As Motherwell won their semi-final yesterday against the second most expensively assembled team in Scotland, the penny began to drop with the last hold-outs that Brother Pedro will be remembered as little more than an expensive stop-gap in the attempt to stop Celtic winning 20-in-a-row.
Let’s be clear: Pedro is not in the top two managers in the league, in fact, Celtic, Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Motherwell, Hibs, Hearts, Kilmarnock and Dundee all have demonstrably better bosses. But there was a reason he was appointed late last season, despite better candidates being (under)employed in Perthshire.
Appointing a competent, provincial, manager, like Tommy Wright, would be an acknowledgement that Newco had no illusions of competing with Celtic. In that role, Wright would out-perform Hibs, Motherwell and St Johnstone, and give Aberdeen a run for their money, but he is not an alchemist.
There is a difference when you appoint an exotic as manager, even an incompetent one. Few potential season ticket customers know what you really have with an exotic. He could be incompetent, but you can equally hope that he turns out to be a truly great appointment, with access to hitherto unexploited talent.
There was no point in Newco giving the job to a reliable but unspectacular candidate like Wright. This club needs to propel itself into a position where it competes against an elite Celtic team, and can navigate its way through four Europa League qualification rounds.
If it lowers the Union Jack and raises the White Flag to mark Surrender of league aspirations, its self-image would be destroyed. I could debate the commercial viability of an aspirational Newco with you all day (fanciful), but it appears that even the decision makers at Ibrox regard the viability of a subservient Newco as untenable.
The club faces Hobson’s Choice. Throw money it cannot afford at strategies selected BECAUSE correct due diligence is impossible, or downsize to a point they know will have a negative impact on ticket sales and future income.
20 years ago this week, Rangers beat Dunfermline 7-0 and were hot favourites to win 10-in-a-row, but the business model had a fundamental weakness: the club were haemorrhaging cash. You can debate whether the subsequent liquidation and newco phoenix club is the same or different to the Rangers some of us are old enough to remember.
What is irrevocably true is that Newco is unrecognisable from Rangers in one hugely important aspect: it will not win the league. Ever.
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Pedro said he took responsibility yesterday for the defeat yet today he threw his players under the bus claiming they lacked bottle and embarrassed the Club. We can assume the team meeting this morning didn’t go very well. It can only end one way and it will be soon, sadly.
COSY CORNER BHOY on 23RD OCTOBER 2017 3:31 PM
Wee cousin,79 , in hospital after a ‘massive’ stroke so any prayers and candles would be much appreciated.
We were on the Rooftop Party on STV many years ago as among the best jivers in West Scotland.
Then she was 4 feet 10 inches and we could do all the ‘throws’ you could think of.And still keep the beat!!!!
Took my Fatima water bottle to hospital so you never know.
Going up again this evening so will let you all know!
DEO GRATIAS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi,Dad.
Let Margaret know she’s got my support,and if I’ve got any credit left from Fatima,it’s all hers. She’s a wee diamond-oops,that’s Airdrie,not Ayr United!!!
I didn’t realise she was 4’10”. Always thought she was smaller. Mind,it’s difficult to tell when she’s standing on thon lemonade crate at Somerset.
(True story. Long-term season ticket holder. She took a lemonade crate into the ground to stand on so she could see)
Another thing you don’t hear so much about these days -‘Rangersitis’.
So at 19.30hrs in London we will find out if we have won the best fans award.
We can only hope , but even being mentioned in such esteemed company is in itself a prestigious achievement.
HH and fingers crossed.
I am the person
They probably wouldn’t let you take an ole lemonade crate into the ground now; not unless you filled it with pyrotechnics.
I’ll say a prayer that ole CCBs cousin makes a good recovery
COSYCORNERBHOY
Best wishes to Margaret
Alves, the new Captain Unbookable, “reveals he’s trying to tempt Portugal team mate Pepe to join him.”
I laughed at that “revelation” but it’s all begining to make sense now.
Get Ronaldo in as well. The Qatari mob will sort out the financial stuff.
It’s not possible that the Celtic sharp suited-men don’t know about the latest durty deeds down Govan way.
” Before the game the Rainjurs fans were 50-50 on Pedro now it could go either way ”
BFSDJ
ccb. prayers said for your cousin. on the subject of sevco. they will unfortunately allways be here. the establishment will see to that.
‘So at 19.30hrs in London we will find out if we have won the best fans award’-
that would send them way, way beyond meltdown.
The ole clever cloggery Born criterion may no longer apply, seein’ as it’s based on ‘ rigidity catastrophe caused by the vanishing elastic shear modulus, e.g. when the crystal no longer has sufficient rigidity to mechanically withstand load.’
You think by now Sevco would have become acclimatised to the ole rigidity catastrophe…
COSYCORNERBHOY….
Thoughts are with Margaret and all who hold her dear….
Braw
‘Kinn ahhh shhhpeek tae Big Derik Johnsuuun puulleeease?”
Radio Snyde CSC
” Substitutes save tired Celtic ”
SameoleCelticAlwayscheating CSC
Wee radio item re a smirking Dani Alves telling a pre match Press Conference that He couldn’t name 1 Marseille player.Reporter Man followed that up with claims that the egos of Alves and Superbratmar are destroying team spirit at -PSG and that a serious falling out is on the horizon.
dougie dougie
Evening all.
Been an awful day of weather down here. Was way beyond dreich. Now it’s the ole “red sky at night…….” So, maybe things will improve tomorrow. Doubt it all the same.
CCB, will say a wee prayer for your cousin, Margaret.
