Photo: Vagelis Georgariou biglens.co.uk
In the immediate aftermath of defeat in Turin our manager was magnanimous towards his opponents, the television broadcaster and his players. Sky TV were thanked for their treatment of Celtic (note to others), Juventus were encouraged to win the Champions League, and Neil acknowledged some players may want to further their careers beyond Scotland.
Let’s be clear, most of the squad are happy at Celtic. Georgios Samaras could go anywhere in Europe but this Celtic team is his project, as much as it is yours or mine. Many of the others, including Matthews, Wilson, Lustig, Forster, Mulgrew, Commons, Ledley, Forrest and Izaguirre are settled at Celtic with plenty still to achieve.
Hooper and Wanyama have declined contract offers, so will be most likely to leave in the summer, but in the business Celtic are in right now, if they go, who they go to, is important. If we lose players to tier-one clubs it will make attracting others a whole lot easier. If you are a stepping stone to Barcelona, as with Larsson, you are a far more attractive employer than if you lose a striker to Norwich City (I’m friendly with a former Nigerian international who went on trial to Hamilton Accies the week after, and on the strength of, Brian Easton leaving there for the English Premier League).
Selling right makes it easier to buy who you want. Got to get the right price, keep them for the Champions League qualifiers, and make sure you sell to the right club.
See you at 7.30pm tonight at the Supporters’ Association Club on London Road for the Twists & Turns Celtic Supporters Club charity night. There will be Question and Answer session with me, John Fallon, Dixie Deans, Archie MacPherson, compared by Phil Agnew. Afterwards you can enjoy music from Foggy Dew.
Tickets are £10 and you can get them from Phil by calling 07811 178764. Profits are going to the Tommy Burns charity.
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Kayal 33 @ 13 13
“Lassad —–next season’s Bangura “.
La Gazzetta Dello Sport does a wee player evaluation / player rating thing .
It gave Nouloul 5.5 out of ten and said this ——-
” it’s impossible to resist the temptation to say,-he has more vowels in his name than quality in his feet “
BMCUWP
With or without Celtic I do no lead a perfect life. Some would argue I don’t lead a life mind you.
Hail!Hail!
Jimbo
David Prowse
Spurs aren’t even a big club in London and how they beat Inter last night is way beyond my comprehension.
Luckily for Spurs it was on a football pitch
I may be wrong but i suspect the Spurs wage bill will be larger than the Inter wage bill
If we get 5 mill for Hooper, we will have mugged them >}
THE EXILED TIM 13:26 on 8 March, 2013
“Whatever way it’s dressed up, what the sfa were involved in was corperate fraud, theft from other parties allowing one club to benefit.
“With the information that is in the public domain, they could be sued easily, all it would take is a few shareholders to do it, with the clubs silent backing, the club could take a back seat.”
Well, if we can do that I’m certainly in favour. But sadly I don’t think it’s that straightforward.
For example; I’m not sure how UEFA would view such a move – but I’m sure someone is already looking into such things … even out of curiosity.
But things were less complicated when Bob Kelly and Fergus McCann were fighting the good fight for us. The flag issue and Farrygate were matters that directly related to Celtic and we were on sound footing.
LNS has made a decision on another club and that really does complicate matters regarding how much Celtic can do, especially as the Huns were found ‘guilty’.
It’s like complaining when a drunk driver gets six months for killing someone – you know the punishment doesn’t fit the crime but beyond complaining there is little that can be done in my opinion.
Hopefully, someone proves me wrong though. Although we should be trying to break up the lodge at the SFA that may take patience and subtlety.
A lot of the criticism of GHoops is way OTT and makes some posters sound no better than spoilt weans
Petition signed and forwarded to others.
Offski to Edinburgh for the weekend to take in the rugby. Hopefully meeting up with As_I_Thought at the whiskey society (tin hat on). Then meeting up with princess acgr for a few swallies, followed by meeting up with the rugby boys. One of them is a hun so I’ll be able to spend the weekend ripping the pish oota the sevconians.
