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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Fave Rangers
the Texas Rangers.
Or should it be Tax us Rangers?
Fave Rangers??!!
Is there such a thing??!!
despite agreeing with many of your
points and the road the board has been
taking…the fag packet economics must work both ways.
CL 3 match gate money plus qualifiers?
new strips every year?
way out on the rangers ticket thing (as flagged up)?
but to be perfectly honest im not interested.
this team needs a central defender, a central midfielder
and a quality striker or we will go backwards.
plain and simple.
if we dont get them (which we have not yet) we risk
our CL qualification.
for me this would be unacceptable risk-taking
Paul67
hard to argue against from the financial side of things.
As has been said manys a time, we are taking a massive gamble re CL qualification.
Hooper has not been replaced, goals win games, and we are struggling in that department at the present time.
What if the gamble doesn’t pay off ?….and I can see the counter argument that if we were to sign a striker we may still not qualify.
Thems the risks you take. but to gamble 20 plus mill is reckless, and that is the opinion of the majority of the support I have seen writing on the blogs.
It’s not as if we are spending to accumulate, we already have the money, not asking to spend what we don’t have.
We have already brought in a very good defender imo, and a quality winger, again imo, so getting players in early can be done.
It’s too late now for the away tie against Karagandy, I hope your gamble pays off Peter.
HH
AKBW1888, you talk of doing “research”, then you opine that someone with a 1 goal per 2 games record is a good potential signing.
With a little research you would have found that Alfred Finnbogason’s record is significantly better than that… 27 goals in 33 games at Heerenveen, and 3 in 2 games already this season. And this in a better league than the SPL.
http://eurorivals.net/players/alfred-finnbogason:sc-heerenveen.html
RalphWaldoEllison remembers ALS victims Jimmy Jonstone & John Cushley
13:15 on
12 August, 2013
Oglach
Sounds to me like you are advocating a Wow signing.
===
No i am not. I am however advocating that we occasionally refrain from signing ‘prospects’ and sign a player with a proven pedigree. Signing a Sutton or BBJ every 2-3 seasons is not going to signal the end of Celtic. However to put it into context how much has been wasted on the Mo Banguara type players .
Fave Rangers
Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
BogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBogBog
What was it keevins said abt Baldie?
Favourite rangers?
Tommy Oliver, rangers green & white.
While others want to sign players to fill a gap, I’m happy to wait for the correct player to be signed.
As was reported, the Hooper deal took weeks to complete, I’d be willing to believe we are currently in negotiations for the correct player. As we don’t buy and sell through the daily rags I’ll wait for the announcement from the source before judging PL
Well chaps! It’s good to be back on the hallowed pages of CQN!!
Short and sweet visit today as I have to return to my application to get on the ole “HNC Social Care” course!!
Any tips on how to write a glowing personal statement in 450 words or less, will be gratefully accepted!
KERRANG CSC – PLAY IT VERY LOUD – ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE!
Absolutely expectation management, those of us hoping for a Finboggson will be sadly let down.
Sell the spine of your team for £19.5 million and buy “prospects” gamble with the qualification for the UCL (which generates around £15m) is that our “strategy”.
For the first time in my life our board attacks a section of our own support, the treatment of the GB is dispicable, not in my name PLC.
The Sevco cheating – Not a word said.
The SFA cover up – Not a word said.
Is this the PLC’s plan, we need to open up our eyes.
gebhoy
BigChipsUK – There are only two SPL teams in Glasgow… Celtic and Partick Thistle
13:30 on
12 August, 2013
AKBW1888, you talk of doing “research”, then you opine that someone with a 1 goal per 2 games record is a good potential signing.
With a little research you would have found that Alfred Finnbogason’s record is significantly better than that… 27 goals in 33 games at Heerenveen, and 3 in 2 games already this season. And this in a better league than the SPL.
http://eurorivals.net/players/alfred-finnbogason:sc-heerenveen.html
Yeah, but now I hear that said Club who the player you mention is looking
for £5,000,000+ for his Services & What League is this player playing in?
Also, Partick Thistle, are you having a laugh. Most of their Support is not
Hoops minded for example look @ the reception they gave to wee Jacky
on Friday the 2nd of August 2013. Not very nice, to say the least.
If we fail to qualify for the Champions League group stages on a regular basis what is the outlook then. Does anyone imagine that Celtic supporters who regularly attend now will have much of an appetite where the highlight of a league season is Aberdeen Dundee United or Hibs away. Just how much would our domestic income plummet if Champions League football was not on the menu a lot more than £9m alluded to in the lead article.
Champions League football at least qualifying for the group stages is a must for Celtic Football Club
Finnbogason scored 24 goals in 33 Eredivisie appearances last season.
WhatsItAllAboutAlfie CSC
Fav Ranger? Must be Craig Whyte!!
bournesouprecipe
13:12 on 12 August, 2013
CORRECT ….. !!!!!!!!
The SMSM were rightly rounded upon for the succlent lamb journalism, when we have spin and PR coming right from the PLC’s plate, wheres the condemnation, wheres the out cry, wheres the balance?
Is it not just the same thing?
gebhoy
PAul
Are you sure you have your sums right? this guy disagrees
__________________________________________________
RANGERS owner Charles Green last night insisted the Ibrox club would be in a stronger financial position than Celtic in a year.
The battered and bruised club began life as a newco with an edgy extra-time 2-1 Ramsdens Cup win at Brechin but the new chief executive was bullish about the club’s future and claimed within 12 months their balance sheet would be stronger than the SPL champions.
Green said: “If you look at the balance sheets at the end of next season you should see the strength of the two companies.
“We are in the Third Division and Celtic are in the SPL and what I’d like you to do is promise me at the end of this season, when all the games are played, examine the balance sheets of the clubs and tell me which one is the strongest?
