Eminently doable
I enjoy The Guardians football podcast and was looking forward to their comments on Red Bull’s destruction. After dishing out some praise, for Kuhn in particular, one of their contributors asked ‘Celtic seem to have a knack of finding good players and now and again put together a good side but then they get plundered which begs the question how good could they be if they don’t keep hawking their stars?’. Or words to that effect. And I thought to myself, son you’re usually on the money, but that question just proves you haven’t done your homework on the world famous Hoops because firstly almost all our players are under long contracts, secondly, there’s replacements in house to help promote continuity, and thirdly this season is the literal example that we as a team can actually lose our star player AND ACTUALLY IMPROVE!
Let’s take the first counterargument, under contract. Yes I understand a four year deal doesn’t necessarily mean 4 years of service, but the clubs smart decision to hand out long term contracts promotes stability as (for instance) its reasonable to assume not all players will decide to hit the road at once. Over a four year cycle, we might move on two starting players in the main transfer window, very rarely will a first team wish to or be sanctioned to leave in January, especially not now with the prospect of Champions League football in February followed by Cup Finals and the title run-in.
Also, when a player signs an extension it’s common to get at least another year’s service.
So if we have say 8 players on three/four year contract extensions, that’s 6 windows as they stay the first two, they usually start to trickle out the door then, one maybe two at a time, and there’s some who will stay the course and fulfill the contract.
Phillipe overlooks that point, for how else to keep a team together but hand out pay raises and get a second signature to tie them down? Which is exactly what happened, and is happening in our first choice right backs case.
The replacements being in-house as a counterargument?
Again, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Ajax perfected the conveyor belt, many copied it, but when you’ve players in nearly every position waiting in the wings and learning the managers methods, that also promotes continuity helping that loss of a player (or two).
As I type we have as backup for Tuesday nights starters,,,
Sinisalo, Valle, Welsh, Scales, Ralston, Bernardo, Holm, Yang, Palma, Forrest, Idah, Mac Cowan.
I suggest we are two windows away from having much better in some positions,,not sure Welsh, Palma, or Holm will stick around much longer, but our Brendan signings have been on point delivering next to no drop-off in quality. 8 of those players mentioned have seen significant first team action proving their worth, and Sinisalo can be excused, so let’s call it 8 ‘no problem boss’ backups. 3 (Holm, Yang, Palma) have offered something at points, The point is most positions are covered by somebody of a proven pedigree, who knows how the team play and the managers demands.
And that will improve, so once again he overlooked how exactly continuity is actually achieved.
My final counterargument, the usually wise pundit has clearly overlooked the simple fact that a team can actually use the star departures fee to actually enhance the team and move upwards, ie our model.
A model that is working, with a good/very good but unfinished squad dishing out a doing to the second best team in Germany, fending off the Italians on their patch, whilst on course for a domestic treble following a double. Some of that outgoing fee is withheld to cover the above mentioned contract extension pay raises, then most of the remainder goes on the replacement(s).
It normally takes a new player little time to come upto speed as a Celtic player, the evidence being Engles, Trusty, Alastair Johnson, Reo Hatate, Kyogo, Idah,,,and more. Besides we generally don’t need to fling them straight in because (as mentioned) there’s generally seasoned players in that position to assist the transition.
Once again, a way to promote continuity.
So I’m sorry Sir but you’re (apparently not) watching a club that is taking steps to halt that ‘up and down’ curse, our beloved Glasgow Celtic are, and have been, taking huge strides to halt that exact mistake, and if you would care to look under the bonnet and not glance at the car you might realize that.
Keeping a good team together is eminently doable, and we are very much on course, unless you know something I don’t.
I hope you’re well, I like your analysis but youre wrong on this one my French friend.
Celtic are building solid foundations, this wasn’t a one off, after dominating Scotland our sights were always going to look to the continent.
Yours sincerely,
Mahe.
(I’m the co-owner and writer for a popular Celtic facing blog, and available to set the record straight whenever needed. Just email if you ever want the actual news regarding my club or updates)
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
www.sentinelcelts.com
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The above is getting emailed to the football pundit, and I’ll post any reply. Here’s the episode if anyone wishes to partake, Celtic coverage starts around 27.51 in and offers an insight into the ‘outsiders’ view, because there’s no Tims on that panel.
