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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Left click,
Ta.
derbyshirebhoy
16:57 on
17 December, 2013
———-
Findlay / Toshney
Should have started “I DON’T think” of course.
Apologies,
Marti
Ole ole Martha Reeves and the ole ole Vandellas sells out @ Oran Mor.
Grey Brigade CSC
Ian Black’s punishment was to carry out 60 hours of community service, delivering meals-on wheels to old folks whilst sharing a van with the font of all knowledge that is Peter Grant.
Paul- – – brilliant article and so to the point, exceptional stuff.
Won’t go into too much detail here but I think we should be trying to get a couple of things done.
1 – We should be using our young guns, if not, shut Lennoxtown as it serves no purpose!
2 – We should be trying different set ups in the easier games, Balde and Pukki say up front, that sort of thing. After all if we don’t try them what was the point in buying them in the first place,eh?
Nuff said
Hail Hail
KINGLubO
Marti Sandino Supports Wee Oscar
17:05 on
17 December, 2013
It was ever thus, I remember when I lived in London from 99-03, it just wasn’t safe to book anything more than 6 weeks away from the tie, and occasionally less.
Really, really annoying but not something that you can exclusively blame this board for.
fab article , paul
it’s going to be painful watching Tottenham, have nothing against them, whilst their future is the agents’ bank balance
something’s wrong with footie at the mo
TBB
What if the Hiroki Koki IS what it’s all about?
Missed that one, BSR, another chance to wallow in 60’s nostalgia.
MrJohnnyClash- you’ve just explained ole Ochil View burger van demolition.
Clearly PGrant was pointin’ right, when he meant to point left.
Weeminger
There are other factors involved of course, but on the whole, the Board seem to take very little account of fans travelling over from Ireland or up from England when they decide to change fixtures at relatively short notice. It adds salt to the wounds when you see Celtic had decided they would rather be playing in Turkey in a Mickey Mouse Tournament. No offence to Mickey Mouse meant.
Marti
Bourne
You’ll just need to shake it all about. As you are apt to do anyway.
Bada Bing- Cheers. I replied yesterday to your question on the Millenium Hotel. Not sure if you saw it. Good hotel in great location was the jist.
Bryan Swanson@skysports_bryan7m
Former R*ng*rs owner Craig Whyte will find out judgement in appeal hearing tomorrow after £17.6m defeat to Ticketus in April.
goldstar
Hope the Vandellas don’t break any of the ole seats?
Is that really true.
We are playing Ajax in January?
If true that’s another boot in the nads by the Plc to the support.
I really don’t want to play them and their scummy support again.
The last thing we should be looking to do is extend the hand of friendship to the same mob who attacked us at Celtic Park and whose police conspired to attack our support in Amsterdam!!
Unreal!!
Marti Sandino Supports Wee Oscar
17:19 on
17 December, 2013
In my day it was mostly the dreaded switch to 6pm Sunday for tv, which I know is a bit different to this situation – which I have to say I’m still not convinced is concrete.
Sir Paul
Good Article. mon vieux.
As is The Usual, ye Hit the Coconut.
That being said…
Ah think this Hiroki Yamada, wull turn oot tae be .. THE Annointed Wan.
If we kin Sign Him.
Fur he is no only a Fine Player,
But.. He has MALUM tae Spare.
And ..you jist know how much Ah admire a Chap who hiz a Doze of THAT..in his
Tool Boax.
The last wan who hid ..a Thick Coatin’ o’ that Magical Dust… wiz..
LUBO..
My, when ye think aboot it..
Malum ,in a Celtic Fitba Player.. Is as Hard tae Find..
As a “B” Battery,at yer local Electrical Store.
Yes, A Guy wi’ Malum.. is That Tough tae Find.
Ah wish Neil, could Find Some.. in his Loabby Press.
Fur he could sure Use a Dod of it.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
cp on a question about paradise on ‘only connect’ bbc 4 tv
‘Jimmy Shand- the Motown Years’ was never off the ole radiogram at this time of year when I was growing up.
Doing the Pride of Erin Waltz while ‘Ball of Confusion’ sizzled from ole Jimmy’s squeeze box helped make me the man I am today.
BSR- that would be Bobby Sands and the Sandellas
No evidence that the Ayr striker influenced results.
