Ibrox fixture bonus for Celtic

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A home start against Ross County on 5 August was not the most notable item on the fixture list, issued this morning.  We visit Ibrox on Sunday 3 September, just four days after the Champions League playoff round concludes.  If Newco are still in the competition, they will have to throw everything at their midweek European games.  As champions, Celtic will be able to rest in the week leading up to the game.

There is a lot of work ahead of then for both teams to be ready, but this is an ideal date to visit Ibrox.  Facing a taxed squad (insert your own joke here) that may well have suffered European elimination gives us the opportunity to stamp our authority on last season’s runners up.

The run towards the winter break looks like a pivotal time of the season.  We have seven league games in December as well as the final Champions League group stage game.  The month ends with the visit of Newco on 30 December.  Three days later we face what could be a tricky visit to St Mirren, our last game before the break.

We need to talk about Jota, so there will be another blog later today.

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  1. If jota goes will the money we receive be added to brendan’s transfer kitty or will it the kitty itself?

     

    As regards the league fixtures it is similar to what happened last season Sevco played us, aberdeen, hibs and hearts away in the first quarter. No complaint from me.

  2. AN DÚN on 30TH JUNE 2023 10:45 AM

     

     

    Of course there are. It’s not exactly the most complicated decision Michael Nicholson makes but it depends on the circumstances and several variables

  3. BIG WAVY

     

    From earlier.

     

    As you say the 2 guys we have signed might be good prospects/ projects.

     

    If we are serious about the CL that’s not the kind of signings we need.

     

    We need first experienced first team starters.

  4. glendalystonsils on

    Do we just give Adidas free rein to design what they like? What about next seasons home kit? Green and white zig zags?

  5. Obviously I wouldnt know where to start with negotiating the sale of a player worth millions of pounds, leave that to the experts

     

     

    I would know a bunch of Chancers like the Huns when I saw them though.

     

     

    If you drive a hard but ultimately fair bargain you get s sound reputation like we have.

  6. THE_HUDDLE

     

     

    My post was a little tongue in cheek but the point remains the same.

     

     

    It is an awful strip and, judging by early reaction on Celtic sites, it won’t sell anything like as well as a better strip.

     

     

    I hope I’m wrong but it’s still rotten.

  7. now we will here something from our host regarding Jota today.

     

     

    If he moves on so be it.

     

     

    If I was the bhoy myself I would be saying to my agent, ok, sp if celtic are willing to let me go, for a reported 25m , go find another club in england or spain that will match the deal I want to go there and play.

     

     

    For big ange, surely surely surely Jota is a person who he would be interested in, 25m i mean cmon.

     

     

    Intersting , well no really, the sell on clause goes up to 30% for benfica, every little made up story to help the rangers cause.

     

     

    after all sadi and done, and everything is paid, taking orignal transfer fee, the loan fee, the sell on clause, a donation to Michelle Mone fighting fun and peter laweell taking his 10% for advisory role, celtic will come out with a loss of 3 million.

     

     

    spin spin spin

  8. celtic40me on 30th June 2023 11:06 am

     

     

    AN DÚN on 30TH JUNE 2023 10:45 AM

     

     

    Of course there are. It’s not exactly the most complicated decision Michael Nicholson makes but it depends on the circumstances and several variables

     

     

     

     

    We agree that it’s reasonable not to sell if the circumstances aren’t right. You haven’t answered my question on what those circumstances might be but we can leave that.

  9. fourstonecoppi on

    SAINT STIVS on 30TH JUNE 2023 11:02 AM

     

     

    this design is utter shite.

     

     

    Aye done by drunk geezer during a power cut , me thinks!

  10. Bada,

     

     

    Kyogo? Simple. It’s our model. It’s how we survive and thrive in a world that is getting further away from us.

     

     

    I don’t know if I’d accept ‘want’ but rather ‘should’. We bought for £4.5m, we look to sell for £20m+ and we reinvest in an Edouard-type from the scouting at £10m, aiming to sell him for x3 in 2 years.

     

     

    Great in SPFL last season, poor in Europe. I think 2 seasons of the latter and he falls off the radar. We miss the chance.

     

     

    I’d be delighted if he stays but we can’t make too many of those or we are stagnating.

     

     

    Gotta trust the process.

     

     

    HH

  11. bournesouprecipe on

    Welcome to the modern world

     

     

    Selling Jota ( if true ) absolutely fits our modus operandi, the goal posts are always moving the more Celtic flourish. Profit from a player we took on loan whilst out of favour with his selling club, Juranovic and Giakoumakis didn’t stay the distance of the new normal of winning the league most times.