[Football Weekly] Sporting thrash City to give Amorim perfect farewell party – Football Weekly Extra 🅴 #footballWeekly https://podcastaddict.com/football-weekly/episode/185563299 via @PodcastAddict
As you will all know,the site finally nominated a charity to be the recipient of the generosity and largesse of yourselves,and I think you all deserve huge applause for raising just short of £2k.
⭐️👏☘️👍🍾
That period has passed,and a new charity has been chosen to take us through to the end of the year. A landslide vote in favour of
Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust.
Once again,CHALMERSBHOY has done the spadework via JustGiving.
Here is the link for the Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust,our new charity which we will support.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/sentinel-celts-1722588284471?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fsentinel-celts-1722588284471&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share
This drive has already raised well over £1000,so join in. The more,the merrier.
Default payment method seems to be ApplePay,which won’t suit everyone. There is an option on the page to change that to your preferred means.
Emdy fancy a great night out? We got this from our good friend,Frank,who many of you will already know either in person or as VFR.
Not sure if you know, but my wife Jacky came out of retirement a couple of years ago to run St Margaret’s adoption agency, the only Catholic adoption agency left in the UK. She now has it back on its feet after some significant issues.
I have been roped in as an Ambassador for the charity and one area I am looking at is fundraising. My big ticket item at the moment is a dinner dance we are running in the Kerrydale Suite on Friday 22nd November at 7:30. This is the first of what we intend to be an annual event to coincide with the Feast Day of St Margaret of Scotland, our Patron Saint (November 16th).
So as you can imagine, I have the begging bowl out! I am contacting like-minded people to see if they are willing to take a table for the event (or just some tickets). Individual tickets are £50 with the tables at £500. We are also looking for sponsorship for the event, ranging from £5k for the event sponsor down to advertising in the programme and on-screen on the night – ranging from £250 to £1000 depending on size and placement/regularity of the ads.
There will be a raffle and charity auction on the night, so we are looking for prizes and auction items for both of those. We may also look at naming tables and allowing some advertising on tables if there is an appetite for that.
Tickets are selling very well,but there are still a few available
A Eulogy for Rangers
Audio clip posted a week or so back. Here is ‘ The Huddle breakdown’ Vid.
Well worth a watch. Forward it to Hun you know, go on go on go on – you know you want to😏
Hi Mahe,
Very interesting e-mail, not a great football blog listener but listened to the relevant part of the football weekly link you supplied – thanks.
While your point is well made so is the podcasts.
In terms of the “one swallow…”
At the start of 2023 we had had eighteen months of Angeball including his different approach to recruitment.
We had already secured the signing of a Canadian right back who had featured well in the world cup and were looking forward to more of the same.
While Angeball had re-established our credentials as Scotland’s No1 Club, it had failed to deliver on the UCL stage, we needed to improve.
However, things were about to change, Celtic appointed a Chairman who had previously been CEO, as Chief Exec, he had been the architect of the old Celtic recruitment model and quickly restored that model in place.
Between January ’23 and August ’23 we would lose six of the first team players.
Various reasons of course but only one backfilled, the previously mentioned Alistair Johnston, who replaced Juranovic.
Historically Celtic sold “high value players” getting little playing time out of their peak periods, also players like Wanyama, VvD, Moussa Dembele, Kieran Tierney, Giakoumakis, Jota etc were not backfilled with anything like the necessary quality.
Now, that seems to be the aspect that the football weekly was referring too.
The summer of ’23 saw many prospects signed by Celtic, Brendan Rodgers who had returned as manager was asked to be a “team player” and support the Club’s recruitment model.
Celtic had sold 45mn pounds worth of players in ’23 and replaced them with prospects, this reinforces the point the podcast seems to be making.
The team was much worse off due to this – of course many of Ange’s signings were still there and their experience together with the new regime’s player development meant progress was made, yet most agreed the football was definitely poorer due to the transfer activity.
In January ’24 the manager was not prepared to nod through the players put forward by the recruitment team, far from it, potential recruits were gone through with a fine tooth comb and the manager was proactive in checking out and speaking to potential candidates.
