The search to resolve our defensive problems this season stretch back before the departure of Virgil van Dijk in August. Dedryck Boyata and Efe Ambrose have struggled with form, which our big summer signing, Jozo Simunovic, has endured two lengthy injury lay-offs.
Defensive stats have been revolutionised since the January arrival of Erik Sviatchenk, who was voted the Danish Superliga’s Player of the Year last night. We have achieved six clean-sheets in his nine starts, losing only a solitary goal each game the defence was breached. It took 20 games to record six clean-sheets before the Dane arrived.
We are far from the finished article at the back. The clean-sheets mask perennial failures to defend corner kicks, which have recently resulted good chances, instead of goals conceded. But, progress has been clear. Jozo’s been out of the team since the week before Erik’s arrival.
One of the things we need between now and the end of the season is these two paired up and tested. You win things (and qualify for things) when you stop conceding goals.
I remember the days I’d pour over Oldco Rangers’ accounts for insights into the future and comparisons with our own business model. I’d a cursory look at The Rangers Football Club’s accounts this morning. There is little of comparative relevance for us, or indeed, probably for Newco’s short-term future, should they gain promotion this season.
The one area that offers comparison is the cost of running a football business in a stadium which occasionally caters for crowds of 50,000 or more. With first team wages (I assume this refers to professional players employed) stripped out, expenses during the paired-down Easdale-led season was just north of £17m.
This is a useful guide of what it costs to pay your rates, electricity , insurance and the million other bills when you need to occasionally cater for 50,000-ish crowds, although many costs, like police, will reflect a lower tariff due to the lack of actual footfall. We don’t get as clear a picture of this cost from Celtic, who don’t separate player wages from non-playing staff. My hunch is that Celtic’s paried-down figure will be a few million higher (the silver polish bill alone….).
330 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- »
I think it has been floated before …but how about Jozo and Boyata as our CB pairing with Erik as holding/defensive midfielder … sort of a wanyama role.
I think it would work best in a 433, as opposed to the 4231 we are currently using, or even a 4411 (probably my preference, as we have been far too easy to cut open recently)
Ts….=Its
Corkcelt
Totally agree with all of that, well done Celtic great games to be involved in, will you be going to the Barca match?
Dont know if anybody has posted but……the posting too quick message….I find it is if you copy a post/ndp then you get the message coming up.
You’re correct, of course, Corkcelt:
PL has hit the back of the net with the pre-season tournament.
That said, it is (as the saying goes) is also potentially a convenient Squirrel to deflect attention from the much more serious matter of Res 12 …
VIP
Celtic v Barca in Dublin?
Who is organising the hootenanny?
Good pre season games but ultimately they are just friendly kickabouts.
We are guff. CL qualifiers will be torture.
Support were magnificent on Saturday. The squad is shocking. KC very poor. More of Rogic please.
Good evening friends.
Celtic v Barcelona the lunchtime after the ole CQN Open. Bit of a Carlsberg Weekend shaping up for the end of July ;-)
I got this from the Clumpany’s Twitter…
Rangers invited to play in the Oldco Cup, drawn against Third Lanark, Airdrieonians and Meadowbank Thistle.
You are Almore. I spoke to he club earlier they are trying to organise a hotel for 50 coming over (probably the Hoops Bar)
My son’s mate got a return flight from Glasgow for 25 euro.
Celtic v Barcelona in the Aviva? In July?
Ocht, I think so!
they did walking away
David Murray, Alistair Johnston, John Greig, Paul Murray, Martin Bain, John McClelland, Donald McIntyre, Gordon Smith, Ali Russell, David Healy, Francesco Stella, Gregg Wylde, Steven Naismith, Maurice Edu, Carlos Bocanegra, Dorin Goian, Kirk Broadfoot, Rhys McCabe, Sone Aluko, Salim Kerkar, Alejandro Bedoya, Manuel Ortiz, Steven Whittaker, Jamie Ness, John Fleck, Kyle Lafferty, Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Kevin Kyle, Fran Sandaza, Pip Yeates, Neil Murray, Tommy Wilson, Ross McAskill, Charles Green, Imran Ahmad, Neil Alexander, Malcolm Murray, Philip Cartmell, Lindsay Herron, Walter Smith, Kal Naismith, Blair Currie, Charles Green (again !), Andrew Mitchell, Scott Gallacher, Anestis Argyriou, Ian Hart, Craig Mather, Bryan Smart, James Traynor, Darren Cole, Dave King, Paul Murray (again !), Malcolm Murray (again !), Brian Stockbridge, Jack Irvine, Andrew Little, Chris Hegarty, Charlie Telfer, Emilson Cribari, Ross Perry, Philip Nash, Graham Wallace, Tom Miller, Andrew Dickson, Norman Crighton, Lewis MacLeod, Kyle McAusland, Kenny McDowall, Arnold Peralta, James Easdale, David Somers, Sandy Easdale, Bilel Mohsni, Jon Daly, Steve Simonsen, Lee Robinson, Lee McCulloch, Steven Smith, Ian Black, Richard Foster, Kyle Hutton, Kris Boyd, Sebastien Faure, Gordon Durie, Jim Henry, Douglas Park, Darren McGregor, Marius Zaliukas, Maciej Gostomski ….. and the inimitable, the one, the only, Fat Sa££y,
and many more
Cloghercelt: Ok, no pressure:-)
Great news on the preseason games. Perfect prep for Euro games and a big day out for Irish bhoys.
