Helicoptering in central defenders

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I know we are all concerned about the injury crisis affecting central defence, but it is difficult to move the dial here in the short term.  Central defence is overwhelmingly about partnerships.  You can try to helicopter someone into the team (think Carl Starfelt two years ago) but it seldom provides an immediate return.

If we only have two fit central defenders, Brendan will use the time he has to school them for the immediate challenges.  Liam Scales and Gustaf Lagerbielke will be spending a lot of time together this week.

You and I have discussed the need for significantly more wingers than we would have in the squad in earlier times, due to the five substitutes rule.  Most managers are reluctant to change defensive or central midfield players, meaning forwards are more commonly swapped out during games.

No surprise then that we are linked with another winger, this time 23-year-old Honduran, Luis Palma, who joined Aris Thessalonica in January 2022.  He would be our third new winger this window, with four others still in the first team squad (and that’s not counting Rocco Vata).  Surely at least one will move on?

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278 Comments

  1. I don’t think Dallas is involved with UEFA these days.

     

     

    It didn’t help his son getting dumped from the Euro ref list for being pants.

  2. Brendan making some very clear public statements re what he expects in the next week or so. Up to the recruitment process to deliver for him. Let’s see.

  3. Lambert,

     

     

    Change the bloody record.Day after day,same drivel.

     

    Totally obsessesed with PL,and occasionally his son.Worrying behaviour.

  4. Prestonpans bhoys on

    PARKHEADCUMSALFORD

     

     

    I have said before, after what we saw last season, the board should have threatened to pull the plug in funding this nonsense. As champions we actually pay the most to allow these decisions to stand. At the very least VAR should be outsourced to a independent body, use the English for gods sack!

  5. No panic from me.If not for the horrendous CH problems,and with the upcoming signing of Palma,and a week to go in the window,with the players we would have available,I would think we have done well.Should be,at least two more coming in.

     

    Brendan,I trust.CQN trumpets,away and gies peace.

  6. D9COMEDY @ 9:11 AM,

     

     

    It’s an interesting point

     

     

    Yet when you talk of another “organisation” I guess you mean PLC!?

     

     

    Celtic PLC are of course not run like a normal PLC

     

     

    Firstly they are a Football Club, the traditional role of a Chairperson has a history of being a very Senior position in the Club, our Club no exception

     

     

    Then there is recognised good practice in a PLC Board, our Board doesn’t follow that, we have had the same Board of middle aged White men (the odd token apart) for far longer than codes recommend

     

     

    There is the long term CEO, in the position far longer than recommended coming back as Chairperson – bad practice again

     

     

    There has been a very small executive for the size of the corporation for many a long year

     

     

    There is very little accountability, the last CEO was sacked in short order for unknown reasons

     

     

    There is undue influence by a Principal shareholder who does not have a majority and is unaccountable

     

     

    We have what looks like fraternal bonds and nepotism rife within the Club

     

     

    We are holding more than 75% of our turnover as cash in the bank, bad practice at a PLC

     

     

    We have very little openness and transparency with stakeholders

     

     

    Many of these practices have been with us the whole of the 21st Century

     

     

    It is hardly up to Michael Nicholson to put his old boss, a man who has great influence on the Club in general and the CEO’s responsibilities and renumeration specifially, as well as head of the Board

     

     

    The last Chairman sacked the last CEO.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. It is hardly up to Michael Nicholson to put his old boss, a man who has great influence on the Club in general and the CEO’s responsibilities and renumeration specifially, as well as head of the Board, in his place.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  8. Chairbhoy @ 9.51,

     

     

    Yet we are possibly one of the best run clubs

     

    in Britain taking everything into account,and incredibly successful.

     

    No idea how that’s possible.

  9. CHAIRBHOY

     

     

    Thank you for the reply.

     

     

    Very illuminating, I had always thought that the role of the non executive was to support, advise and liaise, but as you say Celtic PLC could be thought of as somewhat of an outlier, in terms of traditional companies.

     

     

    I would be interested to hear your views on why we are retaining so much cash?

     

     

    Hail Hail

  10. TURKEYBHOY on 25TH AUGUST 2023 9:42 AM

     

    Lambert,

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Change the bloody record.Day after day,same drivel.

     

     

     

     

    Totally obsessesed with PL,and occasionally his son.Worrying behaviour.

     

    ====================

     

    I never mentioned either.

     

    You are obsessed

  11. TURKEYBHOY on 25TH AUGUST 2023 9:50 AM

     

    No panic from me.If not for the horrendous CH problems,and with the upcoming signing of Palma,and a week to go in the window,with the players we would have available,I would think we have done well.

