Celtic Banter Archive January 30 2014

30 Jan 2014 20:58:20
Getting away from transfers for a minute with all the talk of youth players getting a chance does anyone think it would be a good idea if the league introduced a ruling saying all teams must start a game with three homegrown youth players ie under 21 in there starting eleven ensuring that these young players will get game time and have a better chance of improving by doing this it would also help the national team in process I don't know if this ruling could even be made to be honest but was just wondering what uz all think

This was tried down South, if anybody else can remember?
Albeit a cup game, 3 homegrown players had to start the game.
Ref blows for KO, (can't remember the team) manager then does stripe le sub as totally against the ruling!
Not saying it can't work or not a good idea, it can only help or maybe they just aren't good enough to play?
MON and GS hated even having the ruling that they had 3 under 21s on the bench

Even though it would never happen I would love 2 see a celtic b team playin in the scottish championship the way they do it in spain with real madrid and barca even if they finish top they don't get promoted anyway. Would be a great way for the young bhoys 2 play competitive football every week

GunnieBhoy

{Ed007's Note - I've thought about that as well Gunnie but it's too much like common sense for the SPFL to allow it.}

Would also increase crowds at wee away grounds, putting money into Scottish game, look at the celtic fans crossing the border supporting celtic nation, missing an opportunity here

R13 ska

30 Jan 2014 20:34:39
Not a rumour just a point

Celtic FC last published turnover £76m
Fulham FC last published turnover £79m

Celtic target Leigh Griffiths £600,000
Fulham agree fee for mitroglou £12, 500,000

Celtic highest player wage £25,000 per week
Fulham highest player wage £75,000 per week

Fulham season ticket adult from £449 - £999
Celtic season ticket adult from £446 - £2500

Given that the last figures for celtic didn't include the sale of Wanyama and co and this years figures expected to be closer to £90m.

I don't expect us to be signing 12m players but surely the gulf between us and Fulham is not that far. Are we being short changed? Surely with the clubs recent financial results the fans should see that invested back into the product not over elaborate but sensible growth.

T

30 Jan 2014 21:23:39
Simple- TV revenue Fulham approximately 60 million, Celtic 2 million

T Fulham are guaranteed 20 25 million every season tv revenue have a very rich owner season ticket sales cup revenue so that's why they can afford 12.5 million players so you think the spfl can attract 12.5 million pound players pay 70 odd thousand pounds on one players wage behave yourself

ab

If everbody that reads this, misses out the first section and see's the question "are we being short changed". it's yes aaaalllllll daaaaaayy long!
Figures, numbers, lies, we are being short changed, The End.

30 Jan 2014 21:55:46
Where is it you got these figures from T.
Did English clubs not get bout £60-80m from TV this season, not including there Ticket sales, merchandise and player sales .
Much did celtic get from TV

All available on clubs website monkey boy.

Was last season and Fulham got 51m in TV.

To clarify I don't think we could attract or sign a £12m player or attract a £75k a week player.

But I think we're aiming to low. Yeah the TV money in England is huge but we have other revenue streams to get close to these middle of the road teams.

Surely a 5m signing in £40k per week isn't outwith our reach.

Just on a side note Fulham profit that season was £1.6m and our profit was nearly 10m

And our owner/major shareholder is worth £1.6BN

T

30 Jan 2014 22:21:26
BBJ we're no being short changed, if we were playing in the EPL yes we certainly would have a case about being short changed. My post about Fulham making 60 mill from tv was exaggerated but they did make 45 mill extra through tv and league placings last season, the bottom line is our wage bill for an SPL club is quite astonishing, the only reason we can afford this is because of our huge fan base

Fulham got around 51 million from tv rights last season and as long as they are in the Premiership this is as good as guaranteed. Celtic only make big money if the qualify for the champions league and even although were are winning the league at a canter is not guaranteed.

Not one sentence in there says celtic should be signing a 12 million pound player so read next time before trying to give the guy stick

I know hoopybhoy but stating gulf can't be that much so I simply used the figure that Fulham are paying for a player to laugh off the gulf claim simple now stick to your own arguments lol

ab

Fulham obviously get more TV revenue with SLY, but they do not have the CL bonus money or the worldwide market and merchandising Celtic can tap into.

