They say that travel broadens the mind.
Well, it can certainly open your eyes.
A centime for your thoughts, Philippe!
Thanks to Bisgrove Productions, the polyglot Belgian was able to observe the Ibrox klanbase in the wild in La Manga.
For a few mind-altering days, he was Antwerp’s answer to David Attenborough.
I would love a Light Blue Planet voice-over of the scene in the hotel when that elevator door opened.
I’m still processing what I was told about it yesterday.
Good grief!
As always, the Stenography Corps are deluging Planet Fitba with industrial quantities of Panglossian pish about Sevco’s recruitment in this window.
The bottom line is that the ex-AS Monaco boss thought he would have substantial funds to overhaul Mickey’s B’s squad when he took the Ibrox job.
Instead, he now knows that he’s mainly in the loan market and the bargain buckets.
He gave it straight to Sevco TV:
“Everybody is working day and night. Everybody’s working hard on that. It’s not the easiest window if you don’t have the most money so you have to be creative and fast.
“That’s the reality always with those things until there is a signature from somebody. So, we’re going to keep on working hard the next couple of weeks to get our targets.”
One more time:
“It’s not the easiest window if you don’t have the most money…”
I’m told that he had identified a striker who had played against him before he came to Ibrox.
The forward would have been less on the wage bill than fabulous Fábio, but a transfer fee would have been involved.
Oops!
Awkward…
There is a long line of managers at Ibrox who drink the dignified Kool-Aid from the Loving Cup.
It remains to be seen if Clement will quietly acquiesce to the financial goalposts being so significantly shifted on him.
Of course, there isn’t any guarantee that Sevco’s tranquil chairman might display some uncharacteristic capriciousness and roll the dice at the 11th hour.
After all, there is £60m of UEFA revenue to the winner of the SPFL.
As ever, across the city, Managed Decline FC seem intent on being Old Firm friends to the basket of assets.
I cannot imagine that Brendan is happy with what the work experience recruitment team has served him up for him.
Just before Christmas, the Irishman seemed confident of getting four quality signings in, first-team starters.
Now?
Unimpressive.
The Grey Brigade in the Parkhead boardroom are Philippe’s best friend at the moment.
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Could this be an article on the biggest mug in Scottish Football?
Wonder if the friendlies and travel were worth it. Maybe it generated a few quid. Would the players been better ticking over in training, getting over injuries and niggles after a short break with family, time will tell I suppose.
Some more new blood in at Celtic I hope and knocking on the first team door. Some will move and some on loan too no doubt but some new characters will give the team a lift I would hope. The bigger spend I expect in Summer, better value for money, more options too.
Poor Clemente choosing his words wisely, he’ll be getting the excuses in shortly and may go full GVB before they bin him.
You don’t have to imagine too hard how that would have been presented had it been Celtic on a winter training camp….. particularly since we can remember exactly how the winter trip to Dubai was presented!
As for BRodge and the signing policy…. this is only going to end one way.
I myself will be surprised if Celtic sign anymore than two players with maybe one or two loan signings. I just can’t see the Celtic Board spending anymore than around 8 million in this window and would be surprised if they even spent that amount.
The only cover we need at the moment is at LB and Striker, at the moment I think we’re covered in M/F at C/B and RB. Anybody available probably won’t be any better than what we have at the moment.
This summer will be a big test for the Celtic Board and it is then the supporters should try and put pressure on them to make signings early in the summer window, whilst resisting offers for our big players for another season at least.
I have never got over Lawwell seniors debacle of the McGinn Saga 4 years ago, why on earth he is back at Celtic Park only DD can answer.
I do agree with you on most of that, especially on Lawwell and the McGinn saga! However, if we dont get a couple of pieces of quality in LB & midfield especially, and we allow Sevco access to the £60m pot of gold as champions, the summer transfer wdw just won’t matter 😱
How cosy it is for the team playing out of Govan over in the cold snow surrounding Mount Florida at present. The news of those off spring of those once gallant pioneers being allowed to generate extra tv revenue courtesy of the SFA/SPFL and to have an advantage over other teams seems as if someone is getting a helping hand here.
