I remember one of the Q&A evenings in Blantyre when it was suggested from the floor that Celtic pay whatever money necessary to retain John Park as chief scout. John out-performed his peers for several years, but, as you know, there are no gurus in football. A fallow period followed the recruitment of Mikael Lustig in January 2012; many players arrived in the years since then but few were able to enhance the team (with the odd outstanding exception).
Football scouting at this level isn’t really about being able to spot a player, it is as much about contacts. Your network keeps you. With many of these guys, their networks diminish over time. They fall out with each other regularly – trust is a precious commodity in football transfer negociations. Your value as a scout to an agent is largely dependent on your club. Since 2012 Celtic’s financial position relative to the English leagues has diminished. We will spend less than they will on any given player, and we will buy fewer players.
Perhaps for these reasons Brendan Rodgers decided a change was needed and has now secured his former colleague at Chelsea, Lee Congerton. Congerton has had recent spells at two highly dysfunctional clubs: Hamburg and Sunderland, but rejected a pretty spectacular offer to join Brendan’s revolution at Celtic. We have recruited a known quantity who will fit with the manager’s plans as closely as Chris Davies does. He will also bring a fresh batch of scouts and agents to the table. I hear they are working on plans for the summer already.
Amid the gloating at the hubris of English football amid another humbling in Europe last night, my Dad made the point that unlike Arsenal, or Manchester United, Manchester City didn’t try to cheat us by scamming a penalty in our Champions League encounters. They played with a straight bat.
We have also established a beneficial relationship with them. A year with Jason Denayer, the purchase of Dedryck Boyata and 18 months with Patrick Roberts. So far.
Roberts’ situation at his parent club should be easier to fathom after City’s exit. 10 points adrift in the Premier League and the only team to be eliminated from the Champions League last 16 by a lesser- moneyed side, what chance Pep Guardiola decides what his team needs for next season is a player City shipped out to Celtic in January 2016?
It is not going to happen. Patrick is caught in an impossible situation in Manchester. The Manchester City football model harvests innumerable players, but precious few young English players will make it onto the roster in any decade. None will do so in a season when there is a perceived need for them to up their game. Pep will spend big this summer, Roberts’ opportunity to breakthrough in Manchester next season have diminished.
My first reaction at full time last night? Our chances of getting to keep Patrick increased. Which would be a very good thing, for both club and player.
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Greenpinata,
My brother got a new car a few months back. Proud as heck.
Not one but two sunroofs.
Takes it around to show my folks, and by the time he gets them out to see it a burd has shat right though one and onto the seat!!! :)))
It woulda been rude not to laugh.
HH
Happy ST Patrick’s day and birthday to Donald Findlay ☘☘☘
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Give me time, oi ain’t bin ere that long.
I think the fumes from the sugar factory kill the brain cells responsible for humour here…
GEORDIEMUNRO
Well known that if a bird shits on yer car you should dump her.
Ernie Lynch
You are the man who has sheer contempt for the SNP, yet you site Rosanna Cunningham as a source to prove your point.
Apart from the fact that Rosanna is not the sum of all knowledge, but just another political chancer, i think your evidence needs to be rather more academic than the tabloid bs you are asking us to swallow.
Nonsense indeed.
Try Harder Ernie:)
HH
:-)))))))
Bobby,
I was wondering who’d be first :))
HH
Lovely day -way down south .
Just in from the diggin .
There is no statutory bar on a Roman Catholic being Prime Minister . . If it ever happened , he or she would simply not be allowed to advise the Crown ( directly /indirectly ) re big cheese Church Of England appointments . . You can wade through all the relevant Parliament and Religious Disabilities stuff if you wish .
Lunch time -way down south . Choon of the moment –
Rhythm &Blues – John Lee Hooker / JImmy Reed ( Stateside EP:).
4 great tracks !
“I think the fumes from the sugar factory kill the brain cells responsible for humour here…”
Davidpolous,
Shame. I love that smell.
Hard to beet.
HH
George Osbourne is the new editor of the Evening Standard.
What the fudging chuff?
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 17TH MARCH 2017 11:51 AM
Do try to keep up.
The reason I mentioned Roseanna Cunningham is that, when she was an MP, she asked a question in the House of Commons, and was given a definitive, written answer, about the constitutional position on there being a Catholic Prime Minister.
DAVIDOPOULOS
In a previous life,I had to make deliveries to that sugar factory. It processed local beet
I was delivering industrial fluorescent lighting from a company in Sutton.
On one glorious occasion virtually every road was shut,I ended up going along virtual dirt-tracks in a rather large lorry.
Pheasants were fainting at the thought of crossing the road,and I was frankly petrified of hitting a stretch too narrow. You might know the type of roads I mean.
Anyway,got there,decided to put my head down for a bit and hope that the traffic would be ok afterwards.
Middle of summer,windows open,blinkin flip,you’d think I’d guzzled ten litres of Irn Bru.
Certainly woke up refreshed and gemme for anything…
What I want to know is do they do all the shamrock decorations thing in the Louden?
SOT
This debate has shifted.
We started off discussing it in terms of the monarchy.
Ernie has went off on a tangent to try a prove a point.
And sighted one of his political enemies as evidence.
However….If anybody is in doubt who runs Scotland, is suggest they ask Lord Livingston:)
HH
Geordie Munro on 17th March 2017 11:56 am
“I think the fumes from the sugar factory kill the brain cells responsible for humour here…”
Davidpolous,
Shame. I love that smell.
Hard to beet.
