Here’s how it works. Celtic tell agents the profile of players they are looking for, who subsequently send their client’s CVs and DVDs back. If one fits the profile (for example: a central defender, with pace, wage budget £X, transfer budget £Y), then he is retained for consideration.
Some retained for consideration make it onto ‘the list’. Celtic actively pursue these players, usually more than one per requirement, as they know how deals can fall through. If players start to drop off the list, either because they have not performed to standard when scouted, or Celtic’s approach is declined, names are added to the list from those retained for consideration.
That ‘retained for consideration’ folder generates more advertising revenue than anything else in football. Lots of people are incentivised to link a name to Celtic (or many other clubs). The agent can legitimately tell a journalist he’s spoken to Celtic about a player, the journalist can then trail the transfer saga for weeks, its rise, climax and last minute hitch, will generate millions of hits. This is called Click Bait, you are the target.
Consider the near certainty of the reporting that Jelle Vossen was about to sign for Celtic. The Genk striker matches Celtic’s criteria in several areas: he’s a striker, they will be able to afford his wages and transfer fee, they have received information on him. Hundreds of articles have been written on this basis alone, generating thousands of pounds of advertising revenue.
The problem is, Jelle Vossen isn’t on ‘the list’. His CV is stuck in a folder somewhere at Lennoxtown, not currently under consideration. Celtic are not actively pursuing his services.
Danny Wilson? Never made it onto the list. His agent got a courteous response “months ago” when first asked if there was interest. Danny’s CV is in the same folder Jelle’s is in. When I spoke to a senior source at the club yesterday, the player is so far off radar, the source couldn’t even remember Wilson’s name when I asked about Celtic being rejected in favour of a newco.
The PR behind the message sent out with Wilson’s signing was inspired. Some of the reporting was shameful. The days of being able to twist a story against Celtic without consequence are gone. The BBC recanted one story (at the insistence of reporter Alasdair Lamont). Sky Sports News gave Neil McCann a stage for utter guff on Wilson rejecting Celtic, while much of the print and online media quickly moved on, not caring one way or the other.
The episode reminded me of the almost universal line the media took the day Neil Lennon resigned – unhappy at Celtic’s transfer budget, apparently. This message was never attributed but it was reported so widely, you could trace the manipulation. We even had the Usual Brigade of ex-Celts ready to express their disappointment at the club’s financial decisions. Economic illiterates, to a man. The story was nonsense and almost certainly came from the same source as Wilson’s rejection.
There are strikers on Celtic’s list, but if the agent’s talking to the media, chances are, he’s not talking to Celtic anymore.
Here’s a Bob Dylan singing Like a Rolling Stone, especially for Neil McCann. How does it feel………?
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livibhoy
18:48 on 25 June, 2015
I like you mate yearn for the day we get that 30 plus Striker. The one position we have failed to fill for a while.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
thompsontwin….
When you initially posted about removing the top teir I thought you were having a laugh, now you’ve reiterated the point i reckon your off your rocker.
The cost and disruption alone would be in the millions, still, the hotel I definitely agree with you.
I’d like to see GMS given a start up front a few times to see how he fairs.
ThompsonTwin
19:11 on
25 June, 201
Why did a previous sane 60,000 become insanity?
Lennybhoy …
I know I’m in the minority, but I dont think that our strikers have been the problem per se ….
I think he brought in some good ones, but our lack of creativity in the midfield starved good strikers of chances and made some otherwise good strikers look ordinary ….
Others had to adapt to fit in, but it made them less effective as ‘pure strikers’…. I am thinking of Stokes, who I think is a natural scorer … but, with the team making fewer and fewer chances for him, he began to drop deeper and move wider to get the ball, and to try to make chances … but it meant that he was further and further away from the box …. so, he tried to be a good team player, but at the expense of his personal statistics ….
In the last half of last season, we played some better more expansive football … I am expecting more of the same this season … and I think Scepovic is a good player for that style of game …. if he gets a run, and a few goals to get his confidence up, he will score goals for us …. and LG will score for fun in the SPL this year …
At least we know from Ronny’s comments in today’s Herald that there will not be a single whiff of ambition during current transfer window.
However, if we make the group stages there will be jam tomorrow. Maybe.
canamalar
19:25 on 25 June, 2015….
The couple of times I’ve met Aiden he was down to earth and pleasant. His dad taught my bhoy for two years and always said to my bhoy that Aiden loved Celtic and would be back playing in the hoops again…hopefully.
