Newco cannon fodder plans

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While I was busy telling one of my first bosses how much money we were going to make in a year or two, he made a comment which has remained with me since, “If you don’t make some sales next month, we’ll not be around to find out if you’re right.”

Plans for 2022 don’t mean a fart to a company which is haemorrhaging cash, billionaire funders, nomads and auditors, all the consequence of a two year war of attrition as newco Rangers tried to fight off an insurrection.

There are literally thousands of metrics you can use to compare the prospects of football clubs but let me draw your eye to a couple, which will give you real insight into the future.

Last season Celtic had 475 “full time equivalents” in employment, 318 people in non-football roles and a further 157 in football operations (players, coaches etc.).  If the average pay of those 318 non-football full-time staff was £25k (I doubt it’s this low), their combined wage bill would be just below £8m.  Celtic’s total annual wage bill was £37.766m, total operating expenses were £59.885m.

If you want to win the Scottish Premiership, this is what you’re competing against.

Newco Rangers announced operating expenses (before amortisation) of £15.684m for the six months to 31 December, which included £6.7m wages, covering both football and non-football staff.  If the figures for the second half of the year are consistent with the first that would give them around £31m income and a £13.4m spend wages.  Income is around half Celtic’s expenses and wages a fraction of Celtic’s

What newco need is tens of millions of pounds of investor cash, the £50m Dave King spoke about ‘when in opposition’ is not an overestimate.

Anything they say before “Here is the £50m investment we need” is there to take attention away from the fact that they haven’t said “Here is the £50m investment we need”.  When they say that, they’re in the game, until then, they’re cannon fodder.  When they stop talking about the £50m needed, they know it’s not coming.

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  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Me too

     

    Especially the last few months on the couch. 8))

  2. Lennon n Mc....Mjallby on

    Is Sevco going to be a black hole for the proceeds of crime?

     

     

    Is this the new form of cheating that’ll replace dodgy tax scams and rigged bank lending?

     

     

    Why doesn’t UEFA insist that British teams must be stock market registered?

     

     

    Should I be worried or does the halcyon days of the early eighties await the new ibrox club like the old one?

  3. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Petec

     

    Seems to be more to it as Geordie will tell soon, hopefully

  4. DD , thanks. twas a good night , wasn’t it .

     

     

    Sipsini , promise . I’m taking part in the next edition of FFIT at Celtic Park so hopefully , next year i’ll be a shadow of my former self. Either that or it’ll kill me ! only kidding.

     

     

    Well if you wanna go, K.A.N.O

     

    Hail Hail , Rain , Sleet or Snow

     

     

     

    we weren’t sure if that last line – thought we should mention Sun as well then remembered we live in Scotland !

     

     

    Sanna

  5. Geordie Munro on

    BT,

     

     

    It’s all just paper talk but it started with someone claiming RS would turn down the biggest contract in the clubs history if he wasn’t given regular games in his best position.

     

     

    Someone must think 180k is the highest contract ever so added 2 and 2 and came up with rumour.

     

     

    HH

  6. TBJ says Wee Oscar Knox is in heaven with the angels on

    Zico

     

     

    No probs

     

     

     

    BT

     

     

    I had a bath today ;)

  7. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    geordie munro

     

     

    21:04 on 31 March, 2015

     

    BT,

     

     

    Hell yeah. Been doing so for years :))

     

     

    *****

     

    You’ve done it again, haven’t you?

  8. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    TTT

     

    I think you should insure your keyboard against geordie munro

  9. Geordie Munro on

    BT,

     

     

    A wee looky on Internet suggests he has turned down 100k and wants to leave negotiations till close season.

     

     

    HH

  10. Captain Beefheart

     

     

     

     

    20:34 on

     

     

    31 March, 2015

     

     

     

     

    Auldheid,

     

     

    Saw your point earlier. I got it years ago, about the time when O’Neill and Celtic were spending absurd amounts of money. The strategy is right.

     

     

    However, are we scouting in Croatia etc? Why are our CL preparations usually shambolic? We aren’t investing enough. Investment can help grow the club. Instead we will stagnate and be satisfied at losing to crap Italian teams.

     

    ================================

     

    There are factors outsides Celtic control that make preparation difficult.

     

     

    They main one is our competitors from Scandanavia or mid Asia who usually have a few live matches under their belts with a more settled team than we have because their players moved on and were replaced earlier.

     

     

    Apart from match fitness there is lack of time together as a team. This is compounded when you have a change of manager accompanying player churn.

     

     

    Ideally NL should have left December 2013 and RD brought in then. I’m not sure if Neil moving on before end of season would have been welcomed as far sightedness.

