I heard earlier this transfer window that the club didn’t expect an offer for Moussa Dembele. There was interest a year ago, but a year of injury, then a fresh injury at the start of this season, convinced all that the player would be with us until January, at least.
When Real Madrid invoked a buy-out clause for Lyon striker Mariano on Wednesday, the French club were prepared to throw a lot of money around to buy a replacement, and their primary target was Moussa Dembele.
There are millions of euros at play here. Agent fees alone would be in seven figures, while the contract available for the player would dwarf anything Celtic pay. In addition, they were prepare to offer Celtic a lot of money. So what do you do?
Celtic were not planning to sell Moussa Dembele, just as they were not planning to sell Kieran Tierney in July. The club gave very clear messages to Lyon that they would not entertain a bid. Note Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas’ comments “I know the boss at Celtic well. He is basically like a bulldog who negotiates after yapping.”
The assumption in Lyon was that after Peter Lawwell’s “yapping” there would be some negotiation. Lyon expected Celtic to roll over, but Celtic did not bite.
The choice was to pocket the money without buying a direct replacement (as it was too late), or reject the offer. The sale was not even considered, by the manager or board. As we saw three weeks ago with Boyata, Celtic do not need the money, what they need is talented footballers.
It was right to reject the offer. Not just because we need players more than money, but because if we fold under player pressure, we will only encourage more ‘sore back/not the right frame of mind’ scenarios when contracted players are tapped up during a qualification campaign.
The football business is incredibly unstable. We contract players, who, if they succeed, will soon be able to earn millions of pounds per year more than we will ever pay them. You either sell when the big offers come, or turn your face to stone and sell when you are ready.
I don’t know if playing hardball this month will stop this happening again, but folding would guarantee tantrums every time a player receives an 80€/week offer. We could be sitting this morning with all the money in the world, but a little light up front. That’s not the plan and never has been.
The first piece of business today was the signing of central mid, Youssouf Mulumbu. Youssouf’s career came off the rails when he broke his metatarsal weeks after joining Norwich three years ago, but a cameo half season at Kilmarnock convinced Brendan Rodgers to move. Welcome to Celtic, Youssouf.
Let’s get Filip Benkovic signed up, and spank Newco back into their dystopian existence on Sunday. Oh, and Malmo and Sarpsborg would do nicely in the Europa.
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Good Morning… hope everyone’s weekend is an absolute skelpre…
Quite a debate eh! No matter, what people say and how they wish to spin it, this summer’s UCL qualification campaign and the transfer window has been a self inflicted wound of gigantic proportions.
To go from back to back UCL qualification and the Double Treble open top bus in May to where we are now redefines incompetence… without exaggeration as far as corporate responsibility goes we have entered the realms of puerile ineptitude.
This indefensible and complete shambles cannot be pinned on the head of recruitment, cannot be pinned on maverick greedy footballers, cannot be pinned on the football manager, his coaches or his staff.
Despite the not so subtle PR campaign against all of the above (and like all of us they have their faults). There is a common denominator in this serious of reversals, it is the silent executives who are responsible (sic) for this. Despite their faults the football operations have delivered and delivered big time.
As the football operations manager has raised the bar on all aspects of Celtic Football Club, our record breaking performance together with the recruitment, conditioning and coaching of our top players has brought us to a higher level, it’s Celtic’s executive have been shown to be well out of their league.
Last month on C Q N we have seen and had to accept, to a certain extent at least, the arguments defending these executives. The fact is that the faultlines were so obvious, so early in the window, it has been the main thrust of the forum over the August month, we suspected something was amiss. It was simmering through the executives tokenism towards Brendan’s (now very prescient) early window requests, it began to boil up through the McGinn farce, it erupted during the Boyata debacle and ended in melt down with the Dembele fiasco.
They have surreptitiously played the blame game: Managers, Coaches, Players and associated staff who worked tirelessly to improve the team and deliver record breaking results were targeted by sniddy undermining and unfair remarks and conjecture.
There was obviously loggerheads from before the window started. For me the hawkers used the tight timeframes and the fact the football operations were so focussed on important team performance, to follow their own agenda, football recruitment from the cut and thrust of marketing, commerce and negotiations, with little or no thought to footballing requirements or the Managers requests or opinion.
At the end of the window we can see during BR’s tenure rather than being profligate as some would have us believe…
…we’ve paid circa £25 Million on transfers
…we’ve received circa £35 Million in transfers
No ifs or buts for me… I’m not fooled by the pantomime for one moment, if this window is a different story, why does it have the same ending? You want to know the truth just follow the money….
