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You are at:»»Scouting, your network keeps you, Pep and Patrick

Scouting, your network keeps you, Pep and Patrick

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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.

GovaniaCourtPROMO

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  1. BABASONICOS71 on

    TONYDONNELLY67 on 16TH MARCH 2017 3:56 PM

     

    Nicola Sturgens a cow

     

    ===

     

    Bovine sturgeon…is that surf n turf? ;))

  3. tonydonnelly67 on

    BABASONICOS71 on 16TH MARCH 2017 4:21 PM

     

    TONYDONNELLY67 on 16TH MARCH 2017 3:56 PM

     

     

    Nicola Sturgens a cow

     

     

    ===

     

     

    Bovine sturgeon…is that surf n turf? ;))

     

     

    Woof! Not a chance mate you kidden the tide wouldent take that oot. :))

  4. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Seeing Jeremy Corbyn doing the tour of the west-end with an Orangeman…..thats not very savvy, is it?

     

    It certainly didnt impress me.

     

    Another lost vote there then eh.

     

    If they had brains they would be dangerous.

     

     

    HH

  5. NatKnow on

    GEORDIE MUNRO on 16TH MARCH 2017 4:13 PM

     

     

    Where’s big chief and his pillow when you need him?

     

    ————————————————–

     

     

    Now that gave me a chuckle… :-)))))

  7. thetimreaper on

    BLANTYREKEV on 16TH MARCH 2017 3:53 PM

     

     

    My post yesterday was along the same lines. I agree James Forrest’s contribution off the ball is undervalued. Although when i say undervalued i don’t include Brendan as that’s why he picks him.

  8. BABASONICOS71 on

    Who’s got the scariest dial…Sturgeon or May?It’s like Alien v Predator. ;))

     

     

    VERYSCAREYCROWScsc

  10. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    I think a fairer system, would be to blow politicians out of a cannon over the Clyde. Whoever gets furthest wins.

     

    Surely that would be at least more entertaining:)

     

     

     

    HH

  12. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Babasonicos71

     

     

    Saw Ruth Davidson and Teresa May together on TV.

     

    Now that was scary….worse than Dr Who:)

     

     

    HH

  15. ernie lynch on

    THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 4:21 PM

     

    Ernie Lynch

     

     

     

    ‘TD67 has it right…1701 Act of Succession.

     

     

    Hairsplitting wont change it’

     

     

    ###

     

     

    The Act of Settlement prohibits a Catholic from being, or marrying, the monarch.

     

     

    Nothing about Prime Minister or any other political office.

     

     

    Why are you so ready to believe untruths?

     

     

    Do facts scare you?

  18. BABASONICOS71 on

    THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 4:33 PM

     

    Babasonicos71

     

     

     

    Saw Ruth Davidson and Teresa May together on TV.

     

     

    Now that was scary….worse than Dr Who:)

     

    ===

     

    Dr.Terror’s House of Horrors more like. ;))

  20. Geordie Munro on

    Starry,

     

     

    Cheers neebs.

     

     

    Appreciated but I’m more a peppermint kinda guy :)

     

     

    HH

  21. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Ernie Lynch

     

     

    Do facts scare me. What a strange thing to say.

     

    Lets agree to disagree.

     

    In essence its a prohibitive act

     

    It might not be explicit as you say.

     

    However…we could debate this for days:)

     

    BTW…Id win:)

     

     

    HH

  24. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    BLANTYREKEV

     

     

    I am in agreement with you about Forrest. Even if he is not playing well, the opposition have to be mindful of his electric pace, especially a team as slow as Sevco. His very presence takes the pressure off Lustig defensively, and allows him to get further forward when we are attacking.

  25. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    The Tim Reaper

     

     

    Aye….but is Teresa May a Kafflik:)

     

     

    HH

  26. thetimreaper on

    Mike in Toronto

     

     

    Got this back from JPT,

     

     

    ‘Many thanks for getting back to me, unfortunately on checking this matter further it appears I’m showing my age slightly and the process of Club’s grading the referee’s performance is no longer in place. I do recall this being the case some years back but by all accounts this is no longer the case and the referee is in fact assessed independently.’

  29. BABASONICOS71 on

    TTR…

     

    Cheers for link.

     

    Lee is an anagram of eel and his surname includes conger…Glasgow’s marine n white. ;))

  34. ernie lynch on

    TONYDONNELLY67 on 16TH MARCH 2017 5:09 PM

     

    Theresa May a Tim?

     

     

    ##

     

     

    Her father was a Church of England vicar in the High Church tradition ie what is called an Anglo Catholic.

     

     

    Or, as we would called them, a Proddie.

     

     

    Gove is an eejit. Mind you he’s from Aberdeen, so that might explain his views.

  36. ernie lynch on

    THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 16TH MARCH 2017 4:51 PM

     

     

    Hang on. It is a matter of fact, not opinion, that there is no prohibition on a Catholic (a proper one, none of that CofE bollocks) being Prime Minister.

     

     

    It’s not something that’s open to debate.

  37. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Ernie Lynch

     

     

    Theresa May is sort of like her own father.

     

    Not catholic in the true sense of the word, and im sure there were many ‘dreadful’ working class people who needed to be told how to live their lives.

     

     

    HH

  38. ernie lynch on

    BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 16TH MARCH 2017 5:14 PM

     

    Ernie Lynch

     

     

     

    So it’s all just a coincidence that there never has been?

     

     

    ###

     

     

     

    Are you another one just arrived from the parallel universe of alternative facts?

  41. glendalystonsils on

    THETIMREAPER

     

     

    the referee is in fact assessed independently.’

     

     

    Aye, by another hun referee or ex referee.

  42. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Ernie Lynch

     

     

    ‘Hang on’ nothing.

     

    It certainly is something thats open to debate, otherwise we would not be doing exactly that:)

     

     

    HH

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