JJ

Stevie. A couldnae give a flying F@£k what you said about Fulham!
We are being short changed!
Over inflated prices to watch some average ( muddled in between a few decent) players turn out crap week after week against the biggest lot o crap week after week and get nothing back in return, barring a few well oiled speeches after bringing in upwards of 40mil over 2 seasons on top of what was already coming in! We've bid for x we've bid for why knowing fine well these bids would never be accepted but looks good for "the fans"
Knowing Hooper was leaving and done nothing Barr take the money! Stadium half empty and doing nothing to turn it round, that's what you call being short changed mate!

Bigbadjohn

How many times. Celtic can't blow money like the big EPL clubs, and it's not just about money - players look at the club(pass), league(fail), even the weather

30 Jan 2014 19:47:59
Ed do you have any idea who the foreign striker we are after is?

{Ed007's Note - Sorry mate I've been trying to find out and got nowhere.}

I just hope it's someone exciting, any chance at all of Johannsson or Finbogasson?

{Ed007's Note - It won't be Finnbogason.}

30 Jan 2014 19:11:19
Just a thought but graham dorrans is out of contract in the summer at WBA I could see celtic moving for him. Decent player played at a good level. Thoughts?

30 Jan 2014 17:46:27
Hey Ed I was wondering if you could tell me has celtic stopped there interest in Griffith? Cheers

{Ed007's Note - No they are still interested.}

30 Jan 2014 15:08:11
Hi Ed is the fella Lacina Traore that Everton signed on loan who we was linked with a window or two ago?

{Ed007's Note - I don't know mate, you might be right.}

30 Jan 2014 11:05:11
Could pick holes in Lennon all day. I think someone should take him for a tour I Lennoxtown and remind him the reason it was built. When he wore a suit to play Juventus that night was up the with Ally and his donkey jacket and joggys. He has done well against no one and blew a fortune along the way. I said before for club of our size to have no coaching for strikers is bordering on amateur.

30 Jan 2014 13:37:09
lennon as a young manager will always make mistakes but if we compare lennon now to when lennon first came in, he was getting caught up in match interviews on other topics, going crazy towards refs and also the twitter thing. fortunately he seems to have learned from all this

there is also the most worrying which is the timing of subs and sticking with the mainstays which I can't defend but can we argue with the results and the team playing some real nice football right now

who would you all have to replace lennon cause I fear if he does leave this summer then coyle will get it and that is going back a step in my eyes

well done james forrest for his performance last night. taking his man on and mixing it up a bit

Kieran, totally agree with your post. People seem to forget the Mowbray days ect and I do believe that Neil Lennon has improved both the Team with their attitude towards games and himself in that he realises what it takes and means to be manager of this club, our club, my club. I would not want to see him replaced at the moment and there is no way Owen Coyle should even get a sniff at managing Celtic. If the worst comes to the worst Malky McKay would have to be an option but I don't think I would be happy with that choice either. Hail Hail
TamTimTic

{Ed007's Note - Tam can I ask how you come to the conclusion that NL has improved the team? Four domestic trophies out of a possible 12 so far, 20 if you count Europe, beaten finalists twice in the League Cup final and put out at the first hurdle at home to Morton this year. Beaten semi-finalists in the Scottish Cup 2 out of 4 years and the less said about Europe this year the better. If anything the team has went backwards this season and the fact that we have failed to win a treble without facing any major challenge from Rangers can't be ignored. I'm not saying Coyle or Mackay would do any better but NL is nowhere near as good a manager as some people would have us believe.}

