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Celtic Diary Friday January 15: Another Player to Be Forced Out ?

Lets for a moment accept that there is some truth in the rumour that there is a wage cap at Celtic Park. Lets accept that some players are paid bigger bonuses than others according to their importance in the squad.

We’ve already seen that a few players, in the [past, have been offered less money to re-sign than they were already on. Thats why they aren’t here any more.

News reaches us, via our usual drunken source, and boy had he scooped a few this time, that the five year deal on the table for James Forrest is offering less money than he is already on.

Seems like the board have already decided who is going to be the next player to leave…

Forrest is a Celt, one of the sort we should be encouraging to stay. He came through the ranks, and despite a few injuries, has improved considerably under the new management.

Isn’t the idea supposed to be to get Celtic minded players in and develop a side capable of if not succeeding  at the highest levels in Europe, then at least competing ?

And then, if they choose Celtic to be their club for the peak years of their career, would it not be an idea to reward them, not only for their loyalty, but as an incentive to others, and as a signal to the support that we are looking at a result on the pitch, and not just on the balance sheets ?

Forrest doesn’t want to leave. He shouldn’t be forced to, and lets be honest, paying someone less than they are already on, when he can make much , much more in England, is little more than constructive dismissal, and the board should have a wee think about what they’re doing, otherwise there won’t be any point in ordering a load of those wee plastic cards that serve as season books.

In fact, they’d be as well ordering them on a sort of pay as you go basis.

I’ve gone along with the idea of building a team of promising young Scots. We have to operate within our own constraints, but if we are going to force them out the door when they look like they’ll raise a few bob, then I’ve a little message for those making that decision;

And what of the manager ?

Should he not be in there fighting for the best deals for his players, the ones he wants to keep ? He’s spoken highly of, and invested a lot of time in Forrest.

If he hasn’t already lost the respect of some of his players, then this will do it.

his primary function is to look after his lads. If he isn’t going to do that, he should refer to the picture above.

Its all well and good being a nice guy, but he should not confuse niceness with weakness. I’ve never quite understood this idea that he is out of his depth at Celtic, but if he isn’t going to stand alongside a talented player who wants to stay at Celtic , then he’sout of his depth in management.

Sort it out now, and show the players that you are a manager, and not just someone producing an asset .

Agghh . Hang on.

Not like that!

Roasting from Celtic manager Ronny Deila was tough to take but I’m

glad the tough love happened.. I’m getting better and better says

defender Efe Ambrose

Right, theres a game tonight, as Celtic travel to Tannadice to face Dundee united, and more than likely sign the first player who looks like he’ll turn a profit.

Nope, i’m still annoyed.

We’ll have another go.

Celtic travel north to the city of discovery to face struggling Dundee United in the hope that they can find someone cheap enough to portray as the next big thing.

Ah, fuck it.

Wed better win, and win convincingly, otherwise someone will feel the rough edge of my tongue. and if there’s an extra player on the bus back down the road, he’d better be at least as good as Henrik Larsson or they can leave him at the services.

In fact, theres an idea.

Tell the board that theres a sale on in one of the wee towns on the way back down, and when they run salivating to see what dross they can buy cheaply, whip the wheels off their motors and leave them there. In the snow, without a jacket.

Then they’ll get an idea of how we feel every time something appears to be going well and it gets whipped away from them.

To the game, and its live on BT Sport, which means we’ll get to hear the views of Chris sutton, deemed too anti Celtic for even the Record, and now plying his trade at the Scotsman;

“I think there’s an air among the supporters of being resigned at the minute to bang average dross at times – [such as] the Partick game [on 2 January], scrambling to a win,” 

Or, fighting to the lat minute to secure a win, roared on by a crowd who suddenly came to life and played their part. I’d call that a triumph, a sure sign that player and supporter, working in unison, can lift the two together and create a win where none looked likely. 

But what do i know ?

“Things just aren’t right and they need to find a way of, domestically, playing a brand of football which excites the fans and which people will want to go and watch.

 

“That hasn’t happened. In Europe, they need to address massive issues because I can’t see it getting any better otherwise.

“If there is no stability or continuity between now and the summer then we’ll start the next European campaign, get one or two new players in and then we’re out of the Champions League again.

“You can’t do that year in and year out. If Peter Lawwell is backing him – which he seems to be – then surely there comes a time when they have to speculate a bit and get experienced players in. Ronny’s said a month or two ago that they need to sign experienced players, So why wait? It’s 14 January now and I don’t understand why they’re hanging about.


Sutton refuses to consider it might be the players who we have contacted that might be hanging about. To weigh up their options…like anybody would. 

Going on his [Deila’s] record it may be hard to make a case to keep him. Certainly in terms of the European campaign and the progress of players. The team has not progressed.

“So this is a critical period for Celtic. If Peter Lawwell has made the decision to keep him there is no point in not backing him, because he is hanging him out even further.

“If you keep him, get behind him and give him the tools he needs.

“In terms of progression, have Celtic progressed in Europe since last season? No. Have they played the style of football Ronny promised? No.

“He was given the job by Peter Lawwell, Peter has kept him in a job and that makes this [next] five months sort of ‘now or never’ really, because domestically they have a great chance to win a treble and kick on.

“But if it’s the same brand of football we have seen served up this season domestically is that really going to convince everybody?

“Ultimately football is about players and you have to say going into Champions League qualifiers next season Celtic will struggle.

He might be right about a couple of things, but to go back to the Partick game, thats what happens when we all get together, and thats what we need to see more of.

