Scepticism for Karamoko Dembele narrative

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Imagine for a moment that instead of turning out for Celtic’s under-20s at Cappielow last night, the same 13-year-old Messi-anic talent, Karamoko Dembele, made his debut for Morton’s under-20 side.  With all the scouts in Scotland and beyond watching his ever move, what chance Morton fans would be in a position to watch the lad grace their first team for anything more than a fleeting moment?

Celtic, among many others, would be all over the situation.  His advisers would ensure that when he approaches his 16th birthday his career options were as open as possible – that’s if he’s still part of Morton’s development setup by that stage.

It’s easy to see Morton’s place in the food-chain.  They would be totally incapable of offering a young player anything remotely like the compensation the likes of Celtic would.  Self-awareness regarding the food-chain position is less common.

A few years back I watched a preseason game at a lower league club with a scout who worked for Manchester City, as well as a few lesser lights.  When the subject got around to Celtic’s then equally Messi-anic prodigy, Islam Feruz, there was little the scout didn’t know about the player.

He could quote every stat and report ever written on Islam, but he didn’t make comfortable listening.  “The boy will never play for Celtic”, was his verdict.  “All the big English clubs want him and one of them will offer so much money, he’ll not refuse.  Celtic can’t come close to offering the same.”  I had plenty of hope that he would be wrong but as Islam’s 16th birthday approached, Chelsea outbid all others to transform his bank balance beyond all recognition.  His subsequent demise is a footnote in the tale of player development.

Clubs cannot offer a professional contract until a young player turns 16.  It does the developing club no good whatsoever to have a prodigy, evident to the world, before this age.  Once he’s 16, he can be offered a professional contract, and the club can secure a subsequent transfer fee.  If he leaves before this, the most the club will earn is a modest training compensation fee.  Even if the parent club manages to secure the player on a contract, it’s likely to be something like Martin Odegaard’s at Strømsgodset – due to expire while the boy is still a boy, limiting game time and transfer fees accordingly.

Will Karamoko Dembele make it?  If he does, will he be the exception to the rule that takes Teenage Kickers into the financial stratosphere before they are ready?  Let’s hope it’s yes on both counts, but consider me skeptical for the next three years until we find out.  On both counts.  Until then we we can enjoy watching a great talent come through the ranks, but nothing more significant.

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407 Comments

  1. This article is really Depressing.

     

     

    Taking away Hope.

     

     

    End Times for sure.

     

     

    The Great Apostasy under way?

  2. God morning friends from a dry, clear skied, calm but chilly East Kilbride. Wonderful for October.

  3. MARGARET MCGILL @ 12:56 AM,

     

     

    There is a Provisional date for the trial…

     

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-37544903

     

     

    There is a new indictment as there is now only one defendant now i.e. No conspiracy charges. With two precise charges. One the fraudulent take over of Rangers Football Club and the other under the Companies Act.

     

     

    So far be it from me to comment on CW’s defence.

     

     

    But a big boy did it and ran away doesn’t seem an option…

     

     

    Nor you can’t buy the Club as it is an ethereal, indestructable entity.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. In other local news East Kilbride FC had a resounding 4-0 away win last night against Edinburgh University in the Lowland League. Sitting top of the league with a most incredible record – played 10, WON 10, goals scored 35, goals conceded 4. Wooft! Teams trailing in their wake include 3rd place Spartans on 20 points and 5th placed East Stirlingshire on 16. Looking good so far.

  5. Word of The Day

     

     

    brachycephalic /ˌbrækɪsɪˈfælɪk/

     

     

    adjective

     

     

    1. having a head nearly as broad from side to side as from front to back, esp one with a cephalic index over 80

     

     

    noun

     

     

    2. an individual with such a head

     

     

    Compare dolichocephalic, mesocephalic

     

     

    Derived Forms

     

     

    brachycephaly, brachycephalism, noun

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  6. Aye, Petec, there’ll be a lot of EK players feeling rather brachycephalicous this morning.

