I read one highly unlikely article yesterday suggesting we were going to sign Alfred Finnbogason AND were still bidding big money for Kevin Doyle ahead of an 11pm tonight signing deadline. It’s hard to be so wrong in so few words, but this one hit the mark.
Alfred is a target but, and this is the key point the newspapers have not picked up on, he is one of four strikers Celtic are seriously considering at the moment. He looks the part, as do the others, I am assured, but the deal has to be right for Celtic to move.
Our strategic plan is to buy players at a comparatively low price, develop them on the Champions League stage, and sell high, in order to be able to build a team capable of competing further in the Champions League.
To do this we need to buy from the right markets, at the correct age and on the right wage. There will be exceptions to this rule. A few weeks shy of his 27th birthday, Dirk Boerrigter is unlikely to appreciate greatly, but teams need experience to tackle the Champions League, as well as some specific skills, so Dirk is here for what he can give today, not to be the next £12m exit.
We will see more business like Wanyama and Hooper. Before Celtic agree a deal for Finnbogason there would need to be a gap between the buy price and the projected valuation IF the player is a success. If this gap doesn’t exist we will do business elsewhere. Sticking to strategy is more important than pursuing a target like some latter-day David “this time we’re really going for it” Murray.
You can also forget about the 11pm deadline tonight. That is only relevant if we need two or more new players to overcome Shakhter Karagandy. If we want to add Finnbogason, or any ONE other player, the deadline for a Wildcard signing is a day before the game, or pretty much when the team leaves Glasgow Airport, so there is no effective deadline tonight. As such, I would be surprised if a deal was concluded today.
Right now, at Lennoxtown and Celtic Park, people are deciding how to invest our money. We have the kind of choices consistent with a well-run club, but while we are a well-run club, we can’t get caught up in the hubris.
We are living through some big changes in our financial model. Revenue from domestic football (season ticket sales-now discounted, Rangers game £42-per-head ticket sales, hospitality sales, commercial income) has fallen, or disappeared completely (I reckon we’re in the region of £9m p.a. down in these areas, we’ll have a better indication when accounts are released later this month). On top of this, the club was running at a loss without Champions League football or significant player sale (£7m for season 2011-12, the last we have accounts for), and as well as some income streams falling, costs have risen.
I heard that one ‘St Mirren’ supporting journo on Radio Scotland on Saturday said with last season’s Champions League income and money from player sales, Celtic have a £40m transfer kitty.
In the name of all that is sacred, nine years after ‘What the Celtic fans want to know is where is all the Seville money?’, the same nonsense is being peddled. As far as some are concerned, we are back where we started on CQN. The first thing you do with your money is pay your bills, including tax… there is no creditor left behind at Celtic. After they are taken care off you can look to invest in footballers.
This year, the underlying loss has been flipped because of player sales and that Champions League income, although not by nearly as much as journos who regard researching accounts before commenting on finance as an unnecessary indulgence, will tell you. Without Champions League income (this season potentially £14m plus any prize money earned), the money from Wanyama alone would not make this a profitable season, even before the spend on our new signings.
The road ahead is clear. Get into the Champions League as often as possible without allowing any individual failure to cause a collapse, sign players who will flourish at that level, sell them for a profit, repeat and reinforce all aspects of strategy with an improved budget.
Over any business period, every penny which comes into the club, has been, and will continue to be, spent. Our money will be invested in footballers who will appreciate in value, and who will give Celtic their best chance of pushing further in the Champions League on a persistent basis. It will not rest in a bank account earning a pittance in interest. The strategy is ambitious and sustainable but not reckless.
A year ago some wondered if Celtic could survive, never mind flourish, without a Rangers-branded club in the league. If successful, this strategy will not only allow the club to flourish, it may even result in higher long-term income than Celtic achieved while locked in an arms race with a former rival, with a corresponding improvement in Champions League achievement.
Is Alfred Finnbogason the man, is he better than the others we’re looking at, good enough to excel in the Champions League? I’ve no idea, but he is just one detail in the wider Celtic strategy.
Stick to plan, Celtic.
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Happy Silver Anniversary to
MR & MRS JOBO.
