Ajax; ooft! If there’s an AQN out there, you can imagine what it’s looking like this morning. Europa League finalists in May, bumped out of the Champions League qualifiers in August and now a goal down to Rosenborg after the first leg at home.
What does this tell us?
The crux of this problem for better funded clubs like Ajax, or Celtic, isn’t that Rosenborg have a better development model, or that they are, in any objective sense, better at their jobs.
It’s that with any random distribution of talent, mid-season preparedness, and simple good fortune, a Rosenborg, Malmo, Molde or Maribor (unfortunately, the list goes on) will be able to bridge the gap between them, and a Europa League finalist from three months earlier.
Rosenborg have an excellent opportunity to progress to the group stage, but over any period you care to mention beyond this, they are highly unlikely to match Ajax’ record in Europe, because that random distribution of attributes will revert to the mean.
For Ajax, and Celtic, this is a problem. Not so for perennial achievers at this level, such as Arsenal. Arsenal are masters of Champions League qualifiers, persistently finding themselves there (until this season) and always progressing. So the problem is not totally down to randomness.
Arsenal, however, do not need to cope with the inevitable rebuilding after they assemble a successful team. Ajax lost their manager, captain and, clearly, a whole lot more, this summer. A new coach must now plan long-term but act short-term. And that’s never easy.
Celtic have one benefit over Ajax, Copenhagen and other dominant clubs from small northern-European leagues: we have no well-run opponents of comparable stature who could force us into ripping up our plans, due to a the loss of the domestic league.
Ajax had a memorable season in Europe, but lost the domestic crown to Feyenoord. Copenhagen have won two of the last four Danish titles. These losses make that long-term planning we discussed more difficult.
What Ajax need, more than managerial stability, is what Celtic have, chaotic ownership at their nearest economic equivalents.
Stuart Armstrong
I don’t know exactly what wages Stuart Armstrong will get under his new deal, announced this morning, but if he was sold, or left next summer under freedom of contract, he would be able to earn more than twice what we’re now paying him.
Extending his contract until 2019 gives the player the opportunity to solidify his performances from the second half of last season. If he’s worth the £50k per week he could pick up elsewhere, he’ll earn it two years from now, or sooner, if Celtic agree to sell him next summer.
This deal sorts the player’s immediate future out, without costing him significant time on a comparatively unrewarding contract. It also allows Celtic the opportunity to pay the going rate for his next deal, or prepare to sell him at the right time, for the right price. It’s a win for all sides.
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3.00pm Newbury
Fighting Temaire
Best of luck to all
Cheers GFTB
Magnolia Ridge 8pm Market Rasen
Good Luck to all
HH
Lads, today’s nap is :
Harwoods Volante (2:40 Ripon)
David O’Meara’s stable are gradually getting their mo-jo back!
fleagle1888
Morning all
King of the Picts 19.20 tramore
Good luck
Thanks for fixing that fleagle
Lizard Point 6 20 Tramore,
Ibn Malik, 3.35 Newbury. De Sousa up, and a good price.
Pikarnia 2.35 perth
Harwoods Volante in the Ripon 2:40
for me good luck to all
Hail Hail
Ripon@3.15. Al Qahwa.
Good luck!
Waghorn, McKay, O’Halloran all scoring today hehe!!!
OOPS!!, wrong thread.
16:00 @ The Curragh – Texas Rock – NAP!
Good luck everybody.
CQN Saturday Naps Competition : WEEK 3 results (Aug 19th)
WINNERS:
voguepunter (Squats) @7/1
Som mes que un club (Brilliant Vanguard) @6/1
Nye Bevans RS (Defoe) @13/8
Losers:
16 roads (Texas Rock)
21-5-79 (Jack Dexter)
BMCUWP (Frontiersman)
Bull67 (Shanghai Glory)
Cosy Corner Bhoy (Shanghai Glory)
Dim Sam (Nathra)
Eurochamps67 (Pikarnia)
Fastbhoy (Lizard Point)
fleagle1888 (Harwoods Volante)
Gerryfaethebrig (Fighting Temeraire)
Graffitionthewall (No Selection)
green T (Pikarnia)
Gweedore Celt (Al Qahwa)
hashadenough (Ray’s the Money)
leftclicktic (No Selection)
Onemalloy (Magnolia Ridge)
RayMac (Ibn Malik)
Rockon (Pikarnia)
twists n turns (Vincenzo Coccotti)
Weet Weet Weet (King of the Picts)
Zihuatanejo (Harwoods Volante)
Cheers, fleagle1888
CQN Saturday Naps Competition : WEEK 3 standings (Aug 19th)
Well done to those who found a winner this week – voguepunter, som mes que un club, & Nye Bevans Rebel Soldier… but hashadenough still sets the pace!
NAPS TABLE – WEEK 3
+10.00 > hashadenough (1)
+6.13 > Nye Bevans RS (2)
+5.00 > voguepunter (1)
+4.00 > Som mes que un club (1)
-0.75 > Dim Sam (1)
-1.67 > Weet Weet Weet (1)
-3 > 16 roads (0)
-3 > 21-5-79 (0)
-3 > BMCUWP (0)
-3 > Bull67 (0)
-3 > Cosy Corner Bhoy (0)
-3 > Eurochamps67 (0)
-3 > Fastbhoy (0)
-3 > fleagle1888 (0)
-3 > Gerryfaethebrig (0)
-3 > Graffitionthewall (0)
-3 > green T (0)
-3 > Gweedore Celt (0)
-3 > leftclicktic (0)
-3 > Onemalloy (0)
-3 > RayMac (0)
-3 > Rockon (0)
-3 > twists n turns (0)
-3 > Zihuatanejo (0)
Cheers, fleagle1888