     

     

    Right, time for my cycle to work. Be nice now……..

  7. Jobo Baldie,

     

     

    Ye are a Legend.

     

     

    Aidan knows all that Jibber Jabber. He named that Tune/Dino before the MC introduced @ the SECC.

     

     

    The Drugs Don’t Work.

     

     

    The powers that be want to Medicate as many as possible.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Celtic

     

    Celtic

  8. Do the Vote again until it is the outcome of the Internationalist Brigade that wants no Borders, Feck the Warnings of the Tower of Babel.

     

     

    Heck we even have translators for Every Language now so we are TRULY One World United, Nimrod is just waiting to be revived.

     

     

    I mean if you can have 3 parents now.

     

     

    WTF.

     

     

    End Times.

  9. The way the World is Undermining the 10 Commandments is spectacular.

     

     

    Go check them out and Realise what is Happening.

  10. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    Morning All.

     

     

    ACGR

     

     

    Yer dram bottle is about to be auctioned. It would have been done before were it not for the case that I have had to move the mother into a home for her own well being and my peace of mind. Not an easy task and one which has taken up a huge amount of time unfortunately.

     

     

    As well as your dram I also have an unopened bottle of wine specially bottled for the 1982 world cup in a special bottle in the shape of the world cup trophy, plus the odd signed strip and other items to auction.

     

     

    Right now I am only £75 short of the ’67 target so if anyone has a few quid to spare they could help me reach it. No matter how small the donation it will make a difference.

     

     

    Thanks to all those who have donated already.

     

     

    https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamesmcginley2

  11. ERNIE LYNCH on 5TH OCTOBER 2016 7:57 AM

     

     

    So it transpires that the Scottish Saltire is though to be the “inspiration ” for the Confederate flag.

     

     

    I was unaware of that, ( every day’s a school day on CQN )

     

     

    HH.

  12. It is like reporting Craig Whyte and neglecting to mention Murray.

     

     

    Pike is total scum, and revered, he even has a statue.

  13. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    VFR800A8 – after the Word of the Day there appears to be a construct which tells you how the word is pronounced. Now one of the characters in that construct appears to be from the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) which was prototyped in working class areas in the 1960s, as an experiment in teaching children to read (I was one such experimental subject).

     

     

    Is it indeed from ITA?

  14. Many thanks to all those who complimented Marc last night on his graduation. We got up in the early hours to watch his ceremony online and it was great to see him confidently strut his stuff as he becomes the highest academic achiever in a large extended family.

     

     

    I think it might be fair to say, for today at least, that I have a brachycephalic head on me:-)

  15. Phyllis Dietrichson on 5th October 2016 8:22 am

     

     

    VFR800A8 – after the Word of the Day there appears to be a construct which tells you how the word is pronounced. Now one of the characters in that construct appears to be from the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) which was prototyped in working class areas in the 1960s, as an experiment in teaching children to read (I was one such experimental subject).

     

     

    Is it indeed from ITA?

     

    ________________________________________________

     

    Phyllis, I was also one such subject. I was able to read before I went to school and refused to take the phonetic books home because I argued they weren’t proper words. Didnae o down too well. So I just took them home and read proper books anyway!

     

     

    It isn’t (as far as I am aware) ITA but is a phonetic alphabet used by a number of dictionaries to aid pronunciation. Disnae do it for me!

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  16. Almore,

     

     

    Celtic are about to Rock the fitba World.

     

     

    11v11

     

     

    The game is saturated, in England.

     

     

    The Emerald Isle Celts are THEEEEEE Greatest ever.

     

     

    I know many won’t be able to afford to attend in the GREAT Times.

     

     

    That is the Way the Lord Almighty works.

     

     

    Celtic is awesome.

  17. Nah, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, tobacco and some “additives” set me free in the early ’70’s.

     

     

    Normal service was resumed in the early ’90’s.

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF