By all accounts Malky MacKay is a good guy. He is certainly a good motivator and tactician, and an excellent communicator, unburdened by the airs and graces normally associated by managers in the self-appointed Greatest Show on Earth. None of this saved him from the sack, though, accused of running riot with the cheque book in the summer.
Cardiff City certainly ran riot, spending in the region of £50m to help prepare for top flight football. If, as owner Vincent Tan alleges, the spend was unauthorised, Cardiff have a management control problem, not a problem with the manager, who is within his rights to spend whatever money made available to him.
‘Bluebirds’ fans are united on Malky’s side, they are equally united against owner Tan, who appears wholly unsuitable to control a football club. Changing their strips from blue to red, as red is the colour most associated with Wales, tells you all you need to know about Tan and where he will ultimately take the club, but the extravagance of the summer has already set Cardiff off on the road to rapid decline.
Every club should anticipating making mistakes in the transfer market, it is part of the territory, but they need to be able to afford those mistakes. Cardiff’s summer signings allowed for no mistakes. The totem was Andreas Cornelius, recruited from from Copenhagen for an outrageous £10m. The player received a five year contract worth more than the transfer fee. He’s only 20. Cornelius also earns more than seven times his salary at Copenhagen, no one will be able to afford to take him from Cardiff, his 18 career goals, all in Denmark, suggest he’s simply not worth anything like money he’s on.
If you’re Cardiff City, here’s the problem when you try to recruit for top flight football: after 50 years in the wilderness, you’re favourites for the drop. Players with other top flight options will take them, you’ll have to pay over the odds to convince players to sign on. You’re also shopping in a market you have absolutely no experience of – making mistakes more likely.
Spending £10m on a striker was possibly a sensible idea for Cardiff (I can imagine how popular it was, any sane voices would have been whistling against the wind) but what striker, genuinely worth £10m, would go there without being ‘bribed’ with copious amounts of cash? I’m aware of the parallels with Celtic, which £10m striker would come to Scotland?
They could have received 50 knock-backs before doing a deal in Copenhagen. This pattern was replicated across the rest of their summer spend. They should have invested their Premier League windfall on long-term development, irrespective of the short-term consequences.
For the sake of the club’s fans I hope they survive but inadequate controls at board level, with an owner seemingly intent on self-destruction, a rapid decline through the leagues seems inevitable, sooner or later.
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Sorry teuchter.(:-)
CT,
What pub was it?
Did the song go along the lines of,
On the 12 th day of July,to old Dumbarton town,came 20,000 Orangemen,loyal to Queen and Crown,they marched along the High St but got an awful shock,for standing at the corner were the Fenians of the Rock…
Now I’m a Clydebank man but I’m sure the Dumbarton men will correct me and carry on….
Teuchter,
Do the names Finnegan or Keogh ring a bell..
TT- you still online?
Butsy
You should be in bed you’ve got the Minx’s bhoy to watch on that bus in the morning!!! :-)
If so…or if not
Thank you for your unreserved acceptance… it meant so much and was catalyst for the change.
HAIL HAIL
Tricoloured Ribbon,
Yes, that was it…
Great song, never heard it before….
This one was written for our Supporters Bus – Spirit of Freedom…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOnC6RudwT8
HT – you are still a diamond – What happened to you setting of those pyro’s in Perth ……. ha ha
teuchter ár lá
Much as I hate the Tally, one of the best Celtic moments ever was when the whole front of the building was covered in the Toronto CSC flag.
Still have the pictures on the old laptop.
Magic.
Hail hail to you.
And, also for hamiltontim,
See you when you get back.
HECTOR!!!!!
CT – Out from the ashes the phoenix will rise
larssonse7en
01:21 on 29 December, 2013
Funnily enough I had a wee chat at Perth the other with TT.
He only had good things to say about you mate.
We’ll get a pint and a blether some day!!
Hamilton Tim,
Which bar do you frequent prior to games at Celtic Park?
We all feck up from time to time HT – bigger the man to admit it….. AND bigger the man that accepts the reason and forgives…
HAIL HAIL my Celtic brothers
Sorry guys ..gremlins in the works.
