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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If i had a hat id eat it..
Belfastboyo
Here is a link to the bus route and timetable https://www.buscroatia.com/split-sarajevo/
I have never used a bus out there so cannot advise on what they are like but it is a long journey, about 8 hours according to this site. Price is around 150- 200HRK (Croatian kunas) which is about £16 – £20 one way i think.
The game will be right in the peak tourist season so accommodation in either Split or Sarajevo may be difficult to find. Booking.com is usually good for short stays.
I didn’t have time to go to Sarajevo so have no experience of staying there.
If you don’t have a car, the old town of Split would be best to stay in for the culture of Diocletian’s palace and there are many coastal resorts directly connected by bus to Split airport if you want a bit of sun.
Personally, i would give Mostar a night or two out of a week.
Feel free to email me directly hrvatskijim@gmail.com if you want any more advice.
Neil Lennon
” we know the areas we need to strengthen ”
Thank god he reads CQN so
WITS
If he has read it, we’ll need a new team, practically
Asfickleasweare CSC
Cynics day off?
Celtic finally get the deal over the line!!
Or
Norwich reject snapped up by Hoops
timaloy29 on 21st June 2019 11:54 am
Deal is done and he’s doing his interviews for Celtic TV etc.
Picture on twitter with a Celtic shirt on in the trophy room.
————————–
Last time i seen a picture like that it was Big Cesar and wee Judas (*ick spit hurl puke*)
DontcountyourchickenslikeCSC
Hh
!!BADA BING!! on 21ST JUNE 2019 1:15 PM
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?
___
If you want to see delusion, check out Tierney mentions on twitter.
Arsenal fans think that if they give us a young lad on loan, Carl Jenkinson and a small fee we’ll give them our prized asset with 4 years left on his deal.
I said yesterday, I hope Tierney has told PL he is going nowhere until after 10iar. He will then be 24 and should then be at the height of his sale value for himself and the club.
He has made it clear he wants to stay with us so I would be gutted if he is pushed out the door. It will be a long time before we luck upon another player of his class via our youth system and there is no way we can buy anyone of his level.
Even if a club meets his current sale clause (if he has one), he should have the right to say he is staying.
Treated correctly, I think KT would be happy to stay with us for his whole career. He is our next captain after SB retires.
Tierney ?
But its a pub league innit ?
On a serious note it would be wrong to stand in Tierneys way if did want to move.
Its a short career.3 trebles at the club you support, what more can he achieve..10 in a row i suppose…
Hope his injury is sorted
Well Well
Celtic have played this transfer well. The involvement of John Kennedy and Scott Brown deserves credit.
Celtic have also laid down a marker to other players and their agents who try to force the club’s hand
There are many on here who will be pig sick as it doesn’t follow their anti club narrative.
Lets see some defenders
O.k ghuys been on CTV there and still don’t see anything about a confirmed
signing of Turnbull.
But i did watch a rerun of Celtic/ Real Madrid in 1967 and 120.000 Spaniards
giving our club and wee Jinky a deserved accolade after their display against
a world power at that time.
Why the feck am i wondering about a young wannabee like an ex mother?
I’ve seen the best, he should be wondering if he can be a legend.
H.H Mick
BIGBHOY – I think I agree with you :)
We firmly closed the door on the transfer and said so publicly. I wonder if we will ever know the truth as to how that door was reopened and if the terms of the original contract offer were maintained or bettered – in other words did the player/agent have to eat humble pie and call big Pete or did we signal that we were willing to improve the offer in some way just before he was due to sign for Norwich?
Anyway, glad to have him.
DENIABHOY
100% Correct.
H.H Mick
One thing about KT, if or when he does go he’s the sort of boy who will come back some time down the line
DENIABHOY on 21ST JUNE 2019 1:42 PM
“Even if a club meets his current sale clause (if he has one), he should have the right to say he is staying.”
____
Sorry, are you suggesting that Celtic would sell Kieran Tierney against his will.
The club doesn’t need the money and there is no benefit in selling him while he has 4 years left on his deal. If KT fails to sign an extension in the next two seasons then he will be partially responsible if he’s sold.
It’s quite simple, if you want to stay here you sign a long-term contract. Celtic don’t often sell with 4 years left on a deal.
LG looking well,and training with the first team today,looking promising….
If, and in my opinion it’s a big if, Bayo impresses we aren’t looking too bad for next season already
Right Back and Centre Half and we are nearly there
Would also like a left back…
TIMALOY29 – I would be delighted if you are right but we would not be the first club to “encourage” a player who still has years left on his contract to leave. Every player has his price from the selling club’s perspective.
Do you think Celtic haven’t in the past sold players who wanted to stay with us by telling them that the deal was too good for the club to turn down? That the player should take the money on offer as it will never be matched or bettered by us?
If we fail to get into the CL and Arsenal or Man Utd. offer 25 million for him then do you not think the board might pressure KT to accept it?
Only speculation.
As I said, I really hope KT has made it clear he does not want to move and told the board to make that clear to any club hovering over him at the moment.