I wish someone like Tommy boyd would add his tuppence worth. might get a bit of common sense then.

Here’s Tommy…

I’ve been to so many Celtic games, both as a player and as a fan, and there’s nothing better than the Celtic support when we all get together and get behind the team.  

Yes. And thats what we have to do.

Its us and the players.

If ronny wants to be a part of this club, he needs to choose his sides.

Us and the players…

Or the board.

His choice.

In other news, pyro isn’t all that bad, as long as its not done by Celtic fans;

Embedded image permalink

Another youngster has had his bask doors kicked in this morning,and is being accised of singing a doidgy song at Stair Park…

Welcome to Scotland.

The Lennon CSC has booked the train for next weeks game, and as we’re all a bit more mature now, its definitely the only way to travel from now on.

Embedded image permalink

Surprised anyone left their carry out unattended though. None of us would ever do that. in fact, some of us don’t even open theirs.

You see, you can have a drink on the train, but try it on your bus to the game, and a constable-i won’t abbreviate that word, may chap the door and ask for a contribution to their works do.

Which they have said they will be doing tonight, and Tayside based police have a thing for Weegies, known colloquially as blind hatred, so it might be an idea if you use a decoy car to carry the food and drink, and wait until you’ve been checked before returning to your light, non alcoholic refreshements.

And watch out for unmarked cars. one of them ran us off the road a while ago when they saw the driver smoking.

I wasn’t happy with the new logo in his notebook either;

Image result for police brutality

Believe it or not, I’m not in entirely bad mood today.

I was out last night, and after a wee bit of chat, I finally got a yes from a lady that wasn’t the first word in a sentence that also contained “that’s him, officer. “

Though to be fair, I declined anyway. David Bowie and Alan Rickman both died this week  at 69, and i wasn’t taking any chances.

Friday is caption competiton day, so cast your eyes upon the picture, and ponder what is going on ….and who is this chap ?

Embedded image permalink

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Desmond dekker and the dekkers
8 years ago

What crazy drugs are you guys on? Jamesie is abysmal and needs to be sold – there have been so many games this season where he’s done nothing – he is a bit like samaras in many respects but his beat two guys and then run the ball out of play routine is wearing a bit thin now – just don’t see how people rate him he’s going backwards rather than forwards in his career

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

I don’t think Forrest is that special myself flatters to deceive his final ball can be brutal and he tends to overrun it when he hit’s the by line.
However if he was to be moved up front I think he could do some damage as a second striker in a different formation.
We don’t actually need wingers when we play with 2 wingbacks.

Monti
8 years ago

Nurse? nurse?

andybhoy
8 years ago

Clueless.
Let me ask a simple question.
What does that make the rest of the players in the current squad?

Jinky58
8 years ago

Desmond
totally agree with you he Forrest to be sold , absolutely useless

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago

Ronny gets a lot of stick (of wich some is justified), but it’s unbelievable how our board have avoided so much criticism.
Take Ajer for example, if we can believe half the world the kid’s a real gem, who allegedly is keen to sign for us. Yet our fucking board want to take chances and wait for the summer to sign him on a free. This sums it all up for me: they. just. don’t. care.
Ronny wants him, the squad needs investment, the fans want quality yet no effort whatsoever from the boards perspective.
No way we are going anywhere near Europe with the current squad.
The Forrest story utterly disgusts me, i’m not even getting started on that one. Absolutely raging.
Back the team, eat the board.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

To be fair we don’t actually need Ajer he’s a project.
Deila stated this the other day.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I didn’t mean we needed him with “the squad needs investment”. He’s obviously not coming into the squad right away but he’s a star in the making. As we’ve got his attention atm, now is the time to snap him up. He’ll be lured away by big money in the summer.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

That would be fine if we had the funds to spare but the fact is we have 4 or Players on the books already fighting over his position on the Park.
If Rogic was to move then yes it would make sense.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Thats my point. I’m not talking about having funds to spare, if an opportunity like this comes along an ambitious board takes it. The squad is packed with midfielders but like i said he’s one for the future. I don’t see him as first team material from day one. Assuming that Rogic, Forrest and maybe Johansen/Biton could be on the move it would be very sensible thing to do

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Why would you move on players like Johansen and Bitton to make room for a player who’s not first team potential?
We have Henderson and Lindsayy to come back yet.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I wouldn’t, I hope they stay but for the right money PL would. The Ajax model that Ronny glorifies is based on oversized youth squads/young players. I think this was a major factor for PL to implement that policy as it accelerates our selling-club model.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I think the need to clear the £14m Co-Op debt by July 2019 may be accelerating our need to cut back myself.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

We don’t actually need Deila either, but Lawwell keeps him!

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Right, this is getting silly.
As I said, PL sells for the right money would => “I think the need to clear the £14m Co-Op debt by July 2019 may be accelerating our need to cut back myself.”
BUT for every Hooper, Wanyama that would have been “homegrown” you need 10 new youngsters for the future. Buying more youth gives more chance of future stars, bigger future profit.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

This co-op debt would be easier to pay back if we were qualifying for the CL regularly!

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

We Owed the Co-op £15.15m in June 2012
Since that date we have..
Qualified for the Champions League Twice (last 16 once) £30-40m
Sold:KI for £6m
Hooper for £5.5m
Wanyama for £12.5m
Ledley and Wilson for a combined £5m (both free)
Forster for £10m
Van Dijk for £12-13m
Matthews for £2m (signed for Free)

That’s a combined income of at least £7om on top of the usual turnover on the Domestic front where we have been Champions 3 Season since those figures were produced.