Tiny Tim
No mate but I’ve been o’wer your side of the brig many times..Dunfermline mostly.
TCR
Certainly do know the Keoghs and would that be John F who had the greyhounds?
Know them all.
Teuchter
CT,
Magic bud.
That Dumbarton song has about 5 verses to it.Tontine Tim,EDB, or Petec will know it.
CT
Was gonnae slag you after your Hector post but then you posted oor song :-)
Tricoloured Ribbon
01:30 on
29 December, 2013
CT,
Magic bud.
That Dumbarton song has about 5 verses to it.Tontine Tim,EDB, or Petec will know it.
=============================================================
That’s why I included a wee friendly dig… EDB will get it-:)
Tri R
I tend to drive to Parkhead but my bus for away games leaves from Bar67.
Bazzabhoy
I have a crackin video of that operation.
I’ll put a picture of the flag up on here when I get back.
Had a few with uncle Terry this visit.
Hail Hail buddy
Teuchter ar la
Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar
01:31 on
29 December, 2013
CT
Was gonnae slag you after your Hector post but then you posted oor song :-)
=========================================================
Are you greetin yet ya big wean?
Had a crackin night wae the auld yins – real slagging.
I knew I felt my ears burning
Teuchter,
I was only about 16 when I met George Finnegan in Saltcoats of all places.
That’s when ye went tae Saltcoats not Tenerife.His da was an old miner.His missus was Janette.She was originally fae Armadale.We went through to meet them in Winchburgh.
I remember there was a Keogh connection.
They were rebels.Big time.
Dallas Jnr in the ascendancy and dougie dougie. Back – anyone else see the pattern here ?
New team sevco back sooner than we think. ?
HT,
I am coming over on the weekend 17th Jan.Haven’t been home in over a year.
I will be pinting ..
Macanbheatha.
Conas ata tu?
Johann,
How ca they be back quicker?
They’ve never been there.
Go maith a chara
Was on line earlier trying out my new hudl the wee girl got me .It’s taking a bit of getting used to but at least I can be in the bog reading the blog now.
Hamiltontim,
A cracker wae the auld yins tonight….
Ye know auld Clydebank Joe (Brilliant), apparently he was in during the day. I went in the back of seven then he came back in and sat along from me then Cabey? (fae Coatbridge) came out of the toilet and said “FFS who opened the coffin?”
Then, when the rest of the auld yins came back it was awe FFS are we back in Dalbeath???
Then they started singing their (sick) party tune… “We will be buried in Dalbeath”
Brilliant Nutters.
Tricoulredribbon – ah ha good point ! Just watch the ” honest mistakes ” next season hh
Macanbheatha,
I’m like yourself have to ask the younger ones how to operate these new gadgets.haha.
TCR
George and Jeanette are great pals of mine and was in their company on this trip.
George is a past president of the Celtic supporters club and always gives a rendition of the “homes of Donegal”. I met him and his bhoys in Seville when I travelled from Canada. His boys were great players and son John could have played for the hoops.
He is well known to all the Winchburgh posters on here.
I’m off tomorrow morning but pass on a message through Burghbhoy….I’m sure George will be delighted.
HH
Teuchter ar la
Tri R
I’ll make sure I’m available if you fancy a pint?!
CT
If you’re calling them auld then beejeezus……..:-)
I’m checking in to say only that, having read Paul’s leader, if he wants me to take him seriously as a writer to match the “MSM” then he really needs to grasp the basics of sentence consstruction.
If he can’t grasp these basics, why should anyone take him seriously on any other topic?
I can just see Jabba sneering now.
Paul, it’s no as if I haven’t told you before.
Checkout.
Lest we forget – bed for me now CQN…. .. And they dared to call him a terrorist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBvdBB_qxgc
Alastair…. ha ha
Addendum…. or Encore if you like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJHgMD1S0bg
Wel terusten x
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhpwei_the-boys-of-the-old-brigade-irish-republican-web-ring_music