I think we all like Mikael Lustig. This week the defender spoke to the Norwegian media, expressing frustration at the lack of clarity surrounding his future. Celtic have an option to retain him next season, but in January brought in a hoped-for loan replacement, Jeremy Toljan.
Toljan did not work out but the club are clearly still looking for a new right back. I am not sure when Celtic’s option expires, but If they get a satisfactory replacement, Mikael will be allowed to leave, if not, he will stay.
This is the football business. It is harsh, even more so for young players released before they make a significant living from the game, of for those from an earlier generation, who achieved greatness and found themselves without money or a trade in their 30s.
Players will often talk about their “love” for a club, but that love is invariably wrapped up in a lucrative contract. The love becomes a fondness if offered a wage that would be regarded as spectacular to most fans.
I really like Mikael and I know we need cover for every position, but even the good guys sometimes have to wait under the terms of their contract for a decision, and they all need to move on one day.
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Pebble in the pond time — surprised at how negative and down large elements of the support are at the moment. My stock anti PL rant is now getting a lot more attention than in the past. The NL permanent job farrago has opened the eyes of quite a few people as to the amateur way we go about a lot of our business.
Last summer’s transfer window still stands out as a shambles and even those who were prepared to give the benefit of the doubt to the club are now getting vocal at the current state of the club and the issues we keep collecting but not sorting.
Plus we have the pit pony syndrome — we have seen the daylight regarding quality coaching / analytics and don’t want to regress to the hap hazard standards of before.
Then there is the “treble treble defence” which is starting to grate. First of all the hard yards were done by the coaching of BR and what use is local success if the product on the park is pure stodge and we keep getting football lessons the minute we step outside the SPL. We aren’t stupid no matter how hard the happy clappy astroturf try to paint a rosy picture — the performance on the field does not lie.
Usual finale — huge July and August coming up. Hopefully we invest in the team and the coaching staff and have an unbeaten start to the season.
BR can be credited with 3 of the 8iar we won.
There was life before Brendan and there will be afterwards
Madmitch
Large elements of the support ???
I think you will find its about a dozen serial whingers who love the sound of banging the drum.
Several of that dozen dont go to games o principle because of The Evil Bean Counter
So bang away to your hearts content..Thats democracy….over rated if you ask me
SFTB – on my own records it’s Neil 4, Ronny 2, Snakeyes 2. Enjoyed your post of half an hour ago.
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox, think mahe giving the time difference might not be able to respond, now I have not got the debating skills you and mahe have but I will give it a go, on cqn there is anti board and pro board you are pro board more power to your elbow, but give some time to ghuys that have not got your convictions, im probably older than you 66 as god stands, was14 when the lions won the cup watched it on an old 14 inch black and white tv .please give licence to others on here who do not share your view,hail,hail and god bless.
There’s a great prog on telly re The Stanislavsky acting method………Honestly, the length some folks go to “live their characters”………..
Incredible stuff.
Personal Opinion
Celtic will try to sign players and spend money through June
This will help avoid tax implicatiions/payments on our cash pile sitting in the bank.
We will then move players on in July, and replenish the spend made, putting cash back in the bank ?
Question how much will we spend ?
Then how much will we get back in ?? Ntcham ? Potentially McGregor & Sinclair ??
If turnbull, harper and connell are coming in we must be looking to move a few centremids on. ntcham, mulumbu and bitton have got to be on alert. Think rogic may go If the price is right too. Need to prioritise a rightback, centreback and forward in that order. If we can cover purchases from transfer fees brought in then grand, If we can made a profit then all the better. If we Need to spend a little more that we bring in to get the players we need then so be It.
I do prefer going for upstarts with a point to prove over order guys like mulumbu who simply want a final payday.
HH
Hopefully young Turnbull will sign as he is a very decent prospect but we should temper our expectations and remember he has only had only 1 season playing for Motherwell in the SPFL. While it may represent a good bit of business concluded early we still have a requirement for some quality experienced pros to join the 1st team squad.
We have been linked with Toulouse CB Christopher Jullien who fits the profile, 26, experienced, played at a good level but we will no doubt baulk at the reported £9mill asking price. We also, likely, need a like for like replacement for Lustig. How much do 20 something international RB’s with World cup, European championship, CL & EL experience cost these days? And don’t forget the requirement for an additional 20+ goal a season striker as minimum.
