Recruitment strategy shift

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“Backfill”, that’s the word used during January for practically every transfer.  “Yes, happy to sell at that price, but only if we get backfill”.  We sold out first choice striker without backfill.  That is a ballsy decision for Brendan Rodgers and Michael Nicholson to sign off on.

If we win the league and Scottish Cup, any perceived risk will not merit a footnote when the season is reviewed.  An injury, or two, to specific players and the footnote will grow into a paragraph.

“January is a difficult time to do business” is another mantra.  Except at Celtic recently.  Kuhn, Maeda, Hatate, O’Riley and Johnston all arrived since the Postecoglou era in January.  Four of these players are still first choice at Celtic, while O’Riley left for £25m.  You can sign quality players in January if you have the recruitment infrastructure in place and do not have a preference for players you have watched in person.

Brendan is a hugely successful and experienced boss.  He has managed against or worked with many of the top players in Europe and has an enviable relationship with agents across the UK.  He recently brought in David Pleat to add what he needs.  Maybe it will all work out fine, but make no mistake, recruitment strategy has shifted.

Jeffrey Schlupp (32) arrived from Crystal Palace, replacing Alex Valle (20) in the squad.  Jota (25) came home and has already shown us why.  Alexandro Bernabei (24) permanently moved to Internacional in Brazil for a small profit.  We will be talking about Kyogo 20 years from now, let’s hope the anecdotes do not include the consequences of allowing him to leave midseason.

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  1. The execs Nicholson and McKay had clear deliverables in the window

     

     

    1. Sell Kyogo and buy a replacement. Failed miserably not even a loan striker.

     

     

    2. Winger in. Sell / loan Yang. Pass Jota in. Yang will hopefully not see first team action again.

     

     

    3. Left back new recruit. KT on pre contract, Crystal Palace utility player in until summer. Needle not moved either way.

     

     

    4. Sell remainder of Mark Lawwell recruits. Failed.

     

     

    Overall Nicholson/McKay have failed. Nicholson is the invisible man who should never be CEO of Celtic. McKay a beancounter that does what it says on the tin. We have come out of the window weaker, quite an achievement for the dynamic duo.

     

     

    Nicholson was Lawwell’s pick after they got McKay out. A nodding duck to Lawwell.

     

     

    The manager has been let down by the Nicholson and it will be more of the same in the summer. He is not capable and to believe that he was the best candidate for the job is laughable. When something at Celtic doesn’t seem right you don’t have to look too far to see Lawwell managing his interests. Hopefully both are gone before the summer.

     

     

    Hope Brendan sticks it out working with these roasters.

  2. Im not one for buying for the sake of it but I hope BR is ok with this window cant see him being happy.

     

     

    However if we now have to pay a huge amount in Corporation Tax when the first team squad is in need that is disgraceful, let’s wait and see what this figure will be i think it will be in double figures of Millions.

  3. Gene on 4th February 2025 2:45 pm

     

    SS

     

     

     

     

    I never mentioned Lawwell just pointed out that there is a bonus scheme

     

     

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

     

     

    you said the board get bonuses, only the operational roles do, not non execs.

     

     

    i see nickolson is the new bogie man, dearie me.

  4. Cmon the money is from the fans in the main who want the best team possible on the park, you keep shouting about tickets prices for kids, well they keep charging these prices and stick the money in a bank account unspent so the club makes huge profits , then pay a huge Corporation Tax bill.

  5. Lets hear the moans and groans when the CL qualifier comes round.And we piss it.

     

    In case many have forgotten,that’s the only show in town.Nobody feel more confident with Jota and KT lining up for us.Maybe even Schlupp.

     

    James Forrest.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 calling for sackings today.

  6. Personally I think this board haven’t a clue in how to manage the increase in revenue other than improving contracts a bit and eventually doing something with Barrowfield spending 10m on that ,which looks landlocked and is not very pleasing on the eye given the location.

  7. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    I wrote this morning about my bemusement listening to Celtic vloggers say we should have “just signed anyone” and to “pay whatever is asked”.

     

     

    I’ve just heard someone foam at the mouth about ‘the board”, “lack of ambition” and how damaging it could be not signing a striker.

     

     

    Fair enough, everyone is free to voice their opinion.

     

     

    However, five minutes later the guy’s getting worked up about how we are going to keep Idah, Jota, Maeda and Khun happy in a front three!!

     

     

    People generally see things they want to see in order to confirm their priors.

     

     

    However, there are always 3 sides to every story: your side; their side; and the truth.

  8. All these other businesses that re-invest to minimise end of year tax bills clearly aren’t as well run as us.

  9. Turkeybhoy.

     

    If Idah gets injured tomorrow night against Dundee who do you play up front,

     

    Kenny or Cummins?

  10. 4TH FEBRUARY 2025 12:18 PM

     

    adi_dassler not for 2nd best on 4th February 2025 12:07 pm

     

     

    Time for Laundry

     

     

     

    If you mean wee N’guemo , I don’t think we’re that desperate .-))))))))

     

    ……………………

     

     

    I assume you’re unaware that Landry N’Guemo died in a car crash last year.

  11. An Dún on 4th February 2025 3:00 pm

     

    All these other businesses that re-invest to minimise end of year tax bills clearly aren’t as well run as us.

     

     

    —————-

     

     

    other businesses give profits by way of dividens to shareholders.

     

     

    i personally feel all corporations that make a profit here, should pay the tax, we are nor a foreign offshore multi national.