Like yourself, I reckon he will be more of a team player now and with RD’s playing style he would adapt no problem.
mike in toronto
I lost count of the amount of times Scepovic made a run off the defender and made a bit of space for himself and our midfield chose to play the pass across the park rather than over or through the defence,on the flip side I seen him waste chances but think he will be much better with a run in the team though at the moment Griff must play for me.
Sipsini – thanks for reply – I am serious – it could be done one stand at a time over 3/4 years.
I am not a ‘gloom and doom’ merchant, just realistic – better always to be proactive, rather than reactive – are we ever likely to have 55k more than a handful of times a season – if answer is no, we are overcapacitrated.
Look at the Juventus new stadium – better than playing to a half-empty Deli Alpi.
mike in toronto @ 19:16,
Good post, the lack of “improvement” in Celtic players in terms of technique, tactics, physicality has been there for all to see.
While fair or not, I put this down to “Lennoxtown”.
We need to improve players, it doesn’t happen.
Exceptions prove it. Fraser Foster, who took it on himself to go the extra mile, not taking anything away from the Coaches who helped him. But it was FF’s drive that got him there.
What possessed us to believe we could take croaks like Stephen Mylouko (sic) and Derk and make them into fit players?
What possessed us to think we could take rough diamonds like Amido on and make them technically proficient players?
What possessed us to think we could have a conveyor belt of young talent coming through from the academy into first team football?
I don’t know – one things for sure, it was wrong mindedness. The fholk in Lennoxtown had a completely unrealistic view of what they could achieve.
Like you I think Ronny’s coaching team will change all that.
The sooner, the better.
Hail Hail
quonno …
I hope you are wrong ….
I know that I am one who is frequently critical of the Club’s lack of communication (particularly to fans), but in this case (transfer window is like playing poker) … believe none of what you see, and less of what you hear. I wouldn’t expect RD to tell all and sundry what players (or even what type of players) we are really interested in … it would just drive up the price. RD is smarter than that.
But, if we dont bring anyone in, I will be back on here to admit you were right, and to buy you a cyber pint (until I get back in September, when I would buy you a real one).
Quonno- because there is not 60k through and throughs prepared to turn up every week.
mike in toronto
19:42 on
25 June, 2015
quonno
I take it that our scepticism should extend to the utterances of DD and PL>
sipsini,
I hope so, I’d like to see him shine for Celtic before he chucks it.
I would really like him to try and be a playmaker as opposed to a tricky winger.
Thompsontwin
Is one Sean the other Ryan ?
Now I will respond to the stadium, I actually think we should be looking to future, and upgrading seats, Humans are getting bigger, I would like wider seats, the full stadium should have seats like those in the North Stand executive seats, with the North Stand Executive seats in turn upgraded to those you get in cinemas,
Now this would potentially reduce capacity by a few thousand
But all fans should be given better comfort in seats
Couple this with the full stand behind home goals as a Safe Standing area, would potentially increase weekly numbers at stadium :-)
Part of a full stadium upgrade
Hail Hail
mike in toronto
19:35 on 25 June, 2015
I’ll start with a negative, I am not a Stokes Fan. That’s my last negative.
I agree with most of what you say. Call me old fashioned but I like to have a Striker that bangs in a Barrowload. Until the season just finished by and large we played with two Strikers. Ronny has his a style that we are not used to at Celtic. It took time but yes like you say the Team got into their stride in the latter half of the season. Why, I suggest the Players grew into Ronny’s style and we acquired Stuart and Gary.
Scepovic has probably struggled for two reasons in my opinion. In a foreign land where he has struggled to settle. Also he has not played with a Striking partner. I believe he would have settled on the footballing side had he been played with a partner. I also believe he started to get the service as the season progressed. In my opinion we just need to move the Ball quicker and more effectively to provide Scepovic chances. I could see in games where he did get himself into positions and was shouting for the Ball.
Leigh will indeed score for fun domestically. In Europe I am not so sure.
Stokes in my opinion will be off. When that happens I expect we will bring in another Striker as we will only have Scepovic and Leigh.
We still need a Striker.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
quonno …. for me, they are a different kettle of fish ….
RD has earned my trust … he told us what he wanted to do and we can see him setting about trying to get it done …. it hasn’t always worked, but he has earned my respect and my trust enough that I would cut him a bit of slack …
In my view, and unlike RD, DD and PL have not treated the fans with the respect they are due …. they are fleecing us like sheep, and want us to thank them for the privilege …
DD wants Sevco back, and all we get from PL are silly one-liners about Jelavic, that play well to some parts of our support …. but we dont hear one word from him on really important issues (governance, the 5 way agreement, for example) …. PL gets paid way too much money to only pick low hanging fruit ….