Will these signings be funded by further sales of our few remaining sellable assests – Calmac, Ntcham, Rogic and god forbid KT? Or will we delve into the huge profits made from player sales over the past couple of seasons and actually strengthen the squad rather than denuding it for a change?
We live in hope CSC
BANKIEBHOY1 ,if you are referring to me please get the spelling right,hh.
NORRIEM –
The cash sitting in the bank isn’t taxable. It is only any interest that is earned from that cash that is taxable. Spending the cash in mid June by buying players will lose the Club half a month’s worth of interest. Even if that interest is attracting a fairly decent rate of say 4% (it wont be that high), for every £1M that we spend during the last 2 weeks in June, the interest we would otherwise have received will fall by roughly £1,667 (£1M @ 4% X 1/24). So even if we were to spend £10M by this weekend, the corporation tax saved would be approximately £3,166.67.
I don’t think saving tax is part of Peter’s cunning plan.
Off to my kip….
Wow, this is even harder going than before, no middle ground, you are either a happy clapper or a board hater. So many experts in one place, astonishing.
I disagree with this leader. Mikael shouldn’t be peripheral to the 9IAR campaign.
Our defence was the strength of the club last season. We lost to AEK Athens because we couldn’t score the chances we had in both ties.
We must bring goals into the team next season. Not the bench, not the squad, the first 11. Holding off £8m for a right back is a waste of finite resources. The team I watch every week needs two 9s and one 10 added to the match day eleven
BIG PACKY 1 on 12TH JUNE 2019 8:07 PM
CHARLIEMAC, well said sir, now you will get a shower of abuse,.but just rise above it.hh.
BIG PACKY 1 on 12TH JUNE 2019 8:59 PM
CELTIC CHAMPS ELECT,more power to your elbow pal, just think we should not be arguing amongst ourselves we all support the best team in the world.hh.
Self-awareness… Discuss.
?⚽️
HUNDERBIRDS ARE GONE, discuss feel free.hh.
On being a well run club, who is in a position to actually judge?
By what criteria can we judge?
The super goal of Celtic as a business is what? Does anyone know?
How are Celtic organised to meet that goal?
Anyone ever seen an organisation chart?
Do different Depts contribute to meeting the goal?
How do we know they are? How do they?
If they arent then why?
Are they resourced properly in terms of personnel and technology?
Is there a cost to that which impacts on the football budget and does that impact negatively on the super goal?
Is it easier to put all the success indicators into the one football winning basket rather than take a more holistic view on the dependency the main goal has on each part of the business and make sure there is alignment of all?
Perhaps if we had answers to these sort of questions (that should be being asked internally and regularly) we would have more of a clue on how well run we are.
I for one will be disappointed if ML leaves this summer.
For the last two seasons, we have had to listen how his legs have gone and he needs replaced.
So how does the Swedish International? By coming back from injury as good as ever and using his head.
Who among us can forget his headed goal against Aberdeen to settle our nerves and secure the title?
Or his firm header to set up the cup final winner?
Or his slalom through the The Rangers defence to underline our superiority?
He has been a good servant and deserves our respect for his contribution to 88888888.
I’d like him to be retained as an experienced hand to help us navigate to 10.
BIG PACKY @ 10:32 PM
“on cqn there is anti board and pro board you are pro board more power to your elbow,”
Sorry- I do not accept your packaging for me. I am only pro-Board in the eyes of the anti-Board. In my own eyes I am Board-bored. I dissociate myself from the importance given to the Board by the anti-Board posters who are much more obsessed with that aspect of Celtic than I am.
“but give some time to ghuys that have not got your convictions, please give licence to others on here who do not share your view,hail,hail and god bless”
I have not, I cannot, and I do not prevent anyone from having their own time, and they do not need my license. To suggest such strikes me as absurd.
I offer my own alternative views and some posters, who do not want their posts contradicted or critiqued, may take themselves away to a blog where they feel more comfortable and where their own views will be reflected back on to them but no blog can remain an echo chamber for too long.
Paul 67 operates a very liberal policy on here and I would not be prepared to put up with half the abuse he takes, or James Forrest gets on his blog and sadly, which will come the way of Mahe and BMCUWP on Sentinel Celts too- it has already started to happen.
I hope that Sentinel Celts will find its own way and will resist the tendency to be the anti-CQN blog, with posters carrying on arguments from one blog to the other, sometimes misrepresenting what was said in order to fuel aggro. I trust that Mahe and BMCUWP will not allow that to happen but they will face their own challenges from some of the posters they have on there.
