Knowledge gaps in football don’t last forever. We discussed this last year when reviewing the advantage Celtic earned over others by investing in the Japanese market. On evidence from three of the four players we signed from Japan before this window, the quality recruited from there outweighs anything we have been able to acquire from European markets.
You, me and the recruitment bods at every Premiership club know this to be the case. It is also true that Japanese clubs and scouts know there is an emerging market in Scotland. If you had a player to move on, you would test the water here.
And so yesterday this particular sun rose for Hearts, who signed 21-year-old striker Yutaro Oda. The undisclosed fee is likely to be well short of £1m for a player who has made only 26 starts, giving a return of 5 goals. It should be noted Hearts had a Japanese loaner from Manchester City for season 2019-20.
Hearts fish in a different pool from Celtic. This is effectively true of every Scottish club, including Newco, who will always lose a player to Celtic, if we are sufficiently motivated. Still, any Scottish club that actually has money to spend on players would be mad not to learn from the lesson Celtic have very clearly taught them over the past 18 months.
This could be the last window we have an effective knowledge advantage for the Japanese market. The real lesson from Celtic in recent times is that these gaps exist and that finding and exploiting them is transformational.
I cannot let this go without comment. Former Rangers manager, Alex McLeish said “We’d never head down the conspiracy rabbit hole.” In response to Martin O’Neill’s unflattering comments about Scottish referees.
Those who earlier went down the conspiracy rabbit hole were able to uncover grand scale disguised renumeration during McLeish’ time as manager at Ibrox. He often fielded entire teams with “improperly registered” players. The conspiracy to hide second contracts extended to over 50 players and officials. When uncovered, it led to Rangers liquidation.
As much as anyone involved in Scottish football over the last 100 years, McLeish knows the truths that lurk down conspiracy rabbit holes. No wonder he doesn’t want to go there. How refreshing it would be if any of these dozens of characters still peddling their thoughts to the media were asked to open up about THE Grand Conspiracy in Scottish football.
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WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 12TH JANUARY 2023 10:37 AM
………..
Ive had MANY Protestant Pals over the years….PLUS TWO Protestant EX WIVES……
Whats your POINT ?
See what I mean?
Got to say this in defence of McLeish, he has a good side.
A very good friend of mine, a Rangers fan, not a hun, great guy had a very very bad stroke confining him to wheelchair and home. He was a sick man.
Knowing how much he loved his team I wrote to McLeish, telling him of my support of Celtic, and asked if would do something for my mate.
A week or so later, my pal phoned me to say he received a nice car, footbal and strip signed by the plaers along with a couple of other trinkets.
Obviously he was ecstatic so I dropped a line of thanks to McLeiish to thank him.
He replied saying how much he admired me for doing what |I did
KINGLuBO
Card
King Lubo…I’m glad you posted that. It shows that not everything is black and white. I also had a positive experience with McLeish.
Too many reading the moronic guff from the Eejits in the Media.I include some of the supposed Celtic sites.” Gio has agreed a deal”My arse.Gio will be agreeing nothing,Celtic will.Everyone forget how transfers work?.Then we had ” There must be a sell on clausewith JJ which some hack just made up,and many believed.Now we have Celtic offering a 50% sell on fee to the Korean boys team !!!!!!!!!!.Who the fek came up with that doozy?.
All crap.Remember,these people are not our friends.
Never saw Mc Leish ever hold back when he and Willie Miller were getting ladled into them.
Funny that.
TB @ 11:34am
” which some hack just made up,and many believed.”
Which happens far, far too often.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 12TH JANUARY 2023 10:37 AM
Some guys just can’t help themselves.
If you’re not one of us you are the enemy and are to be vilified.
It’s not black and white…there are many shades in between.
Sometimes there is a distinct whiff of sectarianism within this blog.
There are some who do not have a protestant friend methinks.
shame that, so it is…
——-
UTTER TOSH
Why any any Celtic fan would stand up for Laffatme and McIness is beyond belief.
Probably not Celtic fans.
Shame really.
D :)
TURKEYBHOY on 12TH JANUARY 2023 11:14 AM
Too many reading the moronic guff from the Eejits in the Media.I include some of the supposed Celtic sites.” Gio has agreed a deal”My arse.Gio will be agreeing nothing,Celtic will.Everyone forget how transfers work?.Then we had ” There must be a sell on clausewith JJ which some hack just made up,and many believed.Now we have Celtic offering a 50% sell on fee to the Korean boys team !!!!!!!!!!.Who the fek came up with that doozy?.
All crap.Remember,these people are not our friends.
——————
TB – Good post.
D :)
Lafferty and McInness are both bigots. Nothing more to say really.
WeeBobbyCollins.
Some guys would just like to know the name of the film your partner was involved in ?
You mentioned it,it was good
Now hopefully its 3rd time lucky for an answer.
You seem to bolt as soon as asked..
Some odd behavior
An Tearmann…the odd behaviour is coming from you. What has my partner’s film got to do with anything?
Big Jimmy
I was at that Dynamo Kiev game – I remember them being applauded off the park by the Celtic supporters.☘
Wee Bobby Collins
Whats the name of your mrs film?
So i can watch it.
If thats bizarre so be it,i just want to watch the film.
new article posted.
WTF is wee bobby Collins agitating about ..if he was looking to get a reaction…mission accomplished …has nothing to do with being a Protestant ..Celtics tradition is full of them and rightly so…a hun in my book is someone who is anti Celtic and has actively ( factually) cheated us …step forward McInnes , McCoist , McLeish and the rest …it’s in their DNA
I also have met McLeish at a concert ( Peter Gabriel ) and after being shocked that he had the good taste to be there , I found him pleasant in the brief conversation I had with him …but when push comes to shove …100 per cent Hun Monkey
Paul67
(3) Celtic FC do not ‘buy’ or ‘sign’ players they ‘finally complete’ deals. The hugely dull nature of this event should be emphasised at all times by using at least one of the following terms – ‘protracted’ ‘long-running’ ‘drawn out affair’ and ‘dithering’
transfer style guide