I’ve been looking for signs for an inflationary bounce in English football. The next Premier League TV deal is still 12 months away but at this stage before previous TV deals kicked in, clubs started spending ahead of themselves as they looked to secure a piece of the lucrative new deal. In particular, I’m keen to see how central defenders are valued.
Today news broke that West Brom agreed a deal with newly-relegated Hull City to sign central defender, James Chester (26) for £8m. Chester has 11 months left on his contract at Hull. Three years in the English Championship and 45 Premier League games over two seasons was enough evidence to induce modest West Brom to pay the asking price.
It would have helped that three other Premier League clubs, Southampton, Aston Villa and Newcastle, were also reportedly interested, but no one is making false claims for a lad who has not troubled the scouts of England’s top clubs. He’s a modest player who is able to sign a pre-contract in January. This is a spectacular fee, passing between two modest clubs, for a central defender.
Consequences for us? We’ll see.
I’m doing a State of the Club article for Friday, as we do the day before the league campaign starts. So far there’s a flow to the words. A solid result on Wednesday will reaffirm that, whereas a reversal would, frankly, deem a satisfactory assessment inappropriate.
So much turns on these next few games, Champions League qualification, squillions of pounds, and sure, the State of the Club. We’ve come through a few iterations of acceptable levels of performance over the last 20 years, since winning our first trophy in six years. Younger readers will never appreciate how precious a 1-0 Scottish Cup win over Airdrie could be.
These days it’s all about the treble and Champions League group stage qualification. The loss of a cup would be an annoyance, but Celtic need to be part of the Champions League.
Our friends at Magners have offered a pair of Premium seat tickets for the Jock Stein Stand at the opening league game of the season on Saturday. To enter, all you need to do is email me with the name [IN THE SUBJECT LINE] of who we play that day, celticquicknews@gmail.com
If you’d like to donate £1 to the CQN Mary’s Meals school kitchen appeal, help towards what would be our fifth kitchen in Malawi, you can do so here:
Entries close at 6pm this evening, so not much time.
628 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- »
To see yourself as others see you
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Quotes+-+About+Celtic
masty
09:33 on 29 July, 2015
Ffs no even half 9 yet an some on here are pissin on our parade..ah well, got the night off (and the morra) so am takin it easy, take mrs m for lunch, then it’s brazen time.
Misses for lunch? Nae work the morra?
Means late pass for home tonight, fly arse :)
I’m not sure nasty? I gave him one last night for Jinky, so I’m not sure?
MASTY
A night off for swinging,and you wanna go to the football?
Proud of you,mate….
Masty
Tony
aye, and a run hame for you if ye play yer cards right
Two of my Polish workmates are going to their first game in Paradise tonight.
Their conversion will be completed tonight. We are all buzzing! :)
Masty
Ok a be good :))
Not phoned the big guy this week, how is he?
He’s in good nic. Masty, he is going up every day for his treatment, all seems well.
Tony
I have sent commy a text, I will wait til around 1ish then try and get one myself, got a load of paper work to do first
Ok no problem, see you later.
Tony
brazen around 5?
MELBOURNEMICK Yes you are so your definitely among good company:-))
The Battered Bunnet meant to ask why couldnt you avail of the print your own ticket?
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS …….where would we put one Bobby??
leftclicktic………… love your post , made me smile:-))
I still have green eyes…….and I’m a monster…..
HH
Delaneys Dunky
09:39 on
enjoy…….:-))
I on the other hand am bricking it (as BMCWP says) on the inside
HH
dena29
See you Saturday.
Best place tae have a drink in newcastle?,the train station.
Quick pint,oan the train,and get out of the sh****le!!!.
Mon the hoops!!.
leftclicktic
09:47 on
29 July, 2015
dena29
See you Saturday.
Absolutely …………..:-))
HH
Dena
Thank you. See you Saturday..
Still think our overseas celts will get a last minute reprieve on the live coverage, fingers firmly crossed, I can totally understand the clubs stance, but dont think those who can’t make it should be put out
my team for tonight…………Gordon
Luistig. Boyata. Van dijk Izzy
Bitton. Brown.
Gms. Ciftci. Armstrong
Griffiths.
Y’all ready for this :)
http://youtu.be/JXyE6IQhlW4
Delaneys
how are ye big guy?
DD great missionary work
Play your cards right and you’ll get a beatification out of this
JinkyNewton
pop up to http://www.thehonours.co.uk/index.html
Bellshill
no jo hansen?
Take cifti out, put jo in, and that’s your team, imo of course.
Delaneys Dunky
09:48 on
29 July, 2015
Dena
Thank you. See you Saturday..
Will do ……:-))
HH
Clubs loosing piss pots of money with all those pubs and bars showing it for nothing, clubs right. Shame the lads over seas too, but that’s life, and business is business.
DD
the last time I was in the rock on the falls, a couple of polish dudes drank in there
Anyway quite liking the print at home service for those last minute decisions to go to a game. single charge of £1.75 for 3 tickets. Which while it seems like money for nothing, it should be remembered that some guy in a windowless basement actually has to write software to do that kind of thing (or at the very least implement it). Plus bandwidth, infrastructure etc.
Not a lot of folk know this, but…
Dougray Scott was born in Castlemilk, the older brother to sisters Linn and Bogany.
tonydonnelly67
09:48 on
29 July, 2015
Y’all ready for this :)
http://youtu.be/JXyE6IQhlW4
Now your just making it worse.. :-))
am going to miss that tonight ……next one I am not missing dont care what it takes this is killing me ….
C.O.Y.B.I.G.
HH
TBB
is that were he learnt how to hoddam?
The Battered Bunnet 09.52
Dougray then went on to be educated at Auchmuty High in Genrothes. Not many people know that either.
tonydonnelly67
09:51 on
29 July, 2015
Clubs loosing piss pots of money with all those pubs and bars showing it for nothing, clubs right. Shame the lads over seas too, but that’s life, and business is business.
Even though I am one who will miss out tonight I totally agree with you ….if our club are not getting money appropriate with the calibre of the game then they are right not to sell themselves short…..it would give the wrong message and leave themselves open for future negotiations……….but I soooooo want to see the bhoys :-((((
HH
MACJAY
When I said negative vibes,I was referring to this.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KuStsFW4EmQ
Waves,not vibes. Means I need to watch that fillum again soon.
Weeminger
Have you seen the Tap2 Innovate system?
1) Buy tickets online.
2) Q Code sent to your Smartphone
3) Q Code scanned at the turnstyle.
As opposed to:
1) Buy tickets online
2) Travel to ground
3) Queue outside ticket office
4) Collect tickets from ticket office
5) Ticket scanned at turnstyle
One system is installed at Celtic Park, the other at Livingston FC.
Can you guess which is which?
DELANEYSDUNKY
The missionary work is appreciated,my son! Have a grand night,bud.