Surely not, surely Celtic would notice this and raise an eyebrow or a spare chin or two, someone must notice or is it that being in plain sight when you shit on everyone else is not actually verboten.. Amazing that the Govan massive with the help of one Neil Doncaster and all his resources have had their allocation of televised home matches revised/ renegotiated on their request and to their advantage, how can this be, and not only that and before the ink is dry on the revised contract, it seems the ‘old firm’, have been sitting down and crunching numbers together.
What could this mean? Is it some sort of collusion with the sworn enemy; is it that those bitter rivals as they are often referred to aren’t so bitter after all, or is this something that was brought with the shareholders and is now being carried out? It couldn’t be that some one person who wields power over Parkhead way has taken upon himself to lead this crusade.
Could it be that everyone is wrong and he is right and that everyone thinks we need two large clubs in Glasgow or is it the case it could be one financially intoxicated ego maniac with his chins over the desk doing this madness without the approval of the smaller shareholders, surely not..
It seems to me, and I am wrong often, happy to admit that, as it can be relieving when you are, that the best interests of a listed company and its shareholders are not being managed in a manner you might expect, especially where massive amounts of revenue are at stake, and that some within the board are happy to play fast and loose with the company’s funding stream.
I always thought where you had the advantage in business you took it and acted appropriately to extinguish the ambitions of your competitors and any potential they may have to be dominat in your market place, or was that something I just dreamt up?
For those who are interested, there are many ways of looking at it, for me, I am blinded by what is in front of me, starting with the lack of spending and a team who were unstoppable, who didn’t stop as they proclaimed who have halted. A board led by the equivalent to a modern day Kelly clan mentality and business going on, that really shouldn’t be. A club being run as if it were broke and without funds while it has millions in the bank.
For those interested in business and conflicts of interest, there are many way a conflict of interest can manifest and at different levels, these are regarded as the four tiers. The first three are of particular interest..
Tier-I conflicts are actual or potential conflicts between a board member and the company. The concept is straightforward: A director should not take advantage of his or her position. As the key decision makers within the organization, board members should act in the interest of the key stakeholders, whether owners or society at large, and not in their own. Major conflicts of interest could include, but are not restricted to, salaries and perks, misappropriation of company assets, self-dealing, appropriating corporate opportunities, insider trading, and neglecting board work. All board members are expected to act ethically at all times, notify promptly of any material facts or potential conflicts of interest and take appropriate corrective action.
Tier-II conflicts arise when a board member’s duty of loyalty to stakeholders or the company is compromised. This would happen when certain board members exercise influence over the others through compensation, favours, a relationship, or psychological manipulation. Even though some directors describe themselves as “independent of management, company, or major shareholders,” they may find themselves faced with a conflict of interest if they are forced into agreeing with a dominant board member. Under particular circumstances, some independent directors form a distinct stakeholder group and only demonstrate loyalty to the members of that group. They tend to represent their own interest rather than the interests of the companies.
Tier-III conflicts emerge when the interests of stakeholder groups are not appropriately balanced or harmonized. Shareholders appoint board members, usually outstanding individuals, based on their knowledge and skills and their ability to make good decisions. Once a board has been formed, its members have to face conflicts of interest between stakeholders and the company, between different stakeholder groups, and within the same stakeholder group. When a board’s core duty is to care for a particular set of stakeholders, such as shareholders, all rational and high-level decisions are geared to favour that particular group, although the concerns of other stakeholders may still be recognized. Board members have to address any conflicts responsibly and balance the interests of all individuals involved in a contemplative, proactive manner.
I do hope I am wrong.
What exactly is the loving cup?? Hear a lot about it, but I’m not sure what is. Is it cleaner than the bogs in Seville??
Great article Phil. From comedy to tragedy in just a few sentences takes some doing! We should be taking full advantage and putting ourselves out of sight from these zombie clowns, but Lord Lawell of Heated Driveways seems hellbent on creating an artificial level playing field with them. Old Firmonomics 101. Up there with Trussonomics.
The pundits glossing his sending off! blaming it on a fussy French ref ! Imagine that was our boss, what a stushie that would have caused in the “mokit meeja” they would have been screaming for blood and claiming intimidation of refs, while they keep shtum about the officials in Bonny Bigotland…..ah well!you gotta larf.