The use of DATA and ANALYTICs to identify players for fees that are within Celtic’s/the Celtic owner’s budget constraints should be a no brainer but I’d say there are too many bootlickers and Yes men on the board who would be afraid to rock the boat in such a manner by trying to introduce such a methodology.
Besides, the amount of competition from nerd/Microsoft PowerBI jockey led clubs at a similar level means Celtic are probably too late to the party to make that transition.
Of course @Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy had predicted all this 4 years ago
I think Desmond values loyalty above all other traits and Rodgers was disloyal both in crticising him publicly (Honda) and in insinuating he was not offered a new contract. Desmond and board then did not offer him the funds for transfers as they knew he would be leaving at the end of the season.
I was surprised to see Kennedy leaving. He was very much part of the fabric of the club? It will be interesting to see how Martin O’Neill does and what role he plays (if any) in next permanent manager.
O’Neill back on Talk Sport a little while ago saying it’s very much interim & he’s just helping out until they get a presumably young manager in. I know he was never a training ground manager but he might get off the phone to Jim White & up to Lennoxtown to chat with wee Shaun Maloney. I don’t know if he’s there to provide cover to Maloney who’ll be running the show for a couple of weeks or what. Obviously they’ve a track record together but it seems an unlikely match of a 73-year old, presumed retired, traditionalist versus one of these new, young, modern coach types. Maloney seemingly has a reputation for being a very bright footballing mind & Martinez had him involved in a couple of jobs before Maloney went out on his own. His spells at Hibs & Wigan were essentially unsuccessful so I don’t think there’s much appetite for him to be considered as a long term manager among Celtic supporters.
Better news for Kaiser Desmond in the business pages of the Paper of Record this morning. He’s seemingly set to share a £5.2 billion windfall with his two amigos Messers McManus and Desmond on a UK nursing home deal.
That would surely finance a few players for Glasgow Celtic.
OGS?
O’Neill coming in to mentor Maloney ala Bobby Robson and the Gaffer?
No I’d absolutely agree that it isn’t fair.
I suppose what I’m trying badly to put across is that it’s hard to know whether the board did withold funds, or whether the manager simply blamed them for his current malaise. It may be that they knew he was lifting his skirts down south regardless, and didn’t want to be left with aload of duds.
It may be that they looked at some of the potential signings and thought them a bad use of funds.
It may be Rodgers couldn’t convince anyone decent to play in the SPL.
It’s really hard to know.
But DD is uncharacteristically vehement, and I’d lean towards him tbh.
I’m really looking forward to Falkirk tomorrow night and watching my first Celtic game since 2nd June 2023.
A special thanks to @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy who kept me informed with regular texts during all the games since then under the rat.
I said it repeatedly when the phone pinged during the games since the summer of 2023, he’s there and he’s always there.
In the eyes of many Maloney was an ungrateful cunt who forced through a move to Villa and was never accepted back.
He also messed up that free kick in injury time in Seville by kicking it 30 yards over the crossbar instead of crossing it into a full box of giants. Prick
I doubt there was a NDA.
I actually think DD isnt giving the whole story either.
I suspect the three hour meeting went downhill fast.
Apparently the aim was to secure BR for another year. I wonder whether BR had advanced plans elsewhere.
He’s made a powerful enemy you’d imagine.
What an evisceration of the short-arsed one by Desmond. He’s chopped another 3” off him.
Brendan will do well to get a coaching role with Ulsterbus after that trimming.
Celtic options: Roy Keane. We’ll see his mettle now but he’s all guff and bluster.
But they ended up signing a glut of what look like being pointless signings anyway. You seem to be the only sane person in the entirety of Celtic fandom concluding that’s a reasonable statement from Desmond.
Sane??
Some around here thought the Board and Lennon were great and above criticism in the 10 in a row year. 10 in a row and they fucked it away.
A rat comes back and now the board are completely to blame.
You couldn’t make it up.
Just to rule out @Jake_Stevens.
Kieran McKenna might be tempted
Leroy Sane would be brilliant. He’s currently in Turkey.
He’s meant to be on £6mn per year.