     

    ——————————-

     

    Hahaha

     

    I have £30 million sitting in a foreign account and if you give me your account number then we can half it.

     

    What do you say?

  12. TURKEYBHOY on 25TH AUGUST 2023 10:11 AM

     

    Chairbhoy @ 9.51,

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Yet we are possibly one of the best run clubs

     

    ———————–

     

    Really?

     

    With the same non execs staying well over the alloted time and a minority shareholder making all the major decisions?

     

    Keep the gags coming Turks!!

  13. Thank God we are so poorly run, as I have enjoyed some of my best times as a Celtic supporter.

     

     

    1964-1965 Kilmarnock 50 Heart of Midlothian 50 Dunfermline Athletic 49

     

    1963-1964 Rangers 55 Kilmarnock 49 Celtic 47

     

    1962-1963 Rangers 57 Kilmarnock 48 Partick Thistle 46

     

    1961-1962 Dundee 54 Rangers 51 Celtic 46

     

    1960-1961 Rangers 51 Kilmarnock 50 Third Lanark 42

     

    1959-1960 Heart of Midlothian 54 Kilmarnock 50 Rangers 42

     

    1958-1959 Rangers 50 Heart of Midlothian 48 Motherwell 44

     

    1957-1958 Heart of Midlothian 62 Rangers 49 Celtic 46

     

    1956-1957 Rangers 55 Heart of Midlothian 53 Kilmarnock 42

     

    1955-1956 Rangers 52 Aberdeen 46 Heart of Midlothian 45

     

    1954-1955 Aberdeen 49 Celtic 46 Rangers 41

     

    1953-1954 Celtic 43 Heart of Midlothian 38 Partick Thistle 35

     

    1952-1953 Rangers 43 Hibernian 43 East Fife 39

     

    1951-1952 Hibernian 45 Rangers 41 East Fife 37

     

    1950-1951 Hibernian 48 Rangers 38 Dundee 38

     

    1949-1950 Rangers 50 Hibernian 49 Heart of Midlothian 43

     

    1948-1949 Rangers 46 Dundee 45 Hibernian 39

     

    1947-1948 Hibernian 48 Rangers 46 Partick Thistle 36

     

    1946-1947 Rangers 46 Hibernian 44 Aberdeen 39

     

    1938-1939 Rangers 59 Celtic 48 Aberdeen 46

     

    1937-1938 Celtic 61 Heart of Midlothian 58 Rangers 49

     

    1936-1937 Rangers 61 Aberdeen 54 Celtic 52

     

    1935-1936 Celtic 66 Rangers 61 Aberdeen 61

     

    1934-1935 Rangers 55 Celtic 52 Heart of Midlothian 50

     

    1933-1934 Rangers 66 Motherwell 62 Celtic 47

     

    1932-1933 Rangers 62 Motherwell 59 Heart of Midlothian 50

     

    1931-1932 Motherwell 66 Rangers 61 Celtic 48

     

    1930-1931 Rangers 60 Celtic 58 Motherwell 56

     

    1929-1930 Rangers 60 Motherwell 55 Aberdeen 53

     

    1928-1929 Rangers 67 Celtic 51 Motherwell 50

     

    1927-1928 Rangers 60 Celtic 55 Motherwell 55

     

    1926-1927 Rangers 56 Motherwell 51 Celtic 49

     

    1925-1926 Celtic 58 Airdrieonians (old) 50 Heart of Midlothian 50

     

    1924-1925 Rangers 60 Airdrieonians (old) 57 Hibernian 52

     

    1923-1924 Rangers 59 Airdrieonians (old) 50 Celtic 46

     

    1922-1923 Rangers 55 Airdrieonians (old) 50 Celtic 46

     

    1921-1922 Celtic 67 Rangers 66 Raith Rovers 51

     

    1920-1921 Rangers 76 Celtic 66 Heart of Midlothian 50

     

    1919-1920 Rangers 71 Celtic 68 Motherwell 57

     

    1918-1919 Celtic 58 Rangers 57 Morton 47

     

    1917-1918 Rangers 56 Celtic 55 Kilmarnock 43,

  14. I make that one title between 1939 and 1965.

     

     

    3 titles wins between 1927 and 1965.

     

     

    Maybe that explains the lines in The Celtic song:

     

     

    When you read its history,

     

    It’s enough to make your heart grow sad

  15. While we’ve indisputably dominated our domestic game for 25 odd years, the caveat is, this is what you would expect.

     

     

    So Bayern will dominate German football not because they’re a fantastic well run club, but because the difference in finances between them and their rivals has never been so big.

     

     

    Continued domestic success is not necessarily evidence of a well run club. More so evidence of how the finances of football have changed.

