Martin O’Neill
Morning, all.
The big breaking news story for every Celtic minded person yesterday was that our legendary manager, Martin O’Neill, was admitted to hospital to undergo what has been termed a “small procedure.” No further details are available, and I think it would be intrusive and wrong for any of us to speculate further.
Martin is recovering in hospital, where he is likely to remain for a few days. We wish him and his family well for the future.
Haste ye back, Martin.
Another Hearts free kick.
Kyziridis to take.
Hopeless.
Renaud hits over bar for Hearts.
Lethal Duran 5-1.
Simple goal from cutback again.
Benfica skelp the post. Almost 6-1.
Superb football.
Free kick Benfica 18 yards out.
VAR says penalty.
6-1. 12 goals lost in 3 Euro games.
Hibs 2.1
Hibs 2-1,
Might struggle in second visit to Balkans
Benfica 6 Hearts 1.
If no one recognises the crisis Scottish football is in then the decline will grow even faster.
Seem’s neither clubs nor SFA have a clue how to rectify this downward spiral
Jim from the previous article re Marcelo and Kelechi.
Kelechi walked in and said if you matched my 23k per week wages I will sign despite having verbally agreed a wage with the gaffer. Thats where the infamous 47k per week enters the equation, thats how much we would have to pay him to equal his weekly wage.
He can fuck off.
Marcelo has multiple owners which might be illegal under SPL rules like it is in the EPL. We were never going to negotiate with everyone who owns a slice of him, so that move died.
Yup I agree with both decisions.
Hail Hail
Seen a comment from JTT and nearly crapped myself 😉
Mahe
didnt Kelechi’s contract have an option for this season, but Celtic declined to exercise that option, and instead negotiated a deal at a lower rate?
Hassan announced tomorrow, 6million down could rise to 9 with addons.
I told you the ball was rolling on players, a midfielder will follow.
Thats about 20m on 3 players.
Quality over quantity indeed as last year that would have been ten two million each punts yet Im told nothing has changed.
Ill repeat my new mantra, if we keep bringing in quality we will be fine. How to get Hogh and Duran together is a mystery but I would rather have a problem getting a striker into the team than finding and signing a striker. Part of me wants Osmond on the right flank, Hassan on the left for accurate crosses from each.
Hail Hail
MIT,
True but it was on the same terms and given he can’t play 90 it was allowed to expire and he was offered less and verbally agreed.
Hail Hail
Mahe
did Celtic act in bad faith? No. Their agreement allowed them to do what they did. Similarly, unless and until Iheanacho signed a new contract, he was not bound to any deal. He was offered a better deal. I was told he gave Celtic the chance to match it, but they declined.
Both parties were acting within their rights and in their own respective best interests.
not sure the hostility to KI is warranted.
Mahe
We are now eating into the £100m bank fund. In other words away from sell before buy, policy. Although they exit of hvp maybe very much secured🙃
MIT,
I could have expressed it better but thats were Im at with him, see ya later Mr. Pay Me 47k A Week.
PrestonPans,
Another good point. We bought before we sold. Things are changing.
Hail Hail
I’m hearing that Diomande of the zombies injured his shoulder and is possibly out for the season. Fortunately for the zombies, they still have a dozen or so other midfielders they have not yet been able to offload
Celtic have taken in quite a bit in ST sales, Merchandising, UEFA participation, Winning the league and cup. Circa £110m.
You guys think that’s ringfenced from amortized transfer fees ?
Why ? Or is my humour bypass kicking in ?
I really wish we could drop the Ihenacho thing.
The guy couldn’t play for 90 minutes. This again falls into the quality not quantity plan. If he can’t play his quality is void. We collectively need to move on after decisions are made. It might be wrong or right, time will tell but he’s gone. John McGinn anyone ?
I’m also hearing Hassan deal now unlikely as he wants to go to Marseille, but deal hasn’t been done there as they have to sell before they can buy.
AweNaw,
Its my opinion that the CFO was maybe is bricking it at having a 90m wage bill when European money is looking increasingly difficult to attain hence his lower the wage bill demand.
I think 110 is a low estimation, I believe its likely around 130m to 140 when we add together the wages saved on mostly non contributing and those sold. We reach the CL and its our best ever financial results.
Its my opinion that, faced with a downturn scenario, he agreed on quality over quantity as,,,
The quality will give big future revenue and the wage bill goes down.
The flip side is that negotiating the qualifiers is easier when you own quality players for instance next season I think navigating 3 ties is easier with Hogh, Hassan, Duran etc.
If you don’t get through you can flip one. Theres the gap from CL to EL money covered.
What I’m seeing makes sense to me.
We could have had 10 in the door but as January showed its just a drain on resources.
