The leap from player to manager is difficult. Talents which maintained your career on the field, like technique, fitness and an ability to follow team instructions, mean nothing. Instead, you are required to support, develop and discipline players who work in a constant state of flux. You need to understand and work within budgets, and you know that a few bad results will see grown men yell obscenities at you to compensate for whatever inadequacy they have (they are always there).
So why wouldn’t Scott Brown want to manage Ayr United? Setting all the negatives aside, Scott needs to do something to get him through the days, months and years ahead. Being retired and wealthy in your thirties must be great, but what gets you out of bed and going in the morning? The novelty of hair care will soon fade.
His one full season in charge of Fleetwood Town ended with a respectable midtable finish, but the current campaign started disastrously and Scott was hooked six games in. Things did not improve for Fleetwood who are bottom of League One without a win in 13 games.
Ayr are a different challenge. A win over bottom side Arbroath last night, with Scott watching from the stand, saw them move out of the relegation play-off place. Next up they have the monied Queens Park, who now occupy that play-off spot. Their campaign could pivot before Scott has time to learn all the player’s names.
For Celtic, it would be helpful to foster good relations with another Scottish club. Our fringe players benefit from loans in the hands of a manager who knows our systems and where they can be watched every game by a Celtic coach. Hopefully we’ll see a couple make the journey before the month is out.
We’ll discuss Matt O’Riley tomorrow. Celtic’s face is set to stone to any club asking about him. It will be a nervy few days, nonetheless.
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hope O’Reilly stays; you can’t beat a Matt finish……
Re MOR, assuming he doesn’t have a buy out clause then we need to hold out until at least the summer. If he has a buy out and it is met and he wants to go, there is little we can do other than attempt a new contract with higher buy-out
KELVINBHOY on 24TH JANUARY 2024 3:30 PM
Re MOR
If they were invoking a buy out clause then they wouldn’t ask for a loan begore buy.
They are not on the Uefa watch list so I assume this is a tax FSR thing.
CONEYBHOY on 24TH JANUARY 2024 3:28 PM
“hope O’Reilly stays; you can’t beat a Matt finish……”
I think he’s Silky…..
por cierto
I have never been a panic merchant, or for that matter, a conspiracy theorist.
However, I’m beginning to wonder if a deal between us and them for them to win the league, after all, the “Old Firm ” is bigger than both clubs. I know some will say we need the CL £60 million, get it, really do.
Just saying I am concerned, and the way the board is operating is worrying , to me anyway. Looks like they will pocket the £50 million or so they get for M oR and CCv and job done !!!
Hope to hell I’m wrong
As I say, worrying
KINGLuBO
Matt and whoever advises him seem like smart people. At every stage of his career he’s made very mature decisions about his development into an elite footballer
He left Fulham without a club to go to because they couldn’t offer him the first team action he wanted, he went to MK Dons and made sure his contract had a low buy out fee so he’d be able to choose his next move carefully, which he did.
He recently signed a four year deal, probably not on huge wages, and when he was under no pressure to do it. I would imagine the contract says he’s allowed to leave when certain clauses are met. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Atletico Madrid are at the very highest end of the clubs he’d expect to go to. There may be clauses about when he can go, to what club and for how much. There may be none of them.
If he does have the choice to go to Atletico, and its by no means certain he has, it would be a considerable commitment to give up on his career plan to stay at Celtic for another 5 months, during which time he could get injured, Atletico could sign someone else, and he could get a load of mediocre offers in the Summer. He has a SPL title to win (again), the Scottish cup (again) or he can go and live in Madrid, challenge for La Liga, play in the Champions League and play for one of the best mangers in the world.
If Celtic let him go we’re showing we have a pathway (very topical when it comes to development) to an elite club for potential signings. The fees we can demand go up.
If we stop him from going it says something to the same sort of players we need to attract. Come to Celtic and we’ll stoop you from really following your dreams.
Lots of ifs – if they do come in with an offer, if they do offer what we think he’s worth, if everything fits with what he might have in his contract, if he wants to go – then he’s gone unfortunately
If all the above are true and he stays it will be pretty remarkable and Brendan and everyone involved at Celtic will have done an excellent job.
I think its either keech or Atleti are testing us with a low offer to see if we’ll bite or Matt’s head will get turned.
KINGLUBO on 24TH JANUARY 2024 3:46 PM
Its not £60m. The difference between CL (ours) and Europa league (the Huns) participation is about £15m this season so far, it wont be more than £25 next, more like £20.
I think his Dad is his agent so you’d think money wouldn’t be the main driver in his decisions, but a big pay rise must be appealing as well
Buy-out clauses typically carry a time limit.
For example, only kicks-in after a year, 18 months, 2 years etc. This is to stop players signing a new contract with a sell-on clause then demanding a move within a few months or a season etc.
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 24TH JANUARY 2024 3:37 PM
Yeah, understood and assuming the report is correct that would be strange, a loan with a view to buy I mean.
I would have thought having signed a new contract recently it would have a buy-out hence the £20m tag, again assuming that bit is right too. Anyway, I hope MOR does not go there as his next step, playing for that bunch of cheats and I am thinking more recently than back to the 70’s would make it difficult to support him.