Big Packy 1
Sentinel Celts 6:35 this evening
No red card yet ? Maybe the posters on here are a bit more understanding of others points of view than the Politburo on your favourite site. Interesting that a lot of your buddies spend an awful lot of time on here…
GG sorry pal I love him to but we need to move on big mik against champions league players is frightening he would be embarresed and so would we.hh.
Auldheid
KPIs
Win the treble.
Make a profit.
Keep the fans happy.
Be the strongest club in Glasgow
Ensure we provide the best facilities for staff and fans.
?
GG
Easy peasy as long as we keep winning. ;)
Big Packy
I love CL nights, but to me they’re the cream on my strawberry cake.
Priority number 1 is to win the SPF Hell.
Sftb,,
“ If we don’t accept the hard cash signs of satisfaction ( season ticket renewals , high match day attendances, number of drunk Celts in May) then how do we better measure it? Would you be prepared to concede that a low number of SB renewals and a closing of the upper tier was NO sign of fan disillusionment? “
How do we measure it ? Great question and perhaps someone somewhere has the answer but as pointed out by Fairhill and others just because you are renewing doesn’t mean you are happy.
That seems to be a common misconception .
“ But there have been some, a minority, but a growing one, who can no longer get much satisfaction from winning. People who get quickly back to the mantra of – “We got lucky there- we won’t be lucky next time” and , despite 8iar they remain equally confident that the Suits and Peter Liewell will mess it up for us next year.”
Well if it is messed up it should certainly fall to that crowd you mention. Unless Neil is heavily backed myself and many would lay defeat at the boards door.
“When Rangers got liquidated and Sevco was born out of the carnage, all the new Sevcoites parroted the media message- “It does not count if Celtic win the SPFL cos we’re not in it”. At the beginning of 8iar we just laughed at them, but for the past 2 seasons, we have started to repeat their message. Posters on here are telling other Celtic fans we should not celebrate beating the other “dross” domestically because there’s no honour in beating teams with much less money than us and not much honour, but still a lot of fun, in beating a financially crippled Sevco.”
Many sports fans would subscribe to the idea that one team with three times the turnover of its biggest rival and many many times the average turnover dominating the league is boring and wrong. There are sports go out of their way to never let this happen.
The old saying pick on someone your own size springs to mind.
Its in the eye of the beholder how much pleasure they derive from dominating a league.
Probably differs man to man .
“ Our club let us down badly then but we, as a general support, showed by our actions that we did not want to know. “
It was up to every single one of us to determine our own actions in the face of blatant corruption.
To wait on others might suit some , might be a convenient excuse also , but ultimately its ourselves that look in the mirror and must decide our paths.
You chose to go with the crowd , I chose to go against it.
You really should have made our own mind up tbh and ignored whether that park was full or not.
And told them they let you down .
“ We had no stomach for a prolonged fight and, within a couple of years we were longing for their return so we could toy with them. We got our wish and they are back and no longer a team to be toyed with either. Careful what you wish for.”
Theres a theory that the stomach for the fight was deliberately mislead to another fight (res12)and not the one we should have turned up at ( boycotts). I happen to subscribe to this theory.
As for stomach,,I think the stomach is there but a clear target isnt. As such the plc are targeted whether right or wrong.
“ So, apart from moaning on Social media, including official twitter, where else are the signs of dissent? AGMs and EGMs come and go without a glove laid on the plc. The best efforts of Auldheid, Canamalar, Morrisey and others did not gain sufficient traction anywhere. My respect for all of them remains high. The failure was not theirs but failure there was and, I fear, that battle has been lost for the present.”
Around dinner tables and bar tables you would find dissent I guess but social media is a huge part of modern life and as such many would sow dissent on there.
I feel you are saying its only social media ffs. Thats true but its not as if its not relevant or used. Sowing dissent on social media is still sowing dissent. No more no less.
As for Agms and lost for the present I also feel we have lost this battle with this board and they will depart very richer soon . I hope we learn lessons from whats going on but I doubt the average fan see’s it that way.
“I attribute our growing anger to Angst at the tantalising prospect of 9iar and 10iar being snatched from us and we are preparing our scapegoats in advance. “
I dont. I attribute any anger at our custodians and how they go about their business and those running the game being spineless cheats.
“ We do not trust the “strategies” that have earned us 8iar to keep on working. We are still asking for the same approaches we asked for 8 years ago, and every year since. More spend, more ready made players- just more and better and be quick about it.”
