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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This Man Utd game would have you reaching for the bottle. Or in Theresa May’s case, Chrisps
HH.
Aurora
Is Theresa May our first transgender PM?
I look at Ander Herrera playing for Man Utd and I start to realise that Liam Miller was a visionary – way ahead of his time. He foresaw that totally overrated midfielders would one day be first team players at Old Trafford…
Schalke level game and go ahead in tie. Poser Clatenburg awards dodgy pen to Schalke.
Roma need one more goal to eliminate Lyon.
Man Utd get an undeserved goal. Boo.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 16TH MARCH 2017 9:27 PM
Is Theresa May our first transgender PM?
Im sure thats what Andrea Leadsom was thinking before chucking it
JMCCORMICK
Clattenberg is a tit but this is a great game to watch.
End to end with the histrionics of South American football and a great atmosphere.
This is entertainment.
Aurora
If it looks like a man, walks like a man and acts like a man……..???
FAN-A-TIC
Very true, although I am channel hopping.
Good Evening.
Here is a little new musical number about a certain concert party…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2017/03/16/the-concert-party/
DELANEYS DUNKY
Is that a line from Lola?
Delaneys,
have barely had a bet to be honest,had an interest on a few that WITS gave
so a few quid in front,main bet has been Jury Duty today,got 11s a few days ago,
so 3rd gave me a profit.
Will have a bet on the big race tomorrow,but dont know what yet,
you are right winners have been hard to come by.
JMCCORMICK
The Man u game is on but they are a drab team to watch so avoided.
I’m not a fan of Jose’s footballing philosophy and gamesmanship.
He has been successful but his coaching style is looking dated and ineffective at the higher level.
Davido
Changed his name and then he was a she.
LOLA Lola.
Ray Davies is a bloke. :)
Just when I thought I couldn’t despise Man United any more their fans chant Marouane Fellani to the tune of Do The Conga.
There are no words…
Actually there are lots.
AURORABOREALIS79
Yes, from Anglo to Catholic
GORDYBHOY64-
Busy day at work. I’ll reply tonight, check your inbox first thing the morra mornin.
HH
Gordy
MountblowTim has asked me to give you his number for Vegas advice. Have had a few high price ew bets to keep my head above water this week. I usually get a big winner at Cheltenham Festival. Maybe tomorrow? :)
FAN-A-TIC
Aye, I have hopped for barely a minute on the MUFC channel. Not fun to watch.
SCB
I forgot you met my pal MountblowTim last year. Gordybhoy is another good Clydebank Tim. Soon it will be my turn to visit you in Vegas I hope? :)
Gordybhoy
Jury Duty was my big bet of the week ( each way thankfully) .Thought he was coming to win it 2 out but just couldnt stay on up the hill.
Had it in a small each way lucky 15 with the very first race winner Labaik ( big price) a non runner and Tombstone ( flop) so doing ok but very tough racing and too much info floating about.
Tomorrow I like Renetti in the 2nd race ( might back Moyahhed each way also)
I think Djakadam will win the big one and I am backing Taglitelle each way in the 4.50 ( I think)
Big numbers question is the UK National Debt which is £ whatever trillion … Is this a UK or American trillion ?
HH
Two good games , Gladbach and Rome. Great pace and technique in evidence. I know some of us on here think we could progress to late stages of EL, maybe yes / maybe no from me.
Depends on luck of draw I suppose.
WITS,
i had Jury Duty as my main bet as well,
have had an interest on all those you have passed on,
the Pipe winner has helped keep me in front,
Dandy Mag is a big price tomorrow,what do you think
Mark Clattenburg’s outrageous decision to award Schalke a penalty knocks Monchengladbach out of Europa League.
WITS
I fancy More Than That in Gold Cup.
Got a good interest on wi my winnings today.
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 9:19 PM
AURORABOREALIS79 on 16TH MARCH 2017 9:15 PM
‘Michael Gove is like Ernie Lynch; he disbar quite get the argument!’
###
The ‘argument’ was me disagreeing with TD67’s assertion that a Catholic couldn’t be PM.
So, if you’ll forgive me, I think I have a better understanding of what the ‘argument’ was about than you do.
I appreciate that might be difficult for you to accept.
Delaneys,
cheers for passing my number to MT,sure he will have some good advice.
Sin City Bhoy,
no bother pal,thanks again
Ernie Lynch
As Vic Reeves would say..’You just wouldnt let it lie’:)
HH
Found answer £1,813, 000,000,000 uk trillion
I have watched a lot of BMG’s games this season. They are a very young team who at times play excellent football. They are technically very good but very lightweight and tend to run out of steam late on in games. They will improve in the next couple of seasons and should be a regular CL team. They missed their captain Lars Stindl tonight when they lost on away goals and also at the weekend when they lost 2-1 at Hamburg after leading in both games.I think we should be comparing our progress against teams like them.
I’m hopeful that we will also become a right good European team over the next couple of years if Brendan stays and we add judiciously to our squad.
ERNIE LYNCH on 16TH MARCH 2017 10:12 PM
Ernie, wrong on both counts I’m afraid!
Question 1: can you name me a Catholic PM?
On the basis that you cannot do that – Question 2: why do you think that is?
Whatever your answer is to Question 2, I still think it will present a hypothesis for Question 3: do you really think (and I mean really think) that a Catholic can become PM?
KTF
WITS
I backed Jury Duty today but on the nose , EW Lucky 15 up on Tuesday Walsh/Mullins , never went with them today and what happens Ruby bags 4 ! I fancy Djakadam &;Charlie Parcs tomorrow , good luck everybody tomorrow !
There was a fella I knew back when I was in Co Dublin, he used to be a jockey, for the life of me can’t remember his name, anyways, he rode at Cheltenham once, early 80s, thought he was on a winner over the last and a few lengths ahead going up the hill, said he was milking the adulation and the next thing half the field went flying past him, according to him toughest meet he ever rode in.
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 16TH MARCH 2017 10:25 PM
Has there been a black PM?
A query to those who care too much.
Was the £6.3m Sir Royal Minty stuffed down his ever expanding EBT pantaloons over the course of nine years separate from the £500,000 annual invoice to Rangers made by one D Minty, approved by one D Minty, and giving a grand wizardly total close of £10.8m to the man who never took a penny from them?
Or did he just shaft them for £6.3m
O.G.RAFFERTY on 16TH MARCH 2017 10:43 PM
£6m was the total i think, £500k per annum was his ‘consultancy’ fee that he charged for administering the scheme. I suppose in his eyes that was small change as he thought he was saving them £m’s per annum.
GORDYBHOY64-
I’d be leery of taking advice aff that Mountblow Tim- I noticed a beer disappeared awfy fast in his hands… :-)
DD- jeysus, anither yin?
HH