Across the city from Ibrox the comparison in this January window is stark.
When Celtic signed their new centre-half the boss invited him to his home for a breakfast meeting.
The 32-year-old German was, to put it mildly, pleasantly surprised that the fare on offer was all gluten-free.
I’m told that the ex-RB Leipzig player is rigorous about his national regime.
The thing is the gaffer already knew this.
During breakfast, Rodgers produced a dossier on the player.
How he plays, the positions he takes up at different phases of the game.
Marvin Compper was stunned at the level of detail.
This vignette is instructive as to the level of professionalism of Rodgers as a manager.
Regular readers will be aware that I am scornful of the mainstream peddling of the “Old Firm” myth.
As well as indulging in Liquidation Denial it implies that there are two titans of equal strength slugging it out.
The recent goalless draw at Celtic Park has given that fairy story some energy.
However, if you drill down into the details then the reasoning quickly falls to pieces.
This drilling down is easily done during a transfer window.
I’m told that Sevco made a very serious approach for Lewis Morgan.
The fee would not have been a problem.
Moreover, they promised that the id would be a first team starter for the basket of assets.
It is widely reported that young Morgan has a cultural affection for the Ibrox brand.
Despite this, he eschewed the offer from Espanyol Glasgow and has instead decided to join the biggest club in Scotland to take his chances in a talented squad of players.
There will be no spin emanating from Celtic during this transfer window about how much money is being spent.
Quite frankly they don’t need to.
The published accounts of Celtic and RIFC are as stark as could be.
One shows an enterprise that is rolling in it while the other has a going concern warning.
It is worth noting that Celtic’s accounts did not factor in the possibility of a windfall from the sale of Virgil Van Dijk.
At Celtic, all transfer business is being quietly and efficiently carried out.
There is no split in the boardroom and everyone is on the same page.
The manager is in total charge of football matters including recruitment.
This is the fourth transfer window that Rodgers has been in charge at Celtic and he is still dealing with the effects of Heated Driveway productions at Parkhead.
Thankfully those days are gone and the untitled director of football is no more.
What the Irishman is about is fashioning his own squad to play the way he demands.
The prescient German centre-back is part of that evolutionary process and there will be others.
Anyone who has a cultural affinity with the Ibrox brand should not be too hopeful for the second half of the season.
What is being assembled at Lennoxtown is seriously fit for purpose.
I really wish you would desist from highlighting the strengths and superiority of Celtic FC.
I’m trying my damnedest to portray them as burned out, exhausted and there for the taking this year.
My reasoning is that for years, Sevco has hung on my every word. That King will pick up on these concerns and carelessly overspend this window to win the SPFL As Celtic are there for toppling.
This will rush them to an earlier end, when, of course, Celtic come out the traps racing like Champions in two weeks.
You been reading that Celtic Blog again?
Not another Psy Op Rumpole old bean. Lol.
There does appear to be a feverish spend to chase Celtic faction at Sevco and a sober, cautious, survival, business competence faction.
Hoping the feverish spend types shout down the sober types. Regardless, they’re doomed.
Hi Phil, The Rangers fans feel and know that they are not only equal to, but better than us. Any reliable evidence to the contrary is a kind of blasphemy. As long as they they remain misguided they will have hope, which in turn will be exploited. In all of this, a flawed and wretched ideal is being sustained by resources that, if properly governed, would have even by now delivered a functioning football club. However, they want blood, not succour: they’d rather Guard Old Derry’s wall than protect their club: believe in the salvation of the coming of imaginary billionaire, than a watertight business plan .
At Celtic Park, the terms of reference – as you note-
are in the realm of the corporeal.
Exactly agree, Johnny McB. Hell mend them, with their GSTQ WATP and FTP, they can GTF.
I really like it that Celtic’s dealings in the market are kept very much “ off the radar.” Tell the Scottish meejah nada.
Word on the street, however, is that Tutankhamen , Rameses I I, and Amun are flying in for a medical with the dark side. It’s to be done in the dark at Murrayauchen Park.
Just passing on a wee bit of gossip don’t you know.
Great blog Phil . Thanks.
Celtic have also just announced the signing of Lewis Morgan on a 4.5 yr contract.However,he will remain with Saints until the end of the season.
Yes Phil,We All are truly fortunate to have Sir Buck at the helm of the Force de Major of Fitba in Fair Caledonia,let’s hope they continue together for many a year to come.HH?
Love the headline…very clever.
Did yae dae it yersell…:0)
Hail hail
I was told Compper cannot play for us in the Europa
That’s correct.
He can play in the CL’s league next season along with the other recruits. To me that is more important than a run in the Europa this season.
I’d rather he looked longer term and qualifying for the last 16 as opposed to a short term knee jerk reaction to this season.
There’s a message or two for you on the other thread, daftboy.
Ive seen various terms used to describe how we appeared in the sevco draw. Flat ,tired ,leggy etc etc. We have just been on a historic run of games ,I hope I live long enough to see it repeated ,but somehow I doubt it.
At the winter break we had played thirteen more games than them this season ,CL qualifiers ,and group stages games ,together with cup games ,all of them played like finals.
This on top of a treble winning year last year , amounts to a phenomenal amount of effort , both mental and physical. Ive never seen a Celtic team that always have it their own way ,games are going to be lost ,points dropped etc.
Were still in Europe in the new year ,top of the league by a considerable margin ,and have green and white ribbons on the retained League Cup. We have a manager that is both committed and knowledgeable ,and an owner that has evidently been affronted. Look at them and what they have , or rather don’t have.
I watched them do their nine in a row , we now know how it was done. Lap this period up while it is happening , this is pure gold.
John
You should also include the number of games players played for their national teams including Scotland of course.
A very good point as 6 Celtic players were regular Scotland starters during the recent qualifying campaign!
No close season break to speak of. Constant football.
Phil; I truly hope that you are correct about the power that Brendan has to go get his own players. My worry though is that it takes the efforts of PL and others in offices to be able to get the contracts/paperwork done. And that is where bottlenecks often occur.
All too often in the past, the refrain at the close of the transfer window is that they were “close” but just couldn’t get a deal over the line before the window shut. That can’t be allowed to happen again this window!
HNY Phil.
I was at the game against thistle, when Compper was unveiled at halftime.
hard to tell, as we have no idea how his time will turn out here, but I really like the look of him.
He is a big lad and lean too. Time will tell if he can do a job for us. Really need someone at the back.
Would like to see board give us a good window, as we need players bedded in for champ lge qualifiers in June.
We also have the back to back treble to aim for.
And last but not least a Europa league tie to have a shot at, no doubt we are underdogs against zenit. But we expect and demand a strong challenge and push them as far as possible. Who knows maybe even progress which would light the touch paper for rest of season.
Hi Phil but is there any other names being mentioned who else we could sign in this window players available for the Europa League tie next month. ?
I’d like to know ant names you’ve heard too Phil.