Olivier Ntcham, 21, yesterday became the third most expensive signing in Celtic history, the initial payment was slightly north of the £4.5m quoted, and there are add-ons which are likely to take the total price above that which was paid for Chris Sutton and John Hartson.
The most striking element of the deal is that the player has played only 39 games in senior football. Compare this to van Dijk and Wanyama, who had played over 60 games before coming to Celtic, and you get an idea of how the transfer market has changed in a few years.
60 games is now too late. You need to be on the ground watching and ready to move inside 40 games. More than this and top talent will likely already be competitively priced out of reach.
A consequence of this trend will be an increase in one element of the transfer risk: any scout would prefer to see more than 39 senior games before making a recommendation. But this risk is mitigated by the fact that waiting on a player to increase in value, only introduces the risks associated with paying a higher price.
Then there is the risk of doing nothing at all………
What we do know is that everyone at Celtic, the management, scouts and board, are happy to have secured Olivier’s signature.
Welcome to Celtic, Olivier.
You know when the PSNI say, “The only way you can have the game in Belfast that week is if it’s on Friday and there are no away supporters”. Then Linfield insist on having the home game first due to TV money. Then someone else at the PSNI says they did not block Celtic fans from attending?
Well, that just happened.
Here is the new CQN Podcast…
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Pog- i am in Newcastle Aug 18th for my bhoys stag weekend ….if you about can watch the Killie game and have a beer?
Hrvatski Jim
Surely one of the locals will make a space on the couch for you:)
HH
Just to put an end to the story..
Grogan, who has refused to have plastic surgery, said: “I was at a gig at what was then Glasgow Tech and a fight broke out. I went to leave and I ran into a flying broken glass. It nearly cut half my face off.
Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/news/actress-tells-how-scar-almost-cost-stardom-1-624830
Ah wis there:((
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles on 13th July 2017 9:03 pm
You should be in good company in there. St Martin’s Bhoy and his Tyneside No1 CSC may well be in and around that area.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/transfer-window/revealed-how-transfers-really-work-agents-tapping-up-whatsapp-and-why-clubs-cant-recoup-fees-with-shirt-sales-35923852.html
https://stv.tv/sport/football/1393476-rodgers-saddened-by-absence-of-celtic-fans-in-linfield/
STV on message saying Celtic were refused an allocation
Hrvatski Jim,
Crown hotel , 54 high st in Peebles will do :0)
Oldtim67
Happy birthday Dave.good to see you last week and in lisbon.all the best my friend
;-)
HH
Marspapa
Ah, the girls from Kinver Drive!!!
Only joking they don’t immediately come to mind but I did knock about with some lovely young women from Blairdardie — Killens, McNaughts, McCullochs, Noonans, McNamees ( Anniesland), Gahagans (Knightswood) and various others who lived in Hyndland, Jordanhill, Partick, Cardonald (wee Clare etc) Shawlands, Newlands, Scotstoun and all sorts of other exotic places.
I could come up with a list of names which will undoubtedly ring some bells and make some reach for the old photograph albums.
Happy Days.
Pog and Lullabies
many many thanks
TGM
I followed your advice and looked up the Peebles CSC which is based in the (1 star) Crown Hotel and, guess what, they say the they will be showing the game.
You have single handedly saved CQN from oblivion.
Another great gig from Derek McInnnes & The Bottlemerchants.
They never fail to disappoint…
Hrvatski Jim
Needless to say, that i would have chapped every door in Peebles until i found a Tim:)
HH
DAVIDOPOULOS
He seems to have great difficulty in setting up his team to win, learned at the fee to the master ah suppose:))
MARSPAPA, Clare Grogan was hit by a bottle at a doo in Glasgow Technical College, my mate was there the night it happened.
Glasgow Tech now the Caley Uni, I believe.
BRTH
reaching for albums , patrners will be reaching for betablockers / valium……methinks lol.
STARRY
I will have great pleasure correcting my sis in-laws recollections on the matter
Never won an arguement with her or her mother …a cyber pint raised to you pal .
Thanks Prestonpans Bhoys for your advice.
The Crown it is.
https://stv.tv/sport/football/1393476-rodgers-saddened-by-absence-of-celtic-fans-in-linfield/
Usual SMSM shi#@, our fans mentioned first for any trouble….ffs , why is this game on a Friday and not a Tue/Wed like everyone else…..but we will suck it up again , and again, and again
To the best of my knowledge I have never been in the same room as Clare Grogan, or her relatives or friends.
I did, however, see Dee hepburn in her Wilton Street flat back in the day and I saw her more recently working as a Physiotherapist with young people.
