Celtic Banter Archive August 17 2018

17 Aug 2018 21:31:46
Hey lads I never knew we had a 55 million pound a year wage bill at Celtic, it must be true just read it on the Sevie page😂😂. 55 million that's equivalent to 55 employees on 20 grand a week😂 Our ballboys must be on a grand a week and the paradise windfall ticket sellers on 100 grand a season😂.

{Ed007's Note - Our wage bill according to the last accounts (2016-17) was £52.2 million - that's 58% of our turnover, down from 71% in 2016 when our wage bill was sitting at £36.9 million.
You have to remember the wage bill covers ALL players at and ALL employees throughout the Club (or company?) from Pedro, the manager, his staff, players, Gerry ******* McCulloch, all the way down to shop staff and office staff, part-time employees the lot.
If you listen to all the doom-mongers and their talk of our financial meltdown, even among Celtic fans and bloggers, what they're saying basically is that we're in the same position as Rangers were when Craig Whyte needed McCoist to qualify for the CL to pay the bills - now does anyone actually believe that?
With season ticket money, annual money from sponsors etc (including the new Dafabet deal) on top of what's been banked the last couple of years the lose of CL revenue is a sore one - not as sore as they way we went out - but it's hardly the financial disaster some are saying.
I was speaking to my "Square Mile Guy" yesterday and Celtic's shares had risen to a yearly high of £1.37 on Thursday's market, the day after we were eliminated from the CL, that's a better sign of our financial well being than anything you'll read on the internet - and that probably includes what I've said 😁

17 Aug 2018 23:03:32
I find it staggering and quite unbelievable that our wage bill is anywhere near 52 million, not that I'm doubting your post ed. That's a million pound a week, we have a 33 player first team squad, now this is very rough figures, just say their average wage is 10k a week roughly 500,000 a year, that's 16.5 million on highly paid players. Brendan and his staff let's give them 5 million, that's 21.5 million. That leaves 31 million that's roughly 800 x 40 grand a year wages. Where's the 800 40 grand a year employees. Mind you I've no included Pedro, Bankier etc in my sums they"ll have a big chunk of the missing millions🤣.

{Ed007's Note - There's no missing millions lol it's all there in the accounts. How many admin and office staff is there, media/social media staff, technical staff, CelticTV staff and PR, shop staff, ticket office ajd Celtic Pools staff, stewards and kiosk workers, coaches at all levels, Lee Congerton the academy and scouting staff, canteen workers and groundstaff at Lennoxtown, maintenance staff, catering & hospitality and groundstaff at Celtic Park... it goes on and on....
Obviously some of those jobs overlap and there'll be jobs I missed - John Clark and his team - but there's a lot of people involved in keeping us at the top of Scottish football.
Not me though - I'm skinto!

17 Aug 2018 23:25:36
That is right Ed, your "square mile guy" is s spot on (Y)

Celtic had the BIGGEST profit margin EVER last year if memory serves me right

Adjustments will be made accordingly having not gained entry and given as you indicate what is already been brought in am confident we will produce a profit come December unlike some other Glasgow clubs

After yesterday's TOP panel suspension a certain chairman has called an AGM for the 31st of the month despite the law being for a PLC to give a minimum of THREE weeks notice CLEARLY counting is not there strong point! Someone is trying to get something "passed" before the next court gathering IMO (Y)

{Ed007's Note - Cheers, Jamie, I knew the post would catch your attention and you could add some clarity. My "Square Mile Guy' is still raging he never took up our Tena tip off lol

18 Aug 2018 00:23:39
Oh f##k Jamies on the scene, this is going to get all high brow and technical now . That's me out 😫🤣.

18 Aug 2018 10:19:19
With our increased fixed costs being so high you would think more effort, or indeed any effort, would be taken to ensure we had a fighting chance to securing CL money.

Still nothing. That’s total incompetence wrapped up in mind blowing complacency. It beggars belief. Just think what another £60m+ would have done to our bottom line.

All gone, and that is shameful.

The soon to be liquidated Rangers don’t seem to be having a problem improving them with allegedly no money. They have improved their defence. We still don’t have one. And will probably take on Sudova with the same Keystone cop backline.

When push comes to shove our board bottle it and prefer to hope everything will be ok. In any other business heads would roll for such financial mismanagement. That’s just a fact. In our case our CEO will still trouser £1m bonus. Being rewarded for incompetence is a scandal. He should resign. He won’t but he should.

18 Aug 2018 10:59:39
Is BR not on 3 million a year himself anyways would be interesting to know the annual first team squad salary.

18 Aug 2018 11:01:47
Jamie if you look at last years accounts as published Sept 17, and remove say £25mill turnover from participation in CL, allow for increase in players wages, allowing for disposal of intangible assetts, amortisation of Eddys £9mill over 4 years, i can't see how we show a profit at all. What am I missing? Wages will be 70% of turnover. Is there some disposals I have missed making up the shortfall in revenue?

18 Aug 2018 12:28:01
Hi Johnny, In very rough terms the VVD money ( sell on ) has as well as Eric has cleared the purchase of OE . You have the Armstrong money. Cifti, Armstrong among a number of reserves have been taken of the wage bill.

