Russians step up regionalisation, don’t fancy Norwich chances

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Can you imagine offering £5m for the first-choice striker at any team on the Champions League knock out rounds?  I’m less concerned about the forthcoming Juventus game, which will take care of itself, but Celtic hope to have three Champions League qualifier rounds in July and August.  Many highly sought-after players don’t move until late in the transfer window, so the squad we finish the season with will, for the most part, be the squad we start that qualifiers with.

Asset management has been the mantra on CQN for years but when the value of the asset doesn’t peak above even the short-term value on the field we are better to allow a contract to expire than sell early.  In short, I don’t fancy Norwich’s chances of acquiring some under-priced talent, no matter how keen others are to make a deal happen.

Russian sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, told journalists he was working on the CIS League project, which initially sought to combine Russian and Ukrainian leagues, but may also include others.  Uefa are thought to be supportive of the deal while Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, sought to under-play it when in Russia this week.  The regionalisation of European leagues is the way forward for clubs disenfranchised by powerful TV markets.

Mutko, a former Zenit director, is one of Russia’s ‘colourful’ characters, but he is organised, ambitious and well-connected at Uefa.

Kilmarnock have long endured life with the highest debt-to-turnover ratio in the SPL but they have managed to pay their bills when due, until now.  News that a food supplier has taken legal action over a £16k debt is not surprising.  These are hard times for many people but when you have not, or cannot, pay a debt, at least be gracious about it.  Suggesting your creditor is seeking publicity by raising the action is very poor form.

Ironically, if there is one club in the whole of Europe who would benefit from regionalisation it’s Kilmarnock, who are stuck in an impoverished league with their remarkable infrastructure.  If only they had some vision at the top….

Looking forward to the visit of United tonight; the two most skillful teams in Scotland on show.
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  1. anyway back to tonight….it appears this could be hoopers last game…i hope not..but if it is,he has been a great signing for us and will leave us in good profit….thats about all we can hope for for any signing in this modern world.

  2. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    To get top money for Gary Hooper we need more than one club to be bidding the problem is that English clubs believe there own hype and that any one can score lots of goals in Scotland.We will also have difficulty keeping big Victor during this window which is a back handed complement to Celtic and the quality of player at Celtic Park.One thing I clearly believe is that if they both leave in the window our great club will go on without them.H.H.

  3. Met George Martin’s boy in Hollywood a few years ago and had a right good bevvy wi him,really nice guy,he was “working”trying to raise investment for an independent movie company.

     

    Namedroppercsc

  4. Celtic Football Club ‏@celticfc

     

     

    #Celtic: Zaluska; Lustig, Rogne, Mulgrew, Izaguirre; Kayal, Wanyama, Ledley, Samaras; Lassad, Hooper (LB)

  5. …. just in case anybody’s looking beyond tonights Ay-rabs game.

     

     

    The Libertadores starts here in S.America, so here’s my spin on the games this week.

     

     

    Today

     

     

    Tigres (Arg) v Dep Anzoategui (Ven)

     

    Tigres were lost in the controversial Sul Americana final to São Paulo last year and are nobody’s mugs. Dep Anz are having their debut in the Libertadores.

     

    Rio sez : HOME WIN

     

     

    Leon (Mex) v Deportes Iquique (Chi)

     

    After finishing 3rd in the Mexican Abertura last year, Leon have added ex Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez to their ranks. Iquique are on their first showing in the Libertadores.

     

    Rio sez : HOME WIN

     

     

    Tomorrow

     

     

    São Paulo (Bra) v Bolivar (Bol)

     

    SP are a lot less fluid since Lucas left to PSG, but will be desperate to win this before next weeks trip to the altitude of La Paz.

     

    Rio sez : HOME WIN

     

     

    LDU (Equ) v Gremio (Bra)

     

    Probably the tie of the round. LDU are always there or there abouts in the Libertadores and have home, high altitude advantage here. Gremio are building a young, ball playing side and will be hoping to keep it tight for their home leg next week.

     

    Rio sez : HOME WIN

     

     

    Thursday

     

     

    Defensor Sporting (Urg) v Olimpia (Par)

     

    Another difficult tie to predict. Both leagues haven’t started yet so will struggle for any form. However, Olimpia have big issues with non payment of wages, so moral maybe low.