     

     

    So with less time to become match fit, a new manager, new players because you don’t want to spend on players a manager does not want to keep, you have the perfect non qualifying storm of last summer. The result was as predictable as it was unavoidable when Lenny left.

     

     

    There is not much can be done about aligning our season with main qualifying competitors as other Scottish clubs have to agree to it, but for me, at a stroke it removes or minimises the disadvantages of fitness and unfamiliarity.

     

     

    In signing Armstrong and GMS now, not only are Celtic improving the squad now, they are removing the unfamiliarity aspect if they had waited until summer.

     

     

    If we have signed Danny Wilson they are looking to the prospect of entering the CL with a new centre back pairing and giving a new player the chance to become accustomed to new set up in pre season. Not perfect but with our season as it is, what else can be done?

     

     

    Spending money is not the answer because the problem is not lack of money, its timing.

  11. You could build a defence around Chiellini, he’s a proper defender if I have ever seen one.

  12. Craigellachie10 on

    No way Jason would have been capped by Belgium had he stayed at City for the season. Let’s hope some other talented youngsters see him as an example.

  13. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    The Henderson loan deal cou,d be the making of the bhoy

     

     

    I have high hopes for him …

     

     

    We have a busy run in as such I’m somewhat surprised at us wreaking our squad at this time

     

     

    With Mulgrew and Forrest returning to fitness RD must be confident that we have enough cover

     

     

    Good luck Liam

  14. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    I’m hearing rumours that Oldtim maybe returning to the BV after his short term loan spell in Grangemouth

     

     

    Updates to follow

     

    Lennybhoy .com. 8))

  15. Joe Filippis Haircut

     

     

     

     

    20:03 on

     

     

    31 March, 2015

     

     

     

     

    Auldheid. I also agree I would not want to be a supporter on the board I hope you get to the truth and are then able to let the Celtic support know the facts.However,there is a bit of the doubting Thomas in me and it says we will never be told the truth as it is to unpalatable.Good Luck anyway. H.H.

     

    =================

     

    You might have to buy the book Joe, but it will be signed ;)

  16. Geordie Munro on

    Pfayr,

     

     

    It’s queer timing but it might be something to do with Norwegian transfer window.

     

     

    Imo we only have two ( fingers crossed) truly meaningful games left. I think he’ll return in fine condition for the CL qualifiers.

     

     

    Haste ye back Liam

     

     

    HH

  17. sixtaeseven - Gardez la Foi on

    Breaking news:

     

    Clyde Blowers chairman Jim “Alexei Mikhailichenk” McColl believes Sevco will prosper under the new DCK regime.

  18. ….PFayr supports WeeOscar

     

     

     

     

    21:18 on

     

     

    31 March, 2015

     

     

     

     

    Auldheid

     

     

    What’s the story re Danny Wilson ??

     

    ==============

     

    Just repeating a rumour doing the rounds yesterday about a pre season signing.

  19. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Wtf is auto correct all about

     

    I am more than capable of making an eejit of myself without the help of apple

  20. If the average pay of those 318 non-football full-time staff was £25k (I doubt it’s this low),

     

     

    I could be wrong but imagine that the bulk of 318 would be doing somersaults at the thought of 25K

  21. Delaneys Dunky on

    Is the England goalscorer related to the ITV co commentator?

     

    The ‘Irishman’ seemed to enjoy it loads.

  22. ….pfayr supports weeoscar speaks about Oldtim….

     

     

    21:16 on 31 March, 2015

     

    The Grangemouth loan deal cou,d be the making of the bhoy

     

     

    I have high hopes for him …

     

     

    —–

     

     

    Wise words indeed!

     

     

    HH JamesGang

  23. petec

     

    21:04 on

     

    31 March, 2015

     

    blantyretim is praying for the Knox family

     

     

    20:57 on 31 March, 2015

     

     

    petethebeat

     

     

    It’s the press who we are having a go at

     

    They have the boy as the new saviour

     

    Read on here yesterday that Sterling had rejected £180k per week from Liverpool

     

    Shocking

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    A player that age should have a lot more respect for a Club that made him, and how much they are pushing the boat out to keep him.

     

     

    I don’t predict a good future for this dude, Football is a Team game last time I looked.

     

     

    Why should this particular player or his agent be any different from the rest of the sharks involved in football?

  24. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Auldheid

     

     

    Thanks

     

     

    Not for me

     

     

    Moderate player who was overhyped at RFC ……would represent a substantial reduction in the quality of our defence from where we are

  25. Auldheid…..if we have signed danny wilson i will be underwhelmed in the extreme….Hearts class…leave him there….

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