I’m sure the Celtic players fully know what their manager expects from them.
His post-match comments after the defeat in Sydney were the same as if it were a competitive game.
That said, the people at Parkhead tasked with providing the Australian with his football budget will be smiling today.
The featured image was my Tweet yesterday, and the result of the friendly hasn’t altered that financial reality.
I’m told that if the club and their commercial partners (Adidas et al.) meet their targets, the wealthiest club in Scotland will be richer by around £10m for the trip Down Under.
Conversely, if Celtic had backed out of that legally binding agreement for whatever reason, the organisers would receive a cheque for somewhere in the region of £6.5-£7m.
My information is that when Sevco signed up for the Sydney Super Cup, they expected to make around £3.5m.
I would not be surprised if the penalty for Doing Walking Away from the Australian contract is around £5.5m-£6.5m.
Then there is the brand damage that the Ibrox franchise has incurred.
That is difficult to put a figure on.
However, it will undoubtedly have a real impact going forward.
So to put it in Golden Retriever:
Anyone signing a contract with the current iteration of the Rainjurzz cannot complain if they end up in litigation.
This is very much a case of klan power imposing a financial cost on their beloved basket of assets.
I learned today that Sevco even had a commemorative shirt planned in anticipation of the Australian event.
Oops.
A case of:
Come in, Number Five. Your time is up!
On page 59 of the recent RIFC year-end accounts, it stated:
“The Club is currently involved in a number of other legal disputes.”
Of course, that should have been a red flag for the investigative heroes on the Stenography Corps.
Sadly, the succulent protocols remain in place, so it is as if it isn’t there in black and white.
Now, at the time of writing, Mr Giovanni is still the Sevco manager.
As with all things Ibrox, it is advisable to follow follow the money.
I understand that the likely bill to see the back of the Dutchman and his backroom team will be in the region of £4.75-£5.25m
Where the final figure lands will depend on who pays the agent fees.
The brethren in the Blue Room need to source an out-of-work manager who can perform miracles on a meagre budget.
Sadly, until this issue is resolved, the Stenography Corps are reduced to this embarrassing pish.
Good grief.
In the immediate aftermath of dropped points in Paisley, the optics of Alfredo on the beach aren’t likely to endear him to the Ibrox klanbase.
It is difficult to gauge whether or not Alfredo is more unloved among the Ibrox klanbase at the moment than Mr Giovanni.
Across the city, it is a case of long-term planning for continued dominance.
The January deals are done, and I’m told to expect FOUR first-team starters to arrive in the early days of 2023.
Recruits and outgoings are now being planned as far forward as the summer of 2024.
Dear reader, this is not Lawwellball.
No worries.
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Rangers could have had a nice week or two in the sun, taken the cheque, given it to the manager and flown back without him. Instead they are facing two multi-million pound bills and a loss of reputation.
” Loss of reputation ” Alastair ?
They’d be glad to lose the one they have.
I don’t think this will be very popular but “Angeball” doesn’t work against foreign opposition who appear to be more skilful and better organised than the domestic variety. The glaring weakness when the backs come inside to the midfield and leave massive gaps in the defence was exploited to great effect in the European games and again today where we actually had their wingers pointing to the space.
Perhaps if Celtic took their chances it might be a case of always scoring more than conceding but with the forwards misfiring at present it is a dangerous tactic.
I hope someone can convince me otherwise.
So when you first played table tennis 🏓 you 🏆 or did you try again. 🤔 I assure you god loves a Trier.
Not quite quite sure what you mean. Is the trier that God loves, Ange or moi?
I won’t try to convince you otherwise Charlie…’cos I totally agree with your observations.
You are spot on regarding the full backs’ situation…. particularly Bernabei…. who is all over the place and is not as talented as he seems to think he is.
But the main point you accurately make is….The level of opposition in Scotland does us no favours when we meet a better class of opponent…and it’s something that concerns me as well.
