I’ve seen a bit of chat on where Dave King’s promised overinvestment is, since Celtic humbled his team on Saturday. Let’s be clear, Newco are overinvesting.
Senderos, Barton, Hill, Kranjcar are all earning over £750k, Barton significantly so. They signed a further seven during the transfer window. Running costs are eye-wateringly high for a club without significant income streams from Europe, television or merchandising.
The £30m PR bluster, which the new board used while trying to unseat the Easdales, can now be seen for what it was, but this level of expenditure is pretty much as high as is practically possible without a lunatic Sugar Daddy. In fact, if we were running with similar numbers, I would screaming at you that we need to cut back for fear of insolvency.
Four years ago someone in the game suggested to me the Rangers group of clubs were fatally wounded, despite selling over 30,000 season tickets for the Third Division. The reasoning being that the brand depends on an air of success, and would crumble under sustained, unrelenting, mediocrity.
I’ve been saying for four years, most people haven’t began to realise the far reaching consequence of what happened in 2012. “Getting back” (sic.) isn’t about reaching top flight football, it’s about having the budget to be able to compete with Celtic, who could turnover around £50m more than Newco this season.
Where do you even begin to tackle a problem like that?
No Sugar Daddy will make the multi-season investment required. Insolvency remains a real danger for any club running a deficit in double-digit percentages of its turnover, without robust borrowing in place (or a genuine billionaire acting as backstop, if required).
The non-football costs of running a club at Ibrox and Murray Park (an albatross) are significant and comparable to costs at Celtic Park and Lennoxtown. This leaves income available for football comparable with Hearts, Aberdeen Hibs and Dundee United.
The real conundrum is, do you accept your place and live within your means, or risk insolvency trying to catch Celtic? I don’t think either scenario is a viable option. You can make your own mind up about the viability of the football club.
I’ve not mentioned the toilets on Saturday, which is no more than you expect, but I did expect better than the dummies (which have been shamefully exploited to represent something they were not). Could the Seville experience happen now? Nope. This should concern us all.
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The way I see it, tonight is the ultimate no lose match.
Expectations are realistic, and being kept in check. There’s nobody saying we should win, and I think the best we all hope for, deep down, is a credible performance and maybe a draw. Not impossible; we very nearly snatched one a couple of years back, in the away leg of Lenny’s Barca beating year.
But I suspect it’s a more recent memory than haunts our imaginations.
Look, there’s no shame in that. Sure, the media might write nonsense about it but the truth is, better teams than ours will get a hiding over there (and at home.)
See it as a learning experience, a test of how far we’ve come and still have to go.
For the first time I’m simply looking forward to one of these games as a spectacle to be enjoyed, like a minor league team getting a top draw in the FA Cup. It’s exciting, but not scary.
the dolly bhoys are not the most media savvy punters around, are they?
My thoughts are this whole group is up for grabs.
MC look to be the form team — Barca will be on their guard.
Resting players for tonight’s game shows how nervous Barca are.
If they do not get 3 points tonight they are toast — whipping boys for the rest of the group.
Can Barca continually re-invent themselves or will they naturally dip?
BMG look to be dangerous for all concerned — aiming to get points of the Top 2.
We have a bit of momentum, belief, coaching and a glass jaw.
The MON precedent points to Fortress CP and all our points at home.
I think the team and the tactics have moved on from that — here’s hoping.
My prediction is a close game tonight — draw is a 33% possibility.
I think we will manage 3rd in the group of the back of taking more points of the top 2 than BMG.
I however will not back up this confidence by spending real money in the bookmakers.
I am confident Brendan and the Bhoys will give a good account of themselves tonight and might well throw in a wee surprise for us.
MWD
I’m a natural worrier when it comes to Celtic. Before every big game my mind turns to the negative what ifs. During the game I’m on edge, jumpy, with mild tourettes. When the result has gone our way, or even better when we’re well on top, like when the 4th went in on Saturday, I’m like a kid at Christmas and will relive the game over and over, in the most positive fashion you can imagine for days.
Right now, however, the demons are largely at bay. Brendan Rodgers was right, the pressure is off us tonight. I do fear a drubbing, that would be dreadful, but if we post a performance that we can be proud of I’ll take that.
1 Neymar (pen) – 3 Sviatchenko (2). Sinclair
SFTB @ 8.33
Could you please remove your RD glasses please?
We have moved on, we are moving on, we have made progress.
Better team, better balance, better self belief.
Not the finished article but pretty competitive.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/shocking-footage-shows-rangers-yobs-8820073
Good luck to the Celts today, I’ve no good feelings at all about this match and will be happy if we do anything better than lose four goals in both halves.
Yet to see anything from Dorus de Vries to give me comfort that he’s equipped to prosper from the Camp Nou experience. I do see goal space wide of him on both sides, the flat-footed head turn as the ball goes over and past his head, no defenders on the posts at corners, centre-halves at the six yard line, yards of emptiness at the edge of the penalty box in front of goal.
