Aaron Hickey’s incredible £19m move to Brentford looks like an eye-opener for Italian football. Bologna paid around 10% of that for the Scotland international two years earlier. Now Hibs have accepted a £3m bid from Hellas Verona for Josh Doig, while Aberdeen have accepted a bid for the same money for Lewis Ferguson. Scottish players of this calibre were disappearing into the English lower leagues for a fraction of this money before Hickey.
Fans hate when their best young talent leave after only fleeting appearances in the first team, “What’s the point if we only keep the poorer players?”, is the overwhelming emotion. Aberdeen and Hibs have stumbled into a lucrative player trading seam. They now need to figure out how to grow that side of the business.
£3m can be wasted in a season on imports from cheaper European markets with lower wages. This was the route Dundee United and Aberdeen went down when their player development strategy was broken up in the late 80s. The whole of Scottish football followed, although other clubs did not have a successful youth strategy to dispose of.
Alternatively, £3m buys you a lot of scouting and youth development resource; Aberdeen could be bidding against Celtic for St Mirren’s best talent, for example. Scottish Premiership clubs have a competitive league, relatively straightforward access to European football and a domestic pond that has largely been overlooked by foreign scouts until recently.
Selling players of the calibre of Hickey, Ferguson and Doig has allowed clubs from genuinely impoverished leagues like Romania and Moldova to make an impressive impact on the European stage. This is the model for Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibs and Hearts; Celtic are operating on a related but different model. If this New Money is spent wisely we will all benefit.
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CELTFORME All kidding aside I only want what’s best for the Celtic Supporter and the Club on general and I’ll say it’s needing a complete overhaul outside especially the steel structure as I said earlier go and have a look or any other Celtic Supporters have a gander outside the stadium
Man Utd thrash Liverpool 4-0 in a pre-season friendly , that’s it then he can klippity klopp off
cause he’s a useless manager so he is …😵
SFTB,
I think we are still being ‘pragmatic’ on the GK front (Hart is not a great fit for the footballing side of Angeball but a great shot stopper). I’m afraid James Forrest is in decline as a winger cum forward but now a capable squad player. McCarthy is and remains a weird signing but feel we’re stuck with him. 2 more possible signings could push both of these down the playing slots even more but Siegrist feels short term. I’ve done that one to death…
Still a much younger, fitter and better side than the all-conquering GVBeeeeeee’s Rangers..
HH
Decent article on age and decline.
For wingers, it’s 26 years old.
https://statsbomb.com/articles/soccer/player-aging-attacking-players/
HH
Paul67
What happened to the Calvin Bassey money?
More kudos to Celtic for signing loan players with an contractual option to buy deal.
Great strategy for Celtic to agree the fee last year ‘before’ a ball was kicked and clubs can’t demand more. Simply pay a year later or not.
As mentioned yesterday by someone had only we did the same deals for Boli, Ajeti and Barkas.
Celtic don’t and never will have Brentford’s SKY money, but it’s easy to beat NoPotToPissIn FC.
Shirley ? CSC
SAINT STIVS on 12TH JULY 2022 3:40 PM
or got the jet hose out
………………
OR Maybe when we sign new players we can have it written on arrival in their contracts, that they MUST Jet Hose and Paint the Stadium ?
LOL
HH Mate.
FAO PUAL67 and/or Mr MOD…
Thank you for passing on my Email address to POR CIETRO. We are now in contact by email and phone.
HH Bhoys.
Another afternoon at the beach bar with ice cold Italian lager. Ye cannae whack it.
BIG WAVY
Have we upgraded our left back position.
Who knows.
(including Superstore employees, programme sellers and outsourced catering workers)
that did make me laugh
thumbsup
St Tams,
Yes we have fella. We’re an attacking team and we’ve now got a player with more pace, athleticism and more skill than we had in last season’s incumbent. Scouted well and very highly rated by those who’ve watched him in Argentina over a period. Should also make us a healthy profit when he moves on.
Exactly the profile we were looking for last season to add to our armoury.
HH
Sunny Jim Young, a Celtic legend.
Indeed it was a man’s game back in those days, and Sunny Jim himself was not adverse to what Paul Elliott might describe as the physicality of the contest. On December 17th 1904 the Celts played Partick Thistle in a match that, even by pre-World War One standards was described by the press as ‘wild’. Young was having a stinker and decided to take out his frustration on the Thistle forward Jimmy Sommen: “The Daily Mail described how, ‘The game was also marred by a good deal of hacking and foul kicking and the most glaring instance occurred when Young made a flying rush at Sommen who dropped and had to be carried off.’” Unlike Smith, Sunny Jim was sent off. Reporting the same match the pro-Celtic Glasgow Observer observed that, “Poor Black, the quietest man of the twenty-two, got the shipyard twist and was borne groaning to the pavillion. Sommen tried to send Sunny Jim high o’er the fence by a liberal use of ‘Force’. Next minute Sommen himself went soaring heavenward on the toe of Young’s boot. The Celt walked straight to the pavillion without waiting for the referee’s notice to quit and Sommen followed Black into the ambulance ward.”
Today I received a text from the convener of Leith CSC advising me that the bus leaves at 9:30 on Saturday for our first visit to Paradise for the new season. Twas a great feeling seeing that text. Can’t wait to see the Hoops in action again.
Hail Hail.
BIG WAVY
Any idea if he can defend.
As he signed as a full back.
Courtesy of NTV. Hilarious, unless you upset Sunny Jim. 😳
I have high hopes, espcially on watching again Kyogos goals last season, that we have the best finisher at the club since the king of kings himself.
