right when we see the Annual Accounts later this month.
How did we get to this position? It has taken around twenty – four years to put Celtic in the position, on the field and off, we now find it.
Eighteen titles – twelve Scottish Cups – eleven League Cups – six trebles including an invincible season in 2016/17. That’s forty-one honours in twenty four years.
Some great/successful Managers – Martin O’Neil, Gordon Starchan, Neil Lennon, Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers & Ange Postecoglou.
A boardroom full of Celtic men – a dedicated major shareholder and for the majority of that time a CEO determined, despite all the flak, to always act in the best interests of Celtic.
A club, strong, honest, financially successful, master of its own destiny and with the strongest squad in many a year waiting to have a tilt at the Champions League.
We don’t have to look far to see what the alternative route could have been – around eight miles actually.
The Ibrox club’s troubles bubble-up again. Their Chairman, who’s investment in the club is north of £20m, has health issues and succumbed to the pressures of the job with constant backlash from some fans. The favoured new appointee to the post of CEO has turned the job down probably for similar reasons.
Keith Jackson says – “They blamed Bennett for just about everything, he was surrounded and undermined.”
Bill Leckie says speaking of Bennett – “You’d think that his level of support, of love, of commitment, might buy a certain level of respect, of clout, of leeway. What they ideally need now is someone who understands football, but who most of all has a level-headed, ruthless business brain.”
In essence a clone of Peter Lawwell is what he is saying.
I would like to see the abuse and hatred directed by some against Peter Lawwell and latterly to a lesser degree Michael Nicholson on blogs and within the fanbase stop. Those who shout the odds are small in number and will never surround and undermine Ibrox-style. The constant vitriol and “spend the f****** money” attitude is so way out of line as to be completely risible to any reasonable supporter, or indeed media hack.
The king interview was IMHO laugh out loud funny.
We are about to lose our worlds most successful club title ,….
He said rocking in the chair whilst wearing his mother’s clothes
Norman Bates loyal joburg
1984/85 was the last time anyone else won the League in Scotland apart from Celtic and the 2 Rangers entities.
Therefore, we have to watch what happens to our main rivals. They are our biggest challenge in all domestic trophies. We have to be watching what the opposition do, if only to see that they are not breaking the rules. No Celtic Fan should expect the SFA and SPFL to hold Sevco to account. I also dont expect the Media to report any transgressions. The governing bodies in Scotland have form for this as do the media.
What happens off the park has a bearing to what happens on the park particuarly in FFP at home and in Europe. I know we have a big game on Wednesday but time enough on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss this. Sevco revelations on the Chairman happened over the weekend and King was quoted on Sunday papers and on talksport today.
I cannot trust what I hear from the MSM and find that Celtic sites are more trustfully in their reporting . The expertise among the supporters of our club have continually reported accurately and truthfully the stories in fact, we have given them the solutions but they wont believe what we tell them.
This seems to me to be the biggest challenge Sevco have faced. No Executive Directors or Heads of Department in post, being rejected by candidates is serious. On the park, Sevco are also not performing and pressure is mounting on the manager and team.
Beside that and also happening is the comedy value of their troubles. The Tim banter at work and in the pubs ensures great hilarity and will continue to amuse us. Will we see increases in Glasgow Warriors gate and attendance at the Ice Hockey. More membership enquiries at Golf and Bowling Clubs.
Certainly I have almost pissed myself laughing at their antics
connaire12 on 16th September 2024 1:59 pm
shoonsky on 16th September 2024 2:52 pm
Are the CL matches not just activated on your STs?
Failing this, the last time I had to order tickets out with the ST offers – Bodo G I think it was – they arrived the day after the match so I had to queue and collect them before the match from the ticket office despite paying for “expedited delivery” !
QB
I can’t agree that Bennett never played to the hun gallery. The huns have lurched more to the right and more militarised nonsense under his watch,
Calmac, Engels, Bernardo, Hatate, McCowan. In that order.
We are very fortunate to have these 5.
Need to get Holm out on loan at the next window.
Weeron
VINNIETHEDOG
Agree with you 💯 🎯
Noticed this from the DR “Dave King admits he fears Celtic overtaking Rangers as the world’s most successful club.”
Unfortunately I know a lot of huns but I’ve never came across one stupid enough to claim the above 🙃
Tom McLaughlin on 16th September 2024 7:46 am
If I had to pick one post that epitomised what it is like being a Celtic supporter, that would be a strong candidate. Excellent.
Celtic40me
It’s not that I think things will change because of any altruistic part of human nature. Far from it. Selfishness dominates.