Hail Hail
Anyone want a season ticket for this season only? 10 rows back from pitchside and slightly left of the dugout? 500 quid.
Mahe. I’ll cut it short. Have you lost the plot?
MAHE
“I’ll repeat my new mantra, if we keep bringing in quality we will be fine.”
——————————-
Hi MAHE:
And I’ll repeat, “IF” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The uninspiring, no charisma Mute has clinched only 2 of an estimated 10 deals, and Yahoo Sports thinks he has struck out yet again.
Registration closes in 6 days, and he is still flailing about like a fish out of water.
HH
INIQUITOUS IV😊
https://the4thofficial.net/2026/08/8m-twist-leaves-celtic-facing-major-blow-as-24-year-old-makes-transfer-choice-setback-for-the-hoops/
Bluegrass,
You’ve lost me. I’m not happy with the timing if thats what you mean but it certainly is a case of quality over quantity this summer and Martin instead of the club is picking the players, thats evident.
IQ4,
Come on man, this window is clearly a take your time to select the best affordable quality players 25 and under please Martin window. Bro we just went 20 or above on 3 players with more to come in and Im not talking club players or punts. 20 would usually see a bunch of riffraff draining wages.
Maybe another 20 on 3 would shut you up 😉
8, couple loans and six buys of quality,thats the word on the street.
Hail Hail
Hassan gets a big bonus if he helps deliver the CL
Mahe,
This quality over quantity mantra you keep pursuing is perfect in a perfect world . However, we have but a limited time to acquire this perfect scenario that you insist is how this transfer window is going to unfold. Prey tell me in which twilight zone do envisage this whole outcome coming to fruition? This site took a hold of me 7 years ago, it felt safe in the knowledge that it was happy clapping free, unlike THAT other one. It always had that balance of good cop ( yours truly) , more serious cop ( Bobby). However, I can’t get to grips with your positive vision in recent times when there’s such an almighty cluster fuck going on.
I’m afraid I’m not buying it. It hard to view your posts as serious meanderings. Can I ask you a serious question? Have you caved in? Is the seriousness of this situation giving you a blinkered view that you can’t see passed it?
I really don’t mean any disrespect mate, but these views don’t, imho, align with how most on here see things.
Bluegrass Celt,
Thank your for your comments over the years.
I admit I am positive about 6 quality signings (3 so far and 3 to come plus loans) and while once again I ain’t happy with the timing I reckon we pump LASK and enter the CL with 6 quality signings improving week by week. Most of the 15 were doing jack shit. Gimme half who really contribute any day.
Our splurge isnt over and we are winning this league title.
That’s genuinely how I see it.
Hail Hail
MAHE
On the WhatsApp group that we both read, a well respected member said that we had a £75m wage bill. I said I did not believe that, as it equates to
a squad of 25 players, each on £58k per week.
There isn’t a single player on our books gets close to that. And the equation takes another battering when we read of Donovan on £900 pw and Murray on £2k.
I don’t know where the club spends it £75m pa on wages, but it isn’t on the players, and it’s not on the average employee who will barely reach National Minimum Wage requirements. If McKay wants to avoid your £90m scenario, I suggest he cuts the major liabilities outside te squad and average employees. He will know fine well where those people are. Unless the reported £75m is a lie in the first place.
Morning all,
It’s Shipbank Friday 😜😜😜😜😜😜
A gathering today at The Shipbank pub, Saltmarket, Glasgow.
12.00 Noon onwards.
The good news is Belmont Brian has won first prize for “ Best Joke at “The Wheelie Bin and Drunk Punters” Social Club and is buying everyone a drink .
I myself, have passed a late fitness test and will be attending.
Hope to see a few old and possibly new faces there, on what is always a great afternoon.
HH 🍀🍀🍀🍀
In the accounts our wage bill unlike in the huns accounts is not broken down into categories. Every category is lumped in together. From those on a minimum wage along with those that vote tory and actually do the accounts and have something to hide like their world class wages.
Mahe,
Thanks for the reply. To be clear the savings account is not being used for transfers and is therefore not an indication of new found thriftiness.
AWENAW
Exactly. There is much that is unexplained in our accounts. Not just the wage bill, but also how after tax profit of £33m manages to equate to an increase of £1m in our bank balance. Etc.
st stivs
I’ve approved your 1617 comment. Well worth posting btw. Thanks.
Gives me the chance to remind you and others that only five links are allowed before a comment goes into our filters. If you think a comment has fallen victim to those filters, just mention it on here and I’ll release it if it is there.
Btw, as often as not it’s the cybergremlins to blame. At least in my case.
New article.
https://sentinelcelts.com/2026/08/07/laughter-is-the-best-medicine/