Back in 2011 a campaign was launched by Craig Whyte (subsequently adopted by others) to convince Scottish Premier League clubs that Rangers were necessary for their survival, and in the event of a liquidation event, the league should invite a phoenix club into the top flight.
The people at Celtic became aware of this and after the initial revulsion that a team, who at that stage were three-in-a-row champions, could liquidate, then phoenix with the same players and income streams, but without the debts associated with building the playing squad, they ran the numbers. They asked themselves the question, could we survive without Rangers?
The answer was straightforward, if we can’t survive without Rangers we’re as well not surviving at all. We needed a strategy which would cope with the drop in income, the lack of domestic competition, but still deliver Champions League competition. Easy, right?
Not easy but by no means impossible.
Celtic were running at an operational loss without selling players or getting into the Champions League group stage. That season (2011-12), in reaching the Europa League group stage, we made a £7m loss (mitigated by a later player sale). The subsequent drop in season ticket sales in a league without Rangers (it happened), drop in associated commercial and match-day ticket sales cost around £5m. Dropping the price of season tickets by £100 this season arrested the decline in sales, but brought in £4m less than last season.
To balance this, we qualified for the Champions League group stage last season and this, sold £20m worth of talent this summer (and have spent £6m so far on new arrivals).
We have something practically unique in football, a sustainable strategy which is also successful.
Is it without its risks? No.
Will it tax the team and manager, even against teams like Elfsborg and Shakhter? Yes.
Is it as good a strategy as we could have? That is a matter of opinion but results on the park are the only place that matters.
We’ve made lots of decisions so far this summer. Selling Hooper, Wanyama and Wilson, while bringing in van Dijk, Derk Boerrigter, Balde and Mouyokolo, before getting to this stage. Would Norwich and Southampton have waited or signed alternatives, leaving us with rapidly depreciating assets?
I’ve no idea, but these are the kind of factors which contribute to each decision.
You can play your hand cautiously, hold the players, risking buyers leave the market, or sign more players early, on the basis that they are available and you are prepared to pay the asking price, irrespective of your valuation. You can certainly give yourself an easier ride by taking decisions against strategy based on pressure.
This would not guarantee success (nothing does) but it would further mitigate the risk of failure, however, it would potentially leave fewer resources to build a team which can reach further still.
We played a more ambitious hand. Strategy was adhered to, which looked a folly, to some, a week ago.
For the first time in 40 years we have a sustainable, successful, team development strategy, which is only just beginning to bear fruit. It is too tempting to take those fruits and blow them on the same strategy most of our UK-based peers do in an attempt to guarantee entry to the promised land.
Faith in the squad, manager and scouts was rewarded. Whether you like it or not, we have one of the best development strategies in football. Well done, Celtic.
Neil Lennon is an ambitious man but if he thinks he can stem the “disgusting” “hysterical” reaction to a Celtic defeat he is overreaching. Some will learn but others will have rationalised their reaction within a second of the manager’s comments being made. ‘Tis the nature of the beast.
Well done to everyone who attended last night. The place wasn’t full but there is something about a Celtic Park crowd of around that size which seems more effective than when we’re crammed in.
Enjoy being a Celtic supporter.
[calameo code=000390171c1dd95770bec lang=en page=100 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
903 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- ...
- 24
- »
Malone Bhoy
I don’t agree on the ineffectiveness of Forrest, a couple of good crosses in each half, and a couple of runs inside to look for a shot. He is not yet in his best form but he’s nowhere near as bad as recent critics have been making out. I predict he will be our next £10m plus sale.
“I think it’s highly naive to re-write history and say he wasn’t largely to blame for the first leg”
“we were beaten by tactics not play on the pitch”
I am going to be naive and disagree. We always blame losses on tactics- it is a get out. How were their tactics superior but “their play on the park” not superior? Did Kumykov display superior chalkmanship on his blackboard?
I think Celtic fully scouted Shakhter and got their tactical approach right. They said in advance of both ties that they were a long ball/set play team who like a tackle. We picked players who were big and strong enough to combat that (Van Dijk Mulgrew, Moyokoulo Lustig and Sammi all started) and we had the same number of big players last night. Mathews and Ambrose for Izzy and Moyokoulo were the only tactical changes between the two ties i.e. we still had one small one in an imposing back line. The tactics were the same but the players performed them better on the grass pitch last night.
Celtic knew to expect Stoke type throw ins. All EPL teams knew to expect Stoke type throw ins from Pulis’s Stoke. Knowing about it, being tactically aware of it, does not always prevent it from being a successful tactic, as Stoke showed to many superior teams.