     

     

    the ambulences dont pay for themselves.

  12. My third time of asking on the blog .

     

     

    Has Kieran Tierney actually put pen to paper and signed a pre contract agreement with Celtic ?

     

     

    I have seen nothing official from Celtic .

     

     

    TT

  13. dessybhoy on 4th February 2025 2:56 pm

     

    Personally I think this board haven’t a clue in how to manage the increase in revenue other than improving contracts a bit and eventually doing something with Barrowfield spending 10m on that ,which looks landlocked and is not very pleasing on the eye given the location.

     

     

    we own barrowfiled land, why not build on it ?

  14. garygillespieshamstring on

    Lucky Cody

     

     

    What was the source of the “key deliverables” you listed?

     

     

    I’ve never seen or heard it anywhere else, so wondering if it was specific targets set for them or a wish list of your own making?

  15. Why all the gloom on CQN? Sure we aimed to replace Kyogo (he wanted to leave and we were right to agree to it – sad but true) but we failed to replace him. None of us know the details of why. But it is no disaster. Our Euro target is achieved this season. Further Euro games will be great experience but anything from them will be a bonus. The only other genuine prize is the League (the cups offer minimal bragging rights, nothing much more than that). We have more than enough in the squad to protect our dominant League position including Idah, Maeda and potentially 2 youngsters as central strikers with Jota and Kuhn on the wings when both ate match-ready. Kieran comes back for pre-season and we either extend Taylor’s contract or wish him well elsewhere and replace him. Why panic? Are Ibrox or Pittodrie renaissance scenarios even a remote anxiety for some? Get a grip bhoys!

  16. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    ●● Joe’s at Celtic ●●

     

    1)His first and only senior competitive game was 2015/16 season replacing Tom Rogic?

     

    2) Dublin born played the one game v St. Mirren 1964.?

     

    3) He made his Celtic debut in a charity game in Isle of Man?

  17. Blah blah blah. We know Rodgers wanted signings. We know the club were working on deals behind the scenes , per Rodgers. The question is – is Rodgers satisfied the club did everything it could to secure signing targets. Maybe we offered the right package but players decided not to come – maybe we didn’t offer the extra funds to get deals over the line. All will be revealed when Rodgers faces the media.

     

     

    At the end of the day – simply, the manager of Celtic did not get what he wanted or needed. The club did not deliver and it’s usually down to misalignment on ambition.

  18. SAINT STIVS

     

     

    Dividends don’t reduce corporate tax liabilities. The ambulances will get paid by more employer national insurance with more people in employment should the money be re-invested in growth.

  19. Barrowfield is landlocked with the Association club on London Road housing on the old Belvedere Hospital to its west and what looks like a fabricators to its east, we have invested heavily on this project do you think it is value for money, financially and aesthetics wise, would it make you feel yes this is class, for 10million I’m looking for that. Maybe the drone footage I’ve seen doesn’t do it justice in which case I’ll wait until it opens and see what the finished article looks like, what about the profits made from ticket prices of kids and adults to give to the Government in Tax, should they cut prices and therefore make less profit? They are clueless in how to use these funds. How much money in the bank is too much where it lies in the bank doing nothing for the team and the supporters?

  20. We should be happy that we pay tax to pay for government spending on NHS, pensions, benefits etc.

     

    The r2ngwrs losses won’t

  21. Indeed Gene, but pay it through employer national insurance – increase the wages of our staff and create more employment through growth.

  22. An Dún on 4th February 2025 3:34 pm

     

    SAINT STIVS

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Dividends don’t reduce corporate tax liabilities.

     

     

    —————-

     

     

    agreed, but paying dividens from net profit, means lesser cash reserves build up..

     

     

    i do agree, with such a surplus there is no pressing need to charge families such ridiculous prices to support the team.

  23. garygillespieshamstring on

    1. No idea

     

    2. Joe Thomson? Not sure if he ever made an appearance but remember his name as a promising youth player around the time Kieran Tierney was breaking through so bit of a wild guess.

  24. Gene

     

    The cost of all of the things you highlighted need to be costed and society taxed accordingly to pay for top quality services,but the public need to get top quality services, no Government in my lifetime have ever said what these things cost,I don’t think they even want to know what they would cost for fear of being voted out by opportunists like Farage going on a campaign shouting about Tax levels, what they have done is mess about with NI levels Tax bands increases in State pension ages etc. Taxation is a mess and Celtic paying high levels of Corporation Tax on a small turnover is morally right it won’t move the dial on what’s needed, nor will they be well thought of for doing so, but if we hand over serious money for us, raised from fans through ticket prices merchandise sales etc fans are going to seriously question why we don’t spend more on the first team or facilities for supporters.

  25. We could spend it on fans, reduce the cost of following Celtic. We could pay all our full time and part time staff a better wage. We could give more to charity.

     

     

    We could do all of this in the absence of a growth strategy for the club but instead, millions are handed to HMRC year on year as cash piles grow higher.

  26. Re Barrowfield,

     

     

    I had a wee wander there other week.

     

     

    Didnt impress me much. Bog standard box builds with an industrial type shed.

     

    It will look nicer when landscaping completed, but I was thinking £12m doesnt get you much these days.

     

     

    Maybe the inside facilities will be world class.

     

     

    Whisper it, the new Allander centre at Bearsden is nicer.

     

     

    Ps, in my opinion, it is still weeks away from being finished, maybe 4-6.

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