We still have a Debt of £14m.

Apparently not even the greatest set of income figures in our entire Clubs History have reduced the debt?
Wake up and sell the coffee bhoys.

£NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
The reduction in non-current liabilities from 30 June 2011
of £0.39m to £15.16m is largely as a result of a decrease in
the term loan and also in deferred income due after more
than one year

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

Don’t know how we went from Ajer to cold, hard finance but whatever floates your boat I guess.
You just answered your own question, really. 14£ debt is a very bearable amount of debt considering our revenues and equity for 2 reasons.
1. Financing trough debt is much cheaper than equity (reduces profits & tax). For a full explanation on wacc take a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6Dwbp2XiI).
2. If this debt would be a problem, we would know as our share price would plumment and CCP would be rated as unsafe. Our current ratio is 1.03 wich means we are fairly safe. More info to be found @ http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/ccp/profile?countrycode=uk and http://www.investopedia.com/university/ratios/?header_alt=g

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

@Belgobhoy Try reading Montis post.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Don’t start talking finance if you’ve got no clue what your on about.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

I remember a previous member on another Forum saying that to me 3 yeas ago when I dared to point out the £15m Co-op Loans in the Accounts.
“Those aren’t loans was the cry that’s an unused Overdraft.”
He left that site a year later.
We owed the Co-op £14.4m
I have been looking at our Finances for 4 years bud.
I smell a rat.
You don’t have to be in Finances to know something isn’t right at Celtic.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”
Point proven, once again.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

Belgobhoy,
I like you……

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

Does this discussion mean that I am the new Monti?

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

Possibly if you don’t read the Post previous and reply with statements based on no fact whatsoever .

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

There is but one……:)

deadhead67
8 years ago

Force out Forrest,a player of proven ability if it,s true then,we should boycott season book sales next season

Jim
8 years ago

Wouldnt loseuch sleep if forrest left…..he’s half the player he was under Lenny.

corktim
8 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Doesnt matter who the player is,Its the policy that is absolute shit,and its not the first time it has been used i.e ledley,samaras etc,this board is taking us for mugs,the only reason we have a manager of limited ability like deila is because he is a yes man,anybody who had proven ability ran a mile from the job due to the constraints in place,finance quality of player and decision making on player recruitment.

Admin
8 years ago
Reply to  corktim

100% correct.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  corktim

Corktim,
I have said it time and time again, the board are taking the piss….and have been for years.

Corktim
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

I think some drastic action will have to be taken for board policy to change,boycott of all revenue streams by fans,up to and including season tkts merchandise etc,it pains me to say this but there is no easy fix.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

Chris Sutton has been on Deilas case since he set foot in Celtic Park.
He may well have been a “Legend” to some but to me he has become a soup taking wanker happy to put the boot in to Celtic at every opportunity so long as there is a wad of notes hitting the Bank at the end of the month.
He needs to get with the times he was part of a Celtic side that cost a small fortune to build and that contained 4 or 5 players of a standard this Country has not seen since.
Celtic are no longer a Champions League level Club our spending is inadequately low to be considered one.
January is a notoriously bad window for signings as most Clubs tend to hold onto the players until the end of the window to achieve the best price they can.
Same goes the Agents involved.
It’s just not that simple to deliver quality and experience when you are not offering top money to do so.
Which we don’t as we are not a Champions League level outfit.

Plumsaucesaurus
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Chris Sutton will say anything they pay him to say. Simple as that.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

Spot on.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

You’re right about Sutton yet he does make the odd point.
We can’t spend our way into Europe anymore but what exactly is our strategy? I think Ronny wants to copy the Ajax model in terms of recruitment, the Molde style performance analysis and diets and the Klopp style management based on motivation and building a corporate culture. This obviously brings big change and if we do this there is no going back. I really wonder if the board (and Ronny) know what they are getting themselves into.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BelgoBhoy

A typical tactic in the media is to take a small percentage of fact,add a large percentage of fiction then apply a liberal dose of agenda.
Sutton is doing exactly that.
The fact he played fro Celtic is now not relevant it is what he is saying and why he is saying it that is.
I for one have heard enough of his crap.

corktim
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Afraid of reading the truth again charlie will you ever open your eyes to the shit we are in,and stop accepting mediocrity,most fans are disillusioned with the club at present,and sorry but I still can not see why you are still supporting the way the club is run,the truth hurts and sometime you just have to hold your hand up and say I got it wrong,as surely the evidence on the park and in the boardroom points to what me and a lot of fans think it is time for some drastic change before we go to the point of no return.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  corktim

I am all for change at Board level this does not detract from the fact Sutton is a Soup Taker.
The way forward for Celtic is fan ownership only then can the Club realise it’s potential fully.
A not for profit charitable entity that ploughs it money back into building quality teams and helping those in need that does not serve as a pension fund for Money men and charlatans.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

9 million of us they said… £20 each.
Do the sums.

BelgoBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

amen mate

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Then do that £20 each every Season and see then what “Big Club” is all about.
£70 million would buy the lot right now.

Paul1888
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

How do we get this scheme off the ground?

I would happily contribute every month via direct debit.