Where do we go from here?
Well we need to redefine our priorities, we need to improve greatly our internal and external communications and we need to remodel ((c) TBB) our business structure to ensure out Football Club is fit for purpose. Capital projects are necessary, bringing in revenue from diverse sources is important. Making money from the transfer window is good business, yet this must be a sideline, our football team’s primary function is not to provide a revenue stream. Our key aim must be to make Celtic football team the finest it can be – it’s excellence is paramount.
Oft ooot
Hail Hail
Brendan says :
Quote BBC WEBSITE :
“The board and myself are united and they have been very supportive to me on this issue,” Rodgers said.
But what would he know ?
Well …………
Apart from the facts of the matter .
brendan being diplomatic.
big game coming up.
i don’t see how in any way he can be happy with matters.
The PLC have thrown down, numerous tests for Celtic supporters over the years, and the support have consistently failed these tests.
LNS whitewash.
Throwing NFL under the bus.
Numerous transfer window shaftings.
Paying £49 for tickets that got the PLC off the same club hook.
These are tests designed to exploit emotional weakness, and Celtic supporters have lost every time.
Only, bravery can change that.
Do Celtic supporters have the emotional capacity to stop failing these tests ?
Tomorrow, 800, hate filled animals will be at Celtic Park, but, where would they be, if an emotionally strong Celtic support had made it clear to the PLC that, it doesn’t matter who you bring in as manager, we will not be paying £49 for tickets that would rubber stamp the same club lie. What would the PLC have done then ?
What would have happened was that the emotionally strong Celtic supporters would have let the genie out of the bottle, but, instead, emotional weakness from the Celtic supporters has allowed the PLC off the hook, and has probably blown the last chance of bringing the cheating hun establishment to Justice.
Rebels ma nickers.
ZzzzzZzzzzz
I cannot believe the damage done in 3 months to our club.
I maybe panicking unduly but I really feel we have jeopardised 8 in a row.
We really need to gub that mob tomorrow.
HH
Look, Macjay, I had already copied this to paste bu you have beaten me to it !
“The Board and myself are united and they have been very supportive to me on this issue.
Good to see you back.
Chairbhoy
I usually like the style of your posts but I wa less keen on this bit: your posts
” No matter, what people say and how they wish to spin it, this summer’s UCL qualification campaign and the transfer window has been a self inflicted wound of gigantic proportions.”
`No matter what people say.` Are you sure?
Their view is `spin.` . Are you sure?
`Self-inflicted ` and ` Gigantic`wounds? Are you sure.
If I toolkmy time and did a little bit of research, I could posit an opposite argument with some conviction. As I not inclined to do so, I will hope SFTB does it instead !
JJ
IWhats going on?
Brendan will earn his corn the morra.
We need to have Big Players playing as well as possible.
Morning all.
I had a bit too much wine last night and stoated off to be in a haze. I then had this mad dream that we’d sold Moussa Dembele yesterday with no replacement coming in!!
I really dislike Social Media.
It can still be an incredible force for Good howevaaaaah.
CELTIC is emotional like No other.
Glasgow Celtic
HOT SMOKED on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2018 7:14 AM
My dear fellow Tim ,
Can`t abide seeing good Tims potentially being discouraged and disillusioned by the negativity of some posters who have God knows whatever agenda .
There can be no doubt that THEIR agenda is counter to the best interests of OUR Celtic .
Can`t be having that.
Nor would those who have gone before us .
We owe it to them as well as to ourselves .
That`s the only reason I thought I would chip in.
Chairbhoy
Great post, especially agree with your conclusion.
The welfare/recruitment etc of the Team should always take precedence when possible.
HH
Although I can predict the answers to this, why are so many Celtic supporters so keen to be critical of Celtic?
Liewise, I regularly read about how terrible we are in the Transfer market yet we remain the strongest team in Scotland and very a successful Club.
Our situation is unusual, maybe unique. We have two teams in a small county with a massive percentage of the football fan base. Whether we like it or not, this affects the decision making at the Club.
Must go now but if any opinions are being offered, try to support them with some substance and in a manner showing an awareness of at least the possibility hat another scenario has credence.
Cheerio for now,
JJ
chairbhoy,
Objective article. Miss the outcomes
– £ 51M CL failure
– broken relationship between manager and CEO
– weakened team
The football dept has been shafted by the CEO. The fittest celtic squad of recent times prepared in a special program ( which SG has brought to RFC).
Brendan needed help and support from the CEO. Lawwell has screwed Brendan, fans and shareholders.
