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.
222 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- »
BHOYJOEBELFAST on 12TH JULY 2022 6:49 PM
Apparently lifted already. Window he chucked bin at belonged to an old lady in a different flat.
The rebel lived upstairs, something that should have been apparent by the flag out his window.
HH
BHOYJOEBELFAST on 12TH JULY 2022 6:49 PM
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!
Can we stick to the bin joe? 🤣🤣 easier on the brain.
Seriously tho it will be funny,I agree,not only Lambeg guy but several other crimplene commando’s captured on camera as well as the band name
I believe the window that Lambeg guy smashed is a different flat from the tricolour above!
They are a stupid stupid lot,anyway you stay safe bout
your town,recall a friend done a survey for asthmatics over there just before C19,these cultural “pyres” were all pretty close to asthmatic black spots.no telling them! Thick as!
HH
BIG WAVY:
Just read a 46 year old was lifted.
***************************
AN TEARMANN:
Thick but dangerous.Stay safe.
As I have said previously Bolingoli was the scapegoat when he went to Spain breaking rules at the start of Covid ,The redhead Lennon in the same season should have been shown the door after going public about players upsetting the dressing room ,his own style of play was questioned but it was all to late ,in fact step up Boli takes the heat of him ,and payed the price ,personally he was a better back than Taylor
Celtic first team squad now at 30 players…
Expect more culls:
Julien – CH
Uroghide – CH
Shaw – Mid
Ajeti – For
Robertson – For
Kenny possibly on loan in SPFL
Welsh if he had any sense
Allow for a CH, CDM and For to come in.
Final squad – 26.
Johnston on shoogly peg so might be another winger of he goes (or proves his worth in 6 weeks)
HH
Seems the Circus Parade in Norn Iron, was live on Sevco TV today, anyone confirm?
One of my clients got me this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celtic-Black-White-Steve-Finan/dp/1845358422
Very good book!
BIG WAVY
Yes boss.
Wee interview with Callum
https://twitter.com/CelticFC/status/1546921004987027457?t=19Ttg-mHjBh35Vqm9ks5aQ&s=08
HH
The even export their hate to Spain…
https://twitter.com/ostia_puta_/status/1546845990166188034?s=21&t=kzVjenM4FN2vbNZpllQSLQ
ITV News just done a piece on England Wummans team,a lassie scored and……”that puts her just 1 goal behind record England goalscorer Wayne Rooney….” ….someone better tell them…….🤦🏻♂️
Finns, Azerbaijanis, Macedonians, Lithuanians and Moldovans through to next CL round.
Luxembourg champs Dudelange surprisingly 2-0 up on aggregate against Albanian champs, Tirana.
INIQUITOUSIV on 12TH JULY 2022 8:11 PM
Finns, Azerbaijanis, Macedonians, Lithuanians and Moldovans through to next CL round.
=========
I take it that’s 4th quali round? Thro to 3rd.
Then newklub come in r2,is that correct?
It’s odd having a close season like this,recall them as a kid,came to mind as we played Sarajevo in a quali at this time few years back.i hope we are using the time well.
HH
Settling in to watch Vikingur take on Malmo in Iceland in CL qualifying on Paramount. Swedes up 3-2 from first leg, so should be a good one.
AN TEARMANN
This is the Champions path first qualifying round. It follows a couple of preliminary rounds with about 4 or 6 teams.
Beaton is the ref, btw.
AN TEARMANN
Here’s the scoop.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_UEFA_Champions_League_qualifying_phase_and_play-off_round
Icelanders 1-0 up, 3-3 on aggregate. Amazingly, ex-Celt Berget, he of the bald head, thick beard, and oddly short socks, is still turning out for Malmo.
AN TEARMANN
I was on that boat every summer back in the ’50s and early ’60s. It was called the ‘Lairdsloch’ if I’m not mistaken. Some great times left the Broomielaw at 5.00pm and always remember sailing up the Foyle in the morning.
INIQUITOUSIV from earlier the Sevco signing made 26 appearances in Belgium scoring 9 goals, in a league that rates Hendry as a defender and now has Boli I don’t think I’m worried
Looks like a punt based on his previous fee rather than ability, however kiss enough frogs you may eventually get it right
Malmo equalize 1-1. 4-3 up on aggregate.
Beaton reffing game in even handed manner. Pacing out 10 yards at free kicks for both teams.
Odd to see.
Malmo 2-1 up. 5-3 on aggregate. 2 breakaway goals.
Beaton hands out 2 yellows to Swedes so far.
Shamrock Rovers through 3-0 on aggregate after drawing 0-0 in Malta.
SAINT STIVS
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/EbEuPl9TBYggKD7d5wZZRA312274
Just look at them boots! No wonder the shin guards are so big!
3-1 Malmo. 6-3 aggregate. Tie over, methinks.
Vikingur 2 Malmo 3. 6-4 to Swedes on aggregate. Good game this.
3-3 in Iceland. Malmo 6-5 on aggregate.
I see our old friends Red Imps lost
Sorry they won but are out
15 minutes to go. This could go to extra time.
Interesting that both keepers are comfortable with the ball at their feet. Both teams play out from the back. Keepers only boot it if under extreme pressure.
For all you snowflakes out there
‘Snowfall’ is back, double episode on BBC3
Beaton deals out 3rd yellow to Swedes. They are playing in blue, so it must be a bit disconcerting to him.
Hibs Hibs it via Falkirk in League Cup.
Or versus, even.
Bodo/Glimt, Ferencvaros, Maribor and Cluj in CL second round action tomorrow.
Malmo through 6-5, but not very impressive.
INIQUITOUSIV
Keepers may have been comfortable with ball at their feet but given it was 6-5 maybe they weren’t any good at saving it. 🤭