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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Top of the morning to you all from a still-dark and very windy Fife.
As the son of a Sunderland born mother I did enjoy the football last night especially as it was a victory for the underdog and Chelsea that got stuffed.
When Celtic played Sunderland in the early 1930s at Celtic Park both goalkeepers were signed to replace their predecessors who had been killed, or rather died of the injuries they recieved on the pitch.
I got this info when I did the 1930s for the CelticWiki.
Johnny Thomson of course was killed by one chance collision while the poor Sunderland keeper was subjected to a sustained series of attacks by the Arsenal forwards. It was a tough time for goalkeepers and the Sunderland incident caused the FA to change the rules.
Here’s hoping that the holiday mood continues on CQN and we can talk of Kelty Clippies and Makems without disturbing the lieges.
As I see it the best weapon against wreckers on an excellent site such as this is the general knowledge/trivia conversations. They don’t like that and soon move on.
Ki took his goal well and was a credit to the training he got in Scotland by accepting his booking for celebrating with a smile on his face. In Scotland, like other Celtic players he was liable to get booked by the MIBs for just smiling.
Later on CQN;
Peter Lawwell. “My part in the faked moon landings” EXCLUSIVE!
A son of Dan
deeply disturbing.
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/ajax-jay-jay-terminally-ill-boy-1226500-Dec2013/?utm_source=facebook_short
Merry Christmas wee man.
Whither the cash strapped scrofulous hillbillies the day?
Morning all. Still dark as darkest night and very wet and very very windy down here. Not good at all if you’re travelling today. Forecast is for even worse later this evening. I hope things improve for Saturday.
Start the long journey from oz to derry now
Fixture list hasnt been kind to me in trying to get to paradise.
Events of last couple of weeks have sadly made that alot easier to take.
Justice for the dam 4 .. Glasgow 7 .. Vhman & coorslad and all others who have been wrongly accussed or aressted on trumped up charges recently.
Good morning my friends in Celtic,
Another morning when we hear more CQN,ers disillusioned and threatening to leave the blog.
Hopefully such as justafan will reconsider.
Personal attacks can be venomous off-putting and frankly ridiculous but more importantly they are mainly self defeating and any argument is lost.
However emotions are running high. IMO in the 10 years of CQN there has never been such a contentious issue as the OB act.
Let us not mince words. It is an attack on Celtic supporters and Celtic minded people. That is its designed aim. ( Thanks to BCW for posting link )
Any act that is open to individual interpretation is fundamentally flawed. All it requires is someone to be offended and that can be a policeman, a commentator etc.
I am aware that this act is only football related, but as previous posters have already stated with examples it is virtually a catch all scenario.
The hypocrisy is breath-taking; For years I have been offended by various marches spouting their songs of hate. Does this matter ? No not in the slightest.
What if the OB act was enacted over the “Rangers” tops many of the followers wear. Potentially the whole lot should be charged and subject to a 04.00 hrs wake up call by Police Scotland.
Will this happen ? No chance.
I reiterate Scottish “patriotic” songs ( also GSQ ) can be viewed as racist and offensive to some and should be subject to the same draconian measures.
I still await any cyber nat’s to explain the difference. Winning Captains eloquently asked “What have we done to deserve this” This is the pertinent question.
Can any SNP government spokesperson or supporter answer this?
HH, Always in Celtic.
.
To ensure nothing adverse occurs during tomorrow’s AGM PoliceScotland have grounded all burger vans within a 50 mile radius of Paisley Road West from midnight tonight.
Sgt Murdo McMurdoch said’ the atmosphere inside is likely to be volatile enough , not to say scrofulous. We don’t need to run the added risk of throwing chip fat on the fire’
Ice cream vans okay?
“The shot-stopper’s case relates to last season when Alexander showed loyalty to Rangers by staying at the club after most of the club’s other top stars – including McGregor, Stevie Naismith and Steven Whittaker – decided to walk out on their contracts after the Light Blues were forced TO START LIFE AGAIN in the Third Division.”
A wee slip by Express Sport……hahahahahahaha
In a prepared statement, Cambell Ogilvy has commented on the forthcoming RIFC AGM:
“The SFA’s compliance officer has reviewed comments to be made by the Ran*ers chief executive at tomorrow’s Company/Club/Team AGM.
The compliance officer wants to stress that there is absolutely, 100%, for sure, no breach of any rules, anywhere.
Au contraire, I am compelled to convey my extreme satisfaction that we find ourselves in this position: rest assured, all things are hunky dory down Govan way.
At a time when Scottish football faces challenges on many fronts, it is incumbent on the SFA to embellish and support the fabric of Scotland and its sporting establishment, and by that I mean – of course – Ran*ers Football Club.
In this regard, the time, effort and resources devoted by our compliance officer to help out at the AGM is totally worthwhile.
I thank you, Walter Smith thanks you, Jack Irvine thanks you, Margarita at Blue Pitch thanks you, Alistair and the EK supporters club thank you, Monsieur Charlès Vert from Chateau du Lait thanks you, … ad nauseam…”
southside
08:00 on 18 December, 2013
Later on CQN;
Peter Lawwell. “My part in the faked moon landings” EXCLUSIVE!
Aye, see if he would have bought a better orbiter, they might really have got to land on the moon instead of doing it in a studio!
AR
Campbell oglives face offends me
I await action to be taken
antipodean red @ 08.38 hrs.
touché.
“Moon landings” yahoo.