Ed, I am just really happy where the Team is at the minute. Everyone is playing for the jersey (as they should) every game and apart from the Morton game (not full strength) we have done ok. Losing Hooper, Victor and Wilson was hard to take and despite not signing any adequate replacements for them (Virgil excluded) we still qualified for the Champ Lge, which in my opinion was a great acheivement. Neil is building the Team again and there have been slip ups along the way but the football we are playing now is really something special and has not been that good on a consistant basis since the St Martin days. We can only beat what is there to be beaten and we are doing that in style. Mowbray wasn't that long ago and when I think back it still gives me the shivers. I look across the City and see Sevco not knowing if there coming or going and I feel happy that my Club are in safe hands financially and we are playing great football. Yes I could want and demand better but that's in the hands of people on a higher pay scale than me but who I believe have the best intentions for Celtic Football Club, that Ed will do for me just now. Hail Hail
TamTimTic

{Ed007's Note - If you think we have been beating teams with style then you have a very different idea of stylish football to me, the football on show is awful to watch and the crowds prove that.}

Ed - I'm still happy with our lott though, glass half full and all that. Hail Hail, Your in Celtic
TamTimTic

{Ed007's Note - Thank God I don't drink!}

30 Jan 2014 17:35:36
I am happy with the job Nl is doing and the style of play which we are playing at the moment. He has been successful in the tranfer market all be it with quite a few duffers signed. His cup record is poor but this can be improved. At the moment I think we are miles infront of everyone in scotland. Big jock and mon seemed to do well before lennoxtown so I don't get this point or having a pop at the manager for wearing a suit ffs. Having watched the people win 9 in a row I am enjoying the present. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

30 Jan 2014 17:49:47
Ed I think we've had at least 10 very good displays so far this season, 5 or 6 very poor and the rest pretty average. The one fact that really stands out is we're a far better team without Samaras.We seem to totally change our style of play to accommodate him, It's no coincidence that the 3 very poor displays we had round the xmas period Samaras played and the games we are rattling in the goals Samaras hasn't played. We will never have a better chance to get rid of him, I couldn't take another 4 years of him, if he signs another contract I fear he'll continue to just go through the motions every week. Totally agree with you about the youngsters, Atajic out on loan particularly annoyed me, they should be getting their chance with us

{Ed007's Note - So 10 good displays out of 37 matches and you're happy with that Stevie? Humped in Europe, embarrassed at home in the League Cup, strikers that can't score, crowds are dropping by the match and the fans are more divided than they have been for 20 years. You can't bang on about how good a job NL is doing then blame Samaras for everything, it is because of Lawwell trying to be a smart arse that he is still here and it's NL that keeps on picking him to play.}

30 Jan 2014 21:54:24
Ed I said 10 very good displays, which about 6 of them have come recently, some of our one touch passing is enjoyable to watch, I admit the opposition is pretty dross but what else can we do you can only beat what's in front of you. I'm no Lennons biggest fan and I've been shot down on these pages before for daring to criticize him for his record in Cups.As for Lawell I'm sure you'll agree we are a huge club but trying to attract a proven striker who could easily be picking up 50 plus grand a year with about 24 clubs in England is hard to persuade to come to Scotland for potentially 6 champions league games a season

30 Jan 2014 01:17:43
Ed, I notice that some posts on here and other sites have the gaffer NL ending his time with the Hoops in the summer. What's your thoughts on it? Do you think he wants to kick around for another year of the CL or could he move on? Obviously only he will know for sure. IF! he was to go I would fancy Malky Mackay to carry us forward. Anyone agree? Could we afford Malky as a gaffer?

{Ed007's Note - I've said it for months that I don't think NL will be manager come next season. His stock is on the slide down south, if he stays next season he won't be able to walk if as expected Sevco are back in the league the following season, the board have proven again that they aren't prepared to back him in the transfer market and CL football will be harder than ever to achieve with the current squad and the level he is forced to shop in.
I still think Owen Coyle will be the next manager although I would rather we looked abroad at someone who will improve the overall standards on and off the field, the style of play, training methods, restructuring scouting young players and the youth football system. Everything just seems very stale to me just now as a lot of fans are disillusioned with the club as a whole and I can only see it getting worse over the next few years unless there is a change in attitude from the board regarding signings and investment, where they want the club to be and what the fans actually want.}