Tactics are vastly over-rated and I speak as a qualified coach in 3 sports.
malone bhoy in support of wee oscar
15:36 on 29 August, 2013
It opens out the way……just getting my coat……hahahahahahaha
Slightly off topic, but has anyone ever heard Fela Kuti’s song “Zombie”? Fantastic. Perfect for re-watching last night’s highlights to.
setting free the bears
15:37 on 29 August, 2013
He’s also carrying a long term injury…..!!!!!!!!
Livibhoy
You have stated yourcase on here often enough and no one will give you a hard time about that. We all have our priorities and family comes before football..
Your time will come when you and your son will be back at Celtic park on a regular basis.
I know I love passing on the passion to mini BT and she gets it…
KTF
Hold on … there’s no reason the SFA can’t make a special dispensation for SPL clubs.
None of whom did ANYTHING wrong. They have a seperate registration time from SFL clubs anyway. There’s no reason they can’t extend it.
And no to any interlopers … this is NOT Celtic requesting bending of rules. UEFA allows national assocations to do this as a matter of course when the deadline day falls during a weekend. No special favours here.
!!Bada Bing!!
15:33 on 29 August, 2013
The SPL got a sum of money for us reaching the group stages. I think it’s something like a solidarity payment.
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma @ 16:35 on 28 August, 2013
I planned to shout Geronimo but ended shouting ‘Woo-oh-oh!….Magic!’
Doc is supporting Oscar and McKenzie. ‘ 16:35 on 28 August, 2013
I went to Amore. Saw it was la-de-dah then headed to more down market pubs, more in my price range.
Thanks for your help though.
Dubaibhoy-”If I signed off the accounts it has been in good faith.” @ 18:39 on 28 August, 2013
;) That also came to my mind but safety before fashion.
*************************************************************************************************
I just can’t get enough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojFFIa0zmnI&feature=youtu.be&a
My preferred draw, Real Madrid, Schalke, Basel
JF
Can you honestly see the sfa doing anything that helps us ????
Because I am quite childishly excited by all this ive just made my own draw using UEFA rules.
Seems to me, we can actually get anybody from any pot, and each is as bad as each other.
So my draw gave us –
Real Madrid
Schalke
Man City
Celtic
SFTB
“Ten years at the same level ”
2003 Seville. Was Martin backed up after his profit making successes and previous group successes ? NOPE
WGS last 16 of the CL twice … was he backed up after his profit making successes ? NOPE
Lenny. Last 16. Last year .. HAs he been backed up after his profit making successes ? NOPE
That was my point.
Its a 5 year cycle and the manager leave knowing what the boreds remit is.
Time to push the boat out a bit more. The football side has bailed them out time and time again. Time to let the coach build the team rather than the bored wrecking it every 3 years and having to start again.
Sorry SFTB but its undeniable.
HH
THE EXILED TIM:
I would make a point of publicly asking them to. Since UEFA allows this, there’s no reason for them not to do it. And I would make a point of publicly demanding they explain themselves if they don’t.
Istanbulcelt
not particularly bothered what ‘type’ of bar it is.
taksim the place to be tho. (bring yer own riot sheild)
Sude Konak Hotel
friday-monday
a work related, ahem..”study trip”.
if yer free ill wear my original CQN badge
an meet ye in joyce’s for a snifter.
My choice from the draw would be :
Porto (direct flights with Ryanair from Dublin, cheap booze, nice people and we owe them a beating)
Schalke ( huge ground so better chance of getting tickets, they look poor at the minute, great booze)
Ajax (need I say more)
Marti
Bada Bing
I think it was for the group stages and it worked out £150,000 per team(?)
JF
Agree 100%
Just can’t see it though, can you ?
traditionalist88 15:22
Is that simply for participation or does that including gate receipts?
KOJO!
Give it up!
I have seen the other side of your face!
H.H.
It’s actually typical of SFA ineptitutde than when they were imposing the transfer ban on that lot that no-one thought of looking at the calendar …
Saint Stivs, Pot 3 is bloody dangerous, Man City or Borussia Dortmund would surely spell curtains to our survival hopes. I know once the games start, I will be looking to qualify for last 16 but if anyone offered me 3rd place and Europa qualification in any Group right now, I’d take the hand and all off them.
Got it in one >}
HH
greenmaestro
“I don’t think the aspect ratios of the big TVs we all have these days help this at all, particularly those players small in stature.”
When my wife asks if her bum looks big in this, should I mention aspect ratios? :-)
Bada Bing
Kris not having a pick on him was precisely my point. We attribute poor form to his being overweight, apparently because TV aspect ratios make his bahookie look gigantic. We also attribute defeats to bad tactics as a matter of course without being able to articulate what the tactic was.
I have seen tactically prepared teams beaten by superior quality players who were being badly coached. I genuinely believe that fans, with limited understanding of the concept and no experience of handling tactics, rate their importance higher than professionals.