Take a bow, Celtic FC.
Nifty wee set of friendlies planned by the Celts, amazing that despite the paucity of our country’s
Pub League ( when we are winning ) and SPL ( when it’s nearly Aberdeen ) that we are still able to join up with the Big Bhoys.
I’m sure the band of Dublin Celtic fans will turn out with cash for our club, and the away support, will support Ryanair et all.
Good bit of business Celts, and very much needed revenue.
sipsini
They’ll struggle against Gretna.
CORKCELT
Nae offence,bud. But I genuinely haven’t seen a single post suggesting that it’s a PL money-grabbing exercise.
For anyone who did indeed do that,hmmmm…
Corkcelt,
Unfortunately, many have conditioned themselves to see a negative in every pronouncement from the club.
Often before they engage their brain and actually consider what has been said.
Fortunately, they are transparent in their agenda and merely elicit a “here we go again” reaction.
Does anyone know which airline do direct flights to Dublin from Aberdour? Will I get into the Aviva with golf clubs?
Why did Lawwell arrange the Barcelona game on the weekend of the CQN Golf Day?
Treating the fans with contempt, again.
Jobo
Trump Airways
The blog is at an all time ‘quiet’ because the Celtic are top, and Ronny dared roar.
They’ll still log in occasionally to continue to without their contribution of nothing.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 22ND MARCH 2016 7:34 PM
they did walking away
====================================
Thats a great list,even more than I envisaged.
Almore & Clogher
3 more sleeps till Dublin.
Could be returning sooner than anticipated. Late July mmmmmm. :-)
HH
excath
I love a list ☺️
Delaneys
Don’t you be giving us Celtic supporters a bad name over there, supping their rotten Guinness?.
I was talking to a guy there who said there is no way he’d pay for Guinness when he was in Glasgow.
without? = withdraw.
Back to the Garden CSC
SID on 22ND MARCH 2016 5:47 PM
Neganon2
Yes that’s where I’ve filed it. Oh look a squirrel.
BMCUW,
My post was in response to two posts circa 5.50pm
Nice to see the club get glamour fixtures of the back of our support, the same support they criminalise and collude in corruption against. HH
NEGANON2 on 22ND MARCH 2016 5:50 PM
Sid we are just a big fat juicy cash cow to them.
–
Roast Particle?
DUBAIBHOY-UR THEY STILL DEID?on 22ND MARCH 2016 5:28 PM
An Tearmann 22ndMarch2016 4:00pm
An interesting article but Al Jazeera should really be conducting studies in Damascus to find out how many applicants go to University of Damsacus compared with the numbers that join ISIS or Hamas.
A perfect bit of whataboutery.
—————————
Hi mate.ta for your reply ;-)
Poverty is poverty.regardless of where it is.
The author of the report is Glaswegian Andrew MacFadyen based in the middle east.(might be a neighbour of yours:-)
The integrity of the data is intact imo thats what matters,
The gaps between rich and poor in report are stark here,an indictment on our politicians and can only sow seeds of future(generation after generation as it has been)problems and hopelessness.
Maybe if the gaps with rich and poor in the middle east were closed there would not be the rush to go extreme as you suggest
It would help too if we in the west thought more bout our sale of weaponry and basing our economies on petrol which imo means we turn a blind eye to a lot for profits sake, both to companies and us in our(spoiled)individual living standards.
Hope yir good mate
Any undiscovered defensive mids oot rerr ? ?
HH
BSR
Reckon I will sample at least one pot of Guinness in Dublin this weekend. ;))
fat sal did waddling away
Pre-registered for tickets for the Barcelona game.
Just booked a flight Oslo-Dublin for twenty quid.
I am very happy, and also clapping.
Bournesouprecipe 7,54
Walkaway to laughinaway
Brilliannt
:-))))))))))
HH
Delaneys,
I see you talking about the Guinness
You should try to get to Kavanaghs, ( The Gravediggers) in Prospect Square, Glasnevin at the back of the cemetery at some stage over the weekend.
Possibly the best pint of Guinness in Dublin and therefore by default the world
JOBO BALDIE on 22ND MARCH 2016 7:45 PM
Does anyone know which airline do direct flights to Dublin from Aberdour? Will I get into the Aviva with golf clubs?
—————
It’s Air Aberdreech.
Tagline: You Can’t Check In – And We Will Never Leave
Always had a view that them insisting that they are the same club would one day come back to bite them on the bum.
How funny would that be?
fat sal chafed away