Couldn't agree more ed, tbh I truly like the way PL runs the club given our climate. I do believe we need the injection of foreign thought and training throughout all our squads, not to mention our schools etc etc. sport in general in our country is failing, time for a complete rethink and where it must start is in the schools and the homes. Everyone off your backsides, get the footballs back out on our streets in every home around the country. Don't make excuses that you work all day, get involved. We r all laptop loyal sunless we r proactive for the good of our kids and our club. Don't let your kids sit in front of the TV/computer, point out broony (not my fave celtic player but he gives everything for the club). Listen all on here LOVE our club just like sevco love theirs. We all need to take responsibility, time to make Scottish football better now and that's in today's primary schools and beyond. I love celtic above all and love to see them excel but let's let Scottish kids excel too with the right training. For example Andy Murray's mother knew Scottish and British sports authorities would stifle Andy and so she had the foresight and could send him overseas. In so many sports in Scotland we r so behind the times but have old farts in blazers dictating matters who have never competed on an international level. We need balance, get professionals in who know the scene, who appreciate history, who aren't money grabbers and who will revel in youth excelling in this country. It's not a club thing it's a country thing! Celtic to the fore as always but want Scotland as winners too!

30 Jan 2014 06:58:22
Don't see how any of the managers spoke about so far are gony do any better than Lennon.

If he leaves I would like to see someone from one who has a track record at a club from europe of developing thier own youngsters and promoting to first team squads .

That about sums up most of the points I have commented on over the season Ed and although he did bring back the thunder and the Barcelona 125th birthday night will never be forgotten; there have been too many slips and slides within the club - especially the problems during transfer windows and player/contract management.
He will go out on a high (especially if we manage a Cup win) and a huge thank you for his many years service.
Owen Coyle does worry me a bit - he has flopped in his last 2 jobs and the Wigan period seems especially poor.
But there may be other, better candidates when/if the time comes?
Will the Board welcome a 'strong' manager in view of the tight financial regime that exists at present?

JJ

Great points raised Ed not just about investments on but off the park. Was interesting reading NL saying he has nothing to do with the finances of signings, it's PL only. Now I know when it comes to finances PL is the expert and deserves credit for a lot of work in that department. But NL is the football minded one in that act so surely there should be a bit more cohesion there in NL having an idea of what needs to be spent in which department of the team. Not sure which previous signings are down to who but its obvious NL isn't being allowed the purse strings. If we're not going to spend close to what we make from players we'll fall behind, it's as simple as that.

RE, youth teams/coaching. Now I'd rather us winning youth cups and leagues than not, don't get me wrong, but do you think that too much emphasis is on winning the leagues than the actual way in which young kids are actually developed?

{Ed007's Note - At most clubs managers don't have anything to do with the financial side of signings, once targets are identified it usually falls to the Chief Executive (or his equivalent) to negotiate. Managers will try to sell the club to players by basically blowing sunshine up the player's backside about how highly he rates them, where he sees him playing etc.
As for the youth teams I think you need to find the right balance, it's great to see the youngsters winning trophies but that shouldn't be the be all and end all of it. Youth players should be taught to play the game the way the manager wants the first team playing, it should become the club's style, an expansive game based on keeping possession and making the ball do the work. Then when/if they get a chance to step-up to the first team they have been coached to play the same system.}

Ta for sharing your knowledge Ed good as always. I'm on board with the philosophy of a style of playing going through to youth level. I'd at least like to think that something along those lines is already in motion and we're yet to see the real benefits. For a club of our size and infrastructure there's not enough coming through for me that finds themselves in and around the first team for at least a few seasons. For one reason or another. Just Forrest and Mulgrew (although we very nearly lost him full stop) since I dunno, McGeady?

{Ed007's Note - There is nowhere near enough players coming through the academy. Whether that is down to the scouting, coaching or the manager's reluctance to play them I don't know, from what I have seen of our youngsters there are certainly a few who I would give a chance. Even out of the three you mentioned I would class as no better than average, Forrest and McGeady are far too inconsistent and Mulgrew has had one good season for us.}