Deniabhoy – Willie Maley tried it with Jimmy McGrory but thankfully Jimmy told him where to go!
(politely of course)
Bhoylo- from the rags….
CELTIC could move for FC Copenhagen right-back Peter Ankersen.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ankersen
Guys,
It would be naive to think that clubs don’t sell players against their will.
The incomparable Jock Stein sold at least two players against their will : Yogi and Willie Wallace.
I bet Tontine Tim would easily find more of the top of his head.
HH.
This David Turnbull transfer saga is like a big black cloud hanging over the club, which doesn’t seem logical as nobody is certain whether we actually need him or not, but anyway the sooner he signs the sooner the sun will break out over Celtic Park. Mind you as I type this its probably sunny right now but you know what I mean.
GREENPINATA on 21ST JUNE 2019 2:31 PM
Different era. Clubs had way more power pre-Bosman
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?
They are a good pairing but we do need cover.
Other Scottish teams usually get humped out of Europe at the first qualifying round by Maltesers or San Marinions so they don’t need much in the way of cover . Also they play on average about 60% of the games we play in a season.
DENIABHOY on 21ST JUNE 2019 2:18 PM
I would be delighted if you are right but we would not be the first club to “encourage” a player who still has years left on his contract to leave. Every player has his price from the selling club’s perspective.
____
Some clubs need money more than others. See: Alfredo Morelos
“Do you think Celtic haven’t in the past sold players who wanted to stay with us by telling them that the deal was too good for the club to turn down?”
___
I can’t think of a marquee player like Tierney. Obviously, guys like Erik Sviatchenko wanted to stay but the club wanted them out because the coach didn’t rate them.
But no I don’t think that happens with key players.
___
“If we fail to get into the CL and Arsenal or Man Utd. offer 25 million for him then do you not think the board might pressure KT to accept it?”
____
Probably not. KT has 4 years left on his deal. This means he can remain at Celtic for a further 2 seasons and still be able to command a lucrative fee.
Celtic’s current financial situation means that we do not need to sell. Even if they fail to qualify for the CL.
The only thing that can stop 9 in a row is…………………(drum roll)
Greg Stewart.
He says.
Celtic players being sold when they wanted to stay has happened and will continue to happen, Two off the top of my head.
Bertie Auld sold to Birmingham against his wishes, Frank McAvennie says he sat in Glasgow Airport crying when Celtic sold him back to West Ham
If you’re not part of the managers plans, you will be forced out to play elsewhere, simples.
If you want to play football, you sometimes are left with no choice.
Not suggesting KT isn’t part of a long term plan, i think he’s here for 10IAR
HH
Bada
Yep seen that, i think he’s the type of player that could replace Lustig
Scandinavians tend to do well at Celtic and seem to have the right mentality to play for the club
Alos, getting Turnbull over the line would draw a line and lift the doom and gloom that’s has been hangin over the club since cup final day imo
ASUPPORTERWHOGOTLUCKY on 21ST JUNE 2019 3:04 PM
Any comparison pre-Bosman is a waste of time.
Glendalystonsils & Hot Smoked
Both Ajer & Simunovic finished the season well but when you look at the start of the season, Ajer was pretty poor, particularly v AEK. Simunovic didn’t play much and not sure how much trust Brendan Rodgers had in him from a disciplinary viewpoint.
I love Ajer’s attitude and the boy has lots of potential but is far from the finished article defensively.
The centre back situation at Celtic over the past couple of years has been a serious clusterf* with the purchase of Compper and Hendry (BR ‘happy’ with both).
The farcical Boyata contract situation – including the certain knowledge (last pre-season) that he would be leaving for £0 at the end of the season or sold in January, and add to that the knowledge that Benkovic would go back to Leicester.
Remember Boyata & Benkovic became were first choices yet given all the above, nothing was done to strengthen the CB position in January.
I hope (and believe) that a decent & robust centre back will be high up – probably number 1 – priority for Neil.
TIMALOY29 on 21ST JUNE 2019 3:12 PM
Alex Ferguson sold many players against their will, post Bosman.
HH.
“draw a line and lift the doom and gloom that’s has been hangin over the club since cup final day”
I’d hate to think what’ll be the reaction on t’interweb when if don’t win a treble/get knocked out of a cup competition?
Treble Treble and some are gloomy FFS!!!!!!!!!
ASUPPORTERWHOGOTLUCKY on 21ST JUNE 2019 3:04 PM
I think Kenny Miller comes in to the same category, he had just settled in when we sold him to Derby I think it was. We had bought Scott Mac. from Motherwell and Kenny was then told he was surplus to requirements.
GREENPINATA on 21ST JUNE 2019 3:22 PM
TIMALOY29 on 21ST JUNE 2019 3:12 PM
Alex Ferguson sold many players against their will, post Bosman.
HH.
____
Irrelevant example.
For a start, nothing to do with Celtic.
Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager. If he didn’t want a player for footballing reasons then that’s his prerogative.
There’s a difference between NL not wanting a player and the board selling a player from under him that he wants to keep.
I think it’s safe to say that NL likes KT and wants him to stay.
Bhoylo- agree with all of that…