HH

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

@Paul I think a great many would given the chance and I don’t think some would stop at £20 if it was done correctly.
Celtic could become the Biggest Club in Europe if it was Financed and run the way the fans would want it run.
This myth you need men like Lawwell in the hot seat is Bollocks all you need to do is employ the right people behind the scenes with a solid Financial background pay them the going rate and charge the punters a realistic price for a better product on the pitch.
No Bonus Culture no hidden agendas everything transparent and accountable.
It would take alot of dedication and hard work but it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Not a chance it’ll happen, CS. Check out the Ebssfleet example on a hugely smaller scale than us. people signed up in droves to pay £35 in season 1. They all had an equal say in hiring/firing/team selection (ffs) and after tow years it was a busted flush. Had to be bailed out by rich arabs.

The model can’t work, doesn’t work and won’t work. Pie in the sky nonsense.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

@Cecil
With a fanbase as large and diverse as ours and the potential funds that could be raised the right people with the correct knowledge could be hired to run the Club efficiently.
Ebsfleet is hugely smaller of that you are correct they don’t have anywhere near the resources a Club our size has at it’s fingertips.

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

They neither have the resources that we have nor the expenditure. They did, however, manage to get more than 50,000 subscribers in their first year. These subscribers were entitled to vote for team selections each week, vote on what player to buy and sell and were very actively involved. Great, you might think; they’ve really bought into this. After a very short while, they couldn’t manage 3,000 members renewing.

Apart from the disastrous thought of a Celtic team being picked by votes from the paying subscribers (can you imagine the shambles?), the excitement would soon give way to lethargy and we’d need to be bailed out by some Kuwaiti outfit, like they were. Might not be after two years but it’d happen.

On balance, and it might be close, I’d rather stick with DD than with unknown arabs (the real sort, of course, not tonight’s version).

It was a great experiment at Ebbsfleet but it just can’t work. It’s a shame and I agree with you that it’d be great if it worked but it won’t.

On the other hand, Portsmouth’s Supporters’ Trust got some wealthy people together as a backbone and asked for £1,000 donation each from their passionate supporters (almost as passionate as ours) and that does appear to be working. Might be that a bigger donation s required from fewer people with a transparent Supporters’ Trust – who get elected to the FC board – for the model to have any chance.

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I should’ve said, of course, that Pompey was bust at the time (twice bust) and dealing with liquidators/administrators. They also had some land to sell off to a property developer who also provided funds. We’re not in that kind of distressed state (despite what we see on the pitch sometimes) so even replicating that model would be hugely more difficult in our situation.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

First of you employ a Manager to pick the team.
Secondly you employ a quality Coaches and Scouting network to furnish the team to the Managers thinking.
Funding would be supplimented through the usual channels PLUS a Players Fund into which Supporters could agree to put a minimum amount each Year.
Our numbers vastly outnumber anything a Portsmouth could muster.
We have millionaires and Billionaires who follow Celtic who may just want to chuck a few quid in for fun?
We could approach a Fergus or Desmond to act as a failsafe just incase.
Low risk no risk venture.
Anything is possible if you put enough Money and energy into it in Modern Football.

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

All sounds so simple but, I’m afraid, you’re not being realistic. I was involved in the Ebbsfleet thing to start with because it seemed like a good wheeze. That didn’t last.

I also know several of the serious and senior people in the Pompey exercise and I know what horrendous difficulties they had in much, much easier circumstances.

I’d happily put you in touch with the right people if you’re really serious and are really ready, pretty well, to commit your life to this for several years! Bear in mind, we’ve got a board that is happy with its lot, comfortable in its arrogance and with no appetite to change the structure of the Club (or company…..if I can consider these two things as separate on this board like others do elsewhere!).

Won’t get to the starting line, imo. Credit to you if you wanna try, though.

mike
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Charlie Saiz,

All that sounds doable and i for one would back it, there is a wee small problem on the horizon though,Armageddon Two.
The signs of a collapsing economy from our Chinese friends.

BroxburnBhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Hello All, this number is severely overstated as 7 million of these Celtic Supporters are supposedly from Japan. Clearly extrapolated when Naka was here. These numbers are way over the top and those motivated to give 20 quid probably number in the thousands. Even if by a miracle we could do that, this site proves that we couldn’t agree what color to paint the toilets never mind make strategic business and football decisions. I think this is pie in the sky

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I think you are a wanker but it’s still possible to change my mind 🙂

Chris Sutton served the club well for years, god bless you Chris!

Remember now Charlie, this is posted with fun in mind….before you email Ralph.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Someone have a word with this clown he’s intent on ruining this Board.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Diary/Forum.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

If you need clarification on that have a look at the wee trolling message he left at 1.15 am this morning.
Then coupled it with various trolling that he has been doing the past few weeks.
You want friendly debate on here then I suggest you deal with the trolls first.
If not then you find some will simply move on.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

see?
Failure to accept being called a wanker in the hope of you taking it lightly, yet you freely call Sitton a wanker?
Does that not make you a wanker?

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

I don’t know but I do know trolling fellow site memebers on the Forum at 1.15am is the work of one.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Charlie Saiz,
1:15 am was the last time I looked in on the diary, I left a comment, so what’s the big deal?
you respond to I post yet you call me a troll for reciprocating?

You seem a bit irritable today, take a few deep breathes and you’ll recover!

Also, Is it fair to refer to someone as a wanker then take offense when someone calls you the same?

You are an arrogant prick!

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

That’s the final conversation we have Monti I would appreciate it if you would simply skip past my posts as I will yours.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Charlie Saiz,
There’s no need for that, stop being immature!
Fuck sake.