     

    Rio sez : HOME WIN

     

     

    Dep Tolima (Col) v U.Vallejo (Per)

     

    Tolima are not a bad side and were unlucky in the SudAmericana’s last year. U.Vallejo have never got past the first round of the SudAmericana’s before. With doubts surrounding the integrity of Vallejo’s plastic pitch, Tolima will want this one wrapped up in the first leg.

     

    Rio sez : HOME WIN

  6. Celtic Football Club ‏@celticfc

     

     

    #Celtic subs: Thomson, Matthews, Gershon, Brown, Watt, Stokes, McGeouch (LB)

  7. posted on previous page

     

     

    Celtic Football Club ‏@celticfc

     

     

    #Celtic: Zaluska; Lustig, Rogne, Mulgrew, Izaguirre; Kayal, Wanyama, Ledley, Samaras; Lassad, Hooper (LB)

  8. ArranmoreBhoyLXV11 on

    HH

     

     

    I HOPE Hooper stays and ticks it to the MSM. Their jealousy is palpable.. Not making match tonight but our 2 tickets mean another two hoops are enjoying paradise…

     

     

     

    HH

  9. Philbhoy - It's just the beginning! on

    miki67

     

     

    Just catching up after a long day at work.

     

     

    Saw you post from the wee sma’ hours.

     

     

    No problem mate.

     

     

    Hope you are well and take care!

     

     

    And we might have something in common after all……….a love of the Beatles.

     

     

    My wee girl is 12 and apart from all the modern stuff she loves them too.

     

     

    Ye canny beat culture!

  10. Can’t blame Hooper for wanting away when MIBs allow opponents to kick lumps out of him with impunity.

     

     

    Week after week see him obviously disgusted with the treatment he gets and it must get to him and make him long for a league where the refs offer some protection.

     

     

    He knows as well that he can’t say anything after being fined £5K? for a throw-away remark.

     

     

    Sad to see.

  11. “For No One” is rated by some, too, to be th greatest song about ubrequited love ever written.

     

    The unresolved chord at the end keaves a complete sense of loss and longing.

     

    George Martin wrote the french horn solo in the middle.

     

    Although Lennon’s name is on the song, I don’t think he had very much to do with it’s writing at all.

     

    But, apparently they were like that, mixing and matching at an incredible musical level.

     

    For No One:

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6iAykoKLog&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  12. Kojo

     

     

    What’s your opinion of the moral attributes of the head of the F.B.I J. Edgar Hoover the man who spied on MLK and kept survielance files on every prominent U.S President & Citizens who he thought were not American enough, this denizen of American morality was a total hypocrite who said there was no such thing as organised crime in the United States,YIP Kojo NO ORGANISED CRIME IN THE USA hope you got that ,not only that he was in a very “close” relationship with his friend of over 50 years Clyde Tolson who he made his Deputy. When Hoover died, Tolson inherited Hoovers estate of $551,000 and moved into his house; he accepted the U.S. flag draped on Hoover’s coffin. Tolson’s grave is a few yards from Hoover’s grave in the Congressional Cemetery. These two men also had certain “lapses in morality” but like to dress up in womans clothing How do you like Dem apples

  13. Thegreenfaerie on

    Well said Jim mcinally, didn’t read the article, just wondering if he also mentioned that tfod play against ten men nearly every week too?

     

     

    HH

  14. Thegreenfaerie on

    Just heard Hooper playing up front, msm are just trying to unsettle the team. Well, surprise, surprise! They are full of it!

     

     

    HH

  15. Kojo

     

     

    I have just been catching up with today’s blog and saw your piece on Martin Luther King.

     

     

    I found it interesing that you cite the FBI as a credible source of information on Dr King. This would be the same FBI, headed by J Edgar Hoover, that repeatedly denied the existence of any Organised Crime in America during the 50’s and 60’s at Congressional hearings. On a completely unrelated note The aforementioned J Edgar Hoover would spend his summer vacation at the Palm Springs home of a “Legitimate ” Italian businessman completely free, gratis and for nothing , he was also known to frequent the GeeGees with said “Businessman” and his associates.

     

     

     

    His proclivities regarding playing shall we say “naughty games” with his male Deputy Director and housemate have also come into public knowledge.

     

     

    What Dr King did or did not do in his personal life should never be allowed to detract from his fight for Civil Rights, funnily enough in the greatest democracy in the world, or his murder for his beliefs.

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