Not long since we learned la gran muralla = the great wall. What’s the Spanish for the Travelodge shower curtain?
Wish it was tomorrow and maybe all the above is just the medication warping reality.
Celtic forever.
BlantyreKev
:-)
Well if you are predicting 5-1 to the bhoys thenn it’s job done me thinks.
I’m confident of a good showing but not of a win or even a draw but you never know. Pressure is not on us like it was for the qualifier which likely played a part in the fear of losing and getting pumped out. But we are now in the big bhoys league and just need to go out and enjoy it and see were it takes us, like Cardif maybe. :-)
MWD
” maybe all the above is just the medication warping reality.”
Nope. Simply the reflections of someone brought up to believe that we are certainly not the people. Most Celtic supporters, I believe, suffer from the same affliction……or is it a blessing?
Cheerio for now.
JJ
Good Morning Bhoys from a wet Central Scotland.Well tonights game is a game we should all enjoy Celtic are playing at the very top table in Europe something we all hankered for.I think irrespective of the result we should enjoy the spectical. I have watched the video of the toilets being wrecked on Saturday surely that video could be worked on and improved and the police could arrest many of the wreckers ?H.H.
I won’t see the game until about 11:30 pm tonight when I get back from Embra. I’ll be avoiding CQN like the plague:-)) and I’ve warned family members not to give me updates or tell me the score.
I’m not really expecting us to do much other than give 100% effort. That’ll be enough for me. I would be unbelievably happy if we could put in an excellent performance and get a draw.
COYBIG
Hail! Hail!
I forgot to mention we should never lose hope as I can remember Dundee Utd. beating Barcelona home and away and im sure I remember them beating Brossia Munchengladbach 5-1.Jim McLean certainly was a first class manager and a grumpy sod.H.H.
Just seen that a London based face-book friend was heading off to Barcelona this morning for a holiday. I told her it was good timing cos the Celts were in town today . She said yes there are some on the plane and she went and told them “how much I love them and why”-support for Palestine. She absultely thrilled to be in the company of such “sweet”people and now looking forward to experiencing the party.
JOE FILIPPIS HAIRCUT on 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:06 AM
Apples and oranges.
Right….spoke to my nephew….he’s a -1…..so…..me n ACGR are lookin for tickets for the 28th….Man Shitty game…
…appreciated…..face price…..
FTSFA
H.H.
Getting here was the objective, we got here so now it should be relax and enjoy the spectacle. However for the first time in years, I’m seeing genuine pace & a wee bit of class up front for the ‘tic and I’m starting to dream.
My head of course says Barca by 3 or 4 but my heart is saying we can get something out of this.
We do have players who can hurt any opposition & Sinclair/Dembele have the one thing I have always craved for , PACE. From online videos Gamboa also has it in spades.
Brendan will know whether or not to risk Gamboa, If he does play him & plays 5 at the back with Lustig going to a central role and allow KT & Gamboa to burst forward in support of front two, it just might be a magical night.
Tonight we share the stage with, arguably, the greatest team on the Planet.
We are there because we deserve to be there.
JOE FILIPPIS HAIRCUT on 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:06 AM
I forgot to mention we should never lose hope as I can remember Dundee Utd. beating Barcelona home and away and im sure I remember them beating Brossia Munchengladbach 5-1.Jim McLean certainly was a first class manager and a grumpy sod.H.H.
……………………….
Jim McInally gave a world class performance for Dundee United that night in Camp Nou. I can remember him going onto a 50-50 with a Barca player and the ball broke to another Barca player and Jim tackled him as well with the ball breaking to another Barca player whom he immediately tackled and won the ball cleanly and set up an attack. He played like a man possessed.
I thought Jim was Davie Hay’s biggest mistake. Jim had been out on loan (to either Dundee or Hearts) when Davie became Celtic manager. When Jim came back Davie sold him. I don’t think he played many, if any games for Davie at Celtic. I had really high hopes for Jim at Celtic in the games I saw him play for us prior to Davie becoming manager.
Just to make matters clear, I loved Davie Hay too and still blame Big Jock for transferring him to Chelsea.
Just to make matters clear, I loved Big Jock too.
I was in Barcelona the last time (the 6-1 game) with; OldTim, ACGR & TET – a great 3 days with fellow Tims and we had the pleasure of meeting a number of other CQNers at various hostelries.
We had ringside seats (€100 Barca club cards) – did the ‘huddle’ when Sammi scored and flew the ‘Hootenanny’ fleg!
I’m fairly blasé about tonight’s tie – we’re not really in it to win it. We scooped the CLQ prize – we’re in the Group Stages. Time to enjoy the kudos.