Good post.
It didn’t work this campaign with the players we have and whether it can work in the future with the same players (less likely) or better ones remains to be seen.
The disappointment for me was that the same failings in game 1 (not taking chances, poor defending, not retaining possession) persisted all through the other games ie their seemed to be no learning.
The Cha…Totally agree with the points you raised.
Having played,trained,coached and managed at a decent level…I obviously think I’ve got this fitba’ lark sussed.
But on a serious note…
I love many aspects of the way we play …and when it works it’s a joy to watch.
However, apart from the “defending ” element which, because of the way we play, is at times pretty poor, my biggest single bug bear is…Our final ball.
Whether it’s a cross…a cut back…a killer pass …or a shot…. it’s more often than not… pretty awful.
I don’t know how many times we’ve gone up the park…got ourselves into good positions…only for the move to be ruined by the final ball….It happens far too often…and needs addressed.
Apart from that…
‘Mon The Hoops.
A friend of over forty years, and I, text each other through and after every game. The final ball/pass/cross is a constant complaint.
The tory government re-imposed austsrity on the uk today and practically declared war on tax payers.
This points to the IMF calling the shots.
Now, you can check this, but the IMF generally insists that intetest rates be higher than inflation rates, probably a bad thing for people in debt or car companies who sell vehicles on finance.
How this affects sevco is anyone’s guess, but the 10% extra in some peoples giros might help them.
So, to recap, much less money in people’s pockets, higher cost of debt, inflation making money worthless, hard times ahead, cut your cloth accordingly
The tories will tell you no one saw our economic collapse coming, I’d say they’re liars
With Gio still in position, along with his backroom team, the players probably won’t be buzzing on their return to Ibrox.
And, if he is a lame duck manager, then the Blue Room isn’t likley to give Gio funds to spend in January?
It’s either Gio becomes a managerial magician, and somehow turns it all around at Ibrox – with the same players,
or, it quickly degenerates into open warfare between the players and Gio and his staff.
CFC just needs to keep doing what it’s doing, for another successful season. 🙂
We need another centre half in the mould of carter vickers, because we are vulnerable when he is not available. A talk order granted, but needed none the less.
And a top class finisher If we are to make any kind of mark in Europe.
Any idea why their 5 stars have disappeared?
And is FSR likely to affect them next season….?
I wondered that too !
“expect FOUR first-team starters”
What does that actually mean, players that would be the first pick in their position or rotations to come in when the top guys were rested/injured without severely impacting the team?
It was a similar story in the summer but how has that worked out?
Bernabei has improved since his poor early season form but still a backup to Taylor for the foreseeable future.
Jenz has good and bad games and will surely revert to backup when CCV and Starfelt are fully fit.
Mooy is surely only a fill-in until McGregor fit.
Hakšabanović is the one for me that looks a class addition that has looked most comfortable, crucially also in Champions League games, which Kyogo, Maeda and Abada were disappointing in.
Siegrist and Abilgaard haven’t seriously troubled the first 11.
So, by my reckoning, that’s, at best, 1 new first team starter and the rest as adding to squad depth (an important factor to counter injury, loss of form etc but not to raise your game to meet stiffer challenges eg UCL).
So, who are the new 4 and where do they fit in?
The young Japanese CB will surely only be backup (replacement for Welsh?).
We may get a new first-team starter RB but only, if the rumours of Jura leaving are true and 1-out 1-in doesn’t improve the team.
Are the other first-team starters, similar to the summer in-take ie essentially squad/rotation players (nb but obviously far higher quality than the Lawwell filler/development of previous years) or replacements for other outgoings eg O’Reilly etc.
If this is the case, I do not foresee an improvement in quality of our top 11 and that’s what’s required if we want to make our mark in Europe.
I’ll trust Ange here. The only positions I don’t think need an upgrade are the Wings, CCV, and CMac. I love everyone, but they’re all expendable if a better player comes along.