Steven Gerrard went on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. It is as though he was trolling those who yesterday were his comrades. No matter what we think of the other lot, you or I would have more taste than to do that to them. He could have waited another hour.
To Celtic fans, he will forever be the man who clung on after a curtailed season and then stopped 10-in-a-row, but we will lament today, as Gerrard leaves Glasgow. He was a walking UB40 manager, one League Cup semi-final defeat away from being able to sing, “I am the one in 10…. a statistic, a reminder”, of nine failed campaigns.
For months, I wrote here that I wanted him to stay. Celtic’s complete collapse last season made the league a non-event. Gerrard oversaw another year of massive and unsustainable overspend, and coasted to the title. Despite this, his squad was unmarketable, planning was all about consumption today, to hell with tomorrow.
The main reason I wanted him to stay, however, turns out to be false. Gerrard’s current contract was signed after it became public knowledge that Brendan Rodgers had a £9m release clause in his Celtic contract. Surely, I assumed, those sharp minds at Ibrox would tie Gerrard down on nothing less than the same terms. Newco need £9m more than they need a manager who can only win when there is no opposition.
However, Villa will pay £4.5m compensation to deprive Newco of their management team. Lots of things in football are out of your control, but the figure required to adequately compensate a club to allow their manager to break his contract? Someone slipped up here, and on this occasion, it was not Gerrard.
£4.5m will keep the lights on for another three weeks, if they don’t need to pay compensation for the next guy. Anyone in a job is likely to cost as much, if not more. Now comes the work of attracting a quality candidate to a club in the 10th year of living beyond its means. Some sort of miracle worker, would be ideal.
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I thought the interesting read from rugger guy analysis was the near £3m in high earning football dept – wage deferrals
Players or coaching staff owed a fair wedge
There’s the SG fee gone
My great-granda was actually very unlucky as he was killed 2 or 3 days before the stealth pull out from Gallipoli/Dardenelles was complete. Must have been one of the last casualties. That pull out never gets talked about but was a bigger success than Dunkirk in many ways.
I have a spitfire badge with poppy roundels here at work in Dublin. Keeps me square with my refusal to have my traditions stolen by right wingers but also not big enough to annoy republicans here.
3 of my great uncles who moved to Glasgow from Kildare were in the forces in WW2 (navy, merchant navy, RAF). I know Kildare is far from being a rebel county but i still like that they did that.
PS they all met up for a photo in Malta or Greece at one point – how the hell did they do that with no internet!!!
“POR CIERTO on 12TH NOVEMBER 2021 10:34 AM
McInnes won’t get it, “Ra Bears” would be up in arms if he gets a second bite at the cherry, :
I would have thought that a bright chap like yourself would know that it is easy to to feed the plebeians anything and everything. Obviously, I include Celtic supporters in that but the rebellious contingent of our support would prove a more difficult group to convince.
( and before you jump in, ernie, I know your view on the gullibility of our support).
Hot Smoked – cheers.
You are correct.
I erred on the Wilfred Owen date of death.
Poem, October 2017.
Tragically killed November 2018.
new article posted.