Sinclair and others will benefit from a Musonda dividend

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Charly Musonda, 21, graduate of the Belgian football’s prolific development system, would be unavailable for transfer for £30m. Celtic have paid handsomely for his 18-month loan, with the plan to expose him to the rigours of competitive football here and in Europe.

Brendan Rodgers knows the player will be available for the crucial Champions League qualification games this summer, which itself takes the pressure off having to retain players for the same position who might want away (think back to Stuart Armstrong last summer).

This deal is down to the personal gravitas of the Brendan. No manager in Celtic history would have been able to secure such a deal (they didn’t happen in the Stein era and O’Neill could hardly have been less interested in youth development).

Charly is a gifted, creative, player, who will entertain and excite. His comments about the club yesterday could scarcely have been improved upon by a lifelong Celtic fan. As I watched his Celtic TV interview it was clear this lad with the Ronaldinho smile loves entertaining. So often players look surly and unsure when being interviewed.

This is not a permanent signature, but it is the new reality. Top talent is hoarded by the wealthy few. Clubs who recognise that they have something to contribute to this new scenario have the opportunity to prosper. At Celtic, we can let players:

Experience competitive first team football.
Test themselves in the Champions League.
Work with an acknowledged and respected top coach.
We can also pay appropriate money for the loan.

This isn’t as good as finding a van Dijk for £2.6m, but it will improve our competitiveness in the Champions League.

The impact the signing will make on the rest of the squad will become evident in the weeks to come. This season has been more challenging for Scott Sinclair (yes, despite his remarkable scoring status), but watch him bloom as defenders have another creative headache to worry about. The same dividend will be enjoyed by others.

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  1. I would like to think that Charly`s arrival might have some Celtic fans reappraise their views on Chelsea.

     

     

     

     

    Like most clubs, they have some fans who are` a permanent disgrace` but they also have good, fair and humorous supporters as well. They are NOTHING like the Huns but because they , the Huns, have latched on to Chelsea`s right wing element, many Celtic supporters have projected their hate of Sevco Rangers onto the West London team.

     

     

     

     

    In the pre-Abramovich days, the majority of Chelsea fans were of the type who, when 3-0 up, hoped for a draw.They were and are nothing like the majority of the Sevco support.

     

     

     

     

    In fact, I have known more Chelsea fans who had a soft spot for Celtic because of Davie Hay. Our dislike of them because of a perceived association with Der Hun has changed that.

  2. If everyone has stopped laughing at the 7 million offer for Morelos,you can get started again with this gem from Monkey Media about Master Bates,

     

     

    The Ginger Maldini.

     

    By Smile, Thursday at 15:58 in The Bears’ Den

     

     

    The Rainjurs ur comin.

  3. Paul,

     

    More than Sinclair will benefit from this signing. All of us who have that moaning git who sits behind everyone ( copyright Jinkyredstar) might get a wee bit of respite.

     

    Looks like we will be getting drookit tonight.

     

    JJ

  4. Billy Bhoy on 30th January 2018 9:27 am From Previous blog

     

     

     

    Auldheid

     

     

     

    Can you clarify the statement that PL made about the £10 loss that Celtic endured due to the “relegation” of RFC. I understood it to be £10 over the period of their absence – not £10 per season as some seem to claim (on a daily basis)!

     

     

    This needs put to bed on here and you’re one a a select few that the others here would permit to tuck them in :-)

     

     

    ===================

     

    I looked for the basis and found this from the DR by Gordon Waddle.

     

     

    https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/revealed-rangers-troubles-cost-celtic-4137888

     

     

    ” “But when Rangers went down we took £100 off season tickets. So that is £4m for two years. The Rangers games, at least another £3m.

     

     

    “Then there’s a perception among our supporters that there is no competition, you are going to win anyway and you don’t go to the game. So it could be £10m.