Get the petition signed, don’t let up on the cheats.
Hail Hail Celtic
lionroars67
Therein lies the problem.
The club with the biggest chequebook, wins the match.
Every club should hahve 100 million a year to buy/pay wages for their squad
If the club has 100 million to spend – spend it.
If you don’t – you can’t.
Clubs must be in the black at the seasons end or points will be deducted.
You don’t have to be a math genius to figure it out. Uefa & Fifa are ruining the game.
I used to think Stoke were a well run club, In the EPL ‘Well run’ just means having a smaller debt than everyone else.
CHAIRMAN Peter Coates remains hopeful that Stoke City could be self-sufficient by as early as next season.
The Coates family, Stoke City’s wealthy owners and benefactors, say they cannot keep pumping millions into a club which has to eventually stand on its own two feet.
But whether the club is strong enough to be self-sufficient by next season will depend on the state of its finances for the current campaign.
The latest figures just released relate to last season (2011/12) and show that the family gave the club a £7m interest-free loan via their internet gambling firm bet365.
But Coates is hoping that self sufficiency is on the horizon because of this summer’s vast increase in TV revenue worth at least £14m-a-year extra to top-flight clubs.
In his foreword to the accounts for 2011/12, Coates says: “With the investment and quality in the current squad, the aim is for the football club to become self-sufficient.
“The combination of the new television deals for the seasons 2013/14 to 2015/16, and a proposed move by the Premier League clubs to adopt financial regulation, means the aim to break-even is more achievable from the 2013/14 season onwards, subject of course to Premier League status.”
The accounts show the club made a loss of £9.5m last season – despite record income of more than £70m – because of the astronomical cost of maintaining a Premier League dressing room.
Stoke’s wage bill, which includes all employees, rose by 13 per cent from £47m to just over £53m and is likely to be around the 15th highest among the Premier League’s 20 clubs.
The figures also reveal that expenditure on transfers was up from £21m the season before to £24m in 2011/12 following the arrival of the likes of Peter Crouch (for a club record £10m), Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome.
Coates said manager Tony Pulis and his staff, together with players and fans, should take a bow for a successful season in both domestic competitions and Europe.
A Europa League campaign consisting of 12 ties against opposition from as far afield as Israel and Ukraine generated additional revenue of £4.5m.
Total revenue from television and media stayed roughly the same at £45.612m – by far the club’s greatest source of income these days.
Gate receipts fell by more than £500,000 to £7.979m, while sponsorship and advertising suffered a slight drop to £6m.
The chairman attributes those falls to a sharp rise the previous season because of Stoke’s run to the FA Cup final.
The club’s overall net debt leapt from virtually nothing to £14.415m in the 12 months up to May 2012.
That is because past loans from the Coates family were effectively written off. It remains to be seen what they intend to do with their outstanding loans to the club.
Mr Anagram
Which multi poster did you think I was.
Name names
Spring is a fickle mistress
Baltic Buchanan St CSC
If we sell Hooper, how much are we looking for value wise?
Do you buy someone else or do we shove Tony Watt through the middle more often?
I think the second question answers itself
Opinions chaps
Ohhhhhhh Hoooooooooooper man
‘Alex McLeish’s time at Aston Villa cost club owner Randy Lerner £6m in compensation payments. McLeish was hired in June 2011 from Birmingham City, with Villa paying around £2.5m to their neighbours in compensation, and then fired less than a year later.
The total cost of the managerial change is understood to be £5.9m, described as an “exceptional charge” in accounts for Villa’s holding company for last season published on Thursday morning.
The cost of McLeish takes Villa’s total spending on hiring and firing managers to £18m in two years, following on from the £12m paid in compensation to Martin O’Neill and Gerard Houllier in the previous season.’
No wonder they are in a mess.
JIMBO67
It’s for that reason that you are quite happy to take the rough wi the smooth. As it should be.
Rather be in your camp than theirs,tbh. Less stress. By a mile.
And oooooodles more happiness!
Good on ya,bud…..
David Prowse .