The result was only one player fitted both the “model” and player management criteria – one Nicolas Kuhn
The manager also requested the loan of a “off piste” player – Adam Idah.
The two would have a good effect in securing a hugely important double for Celtic which was by no means a given, as these pages not far short of six months ago can testify.
The summer of ’24 transfer window seen a change to the feral implementation of the model that the previous recent transfer windows had seen.
The development players were either known to Celtic as loanees (Bernardo, Idah) or were of a much higher calibre than before (Sinisalo, Engels, Valle – loanee) or were experienced players (Schmeichel, McCowan, Trusty).
That mix along with Kuhn, had ensured the 2024 recruitment was so much better.
This had been augmented as you say by clever management of the player contracts by the new regime – many experienced squad players had got new contracts, Calmac, Forrest, Kyogo, Meada…
The quality development players like Abada and O’Riley also given extended contracts – those two players would bring in the best part of 40 mn between them, those two alone paying for the improved 2024 recruitment and were appropriately backfilled.
If you also look at the dozen or so players Celtic moved on in 2024 that freed up lots of wages as well as football staff time to concentrate on more focused development and team tactics you see much better and more focused squad management as a whole.
So, yes, your point is well made yet these changes to “the model” are very recent and Ange’s welcome advancement in player recruitment was reversed in the click of the fingers.
So, it would be unfair to be too harsh on the football weekly podcast.
We are reaping the benefits of this revised model and then some, we have an eminently sustainable and deliverable squad management model.
Yet these changes were hard fought for by BR&Co and is very much a work in progress.
The Board who had such an attachment to the old model is still in place, they are totally convinced their model was correct and maybe a hankering to go back there – as they did in January ’23.
So some battles won, some triumphs gained, our Manager is getting towards half way through his contract, it would certainly be prudent to wait until June ’26 to see if the football weekly is “on the money” or not.
Hail Hail
“ … hawking our stars” is a bit of a throwaway line and not quite true. We do not have to. We are not The Rangers, after all.
But we know why our best players leave.
And, consequently building a long term project with those players is difficult.
We receive offers that we, and crucially the players, consider good enough for our coffers and their advancement to a superior playing environment.
Where we ply our trade is the issue.
It’s good to live vicariously where “we” are involved,
MAGS
We can hardly write about Celtic in the third person. Celtic are “us” and “we”,while everyone else is “them”.
Bobby
”We” share in the euphoria and the collective embarrassment but not the coffers. Thems the breaks.
Good morning, friends.
I hope nobody minds if I copy and paste my POTY results from last night as they were a bit lost during the various live football updates from the Champions League….
November 6, 2024 9:04 pm
*SENTINEL CELTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024-25*
*RESULTS FROM GAME #17 CELTIC 3 RB LEIPZIG 1 (KUHN(2), HATATE)*
Good evening, friends.
I have to again start with an apology that you might remember also happened following the Atalanta game. When I wade through the emails, whenever I see that someone has picked the same 3 as me, I then try to send a personal response, commenting on my reasons and thanking them for being just as clever as me! But after this particular game there were simply far too many (Atalanta had 38 folk voting the same as me, but this time it’s a whopping 65!!)) so I’m afraid there were no individual, personal replies this time around. Apologies again. Anyway, on to the game itself…
The usual pre match build up aided by firework displays and a louder than ever Champions league anthem even had us old fogies in the Main Stand roaring our support. And having unexpectedly bumped into my former parish priest (now Bishop of Galloway) just before kick off, I took that as a sign from above of what was to come. A frantic opening minute saw half decent chances at both ends, and then the game settled down. Celtic were very controlled and confident and had the better of the opening exchanges and 20 minutes in were certainly the team looking most likely. But one stray pass from Trusty allowed the Leipzig forward to strike for goal where Kaspar made his only (small) error of the night, turning the shot round for a corner when it was going wide in any case. The corner was cleared (for another corner) but the 2nd one saw some slack defending and we were 1 down against the run of play.
The goal spooked us for around 10 minutes and several players including Johnston, Engels, McGregor and Maeda all took turns to chip in with unforced errors. 3 more corners from Leipzig, all from the same side, were all dangerous but not fatal.
