I didn’t realise until watching TV last night it was Keith Lasley that Anthony Stokes ‘did’ on Saturday, the player who put Adam Matthews out of the game for a couple of months. It’s a physical game, and I’m not going to concede violent behaviour is acceptable, but it would be super-human to not be affected by earlier violence. We need to rise above this.
On a similar theme…. Another incident I missed at the game was James McFadden wresting Fraser Forster, who was holding the ball, early in the second half. Minutes later Fraser threw himself to deny McFadden what looked like a certain goal.
Players need an edge to be able to summon their very best performances, and a wee nyaff climbing all over you is as likely to give you an edge as anything. McFadden has a few years left in him. He’s at a well-run club who will give him the platform to excel, if he can find the focus to deliver.
I see some re-writing of history today and over the weekend on where responsibility for Newco Rangers acute financial plight lies. Among throwing blame on convenient scapegoats, one-time-hero-though-transparent-chancer Charles Green, and financial director, Brian Stockbridge, few seem prepared to offer up the prized oaf.
They banked £22m from a share issue and cash from circa 30,000 ticket sales, enough to see them through to top flight football, as long as they didn’t blow it on football bling. So who was responsible for doing exactly that (if you can stretch the definition of bling to Jon Daly and even lesser appealing gems)?
Sure, Stockbridge and Mather signed off, and they certainly knew the financial situation the club was in, but we know enough of the story to explain why it happened.
Despite having a budget close to 100 times their opponents Newco suffered considerable humiliation at the hands of fourth-tier clubs last season. Without reinforcements their chances of progress from the third tier was far from guaranteed – if they continued to allow Ally McCoist to run football operations.
McCoist was unsackable. He played the fans perfectly, earning a ridiculous contract and shares a 1p each for his ability to put bums on seats. Mather had to throw enough talent into the squad to ensure promotion with McCoist in charge, then rely on Charles Green to pull together another share issue.
The question you have to ask is, once McCoist had his reinforcements, who torpedoed the Charles Green supply ship?
No one is going to tell you Charles Green is a man you would want associated with your club, but before mob-rule ensured his attempts to raise investment cash were quashed, should someone not have asked the questions, why did the board find it necessary to bring such a pariah back and what happens if we throw him and his investment plans out?
We’re about to find out.
If suggestions that Newco will come close to expiring cash in hand before season ticket income arrives are accurate I expect they will get there, even if players don’t agree to a wage cut. Companies can control when to pay creditors, even HMRC, who despite what is likely to be an acute interest in Newco, would take months to complete a debt recovery action.
Don’t get too drawn in the minutia of this, whether an insolvency event happens or not does not change the fundamentals, which we touched on last week. Newco had a gamblers chance of turning into something resembling Oldco.
Spooking the SPL into giving them a ticket into top flight football would have seen them debt free and competing for last season’s SPL. Three years of paying our bills while losing the league would have been pointless. I genuinely think only one of Glasgow’s big teams was ever going to survive the SPL decision on Newco.
Had they liquidated Oldco, then flooded Newco with talent and won the league, Celtic would not have recovered, a reality that should be remembered when journalists talk about Scottish football harming itself in 2012. It was them or us.
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Morning,
Did Wallace not state a little while ago that he hadn’t heard of white or green?
Taken from Tom English’s interview withe new messiah
TE: Since you lifted the bonnet and examined the finances has anything shocked you?
GW: I’m not sure if shock is the right word. I followed what has happened to the club, albeit from a distance. It’s a situation where a lot of decisions were made with a very short-term focus.
Good Morning all,
I see some reports that NFL is thinking about putting Pukki and Balde plus a few others out on loan I think this is crazy tactics.
Is there a problem between the scouting staff and NFL, are they recommending/buying players that he doesn’t rate and do not fit into his plans, I could understand if they both had been at the club for a decent length of time and were not good enough but they have just arrived, seems a crazy policy to me.
Your thoughts?
HH
FTSFA
Islas Malvinas?
Islas Fascistas thanks
What’s the issue with McCoist’s comments??
Did he upset someone?
Len Brennan
If such a clause exists they’d surely be playing him.
They don’t appear to be doing so.
There could be something in it.
well its a cold cold Lower Saxony ….if I was a suspicious sort of laddie I would be thinking the referees were sending the Dead ones the same message as the recent “SMSM” lead stories…..an intriguing wee story is unfolding ….and that is awfy braw …
jamesgang. I think it was the Scotsman but I am no sure if you go to News now Celtic site you will find it on there. H.H.
Quote of the week from Graham Wallace:
“We have what is widely known as the second most expensive squad in Scotland and we’re two divisions behind. That does present a challenge.”