A full season of him and he will get 30+ goals, that first touch is just world class
imho
TURKEYBHOY on 12TH JULY 2022 3:47 PM
Mooy would do for me.Quick,clever,can tackle.Super fit.
Age 31 I think TB.may rule him out,to old?
HH
St Tams
We deploy inverted wing backs as you know. Not full backs. That’s why Liam Scales is in Aberdeen and Bernebei is in Parkhead.
I’m sure the scouts will have seen his defending, his recovery pace and his ability to fit our system.
I’m assuming that an hour into his existence, in a dead rubber friendly in Vienna, you’ve made up your mind. (I didn’t see the game personally)?
HH
INIQUITOUSIV on 12TH JULY 2022 2:13 PM
AN TEARMANN
“RE Charlie Gallagher rip”
————————————-
With Tully, Lubo and Naka, 4 of the best corner kick takers we were ever privileged to see.
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I agree totally with that,as many of my older piers have told me.Charlie I missed him last year,used to see him DonegalCharlie(his pal) and John fallow at the pools,A gentleman with a prized Irish caps,my old upstairs neighbour,long dead some 20 years,from the Gweedore area,she used to take Paddy and Charlie over to Donegal on the Derry boat on their summer holidays.
:-)
HH
sftb et al
Just got my invite to join, or rejoin CQN Sentinels for the SPL next season!
Many thanks for all your efforts last season and congratulations to the top predictors.
I would have done better had I felt able to predict a Rangers win, but was unable to do so on account of my religion, and moral certainty. This season will be different, like the Labour Party all my principles are going out the window, Europe, workers rights etc. Like them I’m going for the win, for victory, for the knighthood, for the House of Lords. Maybe even the Order of the Garter.
OoohmissusCSC
Breaking………
Bolingoli away to Mechelen in a permanent deal
Hit the music……
Another one bites…..another one bites
HH
https://kvmechelen.be/2022-2023/boli-bolingoli-nieuwste-transfer
AT- I think Mooy would be a useful addition ,depending on salary, but we have lost experienced midfielders ,he’s got a decent CV, could be a handy player .
Celtic Mac
Thanks
I got a prompt to re-launch the league and it has sent out invites to all previous supporters. I will take a few days to compose a more general invite to all, including new supporters on the various Celtic fan social media sites that support us.
Funnily enough, the charity supported by the fundraising was run by the wife of a deceased Labour Party councillor and, more importantly, an ex-CQN man. So moral principles at least did not leave that man’s family.
I look forward to a few more trying to knock Call Me Gerry off his perch. The man’s consistency last year was frightening but………………………… he’s a year older…………………………..
unlike the rest of us.
So Boli is away. I assume we received a significant undisclosed fee…
The squad is being trimmed of dead wood. We’ll be signing more players, I’ve no doubt about that.
sftb
Never met him, but did he not represent a Parkhead constituency, or am I thinking of another bona fide Labour man?
Getting shot of ole Boli Bolingoli will be like a new signing
Tea time fun with:
Youtube man throws bin at orange band in Belfast.
TIMBHOY163
I agree with you, a good coat of paint and a general clean up is long overdue.
This has been a long standing topic on here and the last time it was discussed we asked if Jullien, Ajeri and Bolingoli could pick up a brush. Bolingoli has since renaiged and taken the easy way out .
But seriously, if we cannot do this during the close season, then when ?????
PS : If we cannot give the stadium a much needed lick of paint then I guess we can dismiss any talk of a main stand redevelopment.
HH.
I guess I’ll see for myself on Saturday.
Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs all receiving big fees recently. Really no excuse for them not to challenge domestically and get to Europa League group stages. Especially Aberdeen. 5m for McKenna, 6m for Ramsay and now 3m for Ferguson. They need to kick on under Goodwin, Hibs need to stop sacking managers and though I dont care much for Hearts, I expect them to be really good next year with a very settled and experienced squad,.
What a league this could be if those three clubs realised their full potential.
TJ
Login
I liked Boli when he arrived, which should really ban me from any insight into the feted LWB position in the team….
Fare you well, young prince…
HH
That awkward moment when Bolingoli looks up and sees Marian Shved down the left wing in front of him…
HH
!!BADA BING!! on 12TH JULY 2022 5:33 PM
AT- I think Mooy would be a useful addition ,depending on salary, but we have lost experienced midfielders ,he’s got a decent CV, could be a handy player .
Bada.
I agree Bada he could be a useful addition for the footballing reasons you mention.i agree too,0 it would be wise to get someone like him,as his experience would be welcome,someone of his physicality to relieve the pressure on Calum,but inspite of that I still think he may be to old and it may be someone else who comes in who is experienced and has presence. It all fits to nicely wi Mooy,being Oz etc.we will see what happens.
HH
BHOYJOEBELFAST on 12TH JULY 2022 5:55 PM
Tea time fun with:
Youtube man throws bin at orange band in Belfast.
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BHOYJOEBELDAST
Bins have rights too :-))))
Look at fthe poor wee bin getting taken away 👇
https://twitter.com/efaakelly/status/1546815824069070849?t=CvaTZIEQcC21k2lC9UkfPA&s=19
🤣🤣
HH
AN TEARMANN:
Will the window breaker be prosecuted….of the two ‘bin hurlers’ the chap that is part of the band caused most damage,two police officers will surely testify….won’t they!
I’ll miss Chris Sutton talking about Bolingoalie with barely concealed disgust
He could have been a cult figure, he chose to be something different entirely
TIMBHOY163 on 12TH JULY 2022 3:59 PM
I did the virtual tour recently, the stadium looked fantastic ;)
Hail! Hail!