Needing some sort of spark to reignite the atmosphere, the game changed in the 34th minute. A lovely wee ‘flick round the corner’ from Engels found Kuhn out on the right. He came inside with the ball and from his wand of a left foot dispatched a beautiful curling shot in off the far side post to bring Celtic level. Cue bedlam!
A couple of minutes later Kuhn tracked back, won the ball and with the outside of his left foot put through Maeda on goal, only to see our recent hat trick hero blast the ball over the bar. A further chance was created in 43 minutes, Kyogo evading 2 Leipzig defenders to get into the penalty area only to see his effort blocked and out for a corner.
The stoppage time board added just the 1 minute but that was all that was required for us to take a lead into the half time break. Great pressing down in Leipzig’s right hand corner eventually saw Hatate play in Taylor on the goal line. Taylor’s cut back saw a brilliant disguised dummy from Maeda (honestly, I really thought he was trying to hit it!) and there was Kuhn to blast the ball home from 6 yards out.
How I would have loved to be a fly on the dressing room wall at half time to hear Brendan’s plans for the 2nd half. Would we stick or twist? Would we change our approach? Could we begin to dream of 3 points?
Well, if anything I’d say our tempo actually increased in that second half. Unforced errors just about disappeared, and our energy levels were incredible. Leipzig came with a reputation, sitting 2nd in the Bundesliga and yet we forced them into repeated diagonals into our box which we coped with all night, helped by a couple of really good low down saves from Kaspar, one on each side.
In the 72nd minute, Calum picked up a loose ball inside our own half, turned and actually meandered towards our own goal, rather than just hitting it into space. Eventually he played a reverse pass that started a sweeping move down the right hand side. When the ball came into the box the keeper failed to hold the shot and Hatate was on hand to steer the ball into the net. The points were sealed!
Well, when I say the points were sealed, I do so with the benefit of hindsight. In reality a lot of football had still to be played and when the board went up showing 5 additional minutes, only then did I feel confident that we would get at least a draw. Memories of Lazio last year were still in my mind. But we controlled the remaining minutes perfectly and even had the ball in the net for the 4th time only for Maeda to be correctly flagged offside.
A non stop, frantic game without the need to involve the VAR even once. Hallelujah!
I left the ground feeling like I had just watched Celtic’s best European performance of this century! Beating Barcelona 2-1 was a fantastic result but, from memory, was much more of a backs to the wall affair. Last night we went toe to toe with a top team, out foxed them tactically and out performed them in both skill and effort. I’ve already watched a rerun of the whole game and may well do again!
We have now played 17 games this season, winning 14, drawing 2 and losing 1. We have scored 52 and conceded 15 (domestically it’s 43-6 and in Europe it’s 9-9).
A fine turnout from my supporting voters and a big thank you to the 90 who joined in this time around (equalling the season’s best of 90 for the Aberdeen league cup semi final). And, again it’s a pretty unanimous top 3 this time around. The total votes cast for each player are as follows, with my own nominations asterisked.
Schmeichel: 7
Johnston: 3
Carter-Vickers: 0
Trusty: 13
Taylor: 0
McGregor*: 80
Hatate*: 79
Engels: 2
Kuhn*: 85
Kyogo: 0
Maeda: 1
Valle: 0
Bernardo: 0
Yang: 0
Scales: 0
Idah: 0
And so, the players receiving POINTS for the game against RB Leipzig are –
Kuhn – 5 points
McGregor – 4 points
Hatate – 3 points
Trusty – 2 points
Schmeichel – 1 point
And the overall positions after 16 games played are –
32 points – Kuhn
27 points – Hatate
26 points – Scales
24 points – McGregor and Maeda
20 points – Bernardo
18 points – Engels
17 points – Johnston A
13 points – Valle
9 points – McCowan, Schmeichel and Trusty
8 points – Kyogo
7 points – O’Riley
5 points – Taylor
4 points – Carter-Vickers
3 points – Forrest and Idah
1 point – Yang
0 points – Holm, Johnston M., Nawrocki, Palma, Ralston, Turley, Welsh
Our final game before this year’s final international break is on Sunday afternoon when we travel to Kilmarnock for a 3.00pm kick off on the plastic pitch.