I thought Spurs would beat Inter . Inter have been relatively poor this season and really struggle against pace . Spurs have lots of pace . I stuck money on Spurs -I was delighted.
Embarrassing moments No 1
Back in the day I used to go into the army barracks in Stirling to get work. They had a property repairs office there that looked after several Army properties/barracks throughout the Central belt. In its heyday there were around 7-10 property inspectors based in an office there that could potentially give you work. To gain access to these guys you had to go through the security gate then on to the offices themselves. Once negotiated you were able to walk round the office and chit chat to the inspectors, pass the time of day and usually pick up 1 or 2 jobs. I visited this place a few times over the years and was well used to this scenario.
One day i arrived and there was no one on the security gate. The barriers were up and I was able to drive straight in. I noticed the car park was unusually empty as I made my way to the stairs that would take me up to the office. It then dawned on me that this place was either downsizing or was closing down. I made my way to the reception desk and that also was unmanned/womanned. “Oh well” I thought, “I’ll just go straight in” Every desk was empty bar one……where a young girl (20 or so) was sat with her cardigan open, blouse open and bra off. She appeared to be checking for lumps or something.
I looked at her…..she looked at me…..and for what seemed like 5 minutes there was an awkward silence. The place obviously did not receive visitors anymore and this girl was the last man standing so to speak……..I coughed, she spluttered and I ran for it…..agreeing with her in an extra sensory perception kind of way that this incident shall never be spoken of. Only now, some 15 years or so later am I able to face the traumatic events of that day and let them of my chest (no pun intended) to you all here today….and I feel a whole better for it….thank you for allowing me to share this with you
HH
Kilbowie Kelt.. Love you testing my Archdiocese knowledge with the OHR, abbreviation.Years ago My mum s Catholic calendar was always handy….
holy and redeemer have to be in there? Nice one.
JUVENTUS IMO prepared for the games in part, with an American football style ” play ” strategy.
They HAD obviously watched us in forensic detail and developed plays which were executed by players who had the speed of thought and intelligence to do so.
Pirlo in the Quarterback role was able to orchestrate many moves..
They knew how to disrupt our set plays,even illegally.
They knew we had wandering full backs , vulnerable to a long ball over the top.
Ultimately they had the speed and intelligence to score if given a chance.
Gary s lack of spatial awareness and tired mind, led to him losing the ball in midfield to an opponent that seized the ball with a razor sharp attitude. Two seconds later, as Gary is wondering what happened , the ball is in our net.
We did it last week to St Mirren at a corner.. A training ground move.
I’m only using an example , not beating up Hooper..I like him a lot.
There was so much to be learned from Juventus, in game preparation. I hope we take that with us next year.
HH
I’m a sailor bhoy from Glasgow town
Ooh Err CSC
BMCUWP
Cheers.
Jimbo
Gary Hooper has been a good signing, a very good signing, not only for the club but for the player. After 3 seasons he wants to go back down south, why wouldn’t he. He should go with all Celtic supporters thanks and best wishes.
In saying all that I would now curtail his game time between now and the end of the season and play the guys who will be here next season, i.e. Stokes and Watt.
31003
Get aff the drugs!
Erm,man…..
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
13:54 on
8 March, 2013
31003
Get aff the drugs!
Erm,man…..
‘Tis a true story….
Kilbowie Kelt @ 13 29
” Good luck to big Elvis “.
The man featured in a favorite fitba banter moment —–
Celtic fan ————-” C’mon Elvis ! ”
Another Celtic fan ——-” Elvis ? — he isn’t good enough to be called Reg “
Steinreignedsupreme
If shareholders took action there is nothing uefa or fifa could do.
Forget the LNS decision, I accept that, that would not be easy to win.
But the issuing of euro licences would be a piece of cake, they broke uefa’s rules, that could be proved by a halfwit lawyer.
It probably won’t happen, so we can all get back to the back of the bus.
Nothing to see here Timmy, move along.
31003
I believe you. I’ve just led a sheltered life.
Thank The Lord…..
I wish Pressley hadn’t worn the Hoops.