ST STIVS
Enjoy your retirement!
Just to be clear– a time-restricted sell-on clause does not preclude the club agreeing to sell the player before the clause kicks in if both parties agree to the deal.
Try these:
1] Celtic’s first hat-trick scorer in european competition?
Clue:Same full name as a Celtic player in 90s.
::Non -Celtic question::
2]Who were the two Scots international ‘keepers that faced each other in an[English] F.A. cup final.
Clue: 1960s.
So we’ve went from “possibly needing up to 4 quality players” at the start of the window to “possibly losing a quality player” instead by the end of the window.
Only Celtic
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:10 PM
Fair enough, although isnt that for newly transferred players to stop clubs losing a big amount on a new signing?
I dont really know what I’m talking about to be honest, I’m guessing that Matt wouldn’t have signed a contract that he didnt need to without assurances he’d get a move if he really wanted it. Staying at Celtic for four more years isn’t part of his plan
Friday, 9 February 2024 (Kick-off 7.30pm) – Greenock Morton v Motherwell | Live on BBC Scotland
Saturday, 10 February 2024 (Kick-off 5:30pm) – Rangers v Ayr United | Live on Viaplay
Sunday, 11 February 2024 (Kick-off 2:00pm) – St Mirren v Celtic | Live on Viaplay
Sunday, 11 February 2024 (Kick-off 5:00pm) – Airdieonians v Heart of Midlothian | Live on BBC One Scotland
“31003 on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:21 PM
So we’ve went from “possibly needing up to 4 quality players” at the start of the window to “possibly losing a quality player” instead by the end of the window.
Only Celtic”
`Only Celtic` ?
I don`t think you can blame Celtic for the baseless ramblings of posters easily influenced by soundbites and fictitious MSSM `reports`.
An awful lot of words on here today about Matt.
It’s bordering on hysteria.
Let’s see some evidence before any further discussion.
HH
HOT SMOKED
I’m sure Brendan was quoted in some newspapers as saying “4 signings of quality”
31003 on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:21 PM
So we’ve went from “possibly needing up to 4 quality players” at the start of the window to “possibly losing a quality player” instead by the end of the window.
Only Celtic
——————————–
Who are you quoting there?
31003 on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:35 PM
HOT SMOKED
I’m sure Brendan was quoted in some newspapers as saying “4 signings of quality”
…..and on here a few times
Never seen Brendan denying it yet…
THE_HUDDLE on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:36 PM
31003 on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:21 PM
So we’ve went from “possibly needing up to 4 quality players” at the start of the window to “possibly losing a quality player” instead by the end of the window.
Only Celtic
——————————–
Who are you quoting there?
See above
Bada
There’s some really crap kick off times there, ours looks the best !
The 4 quality singings quote is Brendan trying to get as much out of the board as possible. He knows its never going to happen in January, but he’s doing his best to get as much as he can
bhoyjoe
john hughes
and
Which is fine if you’re comfortable operating like that. Its not something the board wont have seen before
I don’t think matt will go until the summer but you never know. This board can never have enough money in the bank.
Good afternoon all from the Palace Bar. Pints paid from proceeds of a tip by an esteemed poster on here. Cheers!!!!🍻
CELTIC40ME on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:40 PM
The 4 quality singings quote is Brendan trying to get as much out of the board as possible. He knows its never going to happen in January, but he’s doing his best to get as much as he can
And I can understand his thinking…..
But it does get your hopes up that we might get one…possibly two
Now to read we’re facing nervy times over one of our quality players….well, you know what I mean
if i had to do a specialist subject that was not Celtic it would be FA Cup Finals, but that goalkeeper question has me pure stumped.
SS @4.41
John Hughes>Correct<
2 goalies required!!!
now a random obscure one gleamed today from a wee gaelic film ……….
one for the cinema buffs ……….
name the ex footballer, and so far the only one, to have won an oscar, a man with a greenock connection for a clue.
Bhoy Joe
Bill Brown and Blacklaw?
WESTCRAIGS on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:42 PM
I don’t think matt will go until the summer but you never know. This board can never have enough money in the bank.
———————-
If the story is true, then Madrid won’t even give us money now so nothing for the board to hoard.
Madrid want to try before they buy, then if Matt flops Celtic lose a player for half a season and then get him back.
It doesn’t really make sense.
Jota and CCV both signed full contracts after loan periods. I’m sure Anges enthusiasm and promise that we were a club moving forward and trying to make an impression in Europe. He proved to them we were ambitious by being positive in the transfer market by buying decent players and quickly.
From where I’m sitting I can’t see Bernardo for instance being in any rush to sign long term as the positivity and quick purchases of decent players isn’t quite the same as it was under Ange
Tommy Lawrence and David Harvey?
31003 on 24TH JANUARY 2024 4:43 PM
“And I can understand his thinking…..”
Me too, he’s the manager and it will be easier for him to do his job well with each new quality player we bring in, regardless of how much they cost. He’s a manager, he’ll always want more
“But it does get your hopes up that we might get one…possibly two”
Thats the thinking behind his comments
Gary G @4.48
Yes Bill Brown (Spurs) and Adam Blacklaw (Burnley)
Good answer.