Bgbhoy
8 years ago

Pretty sure Forrest was quoted in the press in November how much he wants to stay. How big a club Celtic is and how happy he’s been with the last 12 months progression under Ronny. One of the positives of the managers regime. Why has a deal not been done then??

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Bgbhoy

2 Letters.. P & L

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Is that not three letters?

torrancetimebomb
8 years ago

forrest is the nearly guy, he nearly has a good run in the team, he nearly beats a player, he nearly scores a goal, sadly young james nearly is not good enough now and its time to prove it or lose it, as regards chris Sutton, calls it as he sees it cannot disagree with a word he says

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

If Forrest is forced to move on and Peter Lawwell lifts his Bonus again this year then it is becoming more obvious to me his (rather large)Bonus is directly linked to Players sales.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

So are you saying that if no players are sold, PL doesn’t get a bonus?

Uralius
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

God Monti you’re such a prick. lol

mike
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Charlie/Monti,

I think its been pretty obvious for a while that players sales are linked to his bonus.

dziekanowski's nightclub child
8 years ago

It’s Ronny Deila offering Forrest a show at his next birthday party if he stay’s.

Maybe it’s the old grump in me but I pretty much agree with Sutton’s comments, I commend your positive outlook on things Ralph but surely the green tint is nearly off the glasses?

8 years ago

On Forrest:

He’s a cracking player – when fit.
The problem is he does pick up his fair share of injuries.

Ronny underlined his value when he cam in aas head coach. At the same time, he uses him sparingly most likely due to his proneness to injury.

If he is being offered less money than he is on, then I guess it is most likely it is because of his inability to deal with injury. That is a hindrance to any player and to their club.

I’m not saying that’s great and justified but I can see the point financially. You can’t give a player more money knowing fine well he can’t play week in week out.

I’m sure James could go south and get more money but I doubt it would resolve his injury problems. I would much prefer that he stayed, he’s a good player.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Stevie Mac

Stevie mac,
Forrest is an excellent player for us, he has to be kept at the club.

Uralius
8 years ago
Reply to  Stevie Mac

Interesting point. Do you suppose the package includes large appearance fees and unused substitute fees.

Brian53
8 years ago

Tin hat on here………..I wouldn’t be fussed one way or the other if James stayed or went. A fragile squad player who’s form blows hot and cold. I am sure that the training staff wrap him in bandages for some games, not to protect him (althought that might be a good idea) but because he can be the invisble man.

I don’t listen to a word that failed Lincoln manager has to say, couldn’t make the grade but is now a managerial guru? aye right! Your “Hey, you there: Fuck off” should pply to him.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Brian53

I agree with this^

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Brian53

Never mind the tin hat, it’s a cone shaped hat with D printed on it for you!

Uralius
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

please see earlier reply.

Devoy45
8 years ago

Being forced out of a job is called ‘constructive dismissal’ and is against every good employment practice. Kenny Miller, Joe Ledley, Samraras and many I’ve now forgotten were treated this way by PL. Forrest should be encouraged and developed further, not sold for thirty pieces of silver. I’m sick of it and yes, Deila should defend his winger. I think Lenny left because of these shenanigans by the board. One board member, Brian Wilson, has always talked a good show as a spokesman for Better Together Labour. Does he ever defend us the fans or people who are driven out of their jobs by Lawwell or those Celtic employees who are poorly paid? Speak up Wilson. Earn your keep.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Quite correct Devoy, think about it, if Lawwell and co were in charge of any blue chip company, they would have got their jotters a long time ago.

ewanbhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

I know Brian Wilson’s brother, Ian and Brian has fuck all power or say on team matters or players, Lawwell is all powerful and only answers to Dermot.

Hugh67
8 years ago

Oh Ralph !!

While I’m glad you got that wee ghost writing job with the record, is it necessary to bring these exclusives to the diary?

For your source to state that Forrest has been offered a worse deal than he is currently on is funny enough but to then build a case against the Board for unfair dismissal and then tell Ronny that he can go (is this not Mr Monti’s job?) is taking your drunken hypothesis to new heights.

My drunken friends, and in Greenock we have more than you, say Forrest (and his friend Rogic) are simply doing what you suggest later and that is trying to get the best deal they can.

If we could only bring Lent forward to January we could get less drunken comments to worry us.

HH

Devoy45
8 years ago

Tonight’s lineup. Let’s go 2 up front just to keep the Arabs guessing.
Gordon
Lustig/Ambrose/Simunovic/Tierney
Forrest/Bitton/Allan/Mackay-Steven
Cole/Griffiths

Monti, your 4-4-2.
Charlie Saiz: you’re right,if we do play 2 up front we need two real wingers on the flanks with the speed to track back.
I think we should win 3-0 or 4-0. No less would be disappointing. Under 4-4-2 there is no place for Commons but I would like to see him in there sometime. Rogic should also see some action.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Bailly

Lustig
O’Connell
Simunovic
Tierney

Forrest
Bitton
Rogic
Mackay-Steven

Griffiths
Ciftci

ewanbhoy
8 years ago

Lawwell thinks that we are all idiots and doesn’t care of what we want. He has the cheek to call us a champions league team when all he does is sell any quality we have. Balance sheets and his bonus are his top priorities.

ewanbhoy
8 years ago

Really hope Ronny sticks with 4-4-2 tonight

Dan the Msn
8 years ago
Reply to  ewanbhoy

After watching the game, why?☘☘☘

Doc
8 years ago

The Forrest situation is entirely predictable, the only suprise is that it is happening this quickly. The financial consequences of two seasons of abject failure in Europe under Deila are coming home to roost.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Doc

100% spot on!
tsunami of statistics heading your way….