We don’t need incompetence or whatever it is. Brendan walks unless Lawwell goes.
Mackjay
” That`s the only reason I thought I would chip in.” and a very good reason , too.
Deff off.
JJ
From AidensBhoy.
@lubohenke1967 @McNallyMirror I’ve stood up for Lawwell but this window is indefensible. 30 million in the bank and we’ve made 29 million in transfer fees spent 9 on Edouard. Shameful I honestly think Lawwell is trying to make Brendan walk.
From Stephen4_2
Celtic’s transfer window in short…
Three class players out the door (Roberts, Armstrong, Dembele)
Replaced by a guy from St Mirren with no SPL experience, Izzy on a free, a guy on a free who didn’t have a club.
Not only a disgrace but a total and utter embarrassment.
From Declan_r_m
@McNallyMirror Major internal communications failures today Brian. Conflicting statements and allowing the press to watch it unfold on the training ground. Lessons to be learned
From MCNallyMirror
It was worse than amateur hour, Declan. The failings at Celtic since the Cup Final affect virtually every department, but the PR side is a joke. For utter chaos & complacency this window is as embarrassing as the Willo Flood fiasco of 2009. Think I’ve just about had enough of it. https://twitter.com/declan_r_m/status/1035683026733342721
Glasgow Celtic
according to PeteC.
I am Nothing, that Tune Rocked my World though.
Verbatim quote BBC WEBSITE :
“The board and myself are united and they have been very supportive to me on this issue,” Rodgers said.
BACH in a Good few Hours
Hands up anyone who slept well last?
No? Didn’t think so.
This is how it feels to be Celtic. This is how it feels to be the guy who wins euro millions, then commits hari-kari.
Why?
We’ve learned some new words over the past few years, while we laughed at Sevco.
Omnishambles!
The huns have signed what, around 16 players with ease. Yet we’ve done more to boost their chances.
Thankfully, we have a break after tomorrow.
There needs to be a phorensic analysis of this fiasco and changes made. This can never happen again.
Tomorrow, we need to support the team on the park.
Brendan speaks.
Will CQN listen ?
Horse to water .
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45377409
So, where do we stand this morning after that window?
In defence: actually, a wee bit stronger (though this may be temporary). Benkovic is a great addition, and it’s heartening to see Boyatta stay. However, neither will be here next summer (and Boyatta may go in January), meaning we have an entire central defence to replace very soon.
Izzy provides cover, and Gamboa may see more game time, but Lustig will also need to be replaced soon.
Overall, defensively we are patched up and ready go, but the failure to anticipate Boyatta’s desire to leave, and the failure to sign a permanent replacement, probably cost us a CL Group place.
Midfield-wise, we lost out on our top target, McGinn, a natural replacement for Brown and future captain-for-life. This transfer collapsed due to our arrogant low-balling of Hibs, and our complete failure to anticipate other clubs being interested in him. A real amateur hour fiasco and a mistake which I believe we will be talking about for years to come.
However, Mulumbu is a decent acquisition – strong and experienced. A departure from signing 20 year old prospects, he brings some much needed wisdom to the team. Securing Rogic for 5 years is also a positive.
Up front: Disaster. We’ve lost our best striker for, in reality, not an awful lot of money. We have failed to replace him, making us entirely reliant on Eddie and Griff in Europe and domestically. In addition, the way we handled it – with contradictory public statements, public fallings-out on the training ground, and a poisonous atmosphere all round – has seriously damaged our image as a competently run club and may yet leave a toxic legacy for Moussa’s mates left behind.
The only positive is that BR seems to be behind the sale – as opposed to being aghast by it. We have to trust Brendan that the situation was unrecoverable. I also take solace from the nagging thought that, already, Moussa’s best days may be behind him. He has declined alarmingly from his first season, and clearly has hamstrings made of glass. We may look back on this as a good deal in retrospect… but at the moment it looks like a mess, and leaves us seriously weakened.
The capture of Eddie is a positive, as is Lewis Morgan. Arzani – not sure. Feel this lad was not signed by the manager.
So, overall, our slow-paced, bovine-like attitude to improving the team, despite immense financial strength, has almost certainly ended up costing us money in the shape of CL failure. Who is ultimately responsible for this is up for debate.
All I would say is that failure to build from a position of strength is not a new failure under the current CEO.
The question I’m asking is why Dave King the glib and Shameless liar predicted house of cards at Celtic before it even happened ?
Does have a lot of dirt on Peter Lawwell and our board ?
Selling MD for 19.7m is a good bit if business.
