Spurs have dispensed with the man once thought Europe’s hottest guru manager (don’t believe in guru managers). Villas Boas was a failure as manager but he was a mere symptom of their problems. Splurging circa £100m on vagrant misfits should be enough to disguise the fact that you don’t have a sustainable strategy. For a while. But primary responsibility lies with whoever authorised the budget in the first place.
Selling that chap with the funny hair to Madrid went some way towards offsetting the cost of this summer’s acquisitions, but Spurs wage bill for the new arrivals will dwarf the money paid to those who departed. This is the more serious problem.
They are left with players on long and expensive contracts who look like they auditioning for a West End show. Forget about Spurs recouping their ‘investment’, the chances of players attracting contract offers which match the cash the Cockerel coughs up each month is zero.
The Bale money is gone and those new contracts written in the summer will inhibit the club for years. What next: downsizing, or another visit to the roulette table, gambling with even bigger stakes next time?
Here’s what happens when you sell your star player: everyone and their grannie wants the money spent. “The [Insert club name] board need to show their ambition”. This comes from fans, the media, the manager, scouts, family members and every taxi driver in a 30 mile radius. And why wouldn’t they spend an apparent windfall, that’s what the money’s there for, after all.
It’s at this point clubs lose all self-awareness. Reinforced by the success which led to the development and profitable sale of a prime asset in the first place, the organisation’s view of its reach, not to mention competency, is obliterated. “We have spent money well in the past, look, here is the evidence, therefore we can spend this even larger amount of money well now”.
With this belief now orthodoxy, every pore in the organisation secretes an intoxicating scent attracting the club to market. Unfortunately, the rewards for spending big are heady and instant, though they seldom last as long as the hangover.
Directors are celebrated, ticket and merchandise sales get a short-term kick. The manager and coaches get to play with more expensive toys; quite literally, everyone is happy. This is narco-football, only accommodated by ever-bigger hits. For some, this narco-football offers proof that management share wider stakeholder aspirations. I contend otherwise.
The heresy to this orthodoxy reads differently:
Clubs should mistrust their successes, they are evidentially more random than most are prepared to accept.
Windfall transfer income is more likely to draw clubs away from the part of the market they are most competent in. It is an acknowledged fact that sellers and agents literally see them coming.
Don’t go searching for the instant hit, you’re more likely to miss. If necessary, take some short-term pain while using resources to enhance recruitment infrastructure.
Heresy in any area of life is seldom met with quiet contemplation. Narco-football heresy is more likely to be met with a rationalisation that the heretics don’t share orthodoxy’s core values – sustainable success of the football club – no matter how many references to “sustainable success of the football club” they make. It’s Salem-esque.
The orthodox-heretic analogy is evident where three or more are gathered in any club’s name. The first club who manage to unite everyone behind the heretic’s charter will clean up/reach nirvana/find salvation/achieve ultimate enlightenment/do lunch with Tom Cruise.
CQteN St Patrick’s Day Dinner is now FULLY BOOKED. Many thanks for everyone who responded so quickly. We are well on the way to raising the money to build a kitchen and shelter at the Kholoni Primary School in Malawi (for details check here).
Just a few posting days left to order your CQN Annual before Christmas, £5 from every sale goes to the Malawi appeal:
Sean Fallon: Celtic’s Iron Man:
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Burghbhoy
I can see why some English people might be offended by the ` monster` reference ( although I very much doubt any are and they would need also to be offended by many other Scottish songs and ` quips` about the English).
I agree that anyone offended by The Roll of Honour wants to be offended.
JJ
Best Christmas presents.
Raleigh Grifter
Adidas Bamba trainers ( mind when u could get mamba, Bamba & samba)
Celtic emerald green v neck jersey ( as in jumper and I thought it stylish)Celtic lime green away top with the white pin stripes, Astro Wars.