Sadly the same has been true for our strikers since me and tiny Tim jinxed them with our own bet.
weeminger
Yes, I remember those days! My flight money was often lost to the vagaries of the Sky Sports scheduler’s whims!
This one is a bit different though isn’t it ? Celtic said they wanted to give the player’s a rest and that’s why the Killie game was moved from a Saturday. So nothing to do with TV. Then it turns out they are seemingly off to Turkey.
Marti
Ably supported by Jimmy Shand and the Shandellas.
Right off for a night in the company of the inimitable Shane MacGowan.
It’s a Dirty Old Town right enough.
From Detroit Michigan to Auchtermuchty Fife just has a natural rhythm to it.
Ably supported by Winnie and the Mandellas.
DBBIA
I got pelters at work recently for referring to the ” wireless”. Heaven knows what you would have got for ” radiogram”
Strange the things that stick in the ole head from yesteryear. You mentioned radiogram and I immediately thought of radio athlone.
The ole Dansette…..everlasting love, the mighty Quinn….that’s me gone. Off to find my Bobby Charlton casden soccer game…which will mean Nowt to most…but..put subbutteo to shame.
Mind you….magnetic fitba wiz the biz……the daddy of them all….
bournesouprecipe
12:31 on 17 December, 2013
Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston are knocking each out out on TCM.
When did they join the Bored at Mordor? What have I missed this afternoon???
HH jamesgang
Celtic will take part in a mid-season tournament in Turkey, the organisers of the competition have confirmed.
The Hoops have signed up to take part in the Antalya Winter Cup, which runs between January 8 and 12, alongside Turkish sides Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, while their recent Champions League opponents Ajax are also involved.
The Parkhead outfit have already postponed their Scottish Premiership meeting with Kilmarnock on January 11 so they can take part in the event, which will be staged at the 7,100- capacity Akdeniz Universitesi-Stadion in Antalya.
Celtic will face Trabzonspor – whose squad includes former Hibernian defender Sol Bamba and ex-Chelsea winger Florent Malouda – in the second semi-final on Thursday, January 9.
Ajax and Galatasaray open the competition the day before.
The two losing semi-finalists will meet in a third-place play-off on Saturday, January 11, with the winner to be decided 24 hours later when the final takes place.
I remember back in the day before you used to go to bed as soon as Jools Holland was finished with his ole hootenanny (spelling?).
*Just in case anybody was looking for a raging party monster in my area CSC*
Twists- is everythin’ modern not ‘wireless’?
We’ve just taken ownership of the new Celtic wireless season ticket.
It finds its own way to the games and I sit in the house practising Strip the Willow.
Result.
What happened to the Antalya Winter Cup money?
A ‘third place play-off’ for a four team tournament.
That’s too close to Sevconian for comfort.
Paddy 17.06
Lewis T hasn, t appeared this season I don, t know where he is. Findlay isn, t ready yet imo.
Rumour has it Wick Ashley and the Candelas will be making a guest appearance at Waxy O’Connor’s
http://m.stv.tv/news/west-central/257226-celtic-supporters-face-trial-over-pro-ira-songs-at-parkhead/
Celtic supporters to stand trial over ‘singing pro-IRA songs’
A group of Celtic fans are to stand trial accused of singing a pro-IRA song.
Seven supporters appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday charged with behaving in a way likely to incite public disorder by singing the song in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation.
Paul Duke, 37, Ross Gallagher, 29, Christopher Bateman, 28, David Gallacher, 22, Sean Cowden, 21, Kieran Duffy, 18, and Greg Robertson, 28, appeared in court accused of the offence.
They are charged with singing the Roll of Honour at three different matches at Celtic Park.
All of the men pled not guilty when they appeared at the court, represented by Paul Kavanagh, and a trial was set for next June.
Duke and Gallagher, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Bateman, from Irvine in North Ayrshire, Gallacher, from Glasgow, Cowden from Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, and Duffy from North Lanarkshire’s Coatbridge are accused of singing the song at the Champions League qualifier match at a Celtic against Elfsborg match on July 31.
Gallagher and Bateman are also accused, alongside Robertson, from Glasgow, of singing the song at Celtic Park on August 3 this year at the first Scottish Premiership match of the season.
Robertson and Gallacher are also accused of singing the pro-IRA song at a home league game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on August 24.