South Of Tunis
I have no interest in the EPL and their Greatest League in the World mantra. The CL put an end to that nonsense this year. Chelsea being the 1st winners not even making it to the 2nd round.
As for the Europa league. Fulham made it to the final there a few years ago! Were they parachuted into the final? The Europa is a tougher cup to win though. Always like to see the English clubs getting an early exit.
Newcastle beat Anzhi! Something wrong there. I see that cretin NuMad having another dig at the club today on Newsnow. Re Forster.
Glad you won a few quid.
This is what should have been done to Hugh Dallas et al:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9GS1Bc8-LQ
Kayal33 13:52 on 8 March, 2013
Not sure how Neil Lennon is supposed to play the Bhoys that’ll be here next season. How can he possibly tell who is going to be here?
We could get a surprise offer for Tony Watt. Gary Hooper may not want to join the club that is interested in him and decide to run down his contract. Victory Wanyama could pick up a serious injury.
The possible scenarios are endless. Lenny should continue to do the job as he pleases instead of trying to second guess the future.
There there clinko. Back on just to harangue me.
I’ve been using the moniker ntassoolla for a few years. Derivatives are anagrams thereof.
Campbell Ogilvie-The Man They Couldn’t Hang.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
13:31 on
8 March, 2013
I’m beginning to think that some people on this blog lead utterly perfect lives with the exception of how Celtic impacts upon them.
Email from Channel 4 If your TV looked back at you- what would they see?
Perfect lives indeed
What Hooper will realise is that when he does leave Celtic he will probably never be at the level he has already played at in atmosphere’s that most footballers only see on TV.
Most players that leave regret it. Ramon vega said after twoo weeks at Watford he had made the biggest mistake of his life leaving Celtic and would have walked back to Glasgow if they had offered him a return.
We have all seen players who look like they want to leave and I think Gary is showing that at the minute. Victor is still playing to his usual standard but the squad look tired in general. Ambrose should be given some time off. The guy is knackered.
LB
Apologies in advance for a lengthy post but I am concerned.
Reading recent posts, I can well understand why Neil might be considering leaving.
A crowd is never more dissatisfied than when its lot has just been improved because it has never been improved as much as their expectations led them to believe.
When MON made us a credible force in Europe for the first time in over 20 years, it made a rod for the back of the next manager to come. A UEFA final was such an exotic event for our prestige-starved crowd that we failed to recognise the competitive (though I will not claim aesthetic) improvements that WGS made. His last 16 qualification was belittled, in comparison to Seville, and, because it could not be that great an achievement because Alex McLeish beat him to it with the dead club. When he did it again, it still was not enough.
An achievement far superior to what MON had managed, and I do not seek to diminish his role at all, was reduced and traduced, by our own support, who were desperate to see a successful manager go. We felt that those few seasons under MON had miraculously transformed us back into an elite club again and every set back from there was a sign that we were slipping back into that 20 year wilderness again.
WGS, after 3 successful seasons, left after his first season of failure, and he left with few thanks for his efforts. The players under his regime were equally bemoaned. Aiden and Naka were dreadfully criticised and, have only had their reputations restored, in our eyes, after they had left us. We only missed them when they were gone. Artur Boruc was appreciated because he was, wrongly, thought to have been a MON signing and because he had 2 magnificent seasons before he became unprofessional.
Now, Lenny, who had previously indicated that he was considering a 5 year reign to be about the limit of tolerance for the modern Celtic fans of any manager, having witnessed WGS’s treatment, is now considering downsizing his estimate of our tolerance.
Having achieved more than we had a right to expect from a rookie manager, he is still bedeviled by those whose opinions were formed near the outset and remain unrevised after contrary evidence. WGS was never forgiven for Artmedia (and not having been a Celtic man). Lenny is not forgiven for Ross County and every lapse (Killie, Hearts, St. Mirren, Utrecht, Sion) reinforces that view and Barca, Rennes, Udinese, & Spartak are dismissed as inexplicable blimps much like the “WGS was lucky” argument.