Hail Hail!
Just Sayin’ @ 7:54 am,
Yes, the “hawking” line was Mahe’s, at least I did not hear it in the broadcast.
“We receive offers that we, and crucially the players, consider good enough for our coffers and their advancement to a superior playing environment.
Where we ply our trade is the issue.”
There is a saying, my mum used it and someone mentioned it t’uther day…
“If you look for an excuse, you will find one”
Matt O’Riley is a case in point…
He could have left when Ange went as a 5 mn player, he could have left for Atletico in January ’24 for 10 mn.
He could have left for Atalanta for 15 mn at the beginning of the summer of ’24.
By making the player feel wanted, secure and part of a great group winning trophies, by convincing him Celtic would improve him as a footballer, by giving him an improved contract we were able to keep him.
Yes, Brighton came in for Matt with the right deal for the player and the Club but as the manager said, we didn’t have to sell.
We ensured the player got the move he wanted, the Club got double their money they would have got in the past*, we were able to backfill the player with Arne Engels, a real quality prospect.
Yes, the circle turns again but it’s a huge improvement on where we were and it is a sustainable and workable model.
The model the chap in the football weekly podcast describes is a business model that delivered profits, yet the modified version delivers football excellence and that is what Celtic should be about.
After all we are first and foremost a football Club and being successful as a football club increases our revenues, profits, squad value – a win~win.
*The manager laid down a marker when he stated he knew how much Celtic players were worth and they are not going cheap.
Hail Hail
AJ signing new contract
Chairbhoy
The Matt template, and ongoing success on the pitch in results and playing style, are the incentives we have to entourage the Engels, Kühns, etc. to develop their careers here.
The key figure in this is BR.
We have been advised not to get too attached to the players.
However, it is surely timely to invest in a longer term contract for the Manager?
Chairbhoy at 5.42
💯
Jobo
Nice to see the “a kuhn a hatate” in the top 2 positions
Morning all,
HHH,
Very good 👍
Chalmersbhoy,
Afraid I wont make the Celic Quiz night tomorrow
Hope you enjoy yourself 🍀🍀🍀
Hoop hoop hooray
You’re not here all week are you 😁😬
Stole it tbh
Bada
where you seeing that about AJ
Arne Slot’s tactics brutally questioned by Graeme Souness – ‘Not the Liverpool way’
Team is top of the EPL also top of the CL right now.
Haven’t heard anything about Celtic of late from the clown, thankfully.
Thing that I find amazing is he’s actually still being paid money to spout this inane baloney.
Brendan will honour his three year contract, but I don’t think he will stay a day longer.
The Lawwell led board will then revert to type. Low risk projects and a diminishing of the quality we witnessed on Tuesday night. The PLC will not view the Engels and Idah level of fees as being sustainable, not in the SPFL.
BADABING
Great news about AJ. Hasn’t even been here two years,and a real fan favourite. Outstanding player IMO,and tough as teak.
JOBO
Apologies from the site. Reposting the POTY Competition results is the normal way of things,but obviously we forgot this morning.
Er-rm🤔 Just looking at Jobo’s POTY votes for Tuesdays game against RBL. Can’t say i agree with those who voted for Trusty. I thought he was culpable with a wayward pass that gifted RBL an opportunity that forced Kasper into a save which resulted in them scoring from the subsequent corner. Trusty didn’t look to clever defending the goal either albeit i am not sure what either Arne and Auston were trying to do ‘defending’ that corner. Can’t help thinking that Scales would have been receiving a bit of flack about ball watching and dodgy passing had it have been him in place of Auston. Having said that i thought Trusty had a decent enough game but not enough to warrant a vote in MOTM ratings. We all see things differently i guess.
Great performance and great result on Tuesday.
Some celtic supporters didn’t want Brendan back.
Bobby – no apologies ever necessary. Sometimes it’s just about the timing of my results and posting them when 7 Champions League games were on meant they understandably got missed.
Óglach
I voted for Trusty, who other than that wayward pass , I thought was magnificent and the best of the 3 centre halfs on show.