(Round of applause……)
praecepta
Thanks again. We’re heading over next week to skip idly over this wee hill… http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NT1q7jiN9T8/UYbucOnxwpI/AAAAAAAAA7c/l1ACQTzrUB4/s1600/Urriellu+Picos+de+Europa+Asturias.jpg
then take the delights of Santander for one night only on the Saturday. Looks like the Old Market quarter is the very dab.
Cheers.
RIP Jon Brookes
Only 18 days to go until we don’t have to buy.
Can’t come quick enough for DD and PL.
voguepunter
11:32 on13 August, 2013
Kev J
I’ll buy the wooden spoon for the stirring, not that Kev needs it:-)
tonydonnelly67
So basically any Celtic fans on this blog who have concerns about how the club are run and who present cogent arguments expressing those concerns are at best, moaning Tims and at worst hurting huns? You do know this is the internet and a Celtic blog to boot. You seem as if you’re in favour of stifling healthy debate, a hunnish trait in my opinion which helped kill them.. You could always address the points and avoid sweeping generalisations.
chairbhoy
Exactly.
I posted similar last night. Realistically the best we can expect would be 2x£3m players. It is unlikely that would allow us to replicate last year ‘s CL performance.
We already have the team to win the Scottish league.
Therefore unless a players with profit potential materialise – there is no incentive to buy.
mcdowellcelt
11:56 on 13 August, 2013
See where you’re coming from …… but, surely best to start work on replacements when a player actually physically leaves…… I’m sure you will agree transfers is a complex business….and Neil has already stated we are are working on it…. But need to be careful not to be shafted….HH to you
quonno
11:58 on 13 August, 2013
Oh, no, it’s Quonno….settle down my mhan…
Don’t you just love transfer windaes!
Its always the same….. or is it?
PL and the board are beancounters and don’t care about success on the park or the diametrically opposite view that Pl and the Cellic board are saviours and the best thing since sliced bread.
Well I’d say the difference this time is that we have cash in the bank from VW, GH and KW sales, plus CL money from last season, most folk are only looking for a like for like replacement for GH and wanted him in for the next round of CL qualifiers.
This is as plain as the nose on your face, we should not be weakening our team whilst sitting on the cash to strengthen, its plain wrong.
Ps I commend the Celtic board for their work but I don’t ignore their frailties, why would you?
V
A great read while we wait for a hero…
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/acceptable-in-the-80s/
Cults I must have missed the more than 2 x $3m players that delivered the last 16. If only you could buy it, then we would be in the top one hundred bidders.
The new hoops might already be the bhoys we need.The new Balde took his goal against Liverpool well, strong player who will get better, especially if the young dutch left winger can get some exciting balls into the penalty spot. Rogic was viewed as a real talent in the A-League, I willl be watching to see how creative he can be. Need some more players no arguement there and the one thing that I am sure of is that the daily record wouldn’t have a scooby who they are.
the green man
11:56 on 13 August, 2013
Fully agree…… It’s also fun at times…..then there there are the ones who have very noticeable ant-Board agenda……If we were to win the CL, some of them would say….if we had bought another striker, we could have won it by 4 goals instead of 3 …… But, hey ho, that’s where we are…
stevenagebhoy
11:45 on 13 August, 2013.
Use a false e-mail… Hunnish moniker helps as well..prob being, you might end up posting and getting banned.
Ye, maybe more hassle than it’s worth.HH
Well when you call hAppy Celtic Supporters …Happy Clappers….to me that’s a Hun termination, so lets cut a deal here, I am happy, over the moon, ecstatic with things going on at me Club, The Board,The Players, The Backroom Staff, the stadium, (shoulda bought a new state of the art Team Bus mind you but that’s neither here or there) so you can call me a happy clapper np, if I choose to call people slagging the Board, The Team, NFL, then you leave me no option to think ( in my opinion) yer a Hun.
BSB at 9:13;
An accurate summary of the state of play….
Modern happy clapping bean counters
TBB
Enjoy – plenty of mountains in the area. The locals have a nickname for them – something to do with Columbus spotting them on his return from the Americas.
Recommend the local Rioja – ridiculously cheap in some of the supermarkets and reasonably priced in most small bars.