  16. TURKEYBHOY @ 10:11 AM,

     

     

    Now not wanting to go to deep down the rabbit hole or finger point but the best run Club in Britian is a myth.

     

     

    I’ll make one point to back that up, out performance during the Covid outbreak, a well run business would have donecso much better.

     

     

    Also it is more than possible to be very successful running a business in different formats and organisational

     

     

    Back in the day I did work for “MARS”, a phenomenally successful business and certainly one of the smartest I’ve come across

     

     

    Yet they were (and I believe still are) a family business..

     

     

    Hail Hail

  17. One of the most important philosophies at Bayern Munich is to record a profit in every single financial year. This adherence to smart financial practices has led the club to flourish financially. And the club’s healthy financial status seems to only be getting better.

     

     

    According to reporters Tobi Altschäffl and Christian Falk, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, CEO Oliver Kahn will announce a record breaking turnover of 835 million euros for the 2022/23 fiscal year to the supervisory board in an upcoming meeting. Considering Bayern announced a turnover of 665.7 million euros for the 2021/22 fiscal year, the increase in turnover is utterly staggering. That is about a 25% increase. Of course, anyone who knows even a little about how businesses work knows that the money cannot just be spent on the transfer market.

     

     

    However, Bayern may still splurge a lot of money in this upcoming transfer window. The two aforementioned reporters also mentioned, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, that the supervisory board “has already agreed to spend a new club record fee for a new striker.” Who that may be, we do not yet know for sure. But it may get expensive for the club. Luckily, it seems that Bayern may just be able to afford such massive expenses.

  18. 100% agree Turkey, we are not in as bad a place as reported, CBs aside.

     

     

    Need an up tomorrow though for the Manager to show us signs his way is working or revert back until the injuries clear up.

     

     

    KLV

  19. I’ll make one point to back that up, out performance during the Covid outbreak, a well run business would have donecso much better.

     

     

    in what way could celtic plc have run the business so much better ?

     

     

    the support was not allowed to attend, but ponied up for season books in good faith.

     

     

    what else could celtic do but sit it out and cut costs ?

     

     

    help me understand chairbhoy ?

  20. Covid season was unprecedented. The mistake was giving a Neil Lennon the job full time which lies straight on Peters shoulders not the club.

     

     

    We do need a voice against the sfa though, that’s got to come from the board room as its not the coach’s fight, he’s busy enough.

     

     

    KLV

  21. D9COMEDY @ 10:19 AM,

     

     

    Well the cash question is an interesting one, haven’t thought about it in a while but I did hive a reply to Celtic40me a few years back so will stick with that.

     

     

    Share price stability

     

     

    Businessmen like DD etc don’t like wildly fluctuating, unpredictable values in corporate terms

     

     

    We own Celtic Park, Lennoxtown, Barrowfield, have 55k season tickets a squad worth around 100 mn give or take.

     

     

    And of course the value of the business as a going concern

     

     

    The fluctuating revenue and profit and squad value based on the Clubs on field performance can make the share price volatile

     

     

    Holding 60, 70, 80 % of the turnover gives price stability

     

     

    It was also very handy when we were looking to get into a higher league.

     

     

    A pan European league or EPL participation could have seen the size of the Club sky rocket

     

     

    We could have gone from

     

     

    100 mn, to 200 mn, to 400 mn revenue in three seasons

     

     

    Nowcof course leveraging that expansion should be no problem with a Billionaire and untold riches in the future

     

     

    Yet to have cash to part fund that expansion would have made things much smoother and cost effective.

     

     

    Now if the later theory was true then maybe we would have seen us invest our cash this window to ensure the benefits of the UCL this season and the new format next.

     

     

    Of course, getting into the new format in 2024/25 isn’t guaranteed so maybe still “keeping our powder dry”

     

     

    Too dry for my taste:

     

     

    Hail Hail

  22. On this day in 2012 Neil Armstrong died. The first man to walk on the moon

     

     

    I wonder if he ever experienced cognitive dissonance.?

  23. Bayern benefit from a €340m (2005) stadium which they don’t own but rent. Not uncommon in Europe.

  24. In 1994 Roland Mitchell of the BOS took Celtic to the Blink. We had no reserve finances and no external source of income.

     

    The establishment were ready to see us go to the wall.

     

     

    We need money in the bank and I for one am happy that Celtic have financial stability and security.

     

     

    During Covid we did not need the SG loan. We were independently secure.

     

     

    Perhaps this explains in part why we have money in the bank.

     

     

    HH.

  25. SAINT STIVS @ 11:10 AM – KLV

     

     

    My point re-Covid wasn’t necessary aimed at the on field performance although that of course was part of it.