Withregards to the goal.
Schmeichel could have let the shot go by the post , but he decided to push by.
CCVwas poor when corner came in and Engles lost his man .
So a lot happened after the poor pass and lead up to the goal.
Liam Scales is living the dream, only signed a new, four year contract in May.
Yes I can understand why some might feel aggrieved that he hasn’t started recently, however football is a squad game.
I don’t think Liam will be complaining too much.
The unity in that Celtic squad is clear for all to see.
In Brendan We Trust.
HH.🍀
HHH- DR website
St tams
Óglach
I voted for Trusty, who other than that wayward pass , I thought was magnificent and the best of the 3 centre halfs on show.
Withregards to the goal.
Schmeichel could have let the shot go by the post , but he decided to push by.
CCVwas poor when corner came in and Engles lost his man .
So a lot happened after the poor pass and lead up to the goal.
====
As i said we all see things differently. CCV didn’t have one of his better games and Scales wasn’t on the park long enough (15 mins?) to make much of an impact although he was competent enough. You are right Engels lost his man at the RBL goal but Trusty was definitely ball watching (imho that is) there was a RBL player ghosting in behind him who probably would have scored had the scorer not got there 1st and i am also of the opinion that Trusty could have / should have challenged the scorer of RBL’s goal as he got in between Arne & Auston. Not attempting to diminish Trusty’s contribution to a brilliant result and night for us btw.
Some interesting points made today, many which I agree with to some extent.
We’ve had a fantastic week and hopefully see it out to perfection v Kilmarnock.
My only criticism (more a concern) of the team, – and it has had no major impact to date, so may be a moot point, – is that our centre forwards are not scoring nearly enough goals for a club that creates so many goal scoring opportunities. I think this needs addressing sooner rather than later.
Celtic1member1vote
November 6, 2024 8:28 pm
Champions League teams playing 2 away games in 72 hours.
When a team has an away domestic game, followed 72 hours later by an champions league away game, they can struggle in the European away game.
Celtic away to St Johnstone and then away to Dortmund 72 hours.
Leipzig away to Dortmund and then away to Celtic 72 hours.
Man City away to Bournemouth and then away to Sporting 72 hours.
Villa away to Spurs and then away to Brugge 72 hours.
There is certainly an interesting pattern developing, although naturally some teams will over come this.
————
I found that interesting last night.
I think we all accept that teams are more likely to drop league points in games immediately after a midweek European match. More-so when they are away after Europe.
Our schedule after Europe this year up to next Sunday is:
Home – League Cup v Falkirk
Away v Ross County
Away v Motherwell
Away v Kilmarnock
Huns, starting with qualifiers, are:
Home v Motherwell
Home – League Cup v St Johnstone
Home v Hibs
Home v St Johnstone
Home v St Mirren
Home v Hearts
That’s some luck / coincidence that seems to happen year after year.
San Luis
I think you’ll find that minutes per game and actually chances that he has had , Idahs record is very good.
Although Kyogos goals ratio this season, as was last , is poor. He’s missing far too many chances.
Chairbhoy
Mahe
Yet these changes were hard fought for by BR&Co and is very much a work in progress.
The Board who had such an attachment to the old model is still in place, they are totally convinced their model was correct and maybe a hankering to go back there – as they did in January ’23.
So some battles won, some triumphs gained, our Manager is getting towards half way through his contract, it would certainly be prudent to wait until June ’26 to see if the football weekly is “on the money” or not.
=================
How do you know for a fact that BR&Co had to fight hard for those changes and The Board have a hankering to revert to the old model.?
You do not and I offer a different opinion that may or not be a fact but challenges that BR hd hard fought battle with the Board.
Lets start with the long held belief that all The Board were interested in was making money and lining their own pockets.
Whilst that may have been true in the past the circumstances that supported that belief changed caused by four factors.
1.The blue £ dependency changed simply because there was a helluva lot more money to be earned from playing in Europe
2 Not to mention R2ngers were on the slide possibly into insolvency.
3 As regards Europe The New CL format became even more financially lucrative to what was perceived as a Money Grabbing Board.