     

     

     

    “We could have lost £10m a year, quite easily, on the back of Rangers going down. How we have coped with that is seeing that ahead and keeping that strategy of being successful on the park, stable off it.”

     

     

     

    The £4m becomes £2m a year so knock that off the £10m.

     

     

     

    If the other costs are annual ones which is not clear from the statement its then £8m which becomes £4m over 2 years giving an annual loss of £6m.

     

     

     

    Those losses do not take into account the cost of fielding a team that would prevent RFC taking the CL place that Celtic had easier access to in RFC’s absence. In fact reducing those player wage costs under Ronnie Delia would reduce the cost of RFC loss BUT that came at the cost of quality on the field, which was a contributory factor to reduced attendances, not just the absence of “Rangers”..

     

     

    Just how much ST sales rose because TRFC entered the top tier or because BR was hired is an unknown, but BR did come at a cost which has to be factored into the equation to arrive at the true cost to Celtic of “Rangers” absence or presence.

     

     

     

    However even if it was £10M a year, having 3 years unfettered access to the CL at say £25m a pop is a much better risk than one or two years or even three years non access if TRFC got the place instead.

     

     

    hat is not to say the blue pound and sectarianism that underpins it has no economic value to either Celtic or “Rangers”, but economically Celtic get the best of both worlds with a weakened “Rangers” whom we can always outwage fairly.

     

     

    However the last time that happened when we increased stadium size, “Rangers” cheated and there is nothing in place based on how they currently are allowed to conduct their business to say they will not do it again.

     

     

    Which is where Celtic have to act in the best interests of Celtic to make sure club licensing is relevant to the situation Celtic and other clubs find themselves in domestically.

  5. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Can’t say I have seen much of Musonda, but sounds very promising at least.

     

    Be a bit crowded in that area when everyone is fit. Does this mean Roberts won’t be coming in permanently?

     

    Would like to see Callum playing a bit deeper to get the ball moving into the forward areas a bit quicker when opponents are out of position.

     

    Maybe opportunities to experiment a bit. A front two, with Sinclair playing off Dembele and Musonda wide?

     

    Anyway, welcome Charly!

  6. I wonder if the current motherwell goalkeepers wages reflect the £10,000 they bought him for in the summer or the £750,000 they now value him at?……I feel very sorry for the lad.

  7. glendalystonsils on

    BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 30TH JANUARY 2018 12:20 PM

     

    Who would win in a fight between a world class manager and a world class breakfast?

     

     

    No contest. The world class manager would eat the world class breakfast for breakfast.

  8. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    …but the world class breakfast could leave the world class manager with egg on his face.

  9. glendalystonsils on

    Those world class Sevconian breakfasts are sooooo world class that £6.5 million of Morelas’ £7million is based on the breakfast he has just eaten.

  10. glendalystonsils on 30th January 2018 12:36 pm

     

     

    That world class breakfast would be toast……

     

     

    ——————————————————————–

     

     

    Torn to Shreddies…

  11. WHITEDOGHUNCH .

     

     

    Padova .

     

     

    Other end of the spectrum from the baby octopus from a food truck –

     

     

    Le Calandre .

     

     

    3 Star Michelin in a small town called Rubino – @ 5miles from Padova . Chef is Max Ajamo . I’ve never been — but – Mrs S of T and my big sis went and then raved and raved and raved about it . Pricey ! . Many foodies claim it is the best in Italy.

  12. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    £6m bid for MoreLoss? That’ll be Barrienomics at work. Anyway, they aren’t selling him for under 10m…..

  13. SoT !st time iv’e heard it in German. Looked like they were enjoying themselves though didnt they.

  14. Benfica are one of the most debt-laden clubs in the world. Moreover, their transfer success has relied, in part, on the murky business of third party ownership.

     

     

     

    harrumph…

  15. According to SSN we’re trying to extend our lead to 11 points tonight. Kinda sums up their knowledge, interest in Scottish football.

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