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You are at:»»State of the Club, December 2022

State of the Club, December 2022

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

My friends in Celtic, 2022 was not the transformational year 2021 was, but the heavy lifting on that front had already been done.  We saw the return of the league title, the League Cup and Champions League group stage football.  Of the main annual objectives, only the Scottish Cup escaped.

The summer’s transfer business was limited to securing loan signings who were already at the club and enhancing the squad.  None of the newly recruited players in the last window have made it to regular starter status.  Sead Haksabanovic (23) looks very much at home in a Celtic strip, while Alexandro Bernabei (21) will continue to improve.

Michael Nicholson continues his habit of signing players early in the transfer window, or in the case of Alasdair Johnston, Yuki Kobayashi and Tomoki Iwata, before the window opens on 1 January.  It is a great help to get them in early but know it will not always be possible.

We have gorged on the Japanese market.  The player count now stands at six, with a Greek-Australian manager recruited from Yokohama.  The return on investment from Japan has been significantly higher than what would be possible in the UK, or perhaps anywhere in Europe.  The Law of Diminishing Returns has to kick in eventually.  Can Ange’s sixth signing from Japan be as effective as his first?  When will a flood of others see what we are doing in Japan and close the value gap?

Football is never stable.  What works today will not work the same in future, we need to continue to learn about new value markets.  For now, we need to exploit the commercial opportunities available from having so many Japanese players on the books.  Get to Japan in the summer, Celtic.

Some years ago you and I discussed how little Big Club experience our backroom team had.  For most, Celtic was by some way their biggest club.  This meant our learning was from less-resourced places.  That changed when Brendan Rodgers arrived in 2016.  It was as though the lights were switched on.  Training and preparations were upgraded.  I heard the returning Neil Lennon was so impressed he pretty-much kept the same tune playing.

While Brendan did great things here, he never got recruitment right.  At significant expense, he appointed a head of recruitment who had bombed elsewhere and did no better at Celtic.  Brendan made players better, but his signings success or fail metric was unflattering.  As when at Liverpool, he played the fans and media to his own benefit at Celtic.  As at Liverpool, he was soon found out by both here too.

Our head of recruitment, Mark Lawwell, came from a similar role at City Group, where he worked with Ange at their Japanese stable club, Yokohama.  City Group are the best-resourced football operation on the planet.  Their knowledge led to Ange being appointed at Celtic and the subsequent flow of players from Japan.  We recruited a whole lot of corporate learning when Mark (formally) joined this year, his influence has already been transformational.

2022 did not see significant funds come in from player sales, a revenue stream that has kept the ship sailing in previous years.  This has to change going forward.  If we are to make genuine steps to improve, we have to recruit well and sell at a large profit.  Anything else is like playing Abide with Me on the deck.  Should one or two leave in January, it will be interesting to see what they go for.  This will tell you as much about our forward prospects as the league table at that time.

You can never master everything in sport.  Newco’s run to the Europa League Final (even typing this, I still cannot believe it) demonstrated what can be achieved by a club with smaller resources that we have.  Reading the reviews of their recruitment head, you would think he has failed, which is not true.  His recruits delivered a European final and some left for huge money.  Still, while we have to be respectful of what this opponent can do (including on Monday), I don’t think we should be spooked by them.

They lost tens of millions for years to keep a team together, while some players got old, some lost form and others ran down their contracts.  That model was low on short-term risk, delivering two domestic trophies and several good European runs, but left them with a squad with reduced resale value and under Uefa financial monitoring.

We will never win everything but getting the strategic direction of the club right – as I believe we have – will ensure we win more than most, perhaps more than everyone else put together.  There remains a lot of work to do to win the league and earn the lucrative Champions League qualification prize.  This cannot be taken for granted, not for a couple of days anyway, at least.  A few bad decisions, or poor form, and all could be lost, impinging on our structural dominance.

Celtic are focused on being in the right place when the Champions League restructures in 18 months.  Being there will be crucial on our prospects for the next decade.  The next step on that journey is on Monday.  Enjoy it.

Take care and have a great 2023.

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  1. Big Jimmy on

    The SO CALLED ” Injury” to Morelos was/is just a Hun PLOY, as I said after THEMS played Motherwell.

     

    It was soully designed to kid on the Hun support that he MAY be injured for the game v Celtic on Monday…and then BEALE and Co could announce that Morelos WOULD be FIT to play on Monday, as a means to trying to give the Hun Hordes….SOME sort of ” LIFT ”

     

     

    Beale NEVER had me fooled for a moment about Morelos being ” injured” !

     

    We have seen this kind of ” STUNT” ALL TOO OFTEN from the Huns.

     

    HH

  2. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    BIG JIMMY

     

    Hope you have a good start to 2023.Blast from the past Jim Stafford married Bobbie Gentry.

