News that the sun is setting on Amido Balde’s Celtic career will be welcomed far and wide. His arrival on the back of a few YouTube clips and what now appears to have been a Portuguese marketing scam is a salutary lesson on how easy it is to expire transfer and wage budget, while incurring the even greater cost of poor recruits – Champions League failure.
We will never get them all right, but the processes Celtic went through to recruit a striker in the summers of 2012 (Lassad, Miku), 2013 (Balde, Pukki) and 2014 (Guidetti, Scepovic) are worth some urgent revision. None were able to hold down a regular place in the team.
In mitigation, it’s easier to recruit a keeper or a defender (which we’ve done very well at recently) than a striker, but there will be lessons to learn from those six signings. Quickly, I hope.
On the positive side, all of the aforementioned arrived with a degree of realism attached. I noticed this morning: “Wabara really is in the mould of Barcelona great Dani Alves”. This isn’t fun anymore. Honest football fans (many are) are being treated like simpletons.
It’s like that Steve Carell movie, Dinner for Schmucks, where Paul Rudd doesn’t have the stomach to laugh at absurdly unfortunate guests. Better they are put out of their misery than dragged through an ignominious humiliation before inevitably emptying their pockets at the alter of a Sports Direct retail contract.
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Henke – Sky are the same. It was like trying to dump a clingy girlfriend when a youngster – sad and desperate….
bamboo @ 18 06.
Dukla scored just before half time.
I was going to post the comments,but, too many sweary words sort…
couple of important points arising from recent online actvity.
Firstly, we note that certain of our members have been targeted in what appears to be a concerted campaign using social media. This involves abuse which would make Cybernats blush and the usual round of lies and spin.
This abuse only makes us more determined than ever and galvanises us to promote our message to the Rangers family and the wider world. But we would like to say thanks to those who inadvertently promote us by the vilification campaign because it is helping to swell memebership and readership. An unhappy consequence for those who hate what we do.
Secondly,we feel it is important to address the perception created by propagandists that the RSL is somehow not loyal to the club because we have issues with the present board.
We are not called the RANGERS SUPPORTERS LOYAL for nothing. It is our understanding that most of our members who are season ticket holders have renewed or will renew. Supporting The Rangers is what we do.
It is risible that pimply youths with an iPhone could question the Rangers-supporting credentials of men and women who have been going to Ibrox for fifty or sixty years or more, as some of our members have. That, sadly, is the world we live in where youngers do not respect their elders. A tradition that was very much part of the Rangers way in times past.
The RSL was set up to support the club through thick and thin. Contrary to the spin, it was not a support group for the previous board.
It is no secret that we are a group whose members broadly speaking have serious issues with the way the present regime went about their business in getting power at Ibrox. We neither apologise for this nor will we compromise our position.
Having said this, as a fan group and as individual members, we would be first to help ANY Rangers board – including the present one – should we be called upon. We might have to jostle with the Vanguard Bears to be first in line, though.
This is the point. We can criticise the board because it is a free country and because in a family, there is often dispute and that is just life. It does not mean you are not part of the family! Giving any Rangers board free rein and just accepting whatever they say and do is not only unhealthy – it is insanity. Particularly when only a few years ago the Rangers family suffered the consequences of doing just that when we accepted club and media spin about billionaires with wealth off the radar etc.
We must have a culture where we can grill the custodians of the club and that culture must be free from lackeys on social media who harass and vilify anyone who asks probing questions. If there is nothing to hide and your intentions are noble, you do not need to silence those who question you.
Which brings us to the matter of spin, as per Ninjaman’s blog yesterday. We recognise the need for good PR, including the generation of positive publicity and also defensive/crisis PR – the fighting end of things. However, we believe that the club is in a place where it constantly spins everything and ultimately this distortion of reality becomes outright deception. Rangers fans are used to bad news and tough-to-take information. Sometimes we would just rather be told the truth. The use of media outlets both detested and distrusted by the fans does not help.
Our position is that we would rather the board take more control of PR and publicity matters than any agency.
We will continue to follow the principle of speaking truth to power and anyone who construes this as disloyalty is seriously deluded. Being Rangers supporters means we all get held to a certain standard and custodians of the club MUST face this scrutiny more than most.
One thing is for sure: no matter how much we take issue with a Rangers board, we will not call for boycotts of home games or encourage Rangers supporters to abandon support for the team to help any regime.
We welcome members into the RSL. Those who join and get involved will realise that there is nothing sinister or harmful to Rangers about us – the very opposite, in fact.
We are all just mad bluenoses, really.
With one important distinction. We think for ourselves. If you are not prepared to do that, the RSL is not for you.
And if you are, you will find our fan group is one where Rangers is far more important than our own group to each and every one of us.