     

     

    We move on , two years of SPL on a mere 20k a week and they’re away to make ‘real’ money in an obscenely rich league, in comparison. There’s only so many times you can hunskelp, endure icey Wednesday’s in Kilmarnock, or have a shifty at The Brazen, back 2 back titles is about right. The longer this summer window goes, we’ll see why Celtic decided on a hugely successful big time successor for Ange Postecoglu. Brendan Rodger’s pedigree keeps us, buying and selling in the world of the come and go. Long contracts aren’t just for the player, they’re insurance and profit making for Celtic as well. The more money Celtic make the more accountable they become to the fan base, step forward the new Jota

     

     

    The days of Henrik Larsson or any seven season Celtic wonders are long gone, as the gap created by greedy capitalism just got wider, now it seems stretching to sportswashing Saudi.

     

     

    As ever CSC

     

     

    P. s Welcome to Celtic Marco

  12. Player trading is difficult and I’m certainly no expert, nor have I claimed to be, I’m a fan and a shareholder with an opinion, which what this forum is all about.

     

     

    Deferring to the Club on all matters on the basis we’re not professionals wouldn’t make for a particularly interesting fan forum. I’m not sure how we hold the executive to account if we go down that road. Debate and disagreement is healthy.

     

     

    I hope we’re not in danger of acquiring a reputation for under selling our assets which looks to be the case for me in terms of Jota’s reported fee.

  13. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Big W- the Saudi stuff is a game changer,even for EPL, it’s going to get harder to build a team for 4 or 5 seasons ,when you’re losing your best 3 or 4 every year HH

  14. St Tams,

     

     

    I think ‘projects’ underplays them both. Holm is a Golden Boy award nominee from a country in the conveyor belt of some terrific young talent. He has pace and power.

     

     

    Tilio is an A-league player of the season nominee, Aussie international & standout youth in that country.

     

     

    Two very good pedigrees and here to challenge for first team spots.

     

     

    I think it’s a good start but big bucks discussions will take time this summer. 5/6 guaranteed first teamers.

     

     

    HH

  15. Bada,

     

     

    We’re just going to have to get really good at it. Up our investment in scouting, analytics, feeder clubs.

     

     

    Be the ones the Saudis pay the inflated fees for at the right time.

     

     

    These boys, if we get it right, will be gone in a flash of an eye, giving us a great mark up.

     

     

    We’ve got a great coach that makes them better. We need to max out and grow in the environment that is changing.

     

     

    HH

  16. Jaysus,

     

     

    Even Marco can’t make that top seem any better….

     

     

    Welcome young fella. Always a privilege and pleasure to have Aussies in and around the club.

     

     

    Now go skelp a few huns…

     

     

    HH

  17. quadrophenian on

    In three seasons since moving from Sydney FC to Melb City, 22-yr old Marco has bagged 20 goals and 19 assists in 89 appearances in league and cup comps.

  18. One of the things that distinguishes buying from the Dutch and Portuguese markets, compared with buying from Scotland, is the track record of success that buys from those countries have compared with Celtic.

     

     

    Guys who we thought were top class European performers like Wanyama and Forster did not look anything like as stellar down south. Squad players who were not guaranteed first team players, like Christie and Armstrong easily coped with lower league EPL but did not impress enough to attract interest from bigger clubs. We really need those guys to make an impact if we are to get money for our next prospect.

     

     

    Of course, VVD gave us a boost and Kieran looked like he was going to justify the raised level of transfer fee that we had eventually commanded. It is injury rather than talent that has made him look less of a bargain.

     

     

    In my view, we clearly undersold VVD and Artur Boruc but we got the right fee for KT.

     

     

    If, as reported, (and remember I said IF) Jota goes for £25m, we will have equalled our record but………………..

     

     

    We will have done so for a player with no injury history

     

    For a player with attacking flair rather than a defender

     

    And for a player from the Benfica stable.

     

     

    I reckon he has been undersold. I reckon that, if he had stayed at Benfica and only made a handful of appearances in a breakout season, the Portuguese club could have generated a sale of £40 + for such a player.

     

     

    I understand the fear of leaving assets unsold. We lost out on big money for Larsson and for McStay. The Ibrox club lost out on money for Kent and Morelos by not selling at peak but there was no sign that Jota had got close to the moody stages that they reached. The Ibrox club made a killing on the dud Bassey and we could have got at least half of what we got for Jota by selling the reluctant-stay Abada instead.

     

     

    Celtic made a good impression on CL opponents last year. Giving the sane talent a second opportunity to shine could have seen Jota’s fee rise from £25m to £40m+.

     

     

    I refuse to believe we have sold him at peak price. We have no other winger near his level of skill and consistency. Abada might attract a £10m + bid if he keeps scoring but Maeda, Haksa and Johnston won’t. We’d be lucky to get £10m for the three together.

     

     

    So, how keen was Jota to go that we had to accept this? Does he think Saudi is going to be an elite league or a retirement home. The stars are gonna be surrounded by 8 moderate Saudi players- what CL type stage will they command? Will they national coaches select them from this background. This is not the equivalent of LIV golf where the top 100 players were almost all bought as a package. It is still just an unrated retirement home with a couple of young players being paid huge wages to damage their development pathway.

     

     

    Which club is going to pay a Saudi club £50m for one of their players enjoying already inflated wages?

     

     

    I am deeply disappointed IF this is true

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