Managers and money have brought us the 8 so far . A DOF might be a different approach but managers and money is about all the strategy we have and need if the manager is worth his salt.
“ Maybe we need something different and more organised to organise the high levels of dissatisfaction “
Very true. Those unhappy should feel they have a voice or someone / somewhere to turn to. Feeling helpless watching a club you love going down a path you hate is soul destroying .
“ I have to ask………. are we actually more comfortable with complaining than going through the tiresome effort of organising people to a common cause”
Lol. Theres too much waiting for someone else to do it I agree but its such a huge task that many baulk and look for someone else to lead instead of making their personal choice and being fine with that .
“ My predictions for next year are pessimistic- not about the football- because I never know how a league will turn out until we are actually well into it. “
If fans of the easily biggest fish in the pond are pessimistic what does that tell you ? Tells me they have the wrong leaders at the top calling the shots as the right ones would promote confidence.
“ Our support could do with girding up their loins and becoming a bit more determined to cheer us on to further glories, rather than focusing on how we’ll deal with others when we eventually fail.”
A good team on the park to be proud of would do a hell of a lot to girding up their loins ( lol ) and its possible that we win the leagues until restructure takes us away in which case no defeat to taste. Not winning a new harder stronger league should be expected and surely wont be seen as defeat?
Hope all is good Sir and please join me outside Parkhead for an hour handing out sack the board leaflets ;)
Hail Hail
SB @ 10.52
Common thread regarding the MF’s coming in or potentially coming in is their relative youth.
DT = One full senior season is a squad player at best.
RH = Even fewer games so another squad player.
LC = Youth team punt in need of a new haircut.
Things could change over the season but they have a lot of work ahead of them.
The gold standard for youth team MF’s if PMcS — that is a first team starter before he turned 18. The players above are one level below his class at least. Consequently here’s hoping that we get them and they help the current youth prospects make their next steps.
If BC / KMcI / EH do not match the standards of DT / AN Other new MF then we should take a long hard look at our scouting and player development.
I forgot to wish Callum well on his deserved break. He’s done well for us regularly. I hope he thinks about his last goal being in January.
I want our management to dwell on playing a middy, 90mins whenever he’s available, who hasn’t scored for four months.
Sentinel Celts?
Splitters. :-)
Am I missing some wee stoochies by not subscribing?
Legend
https://youtu.be/iiefSlAMloQ
Teuchter. :-))
” I hope that Sentinel Celts will find its own way and will resist the tendency to be the anti-CQN blog, with posters carrying on arguments from one blog to the other, sometimes misrepresenting what was said in order to fuel aggro. I trust that Mahe and BMCUWP will not allow that to happen but they will face their own challenges from some of the posters they have on there.”
Thank you for your sentiments and I would urge everyone to not view us as anti Cqn.
We offer the front page out free to anyone and I dont approve before hand or anything it just goes up and if its considered pro board then it is. We dont have a policy as such and try to call it as we see it.
Some dont like how I see things ,, I cant help that but im open to reasoned debate and can certainly be swayed by solid argument and facts.
The last thing I want is strife with here , please believe that everyone.
Respect and Hail Hail
Did the board match the fans’ ambitions when they recognized Ronny’s failure to play the “Celtic Way” whatever that is, and securing a first class management team?
Did they match it when they authorized the money spent for Edouard?
Or by securing local talent like Morgan and hopefully Turnbull?
Did they match it with a new playing field, despite it needing a few antibiotics latterly?
Did they match it with facilities like The Celtic Way, the planned new training ground?
Did they match it by prudent financial practices, playing by the rules and ensuring a strong balance sheet?
Oops. Tatties on the plate, along with a non meat burger.
Behave yourselves.
Circa a few months ago…Hi Mikael we are going to serve notice to terminate your contract but we have an option to extend it for another year. You might hear from us but for now just concentrate on football and win gentle trophies… Nothing…. Mikael in June: ‘what is happening’? Celtic, we are looking for a right back, nothing yet but we will let you know if we get one. We might bring you back but nothing just now for you, All as per Contract so nothing to worry about for us but we know you love the money and want to milk us for another year but its a tough industry…
Peter Lawwell: ‘ we are committed to creating a world class football club’
GUYFAWKESAFOREVERHERO on
We have leigh g back so there’s your no. 9, we
have shved in so there’s your no. 10. We have bayo and arzani too. That is like 4 new attacking players in the squad for season 2019/20.