Emergency meeting at Ibrox!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH5PKywWEEo&feature=youtu.be
len brennan
10:01 on 21 January, 2014
snake plissken 07:55 on 21 January, 2014
On Djuricic there’s lots of talk on various blogs about this lad. But a lot of the talk is about a €40M release clause in his contract.
So if true I’d guess that would put an end to any talk of him coming to join us, apart from maybe a loan.
HH
/Bishop B
Just because there is a €40m release clause in his contract doesn’t mean that he would cost that much. They would have put that in there as protection for if he was a big success…..that way the big clubs would have to pay that to get him. It seems so far he hasn’t been a success in Portugal…..Benfica could sell him for any amount of money €1m, €6m etc.
I would be very if we could pull this one off!!!
Len Brennan
10:01 on
21 January, 2014
snake plissken 07:55 on 21 January, 2014
On Djuricic there’s lots of talk on various blogs about this lad. But a lot of the talk is about a €40M release clause in his contract.
So if true I’d guess that would put an end to any talk of him coming to join us, apart from maybe a loan.
HH
/Bishop B
I watched Djuricic play with Herenveen,was really watching Finbogasson,but the boy stole the show every week.Must have set up the majority of Alfies goals.When he went to Benfica for that money I thought at the time”What a bargain”.He looked to me to be a £20 million player.If by any chance we are in with a shout of him,it would be the biggest signing we have made.The boy is an absolute star.Dont know what has happened at Benfica,but their loss would be our gain.He is Serbias superstar.For anyone in any doubts,have a look at the U-Tube montage.The Messi goal I watched him score live.Also the “Sand wedge”chip into the top corner.He is definitely under the radar of the EPL at the moment.
Would be a dream,but maybe just that.
Scottish giants Celtic are readying a January bid for Benfica midfielder Filip Djuricic, A Bola understands.
The Bhoys have been keeping close tabs on the Serbia international ever since he was at the books of Heerenveen, and they finally look ready to step up their interest.
According to A Bola, Celtic are lining up a £6 million bid for the highly rated footballer, hoping to sign the player before the January window closes.
Djuricic arrived at Estadio da Luz in the summer, as a potential replacement for Pablo Aimar, but he has so far struggled to make an impact.
The 21-year-old only amassed 4 league appearances this season, and he does not seem to be in the first team plans of boss Jorge Jesus.
This from the Portugese.Dont know how accurate,but we can only dream.
Tourtenay. I think you will find that none of that list was Neil ‘s dug signings
That list is costing us about 50k per week sitting in the stands or bench
They have never had it or will
We need those funds released for a goalscorer
joe filippis haircut
10:19 on 21 January, 2014
jamesgang. I think it was the Scotsman but I am no sure if you go to News now Celtic site you will find it on there. H.H.
magnus
10:23 on 21 January, 2014
Quote of the week from Graham Wallace:
“We have what is widely known as the second most expensive squad in Scotland and we’re two divisions behind. That does present a challenge.”
Joe. Really hope it’s paper trash cos a) we need to give both lads a sustained run and b) I don’t want celtic to be the hertz or europcar of fitba!
Magnus. Thank you for that. I do love the smell of understatement in the morning!
Got me thinking. Surely someone can do a spoof of Apocalypse Now for Deidco. I’d pay to watch that filum!
HH jamesgang
Given the fact that Benfica were interested in Forster could some deal of player plus cash not be possible.
Forster wants to go to the World Cup.
Celtic have no European football until after it is finished and we know how the English view Scottish football.
If a deal can be done, this is the deal to do.
If Peter Lawwell is dreaming of 10 Million for Forster he’d better get a grip now because no one in England will give us much more for him than 5 or 6 Million because he’s only doing it in Scotland.
It does mean buying another keeper but we’ve been lucky there before.
jamesgang
10:40 on 21 January, 2014
joe filippis haircut
10:19 on 21 January, 2014
jamesgang. I think it was the Scotsman but I am no sure if you go to News now Celtic site you will find it on there. H.H.
I’m never off NewsNow: Celtic but I still can’t see that quote from NLR. Help required Jo if it’s factual.
S T
I hear what your saying but the question is still there, do we have a signing policy that excludes the thoughts/decisions of the manager because if that is true we will end up with a bucket full of players hardly good enough to warm the bench!!
HH
Auldheid
You have an email.
Tom
We might know each other, I am not sure, but some bhoys in the tavern thought we might know each other.