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Doc

@Doc You may want to look at the Finances from 2012 onwards Champions League income has had little or no effect on our Debt.
Money has been continually squandered on sub standard recruiting.

mike
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Charlie Saiz,

Keep it going your on the ball today,i agree with you,we have to spend more wisely, no more stinking player purchases ala Derk.
There is plenty of young Scottish players out there,who given time would bring a lot for the squad,mixed with the odd Marqee signing to get the supporters juices flowing getting season tickets sales up and shift the merchandising,it worked to with WGS.

Doc
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I know, Charlie, we’ve discussed it before and my comment on our financial position was that we need to charge EPL ticket money (£1k+) or we had to get CL money in order to maintain current expenditure and get out of our debt the honest way or we would see the clubs marketable players sold from under us, Forrest was one of the few I mentioned. We failed to make the CL and now have to sell, Deila is reaping what hes sown and now we have to pay the price.

schoosh71
8 years ago

Why has it taken to this season for young James to put the effort in that the fan deserve. He has been rotten for years and for the majority of the time under NL tenure the Bhoy looked uninterested. So he should be rewarded for the ‘limited’ amount of game time he has been successful in. I would suggest that young James got overpaid on his last contract given the contribution he made over the full course of it. I’m sure big Sammi had wished he had signed the reduced terms of the contract he was offered, given the opportunity again. Only my opinion. HH

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  schoosh71

You conveniently forget the lad has had a horrendous run of injuries and before you say he was getting paid for doing f all, tell me, if your employer being a football club, were neglecting to get a player the proper treatment for said injuries, what would you think of them?

edward
8 years ago
Reply to  schoosh71

Forrest and Mackay Stevens are both chickens on the field.
Both would run a mile to avoid a 50/50 tackle.No balls
Also Sutton is a soup taker and IMO should be banned from Celtic Park.
He is just a money grabbing loud mouth whiner, who is using his Celtic background to make money from our enemies
He is no friend of Celtic.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  edward

Whatever ya clown.

schoosh71
8 years ago

Banned again. LOL, you blogger types really are quite sensitive and rather insecure. LOL, again. HH

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

Wonder if this has anything to do with the Contract situation..

LONDON (Alliance News) – Celtic PLC on Friday said it has appointed Christopher McKay as financial director, replacing Eric Riley who is stepping down at the end of the year.

McKay, who will begin his role on January 1, has worked in the professional services sector for 18 years, most recently filling a senior position at Deloitte.

“We are delighted to welcome an individual with Christopher’s qualities and experience to the board at Celtic and I look forward to working with him as we take the company forward,” Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said in a statement.

A New brush sweeps clean as they say…

8 years ago

Caption – “Is that Warbs in his magic hat!”

mike
8 years ago
Reply to  Franco Baresi

It looked suspiciously like Jim Baxter in the new RANKERS strip.

torrancetimebomb
8 years ago

lets be honest, if we can get good money for forrest then let him go, squad player, injury prone, has not reached the predicted heights we thought he might so maybe time to move on, free up some money and make the correct choices in the transfer window

torrancetimebomb
8 years ago

has to be 4-4-2 tonight

delbhoy
8 years ago

If forrest walks its time the associations organised a boycott , show this bunch of arrogant dicks we aint happy. Offering players less but paying him self a million. I am so dissalusioned with the club now its sickening. Dermot desmond cant even turn up at the agm!

Lets get these pricks removed

torrancetimebomb
8 years ago

never going to happen del, for one some celtic fans do not rate forrest, why would they boycott ??

ewanbhoy
8 years ago

If Lawwell keeps selling our best players how are we meant to produce a team that can qualify for the CL ? No matter who is the manager, this strategy is killing the team and that will continue.
Alot of people have moaned about losing to Malmö and Molda but the reason we did lose is because those teams have been together for a long time, most of their players have been part of the same team and know how to play. We actually did alot better against the bigger teams and this is the point I am trying to make, it takes years to build a team up and you must keep your players together. Bigger teams are always chopping and changing players and this is why they are beatable, we can’t compete with that so we should look at what Scandinavian teams do and build our team up, which is apparently what we are trying to do but it won’t work if Lawwell keeps selling all our best players .
Look at the big clubs right now, Man U for example, spent a fortune but the players don’t know each other and are very beatable.
You don’t need star players to compete with the best but you do need a team that know each other and know how to play…….so Lawwell stop selling our players and let Ronny build a team that can compete with the best.

London celtic
8 years ago

It’s anyone needs to be sent packing from celtic Park it’s Peter lawwell.
The man is on a mission to downsize celtic.
We need a new board with new ideas and direction.

Elliot
8 years ago

I’m sick of it , I’m a fan of 50 years, I’ve stayed loyal through and through, I’ve spent many thousands on goods as well as tickets, I know what people will reply, not a real fan, good times bad times etc etc but there’s a point, a point I have to ponder, are this board worthy of my support anymore, well no there not I can’t take anymore of this bullshit from a bunch of stupid uncaring idiots we have as a board, I can’t ant won’t spend another penny on support, I’d rather watch my local non league team and get this feeling of anger and hopelessness out of my system, I’m so very very angry, I don’t have the words to convey my absolute fury at these arseholes “………………..