Selling your top striker and not replacing him isn’t good business.
Both of the above are true for now,but only one will be come the
end of the season.
Verbatim quote BBC WEBSITE :
“The board and myself are united and they have been very supportive to me on this issue,” Rodgers said.
Surprised no one picked up on the ladt three words of this and asked “aye, but what about all the other issues . . .”
Massive game tomorrow. They are coming expecting a result. “A”Game required from everyone. Ref especially.
3-2 the good guys.
From John_Lyons_68
Celtic will never make it to the ‘next level’ with Peter Lawwell in charge. This was the once in a generation opportunity to move the club forward with a great manager, fabulous squad and cash to invest. Lawwells lack of ambition has meant this is our worst ever transfer window
Hen1rik 7.57am
Can you not find the answer on Twitter you seem to find everything else there ? :-)
Nye Bevans a fit Leigh Griffith’s is a ready made replacement for Moussa who hardly kicked a baw for the majority of last season
Roll on the Griff treble the morra :-)
Work calls … hopefully a wee easy shift then nae work till Tuesday :-)
Who will you listen to ?
John Lyons ( Who he ? )
Or Brendan Rodgers .
Quote BBC WEBSITE :
“The board and myself are united and they have been very supportive to me on this issue,” Rodgers said.
So that’s it then!!
We won’t get 8 in a row – I can’t believe that some are posting this!
Thankfully the players won’t be thinking that.
Having read this and other sites I was prepared for some very negative atmospheres. Thankfully those around me in the stadium (past two games) seem to have more backbone in supporting the team than social media posters.
NotWhiteFlagFudCFC
Anybody saying an experienced CH wouldn’t have helped against AEK was clearly watching a different game from me. I shuddered when I heard the defensive line up on the way to the ground.
In the game I was at I saw KA given a lesson by their no 10.Too tight every time the ball was played to his opponent allowing him to turn him with ease on numerous occasions . Too nice and slow in the tackle.Most of their attacks came through their 10. KA was inexplicably statuesque at their goal .
JH was nervous throughout and ponderous in possession. Our opponents took great confidence from this .
Two young players who might still make it with us as they have time to iron out their deficiencies. I think KA has a better chance than JH.
Anyway,playing two inexperienced CHs in such a crucial game made all the difference between the teams imo.
HH
I heard earlier this transfer window that the club didn’t expect an offer for Moussa Dembele.
The above is the opening line of Paul’s article.
What isn’t clear is who Paul heard this from.However I think it would be fair to assume it would be from someone employed by Celtic FC. (Please correct me if I am wrong Paul or confirm if I’ve got it right).
So,from a strictly business point of view,we have a situation where the business’s best and most valuable asset,worth £20m no less,is dealt with on the basis of some notion that no one will want to buy him.
A notion since proved to be wildly wrong.
The incompetence then is exacerbated by the failure to have a replacement sourced and bought.
In any business I have been involved in,the individual(s) responsible for such gross negligence with regard to the organisation’s most valuable asset would be dismissed.As simple as that.
PL is 60 in May. In order not to miss out on top targets Lee Congerton should already have passed DD and IB his list.
DBHOY – I echo your views on KA. He gets caught out a lot for pace by being too close to his man. Newco did him for pace several times at Celtic Park at the NY game.
And that was a game when we were on a high and expected to win with ease.
Tomorrow we need to take control of the middle of the park right from the off. That is their weakest area.
pleas tell me the transfer window is shut!!
‘Celtic didn’t expect a bid for Dembele’.
This statement does not stand up to scrutiny and can only be true if we’d received legally binding testaments from every club in Europe saying they would not attempt to buy him.
Anything can happen, like Lyon losing their striker to Real Madrid and needing to ring a replacement for example.
It was abject failure to plan and prepare.
morning bhoys from a partly sunny Cheshire, that made for some nasty reading last night, but can understand the frustration, so who have we got available up front tomorrow.hh.
medtim on 1st September 2018 8:25 am
———–
The article mentions his injury record as the reason Celtic didn’t expect a bid, I’d also add he had 2 years left of his contract (not 1) and clubs out there knew that it would take a big bid for any move to happen.
All that limits the number of clubs who might bid, then throw in the English window shutting early and those clubs with the money and the need reduces further.
I still think that BR will always revert to his 1 striker up front approach, so having 3 was overkill for me. Because 2 of those strikers were injury prone then it worked (sort of), hopefully this season Eddy proves not to also be injury prone and is the main man with Griff covering.
Whats happening ? Done three very good comments which got swamped and disappeared by pop-up ads.