Can we get something out these 6 ties? We’re a Pot4 side – finishing 3rd in this Group would be a massive achievement.
I will settle for an away goal (or 2) – could be important when it comes to head-to-head results when deciding the final table positions! :-)))
WE ARE BACK.
The only thing that matters.
Thank you to those who were instrumental in producing this renaissance.
Whichever much maligned Board members were involved.
The best thing that Ronny Deila gave us was Brendan Rodgers.
Thank you , Ronny.
Morning All
Finish work at 9 tonight – if we are losing heavily I’l l go home and if we are doing well I won’t want to jinx us so it will be home as well and getting in for the final whistle.
I was in the Camp Nou three years ago against a Barca team that was , for them, at a comparatively low ebb. They eased up with 20 to go and 6 up. I would like to think that there won’t be a repeat but would not bet on it. In terms of resources Barcelona is as far ahead of us as we are of Aberdeen ( at least). No defeat – heavy or unlucky- wiĺl be good for us though we may now have a manager capable of learning from it.
Celtic have played 24 Champions League group stage matches away from Celtic Park. We have won only one. I have seen 23 of the games -some in person , mostly on tv and sometimes, when I was in Australia at funny times of the morning. The only one I missed I missed because I was working. The venue for that game? Moscow.
Jim
Corkie,
Naw….this consensus….of one….
says 5 at the bak….is a mistook ;-))
4-3-3
is the way to go….with this squad
….for now ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Praecepta…….realism is a modren hope squasher…..;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
I see the Sevco wrecking spree video has reached 1.25 million views.
Of course we shouldn’t be scared tonight but scared doesnt do justice to how I remember feeling with 30 mins to go during the 6-1 game and Barca absolutely rampant, would have bit your hand off for a 5 goal deficit there and then.
We are better going forward now and have some good ‘out’ balls which should be utilised where possible to pull the whole team up and away from the edge of our box, because we cant sit there for 90 mins.
We can cause them problems too, there defence isn’t too clever and they’ve been losing goals.
HH
The one thing we should get from being in this in my opinion the hardest group stage in the CL.Is knowledge win lose or draw is experience and that should make our players better and our team better in the long run. We are only at the start of the Brendan Rodgers era and we have seen great improvement but there is still room to become even better. H.H.
And another 150 since I last posted.
Don’t forget the pre match match,
Barcelona U19 v Celtic U19 UEFA Youth League Group Stage 15:00 BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 1 HD
JOE FILIPPIS HAIRCUT:
That’s it in a nutshell mate, the very best way to look at it.
PL about to be interviewed on Talksport by the red White & blue trumpet.
Now this London actress face-book friend(non-football) has put up a FB message . ” OMG this is so wonderful -Celtic are in town. What a sychronicitous day. It has all come together in perfect alignment as if it was meant to be.”
Her lucky day to be visiting Barcelona when Celtic are playing.
Back in the 60s and 70s, there used to be regular incidents of terracing violence at Celtic-Rangers games. There was a steady stream of supporters being carried onto the areas behind the goals for treatment to bloody heads and bloody faces.
I witnessed many a bottle raining down on people, usually younger supporters, at the front of the vast slopes of Hampden, Ibrox and Celtic Park. The number of fans who wore building site protective helmets was not a fashion statement. My mother hated my brothers and me going to these games, and she had good reason.
Nowadays, you never see any violence at the games, mainly due to all-seater stadia and the ban on bringing bottles and cans into the ground, and dare I say it, a general improvement in fan behaviour.
But even so, football supporters are even more demonised in the media and by other supporters, because of what is said, sung or chanted or something that is written on a banner, or a flag that is displayed, or even a plastic doll dangling from a rope.
You don’t need to throw a broken bottle at a crowd of people to be condemned today. You don’t even have to throw a punch. All you have to do is think the wrong thought, utter the wrong words, look at someone the wrong way, or even be over-exuberant in celebrating a goal, and you’re classed as a thug. A pariah. An outcast.
Soon there will come a day when, if you don’t politely applaud a goal for the opposition, you’ll be dragged before the courts for unsporting behaviour, or worse still, frowned upon by your fellow supporters and banned from the stadium.
Prae … @ 10.17
You cannot see the wood for the trees …
Looking to me like a competitive game tonight.
I think we can take something from the game.
We are moving forward, and moving forward at a good rate.
BR has made a huge difference because investing in top quality always makes a difference.
BAMBOO on 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:33 AM
Lovely to hear that.
What a sychronicitous day. It has all come together in perfect alignment as if it was meant to be
=====
Bamboo
May use this in Moenchengladbach ;)
HH
Celtic are in town. What a sychronicitous day. What a load of unalloyed bull ;-))
FTSFS
H.H.
AULD TAM on 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:41 AM
Tam.
Couldn`t agree more.
1984
Big Brother.