It always stings a bit when we lose a good one, and there appears to be universal agreement that Victor Wanyama is a good one, but there are compensations. We lost him for the asking price (a club and Scottish record) and lost him early enough in the transfer window for the cash to be put to good use. Technical note, £12.5m and freeing up a very small wage will not provide £12.5m for transfers plus wages for either a £12.5m player or a collection of players at that value. It will free up a lesser transfer budget and provide a higher wage budget.
Victor goes with our best wishes. He joins a club who signed Celtic fringe player (I’m being generous), Jos Hooiveld, two years ago, and who also employ former Celtic misfit, Danny Fox. It’s not a sexy move but Victor will be as well compensated as Celtic by England’s bling. There could be claims about the move being about football, but it’s about the money, honey; not that there’s a problem with that, Victor didn’t pack his bags in Nairobi hoping to end his days in Glasgow.
He only became a first choice player after Beram Kayal was injured so comprehensively by Elbows McCulloch and played less than 30 games and was a first team choice for less than a year before declining a contract extension for a substantial wage increase (several times the wages he was on). This, when he had almost three years left on his existing deal. There’s a lesson there for future negotiations.
If you are feeling less than happy about this development, I could suggest a reason or two. Back in the 70s and 80s Macari, Hay, Dalglish, Nicholas and McClair were sold for competitive fees but the Cavalry of reinforcements didn’t arrive. Instead Celtic hoped a new generation of youths would fill the gap. Those of us from that generation were condition by the experience.
Things worked differently when Jock Brown was in charge (aye, you read right). Within a few months we lost the league for the ninth consecutive season and sold the Three Amigos for a substantial amount of money. In August 1997 I was distraught but 10 months later the penny dropped. The challenge now for Peter Lawwell, Neil Lennon and the Celtic scouts is to outperform Jock and Wim………….
Easy, right?
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Twisty
Training session or fitness session it makes no odds, we’ve been poor very poor to even suggest they were fragmented would be an over estimation
Long ago I gave up worrying about pre-season matches. They are not a valid guide to the coming season IMHO.
However, we have a competitive match in a few days time, against a team who will be absolutely up for it. We should be looking significantly better than we are.
Neil says it’s all about fitness. Well, it hasn’t been that long since we played. Has our players’ fitness dropped off so much in 5 weeks? Have they been in the gym? And why do these other teams (who do not face a competitive match for a while) look significantly fitter than us?
And what is the excuse for the shambolic organisation? Have they forgotten how to play football? Do they need a few matches to remember?
Finally, whilst I know the club must milk every penny it can, the damage to our brand of being tanked on a regular basis is considerable IMHO. I also believe Cliftonville will now be fancying their chances, certainly in the first game.
I think we need a rethink about preseason. If its about fitness, then play closed doors games against lower division opposition, and don’t ask fans to shell out to see some truly horrific performances (or let them in for free!)
If it’s about match fitness lets try a few games against people we will tank, boosting our strikers’ confidence and allowing us to gently ease back into the routine.
I doubt losing 6-2 to a bunch of nobodies in Germany has done many of our players much good.
As I say, I don’t ant to go over the top, and if our first game was August I wouldn’t be worried at all. But everything hinges on successful CL qualification, and we look woefully underprepared for that.
I agree kevinlasvegas, we just move on and its what happens from here that really counts. However I am worried,I can’t help it. I would have classed Vic & Hoops as our best 2 outfield players. One is now gone and the second looks odds on to go. I don’t wish to rush to any judgement on the 2 new lads but Balde in particular doesn’t look to have a footballers “touch”, I sincerely hope I’m wrong but thats my initial impression of the guy.
‘Because this is a PF cheer leaders site..’
Ra ra ra go PF go PF ra ra ra go PF go PF?
Che.
PL is an employee. .
I am a shareholder he is therefore answerable to me and my fellow shareholders. . O))
Che
As I said, not seen a ball kicked, but reports from you bhoys who have, are very concerning.
Italiabhoy sums it up perfectly.
Twists n turns,
I see a lot of horse tips flying sbout this morning, what would you regard as your bet of the day, I fancy a wee flutter today
Twistsanturns,….I’m the kind of guy that never worries about worry till it comes to my door, right now I see nothing to be worried about as we are still in 4 competitions , 121/2 Mill.in the kitty an another 5 Mill. For Hooper, all positive……..maybe to many guys worried about the SMSM, here’s a wee tip…don’t read them ;)
Remember when ‘take it on the chin’ Tony stormed Wembley and we were gonna win the world cup ? I would rather get a run around at this time of the year than the humbling at Love St he led us to….
BTW I watched the game last night and apart from the young centre back that is currently our best starting 11..
Anyway I am up here in Oban for the weekend , a lovely place, an my breaky time is 9:30 so I had better get cracked on here , ps good debate…….as I don’t argue with fellow Tims, my Tim mates? Well that can get heated, but that’s yer mates we all do that ;).
TD.
It is better in the pub debating but this is a worldwide pub..8)
Enjoy yer brekkie
Just watching the BBC news with pictures from Belfast during the traditional colourful pageant …front and centre, dancing on the roof of a police vehicle a performer in the colours of a third tier Scottish team….
EC67
A very enjoyable Saturday morning read, thank you.
Reminds me of an encounter with a German rocket scientist on a wet Barbados day where we both ended up blitzed.
Aulheid.(basil faulty)
Blitzed not a great turn of phrase..o))
.
I Stopped talking about Football on this Site Years Ago because its a ST Grim Reaper site..