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Elliot

Elliot,
I feel the same!

iBhoy
8 years ago

We re-sign Forrest – “he’s pish, that’s just Lawwell refusing to spend on a new player and taking the cheap option”

Forrest leaves – “he’s a Celtic man, that’s just Lawwell refusing to spend on a new contract and bringing in a cheap replacement”

Sometimes I just despair.

Big Shuggy
8 years ago

“It doesn’t matter where they come from. I have to say I like the boy [Matt] Crooks who has signed at Rangers from Accrington. I know he was highly regarded by various clubs. That might be a logical way to go.

I like big Suttys honesty at times but the quote above from the Herald is straight from the jabba.Is Chris telling us we shouls be more like sevco when signing players?

desdamoaner
8 years ago

A fit Forrest (I know, I know) playing down the right, ideally with two forwards (I know, I know) is an asset we should be looking to keep, not force out the door. Knowing Lawwell though he’ll have someone cheap lined up. Who’s playing on the wing for Dundee Utd now?

Buckie1967
8 years ago

Forrest out.
And why is lawwel getting all the grief is there not a boss man above him who tells him what to do and is the BIGGEST tosser at Celtic park time we told him where to stick his shares and sell them to someone who has Celtic at heart.
And why do you think every away game is mostly sold out !! Cause better atmosphere and the fans don’t get on the players back as what happens at Celtic park, game gone 5 min a player makes mistake/ bad pass and that’s it for next 85 min on players back and even booing them, never did that and saw some crappy games and players.
Agree with Thistle game minutes to go and some off the crowd started to encourage the players and you could see it gave them a lift.

Tom
8 years ago

Picture

Mr Lennon him-self

Big Shuggy
8 years ago

the players wee Lenny lost when he first became manager

Marc-Antoine Fortuné, undisclosed to WBA, Aug 2010
Cillian Sheridan, £300,000 to CSKA Sofia, Aug 2010 [BBC]
Paul Caddis and Simon Ferry, combined fee of £350,000 to Swindon Town, Aug 2010 [BBC]
Lee Naylor, free to Cardiff City, Aug 2010
Aiden McGeady, £9.5m to Spartak Moscow, Jul 2010
Arthur Boruc, undisclosed to Fiorentina, Jul 2010
Stephen McManus, £1.5m to Middlesborough, Jul 2010 [BBC]
Zheng Zhi, free to Guangzhou FC, Jul 2010
Koki Mizuno, free to Kashiwa Reysol, Jul 2010
Edson Braafheid, returned (loan) to Bayern Munich, May 2010

The players he brought in

10 Anthony Stokes, £800,000 from Hibernian, Aug 2010
26 Fraser Forster, (loan) from Newcastle United, Aug 2010
03 Emilio Izaguirre, £580,000 from Motagua, Aug 2010
05 Daniel Majstorovic, free from AEK Athens, Aug 2010
33 Beram Kayal, undisclosed from Maccabi Haifa, Jul 2010
88 Gary Hooper, £2.4m from Scunthorpe, Jul 2010
04 Efrain Juarez, undisclosed from UNAM Pumas, Jul 2010
27 Daryl Murphy, £1.5m from Sunderland, Jul 2010
16 Joe Ledley, free from Cardiff City, Jul 2010
11 Cha Du-Ri, free from SC Freiburg, Jul 2010
21 Charlie Mulgrew, free from Aberdeen, Jul 2010

Big Shuggy
8 years ago

players Ronny lost when made manager

Bahrudin Atajic, released, Sep 2014
Amido Balde, (loan) to Waasland Beveren, Sep 2014
Teemu Pukki, (loan) to Brondby, Sep 2014
Holmbert Fridjonsson, (loan) to Brondby, Sep 2014
Dylan McGeough, (loan) to Hibernian, Sep 2014
Jackson Irvine, (loan) to Ross County, Sep 2014
Fraser Forster, £10m to Southampton, Aug 2014
Denny Johnstone, £300,000 to Birmingham City, Jul 2014
Tony Watt, £1.2m to Standard Liege, Jul 2014

Players Ronny brought in

09 John Guidetti, (loan) from Manchester City, Sep 2014
12 Stefan Scepovic, £2.3m from Sporting Gijon, Sep 2014
32 Mubarak Wakaso, (loan) from Rubin Kazan, Aug 2014
22 Jason Denayer, (loan) from Manchester City, Aug 2014
27 Aleksander Tonev, (loan) from Aston Villa, Aug 2014
16 Jo Inge Berget, (loan) from Cardiff City, Jul 2014
26 Craig Gordon, free, Jul 2014

do you think the board and the scouts are giving Ronny a fair crack at he whip??

elcormaco
8 years ago

To those calling Sutton a soup taker or a MSM puppet for getting stuck into Ronnie. Grow a pair, people are entitled to their opinions, and to abuse the messenger and ignore the point is the act of a Hun. As it happens I find I agree with what Sutton says – not because a paper told me but becaue I’ve been watching Celtic games for over 20 years and believe what my own eyes tell me, we are average and going backwards

One of the big problems is that we are one paced, and one of the very few players to whom this is an exception is Forrest. He is no Ronaldo but then neither I imagine are his wage demands at Ronaldo levels, at the level of our squad currently he is one of the most effective in it, with the ability to change the result from the start or off the bench.

If its true the baord are offering him less money he has every right to tell them to GTF and walk out of Celtic with his head held high. Lets face it it would not be the first time the board have tried to rely on the “fan in jersey” angle when negotiating contracts with players, and would not be the first time this penny pinching has cost them

For tonight I hope to see a fact paced front foot performacne, but this is a hope, not an expectation.