You will enjoy the Old Market area and with a bit of luck there might be some local fiesta on – the locals do a good ‘knees-up’.
bournesouprecipe you kidney me . Right off to my scratcher to dream of Cl glory and second administration. Enough yersels.
hail hail cqn
punting your top striker without a replacment lined up
not good planning imho
on top of punting your top midfielder and a center half we got for free
euro football till december euro league or champions league?
if its the euro league no top replacements will be bought …….thats for sure
use what we have and give them a chance to grow( good way to make money)
if its champions league then a top rated replacment will be bought ….thats for sure
enchance the team and give us the better chance to beat karagandy and compete in the
champions league ( good way to make money and invest in improving the team)
going on paul67 article and the club plan
looking like it will be the slow steady route that will be followed by the club
so bhoys sammi…kris and co may have to give their all and just maybe we will be lucky
to reach the champions league against the odds
running the club on luck when you have a 50/50 chance over 2 games to make a profit
what a way to run a club some might say
get great pleasure out of watching an unkown player progress
but it some cash is spent
will get even greater pleasure watching celtic fc progress in europe
come on neil…john…peter…..make it happen
give our club a fighting chance to reach the champions league
jam67
I was in Berlin and was absolutely underwhelmed by Balde.
Something wonderful has happened to the big beautiful bullying gallus lump I saw in Dublin.
He really did rag doll Toure and the other Liverpool CH, I hope that display wasn’t a one off ’cause we really have a diamond worth poliching here.
I’d keep the powder dry for a couple of weeks and see how the big man goes on from here.
Great performances from our kids, Irvine is definately a contender, as is McGeogh. Great times ahead I think.
67Heaven
its healthy to have debate…and we are all friends in Celtic, and its possible to criticise the money man and still be in awe when we see the famous hoops.
I love all my fellow bhoys and ghirls and just want the best for us…the fans are the lifeblood of Celtic….and imho deserve a decent team….so I just say again PL get your finger out….buy a decent stiker, we deserve it.
Hail Hail
Düsseldorf fans broke their own player
On Friday night the Fortuna Düsseldorf defender Tobias Levels was jeered by his own fans to the extent that he broke down in tears. Are football fans just getting angrier and angrier?
In the end it was all too much for Tobias Levels. The Fortuna Düsseldorf defender had been mercilessly whistled by his own fans for the last 15 minutes of the home game against 1860 Munich and, as he sat on the substitutes bench after the final whistle, he started to cry. A proud man and a good professional, he had been reduced to an emotional wreck by his own supporters. His crime? A mistake in the 75th minute that had led to the visitors taking the lead.
CQN CSC
Tonydonnelly67
Get a grip of yourself man….you are talking nonsense
HH
monaghan1900
11:17 on 13 August, 2013.
Do you have another moniker? ;-))
Irvine has signed on loan to Killie till January. A good move if he gets his game.
Modern happy clapping – Rioja
Did Jackson Irvine got to Killie on loan as per last nights rumour??
Oops thanks MB..
Your nonsense is my opinion, I respect your nonsense, you don’t need to respect my opinion.
Malone Bhoy
12:21 on 13 August, 2013
A better move would have been to give him first team games with us. Still, going to Killie is better than development squad friendlies.
I would hazard a guesse that there are some Dusseldorf fans in this site, as we speak ;)
Ole August turnin’ into an interestin’ month.
Wee trip to Kazhakhs in Qualies; league games against Aberdeen and ICT, neither of which are gimmies.
Kayal33
Could be good preparation for him with the view to him joining the first team squad after Jan??
tonydonnelly67
I do respect your opinion…but you are wrong.
its not wise to follow anything blindly, and I say again….we as Celtic fans deserve a decent replacement for GH….its very simple.
Hail Hail
I blame the eight hour direct flight to the ole Kazhakhs.
robinbhoy
11:16 on 13 August, 2013
Peter Lawwell scouted the strikers who failed?
What a load of nonsense, he buys whoever John Park and Neil Lennon recommend who are within budget. Miku, Lassad, Bangura, Murphy were not scouted by Peter Lawwell……….
Giesabreakcfc.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Pl, might not do the scouting but he will have a say on how much money will be released for a striker or any other position that needs strengthened.
I’m not for throwing good money to bad.
We sometimes will need to push the boat out to get our man…if not we go backwards with mediocrity. HH
Sorry to hear young Irvine has gone out on loan.
Who was the last player we loaned who came back to us, or who came back and made a difference?
Ah well!