Worst …. Action man with the parachute that never worked, stretch Armstrong… Totally pointless and Ker Plunk!
One Christmas, Santa was going to bring me a fort. A few days before the big day, I accidentally saw it. Naturally I asked about it and my mother told me it was a birthday present for my cousin, Michael and we were just keeping it for him.
On seeing `my` fort on Christmas Day, I innocently exclaimed: Oh, look! Santy`s brought me a fort just like Michael Hughes` !!
JJ
Boa noite – still no Celtic news from Brasil…….tumbleweed, tumbleweed…………..wind swishes by………………
So, after yesterdays Tribunal hearing Flamengo and Portugesa were both docked four points for fielding ineligible players in the last game of the season. Consequence of this is that Fluminense who were relegated, now finish above both teams and Portugesa go down to Serie “B”. Cries of “S’chust no fair” from the Portugesa camp don’t even begin to describe the uproar.
Also, this was published today. It’s a take on what the top clubs pay their manager’s expressed in terms of what their annual turnover was for the season. Wonder what it’d look like in Scotland?
Club Salary Turnover %
M GBP M GBP
Corinthians 1.625 89,75 1,8%
São Paulo 1.625 70,75 2,3%
Inter RS 1.625 63,25 2,6%
Flamengo 488 53 0,9%
Santos 1.300 49,5 2,6%
Palmeiras 650 45,75 1,4%
Gremio 1.463 44,5 3,3%
Atletico-MG 1.138 40,75 2,8%
Fluminense 1.528 37,75 4,0%
Vasco 358 34,75 1,0%
Botafogo 1.235 30,75 4,0%
Cruzeiro 1.463 30 4,9%
Jungle Jim
19:17 on
17 December, 2013
Burghbhoy
I can see why some English people might be offended by the ` monster` reference ( although I very much doubt any are and they would need also to be offended by many other Scottish songs and ` quips` about the English).
I agree that anyone offended by The Roll of Honour wants to be offended.
JJ
I take it that, either the police have witnesses for use in the court case who were offended, or the police themselves were offended? Otherwise it can’t exactly be called “offensive behaviour”? I hope it’s the police that were offended – I want them standing up in court explaining what they found offensive about the song. :-))
Natknow
Guaranteed the police found it offensive
Twittersphere saying P.Murray to be given seat on board at expense of Stockbridge!
Mmmmmm?
Hello?
Around the age of six or so, we weren`t very imaginative in buying Christmas presents but I remember being very proud of my originality one year when I bought my mother a carrot grater 0:-). I genuinely thought she would be overjoyed! Naturally, she responded as though she was.
JJ
Ally duping hunco fans again..symbolic passing of irrelevant vote to fans…nice timing, eh?
Any of the zombies on FF cottoned on to this wideo yet?
Took great delight in ripping in to Ally on SSB half an hour ago…the ‘pundits’ love him sooo much, its no real.
Amadeus reporting that Chris Graham’s twitter is somewhat amusing tonight!!
Seems there’s trouble in Sevconia..
Pass The Popcorn, there’s a good chap…
BBC Scotland SPFL Headline .
Seven Celtic Fans to stand trial for singing Pro IRA song.
Incredible !
HH
talking of christmas.
is the grinch not due on sometime to tell us all how crap we all are as celtic supporters.
and no presents for the weans in the green brigade,
Amadeus – there’s a blast from the CQN past.
Didn’t he flounce after scooping a potential signing for months that didn’t materialise? Or something similar?
cults,
you were good. Guidi is a big fat tube.
its no me, am no allys pal, dont say that bout me, big fat lip going,
twas funny
Natknow
I also would love to hear their defence.
This Act , stupid to start with, is becoming increasingly ridiculous. It wouldn`t look out of place in Gulliver`s Travels.