4 To tackle number 2, FSR that Celtic played a part in the development of, has done two things, removed the insolvency risk via sustainability regulations.
5 Hobble R2ngers as a risk to regular UEFA CL access as they have downsized the quality of their playing squad.
As I argued during the transfer window when The Board and PL were getting pelters, changed circumstances have led to a changed policy.
Far from BR being brought in to fight for change I reckon a conversation took place between BR and DD to be the instrument of the change we are now witnessing under BR – upping player wages for continuity purposes as well as upping what is offered in wages and transfer fees to improve the quality of the squad we are now witnessing and PL no longer putting finance as he saw it before football success.
I hope BR is here for the long haul, although as ever “We’ll see”, but with enough contingency money set aside, as result of two years CL qualification, in case we fail to get through any qualifying rounds, there is no reason for Celtic to revert to the policies that PL executed as CEO not to mention he no longer is CEO.
I appreciate that beliefs long held because of past experience are not easily dropped, but as
John Maynard Keynes is credited with saying, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”
The model the chap in the football weekly podcast describes is a business model that delivered profits, yet the modified version delivers football excellence and that is what Celtic should be about.
After all we are first and foremost a football Club and being successful as a football club increases our revenues, profits, squad value – a win~win.
==========
If you read an interview with Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay before the 2023 AGM as well as the latest AGM report Celtic have stated that football operations are being giving priority precisely because it is the means to increase revenue.
Evidence is mounting that this is so, either that or Celtic are lying.
I believe it is no lie based on the evidence now unfolding.
10 points gives a 99 percent chance of last 24, per the Beeb.
San Luis
November 7, 2024 12:04 pm
Some interesting points made today, many which I agree with to some extent.
We’ve had a fantastic week and hopefully see it out to perfection v Kilmarnock.
My only criticism (more a concern) of the team, – and it has had no major impact to date, so may be a moot point, – is that our centre forwards are not scoring nearly enough goals for a club that creates so many goal scoring opportunities. I think this needs addressing sooner rather than later.
===============
How? I played up front at CF or RW and scored regularly. Then my touch went for a while, but it returned later as if by magic.
I think that is what has happened to Kyogo (I think he nearly missed his goal v Aberdeen shooting too high) but form can come and go. Class is permanent.
JimDom
November 7, 2024 11:24 am
Brendan will honour his three year contract, but I don’t think he will stay a day longer.
The Lawwell led board will then revert to type. Low risk projects and a diminishing of the quality we witnessed on Tuesday night. The PLC will not view the Engels and Idah level of fees as being sustainable, not in the SPFL.
============
That is not how it works at Board level PL only Chairs The Board and only has a casting vote in event of a tie.
As I said in my reply to Chairbhoy, why would a money grabbing Board, according to some revert to a policy that reduced income when the current policy from 2023 putting football first as the means of increasing revenue is working?
Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort a person feels when their behaviour does not align with their values or beliefs.
====> Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a person holds two contradictory beliefs at the same time. <======
AFTERNOON ALL AND JIM AND MAGUA dont talk to me about plastic pitches, FFS the lions used to play in ploughed fields, remember games at ferencvaros and mtk budapest, where frank haffey used to pick up potatoes during the game, and at full time had a 56 pound bag a spuds to take home😎 so the moral of the story is the lions would not be fazed by a plastic pitch, another true story👍👍😎
Auldheid,
Summer 2023. BR was in the building long enough to put the brakes on some of the nepo-child’s disastrous recruitment. He asked the club (board) to be, in his words, braver, when it came to recruitment. He was ignored.
January 2023 window. The word braver appeared again. Again ignored. With a little assistance from Ross County and Dundee, we retained the title.
Nepo-child left the building.
Summer 2024. The board were indeed braver, but only after Brighton waved £25m in their faces. By the end of the window most of the nepo-child’s signing were away. At long last, BR started to get the squad worthy of his coaching talent. But the malign presence of Lawwell senior remains in the building.
At the forthcoming AGM, I don’t expect much humility from the top table. It will be a how clever are we bragging session. Lawwell knows no other way.
Brendan Rodgers will be the cleverest person in the room. By a distance.