However when the consequences of selfishness become painful then behaviour changes.
There are far more clubs in the world than can be bought.
Those are the Christians in my analogy.
Their supporters showed up in 2012 when SFA tried to parachute R2ngers into the SPL.
That was driven by moral outrage, which is another part of human nature that emerges when immorality is in the ascendancy.
If football ceases to be seen as a sport and titles are generally seen as buyable in the absence of effective regulation, who would want to put money in the pockets of the richest of the rich to watch a foregone conclusion?
Not every club in every country is driven by supporters for whom the need to eliminate their toxic rivals is paramount.
It will be in the selfish interests of more clubs to stop non football earnings being used to buy players than there are clubs who want to splash cash earned outside football to isolate the rest.
bigbhoy on 16th September 2024 3:27 pm
If Gibran the Christian Lebanese poet who wrote The Prophet were alive to update his thoughts on Pain he would say
“Pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses our understanding.
Except at Ibrox where not even the bitterest of self chosen potions can heal their sick self.
When it comes to accepting reality the cry is
NO SURRENDER.
They surrender and walk away
If we had a more competitive league then losing it to someone else other than us would perhaps give them a different mindset, willing to take their time for a proper rebuild.
But it isn’t and they can’t stand continuing to lose to us.
Just a thought.
connaire12 on 16th September 2024 1:59 pm
More important than what is happening or might not happen to the team in the southside, we have an important game on Wednesday. So important that the club is demanding extortionate prices for the four Euro games. As a fanatical Celt, I have paid out serious money for tickets. Those tickets have yet to arrive chez moi? Is anyone else still awaiting the arrival of tickets? Incidentally a large sum of money has left my Current Account going Celtic FC.
=================
Same here Connaire, been told by ticket office tickets in post via phone call today,if they do not arrive by Wednesday I have to pick them up at T.O on matchday.i have another ticket spare in Main Stand thankfully.if only they were as good at dishing out tickets as they are at taking the money.well said bout the game on Wednesday in Europe’s top club tournament.i am more interested in Celtic and setting Celtic standards than anyone labelled a glib and shameless liar by South African courts,let them go their nefarious ways..
HH
AULDHEID on 16TH SEPTEMBER 2024 4:22 PM
The problem for the regulators is that City, PSG and the other cheats are relentless. They won’t let anything get in their way. It undermines the authority of UEFA and the EPL if they get beaten in the courts, if the cheats get away with it then the other elite clubs who’s owners have paid billions won’t stand by and not do the same. Until last season City had higher revenues than Real Madrid, I can’t see them accepting it if City cheat and but get away with minor punishment again.
I don’t think the fans mean enough to American/middle eastern or Asian owners that they’ll let them stand in their way. The planned Super League showed what they want, it hasn’t gone away.
For compliant clubs who don’t share the same aims and don’t have the resources to take the associations on we’ll have to reconcile ourselves with our place. The idea of an ESL stinks but it’s already here really in terms of competition. While we argue about progres being qualification for the last 24 of the CL you could probably name most of the teams in the last 8 of the competition right now
Auldheid
I know how negative this all sounds. Maybe I’m having a bad day!
Very rarely talk football now with sevco fans.
However I did so after our win against them.
I suggested that they should just accept the league is gone this year and next.
Perhaps then Brendan will go and Calum will not be the same force , let your manager build a team and maybe you’ll be ready to challenge.
They wouldn’t entertain that thought at all , no way were they surrendering to Celtic . Reckon that’s the mindset of the vast majority. Weirdo’s!
I thought Saturday was an ok performance. We just did enough at times and over passed the ball too many times at the edge of their box. We need to leather the ball from outside the 18 yd box and see what happens. You don’t see too many shots anymore. Not complaining too much as we have been spoiled by the fitba we play at times. Hearts didn’t start to play until they went a goal down and then they actually had some decent spells, just like United yesterday when they stopped paying the Huns too much respect. Anyone else have trouble with the NEW Celtic TV site. Mines went off right when the Tarts got the PK.
Hope all are well.
Slainte.
Sean
Dobwin,Jhb,Cloud9,Tommy the ranter
Dobwin you convince no one with your slavering sycophancy,
Always remember under your Cloud9 you forwarded as certainty the cbc case was the only reason for the bank balance.typical post from a rancid boat chaser.
We see you
Thanks, lads for the comments on late arrival of tickets. Got home at 5.15 after shopping in town to find that my tickets had arrived. Post Office or Celtic ticket office must have wakened up and got on with the job.
.
Celtic interim results just been posted