HH

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  elcormaco

He is a soup taker and I’m no Hun.

elcormaco
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I stand by what I said .. playing the man not the issue is the ACTIONS of a Hun, as Phil MAc, Jim Spence, FJames Doleman, laytonbhoy and many others on social media will testify
I have an aglsicised version of an old Irish surname, so there is every chance some of my forefathers took the soup, so I find it quite offensive to compare life and death decisons people had to take to a former player giving his opinion on the state of the club.

He, like you, and like me, has every right to an opinion, even if you dont agree with it.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  elcormaco

Well said elcormaco.
Have a valid point about Ronny and get called a soup taker, jeeez.

Big Shuggy
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

The hypocrisy is oozing from these posts.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  elcormaco

So do I.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Nope,you are an arrogant prick!

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  elcormaco

I must go along with this, I can sometimes feel the pain that Sutton’s expressing. His heart appears to be in the right place and he wants us to succeed.

With the likes of Walker, Nicholas, shit-for-brain Nevin and many of the other Uncle Tims, they seems to be glorying in their mock pain when they have anything negative to say about Celtic.

iancelt59
8 years ago

Forrest is a work in progress and has it in his locker to be top class. The problem is, is that he is in a low quality side so his workload is too much for a developing player.

So its up to him to up his game and not fold into the pervading mediocrity that has become legion in today’s celtic. Or just lose confidence and become a never was.

The malaise that is prevalent now is serious, we need a strong leader and a model worthy of our great club to look fwd too.

Not a yes man who is overwhelmed by the challenge like ronny has become

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  iancelt59

At 24,he’s well beyond a work in progress, imo. Getting towards the veteran stage. He’ll be well over the hill in 4 years time. Not good enough. No loss if he goes although it’s always sad to see players, who are also proper supporters, leave the club.

Big Shuggy
8 years ago

Looks like stokes is on his way to the hibees. I wonder if stubbs will play him as a left winger?

Devoy45
8 years ago

I like Forrest and his best is just around the corner. He is exciting to watch, like the great Celtic wingers of old. elcomarco, Irish surnames are a funny business and don’t prove soup taking at all. Anglicised versions were due to other people spelling and writing names for people who couldn’t spell or write English. Chances are, your forebears didn’t know their name was being mis-spelled. Many of my ancestors were orphaned in An Gorta Mor and were adopted by Protestants who gave them entirely new surnames because they didn’t know how to write the Irish version! Not quite soup-taking is it?

CeciltheLion
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Seems like a helluva corner to me. He can be exciting but, far too often, that last ball is so shocking that it diminishes all his good work. He’s had his chance; for me, he can stay as a bit player on less money or he can try elsewhere. Not much bothered and, I’m afraid, he won’t be much missed.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Devoy,
I find the term ‘ soup taker ‘ quite distasteful, considering why our great club started life.

I certainly wouldn’t use it.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Quite ironic Monti don’t you think? A guy who has had to pledge an oath to the crown coming away with a statement like that.

Devoy45
8 years ago

Elcormaco. Sorry, I even mis-spelled your name, proving my point!

ewanbhoy
8 years ago

I see a sheriff has gone in favour with the Huns over the £300,000 WiFi bill no surprise there as all the sheriff’s and judges this country have are Huns.

Susan Murphy
8 years ago

Caption…..”New Balance reveal new European kit for next year”

Hail hail

Sue

Susan Murphy
8 years ago

Caption……Ronnie says he’s been told that striking target is great with his head in the box.

Hail hail

Sue

tom o'neill
8 years ago

I would humbly suggest that there is absolutely nothing new in a Celtic management making a player unhappy and then grabbing te moral high ground on the basis that there is no point in keeping an unhappy player. Especially if we can get a few bob for him.

Big Shuggy
8 years ago

Please No more man city youngsters on loan Ronny.Or any other loan players unless you have a chance to sign them . What’s the point of a another Blackett?

Where have my previous posts gone?

tom o'neill
8 years ago

Absolutely nothing new in any football club, not just Celtic,devising means of making a player unhappy. This is usually followed up by flogging the player and then grabbing the moral high ground on the basis that there is no point in keeping an unhappy player.

andybhoy
8 years ago

Picture.

Looks like the original Ronald ‘Ronny’ McDonald.
Probably before the franchise moved into Europe and frightened the life out of fans of the fast food giant . Hmmm!sounds familiar.

Steve Naive
8 years ago

Cecil the Lion…’Uncle Tims…’ brilliant… although Nevin had brains, check what he used to do to get round the Chelsea knuckle draggers(players)ripping up his N.M.E of a Thursday morning at training. Like some of the others, he wouldn’t get any work telling it the way it is. Nicholas even uses ‘we’ when referring to Arsenal,

Monti
8 years ago

COMMONS in from the start…..nice one!

Devoy45
8 years ago

“Soup taker”. Me using the term is being ironic. I don’t like the term and have only heard it used against my own ancestry. At the same time, starving people offered a bowl of soup have to save a life, not a soul. I suppose it was first used against starving Catholics during the Great Hunger who were fed by Protestants/Quakers on condition of converting from Roman Catholicism. Why people would be mocked for saving the lives of their children then you would have to ask the Huns who have assured us the Famine is over and we can go home. Scotland is my only home, for better or worse.I’ve never lived in Ireland and it isn’t my home.

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