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Transfer ‘saga’, David Murray vices, warlords and dafties

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Signing players is easy, just ask anyone who has never done it.  The selling club invariably wants to wait until the last moment, when they are sure no one else will bid up the price.  The player occasionally wants to wait and see if you have Champions League football that season.  This deal might be the only income the agent will get that year, so he needs to make the most of it.

Then you have the really complicated ones.  Players have pitched up at Celtic Park from a far-flung part of Europe, terrified to sign because some shady character thinks he owns a part of him and has not been paid off.

There has been a time recently when everything was agreed, then the selling club told the player he would not receive his final salary.  The player, not unreasonably, said, “This is not right, on a point of principle, they need to pay or we try again in January.”

You want to sign all your top targets, but to do that, you need to pay the top price the club, player and agent can imagine you will pay, even then, it’s not always going to happen.

It is only right to pay the top price you can afford on exceptional occasions.  Your strategy should involve being prepared to fail in a negotiation, because to succeed at the prevailing price does not fit your overall budget.

In Scotland, we are still conditioned to some extent, by the bombast of David Murray.  Old Zsa Zsa rattled his jewellery and boasted that he never allowed price to stop him buying a player he really wanted.  I hear the echoes today, “Just pay the money!”

Murray made it sound like a virtue.  It wasn’t.  It was one of several vices that led to liquidation.

You have to lose some.  Players will not come and some existing players, who are out of contract, will leave.  Both will be painful, fans will accuse you of motives which have no internal consistency, but if you get a reputation for not letting players walk away due to money, you are dead in the water.

You need a bucket full of tactics, not cash, to sign players.  Experience helps too, and not the good type, you will mostly learn from bad experiences.  There will be times you phone the player’s grandfather, who is on your side, but you will still not be able to convince the player Celtic Park is the right move.

Then you will publicly turn your face to stone. “This is our line and not an inch more”, was the subtext of a recent Celtic Tweet.  “Curious”, I thought, “What’s the chances this will work?”

The football business is mad, there is no other word for it.  It is full of dafties, alpha males who are still trying to impress their decades-dead fathers, the occasional warlord and some fine young athletes.  Try to understand it through the prism of normal life and you will misinterpret everything.

Oh, and if at least 50% of your transfers are not justifiably described as a “saga” you’re not working hard enough.  Transfers, like sausages, are not meant to look good when they are being made.

Let’s hope David Turnbull passes his medical…..

I’m off to the CQN Charity Golf Day in Aberdour this afternoon, not to play golf, of course, but to hear Danny McGrain and Willie McStay.

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  4. Belfastbhoy0 on

    Anyone heard anything about official transport to sarajevo? was thinking of flying from dublin to split or others in that neck of the woods but not sure how easy it is to get onwards from there….

  7. Greenpinata on

    From those of us stuck at Pesky work; enjoy the golf and particularly the 19th hole.

     

     

    To conduct negotiations I suggest watching Pawn Stars.

     

    You know when and how to say ” Not a buck more” when warrented.

     

     

    HH to all.

  9. quadrophenian on

    P67:

     

    “It is full of dafties, alpha males who are still trying to impress their decades-dead fathers, the occasional warlord and some fine young athletes. Try to understand it through the prism of normal life and you will completely misinterpret everything.”

     

    Unkindly, it could be said of CQN most weeks ;) Enjoy doting on the legend anecdoters.

  10. neveralone on

    At last…. After about two years I’ve managed to get signed back on.

     

     

    What have I missed?

     

     

    ?

  11. Melbourne Mick on

    There you have done it again Paul 67.

     

    Am sure you’ve got it infamy.

     

    Could somebody transfer my usual diddy post over to here.

     

    Thanks in anticipation and huge Celticness

     

    8-))

     

    H.H Mick

  12. Melbourne Mick on

    BADA BING

     

     

    That post just confirmed it BADA, just wish he was wearing that style

     

    of shirt directly behind him in the photo.

     

    Don’t mess with class.

     

    H.H Mick

  15. Melbourne Mick on

    BADA BING

     

     

    Is it a case it’s only the oldies don’t like that new top or do the

     

    young dudes think it’s cool?

     

    I know from our CSC here in Oz our young yins aren’t too

     

    enamoured.

     

    How about our kids on here? under 30’s only reply lol.

     

    H.H Mick

  18. Maradominic on

    Celtic know that the first, and most important games come early. So every year they say same pish.. can’t get players till near ends of window.. so buy them the previous windows.. We needed a RB last summer before qualifiers!!! So lost to a poor AEK team as Lustig wasn’t up to speed after WC that we knew he was playing in. No surprises just lack of planning. We got away with it the previous years.. PL comment was something like – what if you spend £xM on a player and you don’t qualify? Well you have him for the next year!!! and can still sell him. we neeed a RB, LB,, Not cover! , 2 CH and CF. at minimum. Plenty of wingers and MF. If Kouassi rises to challenge to fill in for SB. PS Turnbull looks good. Should start season from bench and give Calmac a break and play when Rogic is not up to speed.

  19. eddieinkirkmichael on

    MELBOURNE MICK on 21ST JUNE 2019 12:14 PM

     

    Hullo again all you young rebels.

     

     

     

    Right? who’s at the wind up and who’s no.

     

     

    Just logged on and apparently the young lad Turnbull has realised the

     

     

    enormity of his mistake by not signing on to the biggest and best

     

     

    supported club in the world, admittedly after talking to the canaries.

     

     

    He must have thought ” feck me! i’m away with the birds ”

     

     

    So somebody confirm to this aul tim who’s had his usual skinfull.