Did my heart the power of good to see DBBIA contributing once again.
My nerves are already playing up over Wednesday. I would happily take a draw now. Wonder if Hayes will be given a role to play. He ought to know their weaknesses.
Hurting huns on Snyde…..
Clyde gold there – “I’ve sat in the Copeland Road stand from the day it opened….apart from when we signed a certain player…but been there since he left…”
Did they ask him ‘who’ or ‘why’? Opportunity lost.
Friesdorfer,
Yes, it’s always nice to meet good Celtic people. Enjoyed your company too.
As for Wednesday……I’ll only go if someone has a spare ticket coming up the road. Unfortunately the Aberdeen fans are a long way from being as civil and friendly to away fans as our new German friends were. I refuse to sit on my hands at Pittodrie any more, so will probably just watch at home.
I’ll be down at the game on Saturday though. Maybe catch up at ‘The Coarnir’ before the game.
I’ll have my giant minder with me :-)
PCS- I think KT will start v Sheep and Hayes will play left wing back on Saturday, give KT a wee rest
The Shortbread attack dogs are in the traps
..
No home games for us in November if my take of upcoming fixtures is correct.
Our only home league game scheduled was Thistle on 25/11 but as the league cup final the following day , a midweek game in December will e rescheduled.
br on next on radio clyde
Lower the Union Jack and raise the White Flag of Surrender.
Magical.
HH.
Has Sevco asked for a review of the Bowman incident with the elbow from yesterday?
They have quite a large team the Mothers, it will have to be horses for courses against them or several quick goals in the first half and play keepy baw for the second half
Don’t know how Alves stayed on the park yesterday
HH
gsu
For those who didn’t see my Bruno Alves post earlier….bleating Brutal Alves…
For those who didn’t see my Bruno Alves post earlier….bleating Brutal Alves…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zeM-8OvK-Y
Cosy Corner Bhoy, thoughts with Margaret, hopes she makes a full recovery and gets back to the jiggin’
On Sevco………..
The Huns are zombies and we are Champions!
Dear Mods, please note the self moderation:-)
bants wbc
Battered Bunnet,
Your excellent post deserves so sort of response. Here is another fag package analysis of Sevco’s position in Scottish football.
Here is a dramatic scenario that illustrates the relative positions of Celtic and Sevco.
Currently we have 42 clubs in the SPL through to League 2. If we compare this with a successful football nation such as Belgium which has around 34 clubs for a population that is twice that of Scotland, we get a sense that we have too many clubs fighting for the football dollar. Suppose by some miracle, 4 clubs were eliminated from the SPL and 5 from each of the other three leagues. This would mean, based upon 2016-17 statistics that around 1,065,940 attendances were up for grabs by the remaining clubs. So we are left with 23 professional clubs which is still higher per head of population than Belgium.
The average price of admission to an SPL game in ‘16-‘17 was 21 GBP excluding the pie and Bovril extras.
Suppose half of the supporters simply leave the game as a result of their club disappearing from the professional ranks, this would leave around half a million attendances that were still up for grabs. According to SPL attendances, Celtic had a 32% share whereas Sevco had 29%. Hence potentially, Celtic could pick up additional revenue of 0.32 x 21x 500,000= 3,360,000 GBP whereas Sevco could realise 3,045,000 GBP. The additional revenue for Celtic is small beans when compared to the CL revenue of 20-30 million GBP. However, it is significant for Sevco which runs at around a 4-5 million GBP loss per year. Even if Sevco got all of the revenue from the dislocated fans, it would not bridge the gap between Celtic with CL revenue and Sevco without. This shows us the real impact of the UEFA decision to reduce Scotland’s representation in the CL from two to one club, a move that was designed to increase the dominance of the really big clubs in Europe.
Conclusion? Even an apocalypse scenario does not realise Sevco’s goal of becoming the dominant club in Scotland but it could make it difficult for Aberdeen to finish second, as Sevco has greater drawing power. The only foreseeable way that Celtic’s dominance could be threatened is if Sevco get a sugar daddy to underwrite substantial losses for a few years as he/she invests in the player pool and a decent management team.
Rebus
Former Brechin City defender banned for testing positive for Epimetendiol, Epitmetandienone and hydroxymetandienone…how do you even ask for that stuff?
Don’t like the oneupmanship, never is a long time, celtic need to keep their eyes on the prize, game by game season by season.
Celtic are still a long way off reaching their full potential on and off the pitch. Maybe if celtic can pull together a real grow plan we might see a day when our turnover is 80 million before c/l income. Plans like the museum, hotel etc… will go some way towards.
If and it’s a big if celtic can make these plans reality and they are the beginning of significant growth plans then we might be able to have more confident when talking about never again !! Sxxx
Phil’s up …
https://philmacgiollabhain.ie/2017/10/23/shambles-fc/
The Huddle, is it not the case that Griffiths and Dembele have been ‘developed ‘ during their time at Celtic, they were perhaps not always at their current level? Why not Moult too? HH
CCB,
hope your cousin makes a full recovery,
HH
gsu
Don’t think McLean had that bad a game yesterday.
After 5 mins he just decided that he was refereeing 2 teams consisting of cluggers and hatchet men, and decided to let them get on with it.
Pedro must stay! Pleeeeeassse.
right you ghuys gotta set my mind at rest. just got a text from my evertonian brother in law. everton are gonna offer brendan rodgers a package he cant refuse. talkin lots of cash told him brendan is a celtic fan. so what he said rooney was an evertonian but still went to united didnt know to say. just tol;d him to go away in no uncertain terms please give me some support.