Do you know that you would have to sit through several stages of the SFA coaching qualifications before tactics were introduced as a concept. It is largely a good approach as it prevents all the budding Stein’s and Ferguson’s confusing kids with coaching tactics jargon before they can learn to teach technique and manage and care for weans in their charge.
You’ll still see, outside the coaching course graduates, groups of Scottish men who are poor coaches berating their teams at half time and thinking they are doing what the top coaches do.
Arsenal seeded in pot 1 among top 8 in Europe.
Why? Because Arsenal are always there, permanently in the CL.
So on that logic your average office cleaner stands a good chance of becoming CEO…
Marti
My choice of draw, for the same reasons as you. Would hate Chelsea, the zombies would create carnage in Glasgow on the day
If no 2 German teams or no 2 English teams can end up in same group, it greatly increases our chances of drawing a team from those Countries. Personally I’d prefer to avoid the Brits, I hate seeing these games labeled as “The Battle of Britain”.
setting free the bears (15:05): “Watching the highlights again from last night, I am struck by the fact that Kris Commons looks just as chunky in a hooped jersey as he did when he was being pilloried after games where we dropped points.”
It is well known in fashion circles that horizontal stripes make the wearer look wider, whilst vertical stripes do the opposite. This is why the Juve players looked so much slimmer than our Bhoys last season.
:o)
corkcelt,
I would take Man City no problem.
Awful in last year’s tournament and very beatable away from the Etihad as Cardiff proved at the weekend.
Man city would do for me. Did you see them against Cardiff on Sunday?
Disjointed collective of big egos and big salaries.
Not a team by any stretch.
No English please
My calf couldn’t take jumping up n down like a loony every time we score against them.
StillinagonyCSC
corkcelt @15.49.
My feeling now is it does not really matter who we get, but one thing is for sure a lot of the big guns will be looking at pot 4 and hoping they avoid us.
Our record at home is still up there with the best and we are learning how to play away in Europe. ( Last game excepted ).
HH, Always in Celtic.
LuxCelt
14:57 on 29 August, 2013
EKBhoy
Ah well , I prostrate myself to your superior guess work, for in reality you are just guessing like the rest of us (a bit of fun really , eh!) …. I believe you may be under-rating our potential but hey who knows more drivel!!
Aim high in football , pointless in thinking the worst and relying on other results even before the draw is made.
We need 3 teams who do not travel well and who will not out-muscle us and then lets see where the points total takes us……. swap notes after the draw
Malone Bhoy in support of Wee Oscar
Article on STV site, not had a chance to read it in detail yet,
HH
Could there be some benefit in employing a bit of part-time consultancy from a certain A. Ferguson for this season’s CL campaign?
CC
Man City are shite, no European pedigree, they would be overawed playing a big club like us, I think we would do a Karagandy on them 3-0.
lol
The dry run draw was made earlier, and if last season was anything to go by, when the dry run was replicated totally……
We have
Barca
Juve
Galatassary
Celtic
That is what will happen.
Embdy know if bookings accrued in the qualies apply to the group stages?
If so, have we got a few treading dangerously?
tremendous post p67, not just a blog but leadership. There have been times during the bear crisis where it is clear that you have an unrivalled clarity on strategic matters and it is great to see it again today but on the topic of the celtic. many many thanks for the blog, you manage to sum up business, emotions, fitba matters, the meeja, politics, what is right and what is wrong into a few short paragraphs.
bhoys if you could spare a minute to read me thoughts, I ‘d be very grateful as my head’s full after last night.
that bassa who fouled JF was sent on to do that, I have no doubt.
wtf was JF doing in the 18 yard box for the goal
Stokes taking on those 3 defenders is up there with Sutton controlling the ball for Larsson’s chip in the 6-2 and hartson pushing the ball out with the right foot to line up the shot against Liverpool
me and me son just passed a builder site, my son was in his mulgrew jersey and a builder began to whistle a hun song – I can’t quite get in my head which one it was but do what I loved the moment
I don’t know any ground/crowd who wear their hearts on their sleeves like celtic
Thunder Road, I didn’t want to post last night asI didn’t know if it was appropriate but I hope you were able to watch or listen to the game and somehow it helped
Fu*” me, this strategy thing celtic are operating is a bloody rollercoaster
mullarkey, you nailed stokes on the head last week saying he was a footballer who needed to be on the 18 yard box and slightly outside it
John Collins said about sammi that he needed to get his head up more, in football theory/coaching context, he probably does but he obviously hasn’t being watching sammi much. let him do what he does, full stop.
where now for sevco ? Our brand is being adopted/developed and so on by uefa: ignore financial reports – face reality ? who knows what’s in store for them.
we’ll never ever repeat 67. i’m ok with that. last night was pure celtic and I’m happy that’s the celtic experience now
thanks bhoys