Transfers: supply and demand

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I know we’ve touched on this before, but I continue to see, “Why do Celtic always leave it until the last minute?’ question asked about the transfer window.  This is not a difficult question, in fact, it is the easiest question you will ever get about how football works.

Why do Brighton always leave it to the last minute?  Why do Manchester City always leave it to the last minute? [Brighton, Man City and Celtic have, of course, already signed players].  Brighton are apparently very keen to sign Matt O’Riley, but here we are, on the 22 August, their season is already underway and Matt is knocking about Lennoxtown this morning.

We all know why this is.  Matt is under contract and Celtic want to keep him, so will leave it until they are sure it is right to sell, that they have extracted the highest possible bid, and that they have backfill.  How is it possible to know how sellers act when you are connected to the seller, but not when you are connected to a buyer?

Transfer windows skew activity towards the end of the period.  Exceptions to this rule exist, but they always come with a story.  Celtic, Brighton or Manchester City are not responsible for how humans react to supply and demand.  Complaining about it is like shouting at the wind.

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270 Comments

  1. CELTIC40ME @ 3:21 PM,

     

     

    No he doesn’t

     

     

    You just made that up

     

     

    AN TEARMANN☝️

     

     

    Hail Hail

  2. CHAIRBHOY on 22ND AUGUST 2024 3:38 PM

     

     

    “No he doesn’t

     

     

    You just made that up”

     

     

    Masterful debate

     

     

    And you smell of poo

  3. That signing policy of ours?.

     

    Matt. £30 million

     

    Kyogo, £20 million

     

    Hatate. &20 million.

     

    CCV. £20 million

     

     

    By the way,that Bogusz looks a bit of a beast.Wrecking ball.

  4. Ten Men won the league

     

     

    “You’re missing the most pertinent point. Both clubs are looking at purchasing one player in the final week of trading, we’re looking to get 4. Forward planning, 2 words missing within our football club.”

     

    ——————————-

     

     

    I think I addressed a pertinent point in your post- you have not really countered it because you are merely assuming Brighton & Man City are making their final acquisition a week ahead of the window closing. That is a mere supposition on your part (unless you are a Man City CEO- in which case- get aff this blog and do your job!😀). We don’t know if Matt or Kyogo are the last bit of business both will do. Man City have known for a long time that Alvarez was for the off- they just needed someone willing to pay the silly money and someone did because they get free silly money and we don’t. So why did Man City not have Kyogo in place when their season started last week? How long before they get him integrated with their style of play? And what are they doing signing an injury prone 29 year old who might be under the knife when they need him for CL Group matches?

     

     

    Why did Brighton not have Matt in place before their tricky opening away fixture in the EPL (I know they won easily but Everton drew with them home and away last season and cuffed them 5:1 in 2023 at Brighton’s home ground), bedded-in in time to acclimatise to their style? They knew they had lost Pascal Groß and had loaned Buonanotte to Leicester- they could have seen Matt lost to Atalanta cos they left it so late.

     

     

    These are all accusations you would have levelled at Celtic for late window transfer dealings but you excuse them in “well run” clubs because it was just Juan player.

     

     

    Now Celtic haven’t lost Matt or Kyogoo yet. So why should we have bought their replacements until their sales were certain? That is what well run Brighton and Man City have done- but they don’t get it in the neck from you- I assume because, like me, you have no emotional investment in either club so don’t care if they’re good or bad at what they do- but genuine supporters of both clubs rant and rave just as we do on Brighton Kiss me Quick News and Man City Pay me Quick News.

     

     

    So if Brendan waits till Matt goes before he puts pen to paper on signing the 2 replacements he wants- say any 2 from Engels/Sanchez/Tesseman/Boguscz and Kyogo gets replaced by someone we’ve not yet heard about (God help me- anyone but Shankland) then we have the same squad size as before and we can wait to evaluate their replacements.