     

     

    Is he ours or not?

     

     

    H.H Mick

  20. Hrvatski Jim on

    BELFASTBHOY0 on 21ST JUNE 2019 12:13 PM

     

    Anyone heard anything about official transport to sarajevo? was thinking of flying from dublin to split or others in that neck of the woods but not sure how easy it is to get onwards from there….

     

     

    From Spilt it is about a 5 hour drive.

     

     

    The best route includes going via Medugorje and via Mostar which is a place which made a huge impact on my wife and me when we visited a few years ago. Absolutely beautiful old town with the famous (rebuilt) bridge over the river from which young boys leap 25 meters down into the river.

     

     

    What really got to us was the winding road down to the town with graveyards at every turn and all the graves dated 1995 when the town was sieged by the Serbs. It is a place not to miss.

     

     

    When we got to the Bosnian border, the bored guard looked at Glasgow on our passports. We said “Celtic” and got big smiles and waved through. No visa is needed to enter the country with an EU passport.

     

     

    It will be an enjoyable trip if you can make it.

  22. Belfastbhoy0 on

    HRVATSKI JIM

     

     

    Cheers, is it safe to assume there are regular buses ? seems to be overnight trains from what google has told me so far? any advice on where to base stay if going of r a week or so?

  24. stephbhoy on

    THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE

     

     

    SEE your a glass half full kind of guy

     

     

    The americans kids are playing at a decent level against fulltime players and doing well by all accounts. The kids we have coming through are showing up well. They may not all make the grade but They may, like k.t, forrest and mcgregor grab their chance. We spend good money on our academy to get these kids into the first team. I have faith that we will See good think from our kids and would rather have wee johnson than spend a million on a journeyman

     

     

    Bayo is just in the door, we have signed, by all accounts a very good players in shved, we have apparently signed the best young midfielder in scotland. Griff will still know how to playimg football, i worry that people are to quick to right him off.

     

     

    Yes we need a rightback and centreback for sure.

     

     

    I dont think lennon will transform our style in a couple of weeks, that will take time, but I do think the return to fitness of half a team will make a big difference.

     

     

    HH

  25. Melbourne Mick on

    EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL

     

     

    Thank you Eddie, the young laddie obviously came to his senses.

     

    How is our young Capo doing? hope she’s back soon for our trip

     

    to the local brewery, nothing like a COYBIG when your downing

     

    a few beers,

     

    H.H Mick

  26. Hot Smoked on

    First game, St Johnstone at Home while Sevco are Away to Kilmarnock.That is not quite what was predicted one here.

     

     

    Paul67

     

    I thought your article was both reasoned and reasonable.

     

    Maradominic. I thought yours was neither but I still enjoyed reading it :-)

     

    JJ

  27. Hot Smoked on

    If any other team in Scotland had Simunovich and Ajer as their central defenders, would their fans be crying out for another one or two in that position?

     

     

    JJ

  31. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Paul67

     

     

    “There will be times you phone the player’s grandfather, who is on your side, but you will still not be able to convince the player Celtic Park is the right move.”

     

     

     

    Are you heavily hinting at a recent occurrence?

     

     

     

    I am desperately trying to think who might have had to appease a warlord.

     

     

    Cha Du Ri? Eboue Kouassi? Chic Charnley?

  32. timaloy29 on

    HOT SMOKED on 21ST JUNE 2019 12:48 PM

     

    If any other team in Scotland had Simunovich and Ajer as their central defenders, would their fans be crying out for another one or two in that position?

     

     

    ___

     

     

    Another one or two is required for numbers.

     

     

    Benkovic & Boyata gone. Nearly 60 appearances combined.

     

     

    Both NL and BR have indicated that Hendry (who has a serious injury) & Compper cannot be trusted.

  33. What is the Stars on

    Turnbull has failed a medical

     

    but this will not be acknowledged until after Peter gets his bonus and Ntcham is sold

     

     

    Its simple really,we are being led up the garden path towards the heated driveway

     

     

    I am sick of this penny pinching…Is it any wonder we find ourselves looking enviously over at our old rivals on the other side of the city

     

     

    Will this slump ever end

  35. What is the Stars on

    A month ago I never heard of David Turnbull

     

     

    Now he is my favourite person on the planet ever ….( well 2nd after Peter, ok 3rd after my wife then Peter,Ok 5th after my wife,daughters,Peter ….ah you get my drift)

     

     

    VIVA LA SLUMPASITAS !!!!

  36. Melbourne Mick on

    STEPHBHOY

     

     

    Great post , in other words be patient.

     

    SFTB

     

    Just luv it, Chick Charnley trying to appease, can still see him charging

     

    about a Glesga fitba field wi a cudgel in his haun lol.

     

    H.H Mick

  38. KINGLUBO on

    I understand that Arsenal have made signing Mr Tierny their top priority. It will be interseting to see what they offer, I’d guess around 12 million. Now imagine if KT was at say Southampton, how much would Arsenal offer then and how much Southampton would want. My point is id we do sell him, get top dollar.

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  40. !!Bada Bing!! on

    NL: “We’re hoping to get a few more in, hopefully to join us in the camp in Austria. We’re looking in three or four areas and we know the areas where we need to strengthen.”

  41. !!Bada Bing!! on

    KINGLUBO on 21ST JUNE 2019 1:05 PM

     

    I understand that Arsenal have made signing Mr Tierny their top priority. It will be interseting to see what they offer, I’d guess around 12 million.

     

     

    12 million? What game do they want him for?

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