JJ ( Cheerio for now)
Jungle Jim
19:25 on
17 December, 2013
Around the age of six or so, we weren`t very imaginative in buying Christmas presents but I remember being very proud of my originality one year when I bought my mother a carrot grater 0:-). I genuinely thought she would be overjoyed! Naturally, she responded as though she was.
JJ
I bought my mum a pair of earrings one Christmas for about £2.50 from Woollies in Coatbridge. I remember her saying they were beautiful and that she’d have to get her ears pierced now! Probably cost her more to do that than what I bought her with my pocket money!!
Ah, mammies!
:-)))
Jobo Baldie
He’s been flouncing for the thirty odd years I’ve known him!!
Jobo Baldie
19:29 on
17 December, 2013
Amadeus – there’s a blast from the CQN past.
Rock me!!!
Jobo Baldie
19:29 on
17 December, 2013
Amadeus – there’s a blast from the CQN past.
Rock me!!!
Rioskorrie
19:21 on
17 December, 2013
Boa noite
indeedy.
only one story matters in all of south american football.
The O’Higgins win the chile league.
report back on that, thats your mission for today, should you choose to accept it.
Duplicate comment detected.
Looks like Paul’s blog is not as daft as first appears.
Same cannot be said for those who contribute!!
Cults
Thought it was you, well done, you came across well.
HH
the exiled tim-free the dam 5
19:07 on 17 December, 2013
All businesses are in business to maximise revenues….!!??
After Jobo’s musical bombshell this evening, FoCUS have announced they will be monitoring carefully all Masses in the East Kilbride area over Christmas, especially at organ voluntary time.
One last random question if I may.
Is the Limmy guy that was recently found guilty of sectarian bile via his website (or online radio show?) a completely different guy from the Scottish comedian (of ‘Limmy’s Show’ fame)? I do hope so.
Worst Xmas pressies ? My first Celtic top ! Must’ve been the early seventies……
My Ma got me it from the ironmongers shop on Shettleston Rd, think the shop (Calders) is still there ?
Anyway, this top fitted my body perfectly, but the sleeves were made for for the world’s longest limbed orang-outang, who had just took a stretch. Think I wore it once and it trebled up as a top, scarf (for me and a mate ! ) and a straight jacket type restraint.
winning captain
I ordered two Cqn annuals and they were part of the ones which went missing and they we’re re-posted, thing is that I ordered two and only one arrived.
HH
There is a real concerted witch hunt to nail Celtic supporters and I am totally convinced this is the only way those responsible can get at us.
They can’t do it on the park.
Those in authority tried to destroy our club in the early nineties and didn’t succed.
Problem is we don’t have a wee Fergus this time !
Were
Breaking Syk news:
TONY BLAIR pretends to be BILLY BREMNER.
Celtic_First –
I’m playing at a friend’s mum’s funeral this Friday morning in Neilston. The music hasn’t yet been finalised. ;-)
67Heaven
And I always thought we were a football club.
We were, now we are a business first and foremost, sad so it is.
HH
Craig Whyte, Charlie Green, Rafat Rizvi & Brian Stockbridge in a hotel room jumping about. Sandy & James Easdale on the way with a Cargo!!
On krimbo prezzies
One year my ma was left in no doubt that me and my big bro wanted bikes even though we knew it was a long shot .
A few days before the big day me and my bro decided to hunt for any hidden prezzies ,went into my ma’s room and thought it strange that the wardrobe was about four foot from the wall and at an angle in the middle of the room .
Had to look surprised on crimbo day .Imagine trying to hide two Raleigh grifters behind a wardrobe ,nice try mum .
HH
So, the bored comprising Green’s cohorts are still in place (proxys counted)……. where are my bloomin’ sedatives …….what will happen now is that there will be a ‘race’ between BDO and the bored on the assets, which will go to the creditors or into the bored’s pockets….
Oh, forgot to say…..
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahababa
fstb.
favorite hiding places, up the loft, behind the couch or in the big wardrobe.
one christmas will searching this out i found a lion and a witch.