  5. Big Jimmy on

    BHOYJOEBELFAST on 1ST JANUARY 2023 10:39 AM

     

    BIG JIMMY

     

     

     

     

    Hope you have a good start to 2023.Blast from the past Jim Stafford married Bobbie Gentry.

     

    ……………..

     

    Cheers mate, I didnt know that.

     

    Bobbie Gentry was a wee DARLIN…..Back in the day.

     

    Lucky JIM !

     

     

    Happy, Hoopy New Year mate to you and yours.

     

    HH

     

     

    I STLL HATE the HUNS…..GOD forgive me.

  10. Uncle Jimmy on

    Happy New Year to all CQNers and the wider Celtic family.

     

    Thoughts especially with those experiencing ill health at this time.

     

    Here’s to a great ’23

  12. Tom McLaughlin on

    HAPPY NEW YEAR to all CQNers and all the best for 2023.

     

     

    Bring on the Rangers.

     

     

    ☘️

  13. Hot Smoked on

    Anyone know what the Attndance figure was at our recent `B` team`s 5-2 victory over Sevco `B` ?

  14. Big Jimmy on

    Horrible News about Frank McGarvey.

     

    I took his place at Centre Forward in our old College team when he signed for St Mirren. We didnt play together.

     

    Frank went on to become a real Celtic LEGEND, and one of my old time favourite Celtic players.

     

    Rest In Peace Frank.

     

    YNWA.

  18. bigrailroadblues on

    Good afternoon all from Paddy Neesons.

     

    R.I.P. Frank McGarvey. Played against him when we were both veterans. Difference was ,he could play.

  21. Hot Smoked on

    BHOYJOEBELFAST on 1ST JANUARY 2023 12:45 PM

     

     

    Thanks…..I thought it looked considerably more.

     

    Cheerio for now.

  22. big wavy on

    Came on to wish one and all a HNY but floored by the news about Frank McGarvey…..

     

     

    Fly high fella and thanks for all the memories to this impressionable celtic-supporting teen. The winning goal in the 100th cup final at Hampden one but many..

     

     

    HH

  23. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Hoopy new year to all bhoys and ghirls.

     

     

    Lang may your lums reek.

  25. big wavy on

    Celtic Football Club

     

    @CelticFC

     

    ·

     

    Oct 17, 2022

     

    🗣️ “Just to say to the Celtic fans, that I love them very much & I want to thank them for everything they’ve done for me.”

     

     

    On Saturday, Club Legend Frank McGarvey wanted to speak to

     

    @CelticTV

     

    to express his thanks and gratitude to the #CelticFC supporters.

     

     

    YNWA, Frank 💚

     

     

    Lovely last interview with Frank on Twitter, clearly in preparation for the sad news, which is a tough watch but seemed soemthing Frank was keen to do. God bless him and thoughts with all his family.

     

     

    HH

  33. big wavy on

    Nice article from CBN below. I agree that JJ back as RWB (I think his world cup bounce will outweigh his desire to have his mind on a move), Hatate back in midfield at Mooy’s expense, Maeda over Jota (still our best player on his day) and Abada to torment Barisic is where we will end up.

     

     

    Great options on the field and off the bench. Should be too much for them and their aging, aching legs.

     

     

    https://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/made-for-maeda/

     

     

    HH

  34. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Sobered up by the news about Frank

     

     

    Saw him play with his sons in the inaugural CQN 5’s. Frank playing in goals seemed like a travesty and a waste.

     

     

    Frank’s glorious awkward headed winner in the 1985 Cup Final will live long in my memory.

     

     

     

    Condolences to all close to him and the wider Celtic family

  35. carpe diem 63 on

    May perpetual light shine upon you Frank …legend …you wore the hoops with distinction .YNWA

  36. Laxalt on

    Happy New Year to everyone on CQN.

     

    Thanks Paul for the hours of great reading that CQN provides over the year.

     

     

    Thanks to Frank McGarvey for the great memories…RIP Frank

  37. bournesouprecipe on

    RIP

     

     

    Frank McGarvey an iconic star ⭐️ . Made it to Parkhead where he was idolised just to say goodbye, his video is a credit to him, a very brave man and very humbling.

  38. Burnley78 on

    So sad to hear about Franks passing.

     

     

    He gave us a few really great moments and always gave his all for the club.

     

     

    A true Celt who lived the dream.

  40. james1955 on

    🙏 RIP Frank 🙏

     

     

    Year below me at St. Leonards, Easterhouse.

     

    Remember him from back then.

     

    Do the biz tomorrow Celtic for Frank 🍀.

  41. Jinkyredstar on

    RIP Frank – thank you for the memories of great days and goals. Only in September you brought s,

     

    Miles to our faces at the CQN Golf day.

     

    Sorely missed, thought with his friends and family.

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