     

     

    As Paul’s article shows, most business is done late in the market. You can believe that’s just down to the laziness of CEO’s and scouts in all of professional football if you’re desperate to scapegoat, or you can accept that, if it happens all over the football world, then, maybe, there is a structural reason why it is so.

  5. AIPPLE on 22ND AUGUST 2024 1:17 PM

     

    Excited to hear about your trip.

     

     

    I’ll be looking over my shoulder for your Looval lass and you to turn up like in DC and Notre Dame 🙂

  6. 10 men

     

     

    Forgot to add- Man City played Haaland for 90 minutes and he was on a yellow card too because they had no recognised striker to replace him, having sold Alvarez. They would have had to play a kid or a false 9. And, if Haaland got a 2nd yellow, he’d have missed a fixture or two. Aye- they were just happy to stay one step ahead of Arsenal, though😀

  7. It’s really simple this.

     

     

    Celtic has 3 folks involved in the transfer game now. Brendan plus the CEO and the Finance guy. If there is anything bigger DD may get involved.

     

     

    All this Brendan is let down by anyone is utter crap. Sadly in an ear post Lawwell folks need scapegoats. Sadly with Brendan making the recruitment calls we won’t see any of the ambition shown previously.

     

     

    Ambition which gave us Kyogo O Riley Hatate Abada etc.

  8. Reggie

     

     

    I just made a few posts during a coffee break. I’m back to my report reading & writing now so can’t engage fully as your posts deserved.

     

     

    2 quick observations-

     

     

    1) you are right that Paul did say it’s ok to be in a bit of manageable debt- wasn’t that long ago that we were. There are no benefits to having a pile of cash with no expressed purpose behind them- except if that expressed purpose depends on commercial secrecy- and I’m not referring to Darwin’s favourite topic of Historical Child Sexual Abuse there.

     

     

    2) We could sign McGowan, Shankland and Porteous and people on here would put a positive slant on it.

     

     

    That’s more than a a bit unfair. I read quite widely on Celtic blogs and I see people touting these players and poorer prospects than them; it’s neither unique nor more widespread on CQN than it is on Huddleboard, Kerrydale, Sentinels or e-tims.

     

     

    For the record- my view- Shankland’s a no- too similar to Adam and really not quite good enough.

     

     

    Porteous- Christ no!- A liability- cult type centre half and would get 10 Red Cards a season in our shirt. But my view don’t matter- He’ll be bought if, and only if, Brendan wants him. The he gets my full support (with added angst)

     

     

    And McCowan doesn’t belong in that category- he has made himself into a very decent player of at least, Paul Hartley standard. I’d prefer Jamie McGrath from Aberdeen but nobody listens to me because I once thought Jim Melrose would do a job for us😀

     

     

    Back to work

  9. TexasTim re: upcoming trip

     

     

    Looval lass was so happy to meet your lovely lady. Still peek back at the videos and photos every other day.

  10. bournesouprecipe on

    REGGIE

     

     

    Indeed.

     

     

    What could be more ‘super well run ‘ not to mention exciting than the possibility of losing your best players having not strengthened for two months, and have days left to ‘replace’ them.

     

     

    It was posted on these pages in June that we’d sign a keeper, with Idah and Bernardo, and anything else would be a bonus despite the mystery money ‘buffer’ kept under lock and key.

     

     

    There’ll be no panic buys, just panic.😱

  11. CELTIC40ME on 22ND AUGUST 2024 3:27 PM

     

     

    I was trying to avoid the word caveat…. but sure take him at face value with the caveat that he is talking publicly about his bosses. And I’m not doubting his sincerity, I’m saying since he’s repeatedly asked for a higher level of player to be targeted and seemingly won a battle against the previous head of recruitment, then you have to dissect perhaps what elements he thinks are well run and what elements are not.

     

     

    But yeah such is the nature of this window we all regurgitate the same arguments. At this late stage I’m perfectly willing to wait until the transfer window closes to judge. If they fail to deliver once again, then the time for talking is over and the time for action begins.