Give the DVDs and player info to a committee of men such as ex players TOHG, Davie Hay, Bertie Auld Willie Wallace along with John Collins & John Kennedy all overseen by RONNY and let them comment on if they see anything in what it takes to make it at Celtic ,THEN hand it on to those who do the business.
canamalar
19:25 on 25 June, 2015
Agreed, I think he is a far better player now, more skilful if that’s possible and seems to be more of a team player plus his crosses into the box have improved greatly
I Just dont get peoples support of scepovic..He makes good runs, he doesnt get the passes…Guys will be shipped as soon as Poss…Hopefully sooner…
thompsontwin,
So you want to defuture proof the stadium, you are advising the where we currently are is our lot for time immemorial, there is no chance we will ever play on a bigger stage, sorry too short sighted. I have and would advise we loose the main stand turn the pitch 90* and finish the stadium making it 90/100k capacity. Then I’m looking to the future you appear to believe we will only get smaller as a club.
Cowiebhoy
……….upgrading seats – now that’s sensible!
The structural costs of reducing a cantilever stand/roof and piling costs to effect changed stress levels/torque would probably cost more than the original build.
Opinion – without consultation with original S/E and drawings! :-)
Canamalar and Lennybhoy
I would see Aiden as a long term replacement for Kris C, and play in his role sitting behind the striker pulling strings ?
Hail Hail
Cowiebhoy
19:51
Did you manage to make it to the CL qualifier at The Emirates.?
Seats that wide,you could have landed a helicopter on them
cowiebhoy
Wouldn’t argue with that.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Think we ought to have a casino and moonbeams generator.
I don’t think ewe should be encouraging the support to becoming obese
Good Evening Timland.
Too much harking back tae the day’s of yore,leave Sammi,
Aiden, and Hopper where they are,time for a much needed
hero for the present generation and the old-timers.
P
I wouldn’t touch the top tier, make it cheaper to sit up there
We should be looking at options for extending the roofs, to try and reduce impact of elements when fans are sitting in the rain ? There has got to be an Engineerring solution, lightweight to basically close the roof – clear light see through plastic ?
How about lining the concourses with astro turf, so as soon as you come in through turnstile you feel your part of the pitch ?
Think out the box :-))
But upgrade to something which will attract people back
We do have a fantastic stadium but looking ahead ?
Hail Hail
Cowiebhoy …
I see Aiden McG as one of the generation of lost Scottish footballers …. outrageously talented youngsters who, sadly, were not coached properly, and haven’t learned the game in order to fully develop their talents to the maximum (which can only be done as part of a team) ….
he has all the skills to play at the highest level, but unlike the young players in Barca, for example, his skills weren’t honed and focused in a team/system that allowed them to flourish and develop….
Fortunately, I see it changing with RD… but it will take time…
and I think the way is forward not backwards …. if AMcG hasn’t ‘learned’ this by now (he must be pushing 30), I think it is a bit late for him to learn …. better that we let RD bring in some youngsters and start developing them earlier ….
Incidentally the kids Zone introduced was a superb idea, with games consoles etc
thompsontwin,
Must say, your idea of reducing Celtic Park’s seating (supply) in order to manipulate the Clients in to paying considerably more (demand) for the match day “experience” flies in the face of all that Celtic’s about.
I read your posts the other day regarding the 2008 collapse of Capitalism and let me say, I thought it was also complete nonsense.
Apologies for being so harsh, but I believe that dogmatic, ideologists like yourself devoid of questioning and logic are dangerous.
Hail Hail
How about fans bring coats and hats on wet days.
Evening bhoys and ghirls. I was in the Celtic superstore today and decided I would buy my grandson his first full strip. Now he is 18 months old but a big bhoy. So I goes for the 2-3 year old. I then thought I will get his name on the back and the number 7. Cillian and number 7 looks great. £50.00 and 5p for a bag. My problem with this is how can they charge £6 for any name Cillian has 7 letters but charge the same price for the number 7 a single number.
Anyway no doubt the first of many.
HH
KTF
Utlr
Cowiebhoy,
Forget the engineering solution. Bring in summer football. Better weather & reduce the impossible completion with English football.
HH.
Billybear
18:55 on
25 June, 2015
Aiden McGeady was overrated. In my honest opinion.
Compared to, say, “World Class” “could have been Brazilian” Davie Cooper who went from Rangers (pre liquidation) to .er….Motherwell?
Please keep posting mate :-)
I know things are bad for sevco supporters but we really should admire their enthusiasm and hope.
FFS, Paisley is bidding for City of Culture status: (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33269465).
1. we urnae a City
2. we don’t have any ………..
A lesson for sevco. “Where there is life there is hope”.
That’s life Mighty tim