RSL
The war is over.
The economics remain.
If you’re not talking about them you’re missing the point.
Remember but move on.
They’re having a debate on ssb as to whether or not sevco were failures last season …… Honestly, they really are …. hahahahahahahahahahahahaha ……. sevco scoreboard, right enough….you could not make this comedy up …..switched off…. :)
Hib v Huns Sat 25 July in the Putrefication Cup.
Taxi for Warburton by end of the month.
Believe me when I say that is the typical response when talking to huns I work with, they have been hard done to, we will feel their wrath.
No, we did no wrong or we got caught out doing the same as most clubs, all our fault btw …the Mickey bassas with keyboards done it, as 67 Heaven would say…..HaHaHa.
THE EXILED TIM
13:29 on
29 June, 2015
Oh Dearie Me.
Keith Jackshun at his brilliant best.
—————————–
TET
That shoooooorly was an ole coal bing sized pile of keek……tell me you made that up?
:O) HH
TET
Ya durty bassa….Awe Nawed right enough .hh
Supporting The Rangers is what we do.
——–
Gosh – they’re finally getting it!
roberttressell….
The war is not over, once that mob has concrete over their grave, that will be job done. ;))
Strikers… We had better strikers in the 60’s – 80’s. Does anyone know what the wages in the top English league was then compared to Celtic and what it is now?
No need to get all in a lather about Amido’s departure. Clubs terminate and/or move on younger players that did not meet the requirements on arrival.
The good news is that under Ronny Delia and John Collin’s relentless drive for fitter, technical players we are less likely to see the signing of a lumbering giant.
Only two more sleeps till the Hoops run out!!!
BBC Headline Sports News in Scotland………………..Boyd rejoins Kilmarnock on a free transfer.
No wonder the world laughs at this country.
RobertTressell
18:13 on
29 June, 2015
Henke – Sky are the same. It was like trying to dump a clingy girlfriend when a youngster – sad and desperate….
—————————
Was it no the other way around?
The Flop List in alphabetical order
BALDE
BJARNASON
BLACKMAN
BRAAFHEID
BROWN
BROZEK
CAMARA
CHA Du-Ri
CROSAS
DE ORNELAS
EL KADDOUR
FLOOD
GERSHON
GUIDETTI
HOOIVELD
HUTCHINSON
IBRAHIM
JUARES
KAMARA
KAPO
KILLEN
LJUNGBERG
LASSAD
MAJSTROVIC
MCGINN
MIKU
MIZUNO
MURPHY
MOUYOKOLO
N’GUEMO
PERRIER-DOUMBE ..twice
PUKKI
RASMUSSEN
ROGNE
SLANE
SNO
THOMPSON
VIRGO
ZHENG-ZHI
Homework for tonight.
1) Compile the unimaginative list of ole Scottish pro´s that done a job for one or two years .. Robson, Pressley, Hartley etc but can be considered successful signings domestically
2) A Further list of successful loan signings. 1) Keane Robbie, ……………
3) A further list of those who actually done well but never lasted more than two years (dont dwell on this one) Kenny Miller, …….
4) Youths who were sold at the first sign of making a buck
5) Those that done well and lasted more than two years (definitely dont dwell on this one)
6) Those that did not stay too long but we got our money back on. Danny Fox,……..
Stop groaning this homework is preparation for the theseis
CFC the Lawwell years.
CashNFknCarryFC
Did I miss ooot any Flops ?
HH
San Diego Bhoy
who was Ronnies first signing again ? Thanks for reminding me. Put him on the list
HH
I love lists.
VP… Yer a bad mhan, Robert is a hunk of a mhan according to ACGR, then again he said the same about you:)
Take it your chilling and getting blootered:)
Jude 2000
Very sorry to hear of the double loss.
Very difficult times for Irene.
RIP
Awe naw- a bit unfair to call hoops legend Marc Crosas a flop.
He deserved more game time than some of his underwhelming team mates.
I also liked Cha Du Ri, very whole hearted.
And Zheng Zhi is ineligible for your list.