“Then let’s see who has got the strongest balance sheet.
gebhoy
13:35 on 12 August, 2013
Aye, it’s dead easy …… Dooooooh
AKBW1888, he plays in the league that Heerenveen play in… the Dutch Eredivisie. His impressive scoring record has been achieved at a club where he plays against the likes of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, all better teams than anything Celtic will face in the SPL. And PSV have regularly progressed beyond the CL group stage, so there is some undoubted quality in the Eredivisie.
I haven’t a clue what you are on about re: Partick Thistle.
I’m off back to work now as my lunch break is finishing.
theoriginalsadiesbhoy
Hail hail!
Fancy a wee pint this week. Not a full session jist a wee hour or two?
AWE NAW
You almost had me fooled till I saw the bit about Rangers being Murray’s first love.
Good try though….
Hate to say it but they’ve found their Wee Fergus:
“Laugh me off if you like [I think there’s every chance we will], but here is my suggestion.
I am a loyal active member of HM armed forces. I therefore cannot and would not engage in unlawful acts. [Can I just stop you there – How long you been a “loyal active member?]
I have today registered a company with companies house, which I would like to belong to the rangers support.
The plan for this company is simple.
1. The ‘private limited’ company will issue shares to those who ‘donate’ money to the company. One share will be issued for every £1 ‘donated’. They will receive their shareholding confirmation from companies house.
2. Build enough funds to buy out the control of our club. [I sense problems.]
3. Once we have control, transfer the shareholding from this company into the shares controlled in our club.
4. Install a boardroom of experienced and qualified individuals who are not driven by salary or self gain, but for their love of our club.
5. Return to the top of the game. [You’ve never been there.]
No one will take salary from these funds, no one will touch these funds for expense purposes.
The individuals involved, including myself, will do all work in their own time and at their own expense.
In the event that we do not reach our objective, the funds are returned to the donating parties.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to sit around waiting for the next episode of this drama.”
Favourite huns : deid rangers.
Well Peter I’m back from my chores! Where are our new signings??? Thought so!
NotTheBus
CG is a gob shite
He talks a load of crap
Yeah, they are still the same team my arse
The so called old Co went bust simple as
& They don’t have the same history end of
If so, are they going to pay HMRC £94,000,000
which they owe them and pay off the rest of
Old Co’s debt which is around £150,000,000
in total & ripping off £200K from a Charity Match
how pathetic yeah & They are going to fetch
millions playing in Division Two blah-blah-blah
what a load of crap
Bigchips,
I’m not having a go at the player. I’d be quite pleased if he joined but I wouldn’t be best pleased if the club splashed out £5m+ on say…jonny Russel or Billy McKay.
Especially If last seasons scoring is to be used as the barometer.
Oglach
Define a bums on seat player.
What makes them so?
Do they grow on trees or have they a rarity value that pushes up their price.
For me a bums on seats player would be one with a proven record at a club who do not want to lose him but would do so if the price was right.
Hooper cost Norwich £5m but is hardly a bums on seats player so lets put purchase price at £10m.
Then there is wages. At least £40k a week. Over 3yr contract £6m. So total cost £16m or just over £5 m a year.
To cover that 10,000 bums on seats would need to buy SBs.
It aint gonna happen so why get upset at something that does not exist?
Why not appreciate the thinking that has brought Celtic to a point where we have a team capable of reaching the heights when we play giants, but accept that the giants will always outreach us over a season in the same way that we outreach Motherwell or Aberdeen .
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.
When you consider that we cannot hang onto such worldwide household names such as Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama does anyone else see the flaw in this “startegic plan”
Is anyone stupid enought to actually believe it ?
The two year development plan
We have had a nearly a new team every season since Martin left
HH
67 Heaven,
Who said it was dead easy, not me….
I just look at the facts as i see and know them to be, have we not just sold 3 players from the spine of our team?
Have we replaced them?
Do we have a UCL qualifier shortly?
Is the PLC attacking a section of our support using PR spin and lies?
Aye its easy….
gebhoy
I agree that it’s important to get the right striker/s. I also agree that it’s important we don’t spend what we can’t afford.
What worries me is just how toothless we were against Elfsborg, especially in that second half.
Yes, we defended well but offensively it was one of the most impotent 45 mins of football I’ve seen. That is just not Celtic.
Platmeister -450 words?
Let me write it for you.
First word- podium?
Paul 67 – Never have you written a more accurate piece – well said
However, whenever I say the sort of stuff you are saying today – I get slaughtered
67 ECW
Finbogasson NU!
oglach
12:58 on
12 August, 2013
bournesouprecipe
12:57 on
12 August, 2013
Which was your favourite Rangers?
@TheTributeAct
==
The Lone
++++
Damn and blast i forgot my all time fav Ranger Craig ‘green ‘n’ Whyte – a legend
BigChipsUK – There are only two SPL teams in Glasgow… Celtic and Partick Thistle
13:47 on
12 August, 2013
AKBW1888, he plays in the league that Heerenveen play in… the Dutch Eredivisie. His impressive scoring record has been achieved at a club where he plays against the likes of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, all better teams than anything Celtic will face in the SPL. And PSV have regularly progressed beyond the CL group stage, so there is some undoubted quality in the Eredivisie.
I haven’t a clue what you are on about re: Partick Thistle.
I’m off back to work now as my lunch break is finishing.
Enjoy the rest of the day @ your work
So you reckon he is worth £5,000,000+
But how much money is he looking for as his weekly
wages, that is the question here?
Platmeister- I look forward to our future jousts.
Noel90 and Supercelt left on Bosmans many moons ago.
However , there are a few of us left in the Stephane Bonnes state of suspended animation.