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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Philbhoy – Free the Dam 5!
15:03 on
17 December, 2013
What level do you think Dundee Utd would be at in England? Clearly not EPL, doubtful if they’d be Championship and if they were it’d be relegation strugglers. So that makes them comfortable 3rd teir.
So is Gauld not to be considered at on that basis?
Proudbhoy
Whats the deal with mcgregor at notts county ?
Anyone see him play yet for us or them ? Attacking midfielder by sounds of it…
10 goals for a team that were bottom of the league before Saturday. I know it’s a lower level than SPL but he has scored some very good goals. I would recall him and give him a run out to see what he can do for us.
Weeminger
We will never sign Gauld!
Too expensive, too young! Too wee!
I don’t know where Dundee Utd would be placed in the English set up.
Can anyone post JP Taylos email I would like to ask him to ask Why we have agreed to play Ajax and explain in simple terms to me the benefits of such a decision.
I’m usually of the they know what they are doing better than me camp but the timing and thinking behind this has me baffled(thats the nicest word I can get away with)
I once fixed a match.
We bit of sellotape round the stick was all it needed.
I’m sure Rino will be fine once he explains himself too.
MWD
Philbhoy – Free the Dam 5!
15:12 on
17 December, 2013
But you recognise that he’s a talented footballer? My point of course being that you can’t base that kind of decision solely on the level the player is currently at.
leftclick:
Come on mate… admit it… there’s a wee bit of the rebel in you still.
When you post your e-mail could you do me a favour and ask if anybody at the club understands the meaning of greed and callous? Or callous and greed, if that is easier for them.
Bourne
Indeed I wonder how the thousands who’ve arranged travel etc for the postponed game will feel?
I wonder how the girl who was trampled under the hooves of a police horse is going to feel when she hears about this?
But do ye know what, that doesn’t matter because we have guys at the top of our club who are financially prudent and have the wit and intelligence (sic) to make jokes about impersonators at our AGM.
As a club, Celtic is changing before our eyes and I don’t like what we’re becoming.
leftclick Together we will get justice for the Dam 5
15:13 on
17 December, 2013
I’d hold off until it’s actually confirmed on the site. I recall a couple of summer tournaments that we were billed to be involved in that didn’t happen.
It could be that we’ve signed up in principle but aren’t fully committed. I’m probably wrong but I wouldn’t take it as concrete just yet.
Lawwell selling the fans Soul down the river,talk about being out of touch with the fans? Before anyone says he is maximising revenue bollix,how hard did he try to get CL money back from the cheating dead team?
I was reflecting on an excellent day out with antipodesn red yesterday (a brilliant start to my hols) – Denis will defo be in touch for a meet in perth. Antipodean’s company made me realise how great a community we can be ( despite my normal demeanor). I am too late it seems for cqnten but will look forward to meeting up with many of you in the future – if you are up for it.
Regarding Paul’s latest leader while I get the point but it ignores the inglorious behaviour of our board. It’s pretty clear that many are now realising the betrayal underway.
Sad to say we will need to starve this board out of their stupor.
NegAnon2:
Can you explain the point to me please?
Kitalba I am here in Perth. Was wondering if I should arrange that meet with Kano?
Poor ole JPT
jptaylor@celticfc.co.uk
Which one Kitalba?
orthodox…
heresy…
narco-football…
Spurs…
Ambition…
Celtic.
What a supercilious and at times idiotic article.
AVB unsuccessful? Leagues and national cup along with European tourneys won, Games 208, W 123, D 45, L 40, win% 59.13
Their players vagrant misfits…if only we had such misfits!
Purely an attempt to defend Celtic not signing a 20-30 goal striker. Buying such a player would not have been an example of ‘narco-football’, it would have been bloody common and business sense!
Sorry Kitalba if you mean Paul’s point on his article I read it as don’t spend money you haven’t got even when you have got loads of money in. While it’s one in a long line of scare em posts a general point on not going mad transfer wise I can accept.
What celtic are doing in reality is very different from being reasonable.
NegAnon2:
If you don’t go and see him… I may be wrong, but I think you’ll bank it as one of life’s regrets.
I’d go mate, he always had/has a lot of time for you. Likewise Ramie. Likewise me.
yorkbhoy, 15:08
He scored with a well taken goal at Brentford. Sharp finish
HT
Saturday at Celtic Park including the natural elements and the Barca
reversal, were hopefully an all time low.
The football scoreline was overlooked, before the game kicked off,
if they announce ( and they haven’t yet) they’d best not mention a
relationship or friendship with Ajax, because as far as fans goes it’s
probably better than their relationship with the majority of our own
fans.
There is a cooling off period in place.
NegAnon2:
but if you have the money how can you not have the money?
Bounce game in Turkey against Ajax?
Mo Bangura and Zheng Zhi will be buzzing. Everyone else will be like “Whaaat??”