  12. “Saint Stivs on 22nd August 2024 3:26 pm

     

    why is it taking Brighton so long, glacial like , to sign MOR ?”

     

     

    I was going to post something similar. CQNers regularly moan about Celtic taking an age to make a signing as though we were unique in that area. We most certainly are not ( unique)

  13. SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 22ND AUGUST 2024 4:16 PM

     

    Reggie

     

     

    That’s more than a a bit unfair. I read quite widely on Celtic blogs and I see people touting these players and poorer prospects than them; it’s neither unique nor more widespread on CQN than it is on Huddleboard, Kerrydale, Sentinels or e-tims.

     

     

    =====

     

     

    Fair enough. Sections of the wider support would put a positive slant on it

     

     

    My point being, with the exception of the 2nd of the 2 midfielders BR wants to replace MOR, we should be looking at the standard of player that can come right in to the first team not bloat the squad

  14. Chairbhoy.

     

     

    The placemen are out in force; dissembling, disinformation, dissing fhellow posters… we’ve all seen this movie before.

     

     

    Never a good look when the excuse and expectation management gurus are thick on the ground

     

     

    From Sentinel CB.

     

     

    Take your time :-)

  15. AN TEARMANN @ 4:49 PM,

     

     

    Thank you, I will…

     

     

    BTW: I replied ages ago, you telling me you haven’t seen it!?

     

     

    It’s on SC

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. AN TEARMANN @ 4:49 PM,

     

     

    Might be worth reading my replies to Auldheid too

     

     

    If you are so minded:))

     

     

    Hail Hail

  17. Chairbhoy.

     

     

    Thought you’d be able to post names on the blog your talking of,that would be the honest thing to do.not to worry.

     

    I try not read micks blog Peter owns to many heads there.the poster methmitch:-) who you were replying to being one.

     

     

    Keep on dissenting,if you think C40me is a board apologist break down his points here no need to swipe from afar.(that’s only name I see you posting to today)

     

     

    HH

  18. AN TEARMANN @ 4:49 PM,

     

     

    We all know why this is. Matt is under contract and Celtic want to keep him, so will leave it until they are sure it is right to sell, that they have extracted the highest possible bid, and that they have backfill.

     

     

    Out of our top ten transfers over the last ten years – that takes us down to Stuart Armstrong in price and Victor Wanyama in time – only three of these players were backfilled.

     

     

    The three were Odsonne Edouard, Ajer and Josip Juranovic

     

     

    All three were backfilled by Ange

     

     

    Apart from that, we don’t backfill high value players.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  19. AN TEARMANN @ 5:31 PM,

     

     

    Surely it’s better just to reply to posters when they comment, rather than get some ad hominen witch hunt going….

     

     

    But if it makes you happy…

     

     

    This was Paul67’s piece when Brendan Rodgers came back…

     

     

    https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/brendan-must-be-an-evangelical-convert-to-celtic-doctrine/

     

     

    This was a comment…

     

     

    CELTIC40ME on 19TH JUNE 2023 12:19 PM

     

     

    “ If Brendan is not an evangelical convert to this doctrine, I anticipate trouble ahead.”

     

     

    Very few seem to appreciate it but there it is, a huge “if” and a massive strategic gamble.

     

     

    For the last few months CELTIC40ME has been very complimentary of our Brendan

     

     

    Then, at the last knockings of the transfer window he turns…

     

     

    Yet, he doesn’t turn does he? It was his agenda since Brendan Rodgers returned

     

     

    He’s just being disseminating…

     

     

    But why name, names?

     

     

    Who does it benefit?

     

     

    Surely just dealing with comments as and when they are posted is a much more civil approach

     

     

    Hail Hail

  20. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    TexasTim on 22nd August 2024 12:21 pm

     

     

    Trying to remember do you come from AUCHINAIRN

  21. Chairbhoy

     

    Being honest I hardly pay attention to Paul’s leaders,maybe since LNS ‘this is the day your fathers waited on’ stuff several years ago.