Pog- any thoughts..
I’ve watched a couple of us vs them games in the crown in peebles, mixed crowd but a good atmosphere, even when I jumped up and knocked a table over when Joe Ledley scored the winner a few years ago
MARSPAPA
Glad to have been of service old pal:)
I doubt the divine Miss G ever set one of her dainty wee feet in Shuffles:))
I’m sure she would be tickled pink to know she has captivated C(G)QNfor the best part of two days:))
HH
BADA BING
Celtic said in their Twitter response to the RUC that they would say nothing until tie was played, the inference being they will say more when the team has successfully exited Windsor, or should that be Saxe Coburg Gotha, park.
Brogan, was it Jacqui McNaught you knew , Marion’s pal?
I did not know them but knew who they were. The were often on the same bus as me on our journey home from our respective schools.
Thanks for your reply in the last thread about Marion being married to Nick Heyward.
BADA, you don’t know how disappointed I am that I will not be available on the 18th Aug to have a drink with you. My youngest bhoy gets back from Brunei and arrives at Edinburgh airport at 07:20 on the 19th and I need to pick him up. Defo sort something out later.
BRTH, yes the Tyneside Irish Centre is home of Tyneside No 1 CSC, I believe.
As for Claire Grogan I have never had the pleasure of the ladies company but loved her as Christine Kochanski in Red Dwarf.
claire grogan goes to the same mass as me
That’s twice I’ve been relevant tonight
There is a lot of troubling inconsistency around the narrative of the story about our fans not going to Linfield’s ground.
While I am inclined to disbelieve the PSNI on any subject, including this one, the statement today from Linfield re-inforcing the view that any Celtic supporter attempting to gain entry will be refused, does not fit in with the narrative that it is the police who are the only blocking agent here.
Linfield, having allowed tickets to go on sale via Ticketmaster and who have sold hospitality packages to known Celtic fans, are now, on the day before the tie, and with the money banked, threatening not to dispense the product that has been bought and paid for.
Would Linfield have the balls to do so on their own input or has Mr. “Wet the bed” Bankier had a quiet word with them to stop the issue.
I find the whole sequence of events poorly explaiined and reking of panic. I am well aware of the issues surrounding fan safety. Strong as they are, this tie, for our fans, is a level of risk below that we would encounter in any return trip to play Ajax or Legia, or any visit to a Russian club or Beitar Jerusalem.
If they wanted to protect our fans, Linfield and the PSNI, fearing adverse publicity, could have ensured an escorted trip to and from the ground. In turn, our support, would have exercised their own common sense and booked safe accomodation and not flaunted their colours.
Requesting a reduced allocation and offering them to approved Supporter’s clubs, I can understand.
Requesting a police supervisary presence and a segregated stand, I can understand.
But refusing tickets, knowing our fans will have means to ignore this non-negotiated decision, leaves us with the worst of all possible worlds- Individual fans in a Linfield-fan dominated area.
It was a poorly considered decision, left fans out of the decision, and reflects a paternalistic attitude that does not wholly trust its own fan base.
I was already worried but now I am more so. If Celtic fans with tickets are going to be turned away at the turnstile, they will truly be at the mercy of the worst elements.
And there will be CQN posters amongst this group.
Pogmathonyahun
Tyneside Irish Centre is where all the Tyneside Bhoys drink ask for Davie McIntyre he will look after you
POG
Cheers :))
STARRY PLOUGH
I apologise to the blog for starting this whloe saga off !!!
Now …..now if any of you have any stories on my wee fav SHAKIRA ……well :))
Owen
I think when Celtic say tie they mean keeping their powder dry until after the home leg has been played.
MWD
SFTB
I refer you to my post on the previous page as to the level of trustworthiness of those involved in this decision.
MARSPAPA
Shakira the legendary 70’s Alsatian from the Low Quarry:))))
Marspapa
“Now …..now if any of you have any stories on my wee fav SHAKIRA ……well :))”
You have strange tastes.
That wee man played 21 times for Stoke in the Premiership and only scored 4 goals. Personally, I think Johnny Hayes is better looking :-)
The draw begins at 12:00CET on Friday 14 July. It will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon and will be streamed live here on UEFA.com.
http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2485012.html#/photos/
Cheers Malorbhoy, ps love the new car :-))
Owen
I fully accept that but they did not make Linfield FC make that statement re Celtic fans being knocked back, after they knowingly sold them tickets.
MWD
While you are on, I thought you might be interested in this fully researched academic article abstract
Neo-liberals and a susceptibility to bullshit