Lenny’s Lions also get that treatment. Ledley and Mulgrew cannot be any good because we got them for nothing, allegedly. Hooper cannot be any good because he has gone 3 or 4 games without scoring. Two under par games from Forster and he is “losing it” and a tentative post-injury recovery period from Izzy and he “has lost it and needs to be punted or freed”. Forrest is a dud, even though, like Aiden, he will be the object of a hefty transfer bid in the summer etc; etc;
Lenny is aware of the constant carping that his selections are bizarre, he picks favourites (well of course he does), has no plan B, is tactically outfoxed regularly, and he, inexplicably, fails to make subs in the first 30 minutes of a game when we are struggling.
He sees the signs of patience coming to an end. If we lose big players as we are likely to, will his new signings be accepted at CP or as good as those leaving? The dud Hooper will be remembered as a star if his replacement is more of the Bangura/ Murphy type of hefty signing.
Will room be made for Lenny to blood youngster and let them kick on? Will we be allowed to find out which are McGeady, Kennedy and Maloney level and which are Ross Wallace/ Jamie Smith level? Will we accept dropped points at all if we are demanding a treble and an undefeated season, as a minimum?
Getting to the last 16 is a momentous achievement. Qualifying for the group stages is a huge ask too. The trouble is, once you achieve it, it becomes your benchmark. The trouble is that progress is usually made in a two steps forward: one step back manner. Need I remind what happened in Europe the year after we won the big one?
Now I am not saying we cannot criticise our management, that would be a daft position to take. I agree there have been signing mistakes, usually the big money ones. The Bosmans of Mulgrew, Ledley, Lustig and Matthews have contributed more than big money signings Murphy, Bangura and Juarez. Mid level signings of Wanyama, Kayal, Izzy and Ki have done better than those.
Neil may want to leave at the top without the criticism that WGS got. A manager, like a player, may have to leave when his stock is high. If Neil waits and we win a mundane SPL title, but not a treble, or, if we fail to qualify for CL group or lose 4 or 5 group matches, he will get severe stick. But those failure possibilities are there.
Where is the Apoel outfit that got to the quarter finals last year? It is hard for a team from the fringe leagues to compete when your team is constantly stripped (see Ajax). Even the much vaunted Lyon and Porto struggle to get by their own glass ceilings.
We face a huge challenge. Teams from the big 5 leagues show no sign of financial implosion anytime soon and, if they did, would be likely to be replaced by a slightly less foolishly managed outfit from the same league. Russian and Ukrainian teams are beginning to join that big 5. There is a resurgence of talent from countries like Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. In short, there is no good reason why a big team from a small league in Scotland, should do any better than similar clubs in Hungary, Norway, Slovakia, Denmark or Sweden.
Neil and his players should be receiving a praise:criticism ratio about twice as large as they are getting from fans of Celtic.
Can Celtic fans change their highly judgemental outlook without giving up aspirations to improve constantly and steadily, in increments rather than foolish leaping?
It seems Neil has his doubts.
South of Tunis he’s not the only Celtic player who turns up a bit lumpy around the middle.
I did enjoy your wee anecdote.
It was rumoured that Gascoigne made far less lira than expected because of a clause requiring him to keep to an acceptable weight or else no lolly.
BADA BING
I personally didnae reckon he was good enough for us but he speaks much better of us than he ever does of them,so I’ll reluctantly settle for that.
I can see your point though-we were a bit top-heavy wi dyke-jumpers at the time and wi the exception of Alfie Conn,I never had time for any of them.
THE EXILED TIM 13:59 on 8 March, 2013
“But the issuing of euro licences would be a piece of cake, they broke uefa’s rules, that could be proved by a halfwit lawyer.
“It probably won’t happen, so we can all get back to the back of the bus.
“Nothing to see here Timmy, move along.”
Alternatively, Celtic can continue winning the league. That will destroy the scumbags more than anything else.
Celtic Football Club@celticfc
NL: “Wanyama & Matthews are out. Samaras and Izaguirre are out with slight strains.” (MH)