     

     

    It was that as TURKEYBHOY states, we were regarded as one of the best run Clubs in Britain

     

     

    We also had a lot of cash in the bank to deal with unexpected “rainy day” occurances

     

     

    O course the covid pandemic and the lock down hit everyone but Celtic should have been in a solid position

     

     

    Yet our overall performance and decision making was dire

     

     

    Again one example

     

     

    Lenny seemed responsible for the implementation and updates when the outbreak hit.

     

     

    He’s a football ghuy – not an executive or even a corporate manager or administrator

     

     

    We should have had a COO responsible with consultants advising, we as a football Club were under special measures and our roles and responsibilities within that should have been better understood and much better managed.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  26. Chairbhoy

     

     

    You say the previous chairman sacked the previous ceo.

     

     

    You suggest this would not be normal practise.

     

     

    The conclusion from your statement is that he did this with no board / shareholder agreement.

     

     

    Have you a single shred of evidence to support this ?

     

     

    The horses mouth / both horses mouths certainly say very differently and so I am very curious.

  27. Deniabhoy

     

     

    Are you still seeking ticket / s for tomorrow.

     

     

    I have one north stand lower if needed. Just for a wee donation to the foundation or wherever you wish.

     

     

    Can meet you 2pm pre game at CQN corner

  28. Chairbhoy 9.51

     

     

    The ‘PLC’ are the executive front of Celtic fc.yup that same Celtic who play and hopefully work for a win tomorrow.One Celtic

     

     

    That is only your view Chairbhoy,that they are not run like a normal Plc,show me where there is a uniform template on how to run our clubs executive front,you wont find one anywhere,each executory adapt to their market and it could be evidenced that since the turn of the century our club have been mightily successful,some say our clubs most sustained period of success,leagues,cups,leaguecups etc

     

     

    Yes we are a football club,our executive know this as much as you or i Chairbhoy,in executory terms he is the most senior person in terms of company law not tradition, and within that law how our executive is structured ie power and clout,that belongs to our clubs Ceo michael nicholson.

     

    In business terms it would be stupid not to use PL knowhow(knowledge&goodwill) when it comes transfers etc,the executive decision will be down to MN within Celtics executory.

     

     

    It could be argued if it is not broke dont tamper with it.The Celtic board have successful since 2000,Celtic football club too.’codes recommend’ maybe we dont adhere fully due to that success CB,codes are voluntary,we appear to be successful in results on the park.

     

    ‘Middle aged white men’- i trust your being a little lazy in english CB,you do know we would welcome anyone onto our board regardless of the pigment in their skin.

     

     

    Evidence again,how many titles/cups/leaguecup did we win by not adhering to the recommended codes,Celtic did follow company law.it worked for us in terms of success.

     

    In corporate/executory terms it is anything but bad practice,it could be interpreted as bad practice if Celtic jettisoned the know how/goodwill of PL

     

     

    That small exec it could be interpreted have given our club its most sustained period of success in our history

     

     

    There is very little accountability, the last CEO was sacked in short order for unknown reasons

     

     

    Our last Ceo(mr mackay) was not sacked,a false narrative there CB,truth in the last part of your answer ‘unknown reasons’ ie you do not know,stick with that.ps i am trying to answer you in plc terms

     

     

    ‘There is undue influence by a Principal shareholder who does not have a majority and is unaccountable’

     

     

    Deep pockets are handy as security and for confidence chairbhoy

     

    1.post seville debt management 2004-6

     

    2.Banking crisis 2008

     

    3. Club 2012 liquidation

     

     

    ‘We have what looks like fraternal bonds and nepotism rife within the Club.’

     

     

    CB i was about 92-94 when that was rife in our club,coming within minutes of what you imply/infer is rife within our club,it was close to ending us.we are not in that position today.

     

     

     

    ‘We are holding more than 75% of our turnover as cash in the bank, bad practice at a PLC’

     

     

    There may be reasons outwith football for that ie court cases

     

     

    ‘We have very little openness and transparency with stakeholders’

     

    I would ask what you mean by stakeholders?

     

    All shareholders imo should be active and up to date if not the voting right defaults to the board

     

     

     

    ‘Many of these practices have been with us the whole of the 21st Century’

     

     

    So has the sustained success chairbhoy.

     

     

     

    ‘It is hardly up to Michael Nicholson to put his old boss, a man who has great influence on the Club in general and the CEO’s responsibilities and renumeration specifially, as well as head of the Board”

     

     

    Maybe he wants to follow the same successful tract as his predecessors chairbhoy.

     

     

    ‘The last Chairman sacked the last CEO.’

     

     

    You will be able to evidence your use of english above CB?

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

    HH