Kikinthenakas
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11788/9126154/rangers-boss-ally-mccoist-is-forced-to-defend-the-clubs-spending
Check out last few lines from Dick Campbell
Chairbhoy,
You will have noticed that Regan does not infact answer specifically whether it is the same club. All he says is that the membership was transferred. There’s an interview with Chris McLaughlin here where he does the same:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19068235
(from 11.30)
Now, if they WERE the same club, why not just say so? Maybe something to do with the death threats he got, and admits that police told him to be “a bit more safety conscious”.
The key point is that they are NOT the same legal entity, regardless of “membership”. Scott McDonald did not take Henrik Larsson’s goalscoring history when he took his number 7 shirt. Even if he had changed his name to Henrik Larsson it would still be two different players with different histories.
Auldheid’s post at 3.14 covers what I was going to say. It’s all about commercial reasons. They want “Rangers” “back” in the SPL so they can sell the “old firm” brand to sponsors and TV companies. So they have to pretend it is still Rangers. But they cannot come out and say it is the same club as they know this is not correct. Membership and history are two different things.
TSOAL
Is that a Joke?
Do Barcelona play against Plumbers and brickies?
Tourtenay. I answered the question
Neil has wanted , but been denied funds for a goal scorer for a number of years now. He has not got what he wanted. These duds would not even be in Neil’s top ten
They were all PL/JP signings. They are paid big big wages and it’s their fault we are throwing away bundles of cash on non 1st eleven pick players
Indeed loan them out now
I see BT are right up to speed on which Celtic players are which…
http://sport.bt.com/sportfootball/football/scottishfootball/scottishpremierleague/rogic-i-have-improved-at-celtic-S11363868974061
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Ok Joe Fillipi. Tracked your story down in the Scotsman Rumours section, crediting the Sun. The Comments section was worth a look and a laugh however.
Not a word recently from anyone on the new boy Fridjohnsen.With Stokes being out,I would have expected at least some to be saying we may now get the chance to see him against Hibs.He could be our answer to the striker problem.Who knows?.Wether he costs £100,000,or £6 million,if he can score regularly for us thats all we need.The ICT and St Johnstone boy find scoring quite easy in our league,why wont he?.4 months scoring goals will do his confidence no harm,ready for the qualifiers.Lenny said he was not a project and would be in the team,so what has happened?.
Magnus is the new Columbo
HailHailMagnusCSC!
TurkeyBhoy
My preference is for Fridjonsson and Atajic to get a game together and see what we can do.
Little and Large combo usually works well.
SydneyTim
10:59 on
21 January, 2014
Is it only the players that haven’t worked out that are PL/JP signings?
Filip Djuricic- I would break the bank for this guy. The stadium would be full in fear of what they might miss. Surely at some point someone will equate that Star Playmaker= Excitement and Flair on the pitch+ Goals and assists+ “A Buzz about the place”+Football interest by media and press ie less concentration on bringing club down+more bums on seat ie full Parkhead every week through absolute fear of missing this guy play and what he’ll do next and perhaps slightly higher attendances elsewhere just to watch him play(there are still football fans out there)+world interest+building of brand and ultimately the income to pay for him. Please do this Celtic.
ps we don’t need to sell Forster to do this.
http://youtu.be/hNXLKzt2rT0
ST
“They were all PL/JP signings. They are paid big big wages and it’s their fault we are throwing away bundles of cash on non 1st eleven pick players”
…really? Any proof?
Before you don’t answer my question, let me suggest that you have absolutely no idea who signed these players, and even less of their renumeration.
Sell Forster?
Sell the jerseys.
Chairbhoy,
Forgot to say. If it’s the same club, why any need for a “transfer of membership”? To transfer membership from one club to the SAME club??????
Who is SydneyTim addressing with his repetitive posts? We keep being told but we don’t run the club, nor can we influence who should be bought, sold or loaned out. It’s a dialogue of the deaf, or he’s just shouting in the wind.
Oh aye, gimme some o him, just watched the bhoy fae benfica……… we can dream cant we, Maestro lubo and di canio rolled into one HH , would love it though I cant see it tbh!!
Turkeybhoy
I have been told to expect great things from Fridjohnsen.
The mhan who told me is one I take seriously when he tells me these things.
Time will tell.
I’ve had a sea change in my opinion of McCoist – I no longer think he is the devious manipulator I had previously..he’s clearly just niave and stupid…..
He puts his faith in anybody, he doesn’t appreciate his clubs financial position and despite being made aware of this he still continues to spend the clubs money like its water from the tap. He even takes a £425k price cut when he has a contract protecting him from such moves…
Porr Ally – so misunderstood…
S T
It was a rhetorical question and not necessarily put to you.
Your reply was an opinion not answer, and don’t be so defensive!!