HH
============================
Sweet comeback.
sited
Geordie Munro
I’m personally delighted that the beet season is over as there is no longer that smell in the air…
Now it’s just the smell of the brewery in the air :)
Sandman & Geordie Munro
Probably both born with Silver Spoon in their mouth..
Ernie…
Aye she’s Bonnie, marspapa will vouch for that.
:))
Barney67…
We’re on here for the banter, hope the hip is gelling, stuck in the house myself as well.
BMCUW
Hope your enjoying the Guinness mate , i will be heading for some very soon ! Guinness & a Gold Cup winner hopefully !
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Pheasants were fainting at the thought of crossing the road,and I was frankly petrified of hitting a stretch too narrow. You might know the type of roads I mean.
——————————————————————-
Aye, I know it; the New Road…
I mock it, but that place keeps all the local farms in business and is great for employment in the area. I’d actually like to do a tour of the factory to see how they turn beet into sugar. I think Alan Ginsberg runs the tours…
Ernie Lynch
As i said tabloid bs.
You have hijacked the point, originally i was referring to monarchy, not prime ministers.
The Act of Succession was enabled to secure the Protestant and Hanoverian succession, and….that is the power that rules Scotland…The Crown.
What dont you understand about that?
HH
Apparently to listen to a native of the Black Country,their pronunciation of the word usage is phonetically yowzitch.
There’s a recessed memory of Ripley involved there too.
Might I suggest the yowzitch of the word “mentioned” instead of sighted,sited,or any other variant in spelling which has no relation to the point being made?
Just trying to help…
SIPSINI on 17TH MARCH 2017 12:02 PM
My hips are fine, think it’s DBHOY recovering from hip Op.
Indeed banter is what we’re here for. Well some :-)
ERNIE LYNCH on 17TH MARCH 2017 11:18 AM
As I said, you still haven’t put forward any evidence, just hearsay.
ERNIE LYNCH on 17TH MARCH 2017 11:26 AM
All that says is that the responsibility COULD be transferred to another Minister; there is no formal mechanism in place for it therefore it is still a responsibility of the Office of Prime Minister; that would still mean that a Catholic Prime Minister directly or indirectly advising the Crown on ecclesiastical appointments is committing a high misdemeanour under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.
The paper you cite obfuscates not clarifies; the simple and effective way to remove the impediment to a Catholic becoming PM and being able to execute their office fully and effectively would be to amend or repeal the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829. That is the crux of the argument; if they wanted to fully open up the high office to Roman Catholics it could easily be done.
It hasn’t been, therefore the only logical conclusion is that the establishment does not want this to happen.
You also asked why I cite this as there are plenty of other issues that we could debate; the bottom line is that the highest political and administrative office in the land is not opened to a Roman Catholic in 2017; that is a discriminatory practice and a disgrace upon our society. The fact that you blithely say it isn’t so is a falsehood and you are burying your head in the sand!
KTF
BARNEY67
Arr,but did you know that SIPSINI was born with “the sight”
He can see things happening to his friends,well in advance. It’s spooky.
Still,yer awright. No need to worry about anything he says anymore.
He’s had his eyes sorted.
He’s better hope his burd disnae!!!
SIPSINI can you tell me the winner of the gold cup please.
WEEMINGER on 17TH MARCH 2017 11:23 AM
Have we all seen this short blog on the BTC by an tax advisory company:
http://www.gabelletax.com/blog/2017/03/16/full-time-rangers-in-the-supreme-court/
———————————-
Hi WEEMINGER (often wondered – why the name? Is it ‘Wee Minger’ which is hardly complimentary, or ‘Weemin Ger’ as in a bunch of female Sevconians, which is also not a pleasant thought).
Anyway – I read that article.
Seems fairly negative on the HMRC prospects, doesn’t it? Hope for the Hordes of Darkness that the rotting corpse of their club will be spared a further rodgering.
Who cares – they are deid anyway.
HH
BGFC
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 17TH MARCH 2017 12:15 PM
Wow.
We laugh at Trump and his world of alternative facts.
The sad thing is that the wanton stupidity and ignorance you exhibit is now becoming very much the norm in Scotland.
Ernie Lynch
You dont like it when people disagree with you…do you?
For the very last time; it may not be explicit, but the intent is clear.
Its as simple as that.
HH
DAVIDOPOULOS on17TH MARCH 2017 11:28 AM
Well after making both Hunderbirds Are Gone and Barney67 laugh, I should quit while I’m ahead.
Better to laugh than have the pent up volcanic anger of loaning out a cd and no gettin it back lol :-)
HH
Will someone please donate something to JJ. It’s rediculous he gets no appreciation in the form of sheckles for his voluntary work.
MWD
MWD
I might send him a dozen pies:)
HH
An Tearmann
Have you got one of my CDs?????
ERNIE LYNCH on 17TH MARCH 2017 12:25 PM
Do you still think the earth is flat?
KTF
VFR
If the world is not flat can you explain to me just how spirit levels work?
MWD :-@)))
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 17TH MARCH 2017 12:31 PM
Ernie Lynch
‘You dont like it when people disagree with you…do you?’
###
I’m neither up nor down about it.
I am though suspicious of those who ignore facts in order to manufacture grievance.
Hi all
On the Celtic By Numbers site I collect a lot of data per match but have been wondering how to use that to create “content” that may be interesting digestible (if you like stats!). I have had a go at summarising the last match and welcome any feedback. If useful then I can try and repeat for future games.
The Man of the Match decision was an interesting one – 3 candidates. Would you agree?
http://wp.me/p8p6sl-4y
HH