Summa
2/9 to beat Cliftonvile next week.
The bookies know their stuff…
I try not to think of Southampton, or QPR or even Norwich in terms of being below us. It smacks of hubris and that is not a destination I fancy.
But the way that Southampton and QPR run their clubs, even with TV money, is basically corrupt in that it not only corrupts them, it corrupts clubs like Celtic trying to act sensibly.
It corrupts national associations ( if you have read CF leaks on the 2011 UEFA licence there is no doubt that lies were told and accepted by those who are supposed to administer fair play) and even UEFA look to be compliant.
This is what the good guys ( and we are the good guys) are up against but just as when we were being cheated by Rangers, the good guys start turning on themselves. Job done as far as the bad guys are concerned.
We have two choices: stay and keep fighting the good cause or walk away.
Do we do walking away?
.
I 19yr. Old from the Next Suburb has just Won Miss Universe Australia..She is training to be a Surgeon..Don’t think she will need any work form her Plastic Colleague’s in the Future..
Summa of BeautyAndTheSurgeonCSC
BT
Au contraire mein leiben :)
OldTim67
Many happy returns ya oul tart. Have a lovely day and I’ll give you a phone later.
gordybhoy64 @ 08:53 on 13 July, 2013
If you are looking for a bet, a very good friend of mine, who knows very little about golf and even less about betting told me in a drunken slur last night that Stephen Gallagher is a cert. for the up coming Open Championship.
Remember where you heard it first.
pauloantony
22:23 on 12 July, 2013
Happy birdie to you, Happy Birdie to you…
Happy birdie, dear Oldtim, Happy birdie tooooo yooooouuuuu….
Friendly my erchie
From the little I saw I thought we got booted off the park last night, that tackle on Sammi was a disgrace and I’d be checking that little wretches bank account for unusual deposits it looked to me like a hit.
Got a wee bit happier when Kayal made it clear it wouldn’t go unpunished but disappointed he never followed through.
Kayal in future when you make a point do the necessary son or its pointless
Big plus for me on last night was our mhan Stoksey he’ll be a monster for us this season, PL give him what he wants, he’ll outshine even Sammi.
en, I’m an interminable lecturer, get yer head up and take shit from no one big mhan, yer a good yin, it’s time you started believing it.
Hail Hail
Not really sure what you are saying Auldheid re us doing walking away. Nobody anywhere on the site as far as I can see has said anything re walking away. Some of us are concerned re pre season performances about losing our better players and about (so far) the lack of suitable replacements. We are still Celtic Supporters and if we get knocked out by Cliftonville we will still be Celtic Supporters, that will never change as you well know its in our DNA and we have no say in the matter.
Given that the pre-season games are only to improve fitness, what’s the point in anyone attending the Gladbach game?
Had to laugh at some of the images of Dodds being carried away having been lamped on the head by a brick by one of his own. A fat Hun in an Arsenal top can be seen recording him on his phone.
They certainly don’t to compassion or solidarity, it’s no wonder their football team died.
For those already unnecessarily stressed about Celtic’s pre-season results another negative story in the coming days is sure to send youse over the edge.
Beat again in a pre-season game not that worried.
Hooper odds on to leave bad news or main goal threat. Goals win games.
Need 5 quality players in,2 strikers another CH a creative midfielder and back up to Izzy.
Dont think we will get them.
Auldheid,
So are you saying the good guys should accept our own corruption because its no as bad as their corruption ?
So, Lenny saying Hooper may have played his last game, who is lined up as replacement? Hope its not Kevin Doyle!! Hope its a proven goalscorer, someone as good as Hooper who will improve over the next couple of seasons.
Alfred Finbogasson would be an ideal replacement, would we pay the £3-4m it would cost to get him though?
Leigh Griffiths. Does his off the field activity rule him out?
Charlie Austin. See Leigh Griffiths.
Johnny Russell. Oh hang on a minute……….
.
Auldheid..
If only EUFA Coefficient was Handicapped on Financial Income the Way Ballon d ‘Or is When a Player Scores goals in a ‘Lesser’ League..
If Southampton Qualify for Europe next Year they could have Spent 70 Million on Strengthening their Squad where Celtic say spent 4 Million..Surely that is Not in the Financial Fare Play rules..?
Summa
Allgreen 09:34 on 13 July, 2013
“Given that the pre-season games are only to improve fitness, what’s the point in anyone attending the Gladbach game?”
No point at all. People will. Just as they turn up to see the likes of Gerard Butler playing in a Celtic shirt. Some people just want to go to a game and some people just love to complain.
.
A Very Happy Hoopy Birthday to My Olde Buddi..OldTim..
Have a G’Day..and a G’Year..
Keep the Faith..
001Bhoy
corkcelt,
I think I get Auldheids point, it’s basically that we shouldn’t question our own corruption when everyone else are more corrupt, it might lead to our corrupt leader taking the huff and threaten to bite the hand that feeds them, is that close Auldheid ?
anyone seen this little ditty……………….ha ha ha
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/war/protestants-parading-around-like-a-bunch-of-dildos-again-2013071275664
Kevinlasvegas and Corkcelt
You said it all for me.
The depressing thing for me is the reality that we are of Bundesliga 2 standard or maybe lower EPL..And before anyone drags out the Barca result, remember to add in the St Mirren St Johnstone and Ross Co ones as well.
Of course we’ll win at least a double but what does that prove?
Please Celtic prove me wrong and qualify for the group stages..
Tony, we cant keep playing the training session/ friendly card. These games dealt the manager a harsh lesson.
hh
canalamar
Or walk away.