NegAnon2
I think we learned under Mogga that buying unwisely costs you a lot more in the long run. Fortune was a very expensive mistake. My point earlier was buying players from the wee pond that is Scotland because at least we know they can do it in this league. It limits the risk signings from abroad to 1 or 2 and means that they have proven SPFL players around them when they do join and less pressure on them. Having a striker in the Gary Hooper mould helps players settle because a proven goal scorer takes the heat off the rest of the team by scoring the vital goals. That has been our down fall this season. Whilst we have managed to score goals in some games most notably Motherwell and Hearts recently we haven;t exactly done it in many others with Morton being the worst example.
I would have had Billy Mckay in last January along with Johnny Russell to give us more options for Juventus and give the team a wee lift. It’s always a wee lift bringing players in mid season who can make a difference. McKay and Russell would have been well settled in and had 6 European games before the CL started proper. I’m not the manager of course but I hope that lesson has been learned for this year.
Doing a lot of business in January will help the team and a wee tournament in Turkey as much as it appears a bit unwise entertaining Ajax again will give the new Bhoys some bounce games for the remainder of the season.
LB
Oh and all I want is a striker, even a has been like Lubo was would do. ( I know he wasn’t a striker)
Don’t forget – orthodox – and heresy. That’s what is beatin’ me and it appears everybody else too. Or am I just obtuse.
Just read this from Tinfoil Graham’s Twitter account.
EU Launching probe into “state support” of Barca and Real. Will Scottish Government do the same over allegations of similar support for Celtic.
He really is one sad hurting hun. Hahahahaha.
Sanitise the support and rape the cash!
MWD
Getting the feeling a degree in english literature is needed if you want to pass comment on Paul’s blog….
For those of us not in possession of such a degree, can someone translate Paul’s long words into laymans terms.
Having read back only page one, i am still scratching my napper (sorry….forehead)???
HH
Lesseducatedcsc
How would that look inside the collar of the shirt?
MWD
Interestingly the web address for the Anatolya Wintercup was only registered 10 days ago. If I was setting up a tournament, I’d have thought I’d have sorted all that out more than 4 weeks before it took place.
None of the clubs involved have this listed in their fixtures, nor is there any ticket information on the tournament website – with only 4 weeks to go.
All very strange.
bournesouprecipe
Doesn’t seem to be any mention on playing Ajax in Turkey on the Celtic website.
nb On the link from earlier, are there any other pictures of the ol ticket office demolition? If I was to pass judgement based on one picture, (which I am more than capable of doing by the way) I would suggest that we are breaking every safety rule in the book.
Kitalba for the record I was being kind. I am on hols so have a much more relaxed approach than normal. But in truth it’s another Paul set you up for the transfeR window extravaganza.
If Paul reads this then the horse has already bolted (as I am sure you know). I haven’t read the blog recently but if it is true that celtic have arranged a friendly with Ajax then my god even the most advent board apologist must be shaking their head. Is it in Scotland? If so have we EVER had a better chance of boycotting a game and getting one or two to go into the ground to make a protest. Assuming they are ok to be sent to the gulag that is.
My god celtic have lost the plot. The truth is e probably agreed to it because we signed bore righter. Funny how clubs love to exploit our support and our custodians are only so liking to promise the support will help finance transfers isn’t it.
We need to starve them of the oxygen of our money.
Charlatans.
Bourne
Thanks for posting JP Taylor’s email.
I’d encourage every poster to send an email even if it’s to just ask for confirmation/denial.
PL, if you are reading this, I just want to say…resign
You are a disgrace to Celtic fans.
Targeting your own supporters by working hand in hand with the police…you should be ashamed.
You are only there for the money, like the rest of your board pals.
I thought the old board were bad….but Celtic PLC are much worse.
You have alienated thousands of Celtic supporters by biting the hand that feeds you.
I was a Celtic fan long before you turned up, and hopefully I will be around when you are forced to resign.
Please go…..you are a disgrace.
I will not be back at Celtic Park until something is done, and I wont be the only one.
Ajax is it, Glen Loovins….aye right.
HH
Nice wee one and a half hour jaunt over the mountains to Antalya (possible snow at the peak that time of year) Trabzonspor are a decent Black-Sea club and decent fans last time i watched them.
Ajax …………………not for me and i’ll be very vocal in letting the suits know, if indeed we enter the tourny.
As for a holiday destination that some have mentioned, in January………….. it’s deed -)))
kitalba
15:18 on
17 December, 2013
Done :))
weeminger
Thank you for the sound advice but felt I had to ask the thinking behind it as it is beyond me.
If I have jumped the gun I will send JP another message :))
Livibhoy
The difference with Fortune was that he’d never, ever been a prolific goal scorer.
His stats were evidence of it and BTM admitted as much.
Kitalba – ok so how do I arrange to see him?
Livibhoy I agree with much of what you said. However your main point is flawed.mthevreason we have so many failures is because celtic are not building a team but speculating on players to make money. Like the roulette you will always lose in the long run (never mind the disrespect celtic daily demonstrates for the support it describes as the greatest in the world.