HH.
greenpinata,
Nearly 50 years on and the Chinese have just put a rover on the moon, that guy Peter at NASA told me it would be another 30 or 40 years before they put a man back there, the technology in the 60’s must have been something, eh?
AR
Just in to say…
Well done to big Ki for his goal that put the London huns oot the League Cup.
I’ve got a good feeling about this new Japanese ghuy that Cellic are being linked with this morning – Hiroki Yamada.
All the talk about – restructuring the 1st team in January is – imo – a waste of time as I think it’s the dug-out that needs restructured. Either Neil gets another coach into the set up or, we get a new management team, no harm to DFM or JC but, freshness is required because – I think that the players who have been brought in are capable of showing up – far better than they have to date.
It has to be said that, in DFM’s area of the dug-out the fulbacks are playing well, very well and why, when players are brought into the team and show up well as in the case of Darnell Fisher….he is then dropped and his progress is in regression ? Why ?
Oh, and on a personal level…I’d like to see AM being moved into the midfield with Joe(the ghost) disappearing – if anybody will take him ? The same applies to big Sammi. imo
For me, Sammi has been at CP for what ? 7 years ?
Well, in that time…being cynical…he has played in ‘7 games’ that I would remember him by – last seasons six CL games and, the Ne’erday game at Ibrokes were he scored his never to be forgotten double – thanx for that Sammi and, if you do leave, I wish you the best of lhuck.
Again, before I have to go – I think that the way that Scottish fitba will be saved is…..
1. Return of the terracings ie: The Jungle – sooner the better. imo
2. 3 o’clock kick-off’s on a Saturday – sooner the better. imo
If the above dizny happen then, Tommy Burns(RIP) predicted away back when the ‘beast’ arrived that, if the ‘beast’ didny arrive then, Scottish fitba would be like the Irish League – TB…yer prediction is looming …..LARGE !!!
KevJungle – CQN News – The Doom Channel :)
Hail Hail – Take Care Tims – Off oot.
Sevconia have put a burger van on the moon.
Unfortunately the command module which was due to return the gallant Sevconian cosmonauts to Earth burned out in a mysterious fire.
Very happy birthday to Keith Richards – 70 years old today.
How he has made it to this age I will never know.
I’m pleased to see kevjungle has removed that horrible suffix to his monicker, but still talking about restructuring the dugout, this time without the pyros.
I noted a comment from the nightshirt about Celtic having a long religious tradition. Am I missing something here? Nobody mentioned to me about religion when I became a Celtic supporter, otherwise I would have been blackballed. Colour or creed is irrelevant, surely?
nightshirt/nightshift same difference!
dontbrattbakkinanger
09:02 on 18 December, 2013
If only they had used a mcgills van then mysterious fires could have been avoided.
If they can run buses to Paisley, and back, in one piece. Then the moon should be a dawdle.
THat nightshirt thinks he’s the cat’s jimjams ;/)
Goldstar10,
Who said that?
Are you not referring to a copy and paste from an online article by a non Celtic supporter?
antipodean red.
Your preaching to the converted.
Technology in the 60,s. Unbelievable, pity they didn’t write it down as it seems to have taken another 50 years to catch up.
Hold on, I’ve just seen a big pink elephant.
HH.
Can someone please advise Pauls email addy? Cheers!
DLB
ffm- will check back, it may well have been, which would explain it.
proudbhoy
Will you get to see a game when you are home ?
antipodean red
08:53 on 18 December, 2013
greenpinata,
Nearly 50 years on and the Chinese have just put a rover on the moon, that guy Peter at NASA told me it would be another 30 or 40 years before they put a man back there, the technology in the 60′s must have been something, eh?
AR
That’s cruelty to animals that is. I mean how is poor Rover meant to feed himself.
ffm- you are right, it was from an Arsenal fan, thank goodness!
Cheers mate.
Embdy seen wee davie………….?
I blame Kafftan schools.
I predict that the first Chinese astronaut to land on the Moon will be wearing a nightshirt.
Get the CQN Annual posted out to you today by ordering before 1am – it will be posted first class post and be there well before Christmas. It makes a fabulous gift for a Celtic supporter young or old and £5 goes towards the Mary’s Meals Kitchen Fund.
You can order below Paul’s article.
Goldstar
Dangerous rumour going about about you acquiring an iPhone with Facetime facility!
Just saying like.
EC67
can i have raspberry on that champions league ice cream
09:27 on 18 December, 2013antipodean red08:53 on 18 December, 2013greenpinata,Nearly 50 years on and the Chinese have just put a rover on the moon, that guy Peter at NASA told me it would be another 30 or 40 years before they put a man back there, the technology in the 60′s must have been something, eh?ARcan i have raspberry on that champions league ice cream
09:27 on 18 December, 2013 antipodean red
08:53 on 18 December, 2013 greenpinata
,Nearly 50 years on and the Chinese have just put a rover on the moon, that guy Peter at NASA told me it would be another 30 or 40 years before they put a man back there, the technology in the 60′s must have been something, eh?ARThat’s cruelty to animals that is. I mean how is poor Rover meant to feed himself.That’s cruelty to animals that is.
I mean how is poor Rover meant to feed himself.
————————————————
He’s one of them Irish Rover’s, he’s got a ten year supply of Jelly and ice cream..all powdered of course.
Ayrshire is Green and White
HH
Goldstar10,
No probs. Usually it’s me that gets corrected so I can’t deny I took some self-satisfaction from it :)
Whyte loses appeal against Ticketus -SSN