     

    I don’t attach any big ITK kudos to Paul any more than I do any other Celtic blogger,I am here for friends and folk I know whatever there view on Celtic.

     

    Finally surely it’s better to state who your talking about instead of swiping bout a whole blog implying there’s a group think,that’s lazy imo.

     

     

    HH

  22. REGGIE on 22ND AUGUST 2024 4:42 PM

     

     

    Talk of winning battles over recruitment reduces a very important part of the business to a simple playground win or lose

     

     

    It’s simplistic macho rubbish and it’s certainly not how a well-run business behaves

  23. AN TEARMANN @ 6:16 PM,

     

     

    As you mentioned earlier, SC is a very different blog, so you phrase things differently there.

     

     

    It wasn’t a pop specifically at this blog, it was at folk who are disingenuous about where they are coming from and people in “power” trying to control the narrative across social media…

     

     

    When Brendan left the last time there was all that China Crisis nonsense, that and other stuff came direct from inside Celtic…

     

     

    It turned out to be much ado about nothing

     

     

    Someone with an agenda trying to Blacken Brendan’s name

     

     

    DD in an interview with the Athletic put the record straight but that was sometime after the damage was done.

     

     

    So, I’m not seeing monsters in the Cupboard, we know this is how some folk operate – which strings they are pulling and where who cares!?

     

     

    As long as we try to counter the agendas with proper debate that’s ehat it’s all it’s about

     

     

    But don’t treat folk as innocents abroad, the bogey man is alive and well and trolling on social media:))

     

     

    Hail Hail

  24. CHAIRBHOY on 22ND AUGUST 2024 5:42 PM

     

     

    The minute you see what you think is an attack on Brendan you drag up stuff from a year ago and accuse me of making stuff up. It’s like you can’t formulate a reasoned response so you make stuff up yourself and then attack me for it.

     

     

    I dont know why you behave like you’ve hit sand in your bits every time you feel like someone dares have a go at Brendan. If you had confidence in your confidence in your convictions you’d reply to my post instead of this. It’s slightly sinister if you don’t mind me saying.

     

     

    I don’t see the attack on Brendan. You’re suggesting Brendan is looking to trim the squad,I’m sauing if that’s the case, and he gets what he wants as well as fewer, more expensive development players that means there’s a threat to the success of the trading model that I think is vital to our success. If he is to get his way, as you’ve suggested, then there must be some accountability – praise if it works, but also criticism if it doesn’t. He needs to deliver on the promise of turning 7-9m players into 30-40m players or he’s failed.

     

     

    I haven’t criticized him, but if he has said he wants something that’s different to what we’re already doing he doesn’t get a pass if he doesn’t deliver.

     

     

    You don’t seem to want to be in the situation where Brendan can be criticized, if it’s suggested you jump up and down and attack.

  25. Albert Einstein: ‘God doesn’t play dice with the Universe’

     

     

    Niels Bohr: ‘Einstein, stop telling God what to do!’

     

     

    T

  26. there is a thing i would do in the event of transfer business.

     

     

    i would insist that player undergoes a medical before a price is agreed, and that it is subject to an NDA.

  27. CHAIRBHOY

     

     

    It’s the second time you’ve gone back a year to drag up something I posted. It’s not on

  28. Tobago Street on 22nd August 2024 6:48 pm

     

    Albert Einstein: ‘God doesn’t play dice with the Universe’

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Niels Bohr: ‘Einstein, stop telling God what to do!’

     

     

    ———————

     

     

    and Peter turns to the new celtic supporter arriving in heaven, see that guy over there do you know who that is ………..

     

     

    who the guy with the dreadlocks doing the keepie uppies and sticking his tongue out ………..

     

     

    aye him, thats god he thinks he is henrik larsson