No doubt We need legs in the midldle of the park and NFL looks to be addressing that issues.
Lustig was at fault for all 3 aek’s goals and struggled with anyone with good pace. We cant always outscore teams.
We need a 1st pick rightback, We need a 1st pick centreback to partner ajer/ and/or jozo. Bring through our best centreback prospect. We may need another forward too.
Any players purchased should fall into the very good prospect of quality player. No squad fillers should be purchased i.e mulumbu, hayes, comperr etc…
Mahe
“but as pointed out by Fairhill and others just because you are renewing doesn’t mean you are happy.
That seems to be a common misconception .”
——————————————————————
Not with me, but I asked the corollary question- Would you be as generous in saying that a large slice of unsold SBs and/or a closed tier in the stadium was NOT simply a sign of dissatisfaction?
“It was up to every single one of us to determine our own actions in the face of blatant corruption.
To wait on others might suit some , might be a convenient excuse also , but ultimately its ourselves that look in the mirror and must decide our paths.
You chose to go with the crowd , I chose to go against it.
You really should have made our own mind up tbh and ignored whether that park was full or not.”
Sorry, you have me confused here??
I went with the crowd?? You went against it??
How so? I thought you went to the USA and had no choice to make.
What greater actions did you take that I have not?
Do you even know what I did or did not do?
—————————————————————-
“Theres too much waiting for someone else to do it I agree but its such a huge task that many baulk and look for someone else to lead instead of making their personal choice and being fine with that .”
I think my point has been missed here. I am not saying that Social media criticism is unimportant- merely uneffective. It has not developed into any sort of mass movement or coherent organisation. There is no “Celts for a £10m Centre Forward” movement as there was for “Celts for Change”. There are opportunities at every match day for protest but protest has there been none. Even the Green Brigade get more agitated by restriction on Pyro and the Rebs than they do on Boardroom matters, DoF’s, or Brendan Rodgers going for the big bucks.
————————————————————————————–
“If fans of the easily biggest fish in the pond are pessimistic what does that tell you ? Tells me they have the wrong leaders at the top calling the shots as the right ones would promote confidence.”
I fear that you are mistaking your views on the source of dissatisfaction for theirs. It would surely be easy for them to organise a march or protest against Dermot Desmond or Peter Lawwell or Ian Bankier if that was the genuine and settled source of their dissatisfaction, but there have been none- Why is that? It is the easiest thing in the world to organise a fan protest. We could ask the Union Bears for advice as they have mounted a few.
I still feel that my attribution – “people like moaning online more than they enjoy doing anything about it”- fits the facts better.
HH
P.S. Good luck with the poster handouts!- When’s it happening?
PLEASE everyone take what mahe is saying, its not an anti cqn blog I love cqn, from pablophanque to kojo dontbrackbackin anger st john doyle Lurgan 53 mah vmhan awe-naw mags McGill the exiled tim bmcuw cosy corner bhoy jimthetim53 eldieagobhoy the singing detective,lurgan57 to name but a few cqn started the ball rolling many thanks to paul67.hh.
Mahe the Madman
“ So, apart from moaning on Social media, including official twitter, where else are the signs of dissent? AGMs and EGMs come and go without a glove laid on the plc. The best efforts of Auldheid, Canamalar, Morrisey and others did not gain sufficient traction anywhere. My respect for all of them remains high. The failure was not theirs but failure there was and, I fear, that battle has been lost for the present.”
===$===/
There is another AGM on it’s way.
The only mistake I think Res12 made was thinking proof of cheating would galvanise the club and supporters to act.
Perhaps knowing why the club didnt act might galvanise the support, but we’ll see.
SETTINGFREETHE BEARS FOR RES 12 AND OSCAR KNOX, thanks for your reply.yes I thought that also, a big fat zero,.good night and god bless.hh.
Big Packy 1
I was reluctant to do this but you need to be more honest with yourself.
We know that Mahe and BMCUWP do not want Sentinel Celts to be an anti-CQN blog and they have a generous offer to give space to all views. That is a given.
However some posters on Sentinel are struggling with that aim.
You, yourself, posted the following there earlier today
“MAHE, don’t waste your breath on them on the other channel, they have green tinted specs on 24/7, we are a well run club, peter is doing a fantastic job, all season tickets sold out, jesus wept, im tempted to go on but I would be red carded.hh.”
You need to make up your own mind.