BALDE
BERGET
BJARNASON
BLACKMAN
BRAAFHEID
BROWN
BROZEK
CAMARA
CHA Du-Ri
CROSAS
DE ORNELAS
EL KADDOUR
FLOOD
GERSHON
GUIDETTI
HOOIVELD
HUTCHINSON
IBRAHIM
JUARES
KAMARA
KAPO
KILLEN
LJUNGBERG
LASSAD
MAJSTROVIC
MCGINN
MIKU
MIZUNO
MURPHY
MOUYOKOLO
N’GUEMO
PERRIER-DOUMBE ..twice
PUKKI
RASMUSSEN
ROGNE
SLANE
SNO
THOMPSON
VIRGO
ZHENG-ZHI
Bangura
Boerrigter
Fridjonsson
Du Wei has to be a contender for the flop list
Fortuné
BALDE
BANGURA
BERGET
BJARNASON
BLACKMAN
BOERRIGTER
BRAAFHEID
BROWN
BROZEK
CAMARA
CHA Du-Ri
CROSAS
DE ORNELAS
DU WEI
EL KADDOUR
FLOOD
FRIDJONSSON
GERSHON
GUIDETTI
HOOIVELD
HUTCHINSON
IBRAHIM
JUARES
KAMARA
KAPO
KILLEN
LJUNGBERG
LASSAD
MAJSTROVIC
MCGINN
MIKU
MIZUNO
MURPHY
MOUYOKOLO
N’GUEMO
PERRIER-DOUMBE ..twice
PUKKI
RASMUSSEN
ROGNE
SLANE
SNO
THOMPSON
VIRGO
ZHENG-ZHI
dont sign anyone whose name starts with B would be my advice.
Tricoloured Ribbon
17:24 on
29 June, 2015
Quonno,
I know Gerry Adams in a passing how are ye scenario.
I know Martin McGuinness as a good friend.
Good people.
I have absolutely no knowledge of how good or bad people Adams and McGuiness are.
I only know that on the one occasion I wrote to one of them i received no reply.
Mind you that was in the Ballot box and Bullet days.
I would imagine a few of the foot soldiers from that era might have scathing opinions of the pair and their new found establishment respectability.
did we not get our money back on Fortune ?
Sips
No driving tonight,so it meant I could bevvy awe day nae probs…wee CQN break before
going out for din dins……..Need to mind take out my packet of ‘Dreamies’ for wee 3 legged
cat (could play for sevco ,but no bad minded enough) have come across on route to
restaurant.HH
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
19:00 on
29 June, 2015
did we not get our money back on Fortune ?
Some of it at least.
Thomas Graveson was also a flop. Didnt we sign him on a 3yr contract only for him to be forced out the team by Sno in his first season?
from Twitter
Elliot Foster @FreelanceFoz 2h2 hours ago
Aiden McGeady to exit Everton this transfer window. Celtic favourites to land the winger
Edited by tenerifetim, 3 minutes ago.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
18:58 on
29 June, 2015
I imagine that one could have a pretty luxurious lifestyle on the agents fees, kickbacks and other considerations it took to assemble the following list at one club.
BALDE
BANGURA
BERGET
BJARNASON
BLACKMAN
BOERRIGTER
BRAAFHEID
BROWN
BROZEK
CAMARA
CHA Du-Ri
CROSAS
DE ORNELAS
DU WEI
EL KADDOUR
FLOOD
FRIDJONSSON
GERSHON
GUIDETTI
HOOIVELD
HUTCHINSON
IBRAHIM
JUARES
KAMARA
KAPO
KILLEN
LJUNGBERG
LASSAD
MAJSTROVIC
MCGINN
MIKU
MIZUNO
MURPHY
MOUYOKOLO
N’GUEMO
PERRIER-DOUMBE ..twice
PUKKI
RASMUSSEN
ROGNE
SLANE
SNO
THOMPSON
VIRGO
ZHENG-ZHI
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
18:59 on
29 June, 2015
dont sign anyone whose name starts with B would be my advice.
quonno
18:59 on
29 June, 2015
Tricoloured Ribbon
17:24 on
29 June, 2015
Proudbhoy/Corkcelt: I understand both your positions. I don’t recall Macjay’s comments but his contribution early Saturday morning provoked me to respond to him. His singling out of the IRA showed he clearly doesn’t understand the Irish/British conflict. His contribution last night reinforced my view of him, however, over the course of that conversation he seemed to open his mind up a bit. I feel with respectful and informed debate he will realise that the manner in which he presents his views will change. The 1916 proclamation was and is a very progressive and egalitarian document. It is in that spirit that I would welcome him, and any Celtic supporter respectful of the occasion, to Dublin next year. If we discussed politics I would be presenting very similar viewpoints to yourselves I’m sure.
quonno,
my point is about team building rather than wasting money. The model we have chosen means that the sales of Forster, Wanyama, Mc Geady, Ki, Hooper can compensate for these losses. We are (PL IS) excellent and getting a good price for mid range players, Robson, Skippy and Mick, Pearson, Miller etc. We are beyond kack with regard loan signings.
The high turnover of players and the four year shelf life that the mugs have bought into ensures that we will not progress much imho
HH
We also lose players like Sammi, Donati, Loovens, Ledley, Graveson, Balde, Pukki .. who we pay millions for and then have to move on.
I take with a pinch of salt the fees that we have supposedly paid for recent signings. Like all the strikers mentioned in Paul67 header
HH