AULDHEID. 156
I understand your point,but blogs like this are by nature a place to air your interpretation of events,whether they be past,present or future. My articles tend to be a perfect example of that!
We can’t really expect everyone to preface an each comment with “in my opinion”. We just expect that to be the case. Which is why people sometimes get annoyed when they put up a brilliant piece-and get little or nothing in response. Because there is nothing to add to it except-agreed!
JIMDOM
Agreed.
Sol if you’re lurking hope you are enjoying Venice the biggest row I ever had with wee Joan was in st marks square in Venice all over a cup of coffee would you believe we both went round st marks square for about an hour ignoring each other another true story 😎😎👍
BIGPACKY
Did you really want yours to come in a pint glass and look suspiciously like a pint of lager? Been there,mate. Just no pleasing them sometimes.
BOBBY a man after after my own heart,😎😎😎👍
Jim Dom
You have not addressed my point about cognitive dissonance.
If love of money and putting finances first for which PL was well rewarded, was priority, what reason does PL have to go back to finance first over football first which was first declared in 2023 and needed time to address by getting rid of players who were bought under the policy PL was hired to ex
ecute by the Board and get the income to do so whilst staying sustainable?
It makes no sense unless you think PL is malign for other reasons.
What are they?
Celtic accumulated enough wealth from 2023 and 2024 to start raising wage levels to produce what Mahe covered.
Player trading takes time, it’s not done like Football Manager with a few mouse clicks.
PL no longer has the power or authority to execute the current policy.
DD does and it was DD who sent two executives to persuade BR to return.
It does make sense that he was persuaded to do so knowing the reasons he left still prevailed.
BMCUW
I only stated what I said was my opinion and not a fact.
Chairbhoy’s coverage of the past I had no problem with in factual terms,it was the saying The Board had a hankering to revert to old ways I challenged.
I appreciate fear plays a large part in our thinking as human beings but how real is it really?
All I wanted to do was to point out the reasons for fear don’t stand up if we think about why we hold them.
Big Packy
Just back in after going round the Doge’s Palace. Fabulous building, interesting looking at the prison cells. Found a parchment in one of the cells, when I translated it from Italian it said “Did Big Packy ever tell you about the time he went to the Vojvodina game?”
Did I tell you about the time I didn’t speak to my mother-in-law for 6 months? We hadn’t fell out, I just didn’t like to interrupt her……is that a true story?
Auldheid.
The malign presence of Peter Lawwell.
Awarded over £20m in salary, bonuses, and benefits in kind, since 2004. And counting.
Included in above, a single bonus of £3m during BR Mk1’s spell. Obscene.
Winning in Europe after Christmas ? For some, but not for Celtic under Lawwell.
Covid, not the 10IAR season. Don’t blame PL for that, but, during what was a hugely stressful period
in all our lives, Lawwell said yes to a salary of £900k. He could have shown some common decency and humility and declined, but he chose not to. Greed. Pure unadulterated greed.
2021/22. Lawwell leaves and Ange arrives. Great recruitment and vibrant football. Evidence that Celtic do not need Peter Lawwell. Celtic can function very well without him.
And now Lawwell is back as Chairman. Perhaps for as long as he wants. Charlatan.
Anyone who believes that PL does not have a say in day-to-day matters at Celtic, has either not been paying attention, or they are naive in the extreme.
Hi sol Vojvodina never heard of it 😎😎 hope you are enjoying yourself what amazed me was the boats plumbers merchants bakers plasterers all on the water like it was a main road 😎👍 another true story 👍
Jobo Baldie
“Good morning, friends.
I hope nobody minds if I copy and paste my POTY results from last night as they were a bit lost during the various live football updates from the Champions League….”
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Hi Jobo:
Yep, I was looking for them, but they were just obliterated by a blizzard of posts by some numpty who selfishly hogged the whole frigging site. No editorial control on this blog. Sumfin ought to be done about it.🤣😂😅
For anyone remotely interested in the Europa League, here is the current table ( sans any Jobo type enhancements ) with the current entity out of the Southside sitting at 11th.
HH
Iniquitous IV😊
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/europa-league/table
Celtic objective should be top 8 finish, and automatic qualification.
That’s what I’m thinking anyway.
HH.🍀