We usually SPEND £5-6 million on players that has not been spent yet and you done have the matchday COSTS and ALSO Bonus monies attached to that. So at this moment in time outwith the new deal have plenty of coverage. In all probability they have not spent having had the outlet for OE to see if we qualify as a fan am exasperated at the next. Will we have a run in the EL? Will Boyata leave other income streams.

But for the avoidance of doubt I expect to spend money within our means and balance the books the year before we only made circa £600k profit but it's still a profit. We could easily cope with a small operating loss (Y)

18 Aug 2018 17:34:35
Jamie revenue will be about £70 mill tops if we get a Europa run. Fixed costs will wipe that out. can't reduce them unless we sell. Impossible to make a profit.

18 Aug 2018 20:06:43
Let's wait and see Johnny, Bonuses attached to CL will be massive

Am not overtly worried about it with the £30 mill plus in the bank we are well stocked to suggest we would have a big operating deficit would be folly IMO (Y)

19 Aug 2018 00:06:14
Yes, that's the difference, superally, had to get the old Rangers into the champions league to keep their heads above the water, failure to do so, meant misery as Mr Pickwick said, failure for Celtic, this year, means there will be a dent in their profits and their pride, it doesn't mean they will cease to exist, as happened to the old Rangers.

19 Aug 2018 00:45:06
Ainfoh we have a £30mill cash surplus, however the reason PL is not allowing BR to buy is because our costs have increased by £20mill from 2016 till now. that's £20mill in 2 years. that's a lot.

17 Aug 2018 20:31:20
Who's this big Russian defender we're in for?

17 Aug 2018 20:33:01
Where you hearing that John?

17 Aug 2018 23:18:23
Ivkumto Pumdahunski.

18 Aug 2018 00:48:57
Good player Kwaj, plays for Sk Elpinghunz in the German 2nd tier I believe.

17 Aug 2018 18:24:54
I would take a punt on Klavan at Liverpool if the going price for him is £2m.

17 Aug 2018 19:41:20
He's mince total bombscare.

17 Aug 2018 21:51:09
I would take a punt on anyone, as it isn't my money and I won't be held responsible .
Brendan, now has a different problem he has taken punts on several players who don't fit the Celtic shirt .
I am thinking of Benyu and the loan deal for Mosunda, both complete wastes of money
We also have Compper, Kouassi , some would say Hendry, although I think he might be ok, De Vires, Gamboa and maybe others . The Board has to be concerned No board can keep spending money and get nothing in return.

17 Aug 2018 23:20:11
What like an unbeaten season two double trebles, qualifying for champions league new record sponsorship.

18 Aug 2018 00:08:24
The board would be delighted at how well he used existing players Fantastic job, but some of his recruits didn't hit the mark and maybe they are searching for a way to help him.

17 Aug 2018 16:52:38
Kouassi, Christie, Morgan, Benyu, Arzani . "projects " . All very well if you have a strong enough 1st team squad. We don't so let's try signing guys that can actually play for us now. Please?

17 Aug 2018 17:13:57
Id give Morgan and Christie more first team games, Arzani i obviously haven't seen much of and the other two can **** off.

17 Aug 2018 18:28:07
Kouasisishowed plenty of potential when he came here first, but Brendan made the astonishing statement that Kuoassi was Brown's replacement . It is possible that Kouassi believed B R and such was Brown 's high standards and good form that Kouassi relaxed and let himself go as he wasn't likely to be used for sometime .

Benyu was a nobody before we signed him and he has remained a nobody.

17 Aug 2018 18:34:17
Kouassi has been given fleeting appearances which haven’t allowed him any sort of stability in a Celtic shirt. He’s coming in out the cold every once in a while and that doesn’t lend itself to consistently good performances, especially for a player so young.

17 Aug 2018 21:54:29
Exactly Kevbhoy . Surely Kouassi should be getting playing time .
Surely we can expect to throw him in every three months in emergency and expect a good performance.

18 Aug 2018 09:42:46
I think he's a good player he just tried to coast through that Hearts game and got overrun as did most of the team. I recall him having a blinder when we played Zenit in the first leg. That's the kind of player we'll have when he's playing regularly. He has a better range of passing than Broony too. Ntcham wasn't all that great when we first signed him but he got up to speed and looks a player now. I'm sure Kouassi just needs a similar run of time in the team to establish himself.

17 Aug 2018 13:44:41
Johnny, its also the same Arzani who said he can't wait to play under BR. Turn your frown upside down princess.

17 Aug 2018 14:00:38
Just checking if it's the same Arzani who won't be available to play till jan due to fitness etc? So never mind turning my frown upside down, if you know more than Rodgers does fine, if not then his arrival at this moment in time is irrelevant as is shown by the complete lack of interest from the majority of supporters. Hey you keep taking the happy pills pal and don't get to bed too late.

17 Aug 2018 15:43:03
He'll be ready in a few weeks players his size are naturally fit.

17 Aug 2018 15:47:16
With you Johnny on this one, Arzani won’t be ready for a while and in all honesty hardly what we need

No more projects get that defence sorted ASAP then worry about the midfield and attack.

17 Aug 2018 16:39:42
Mellythetally67, where is he going to play? Read rogers comments on him. Won't play for a while is what he said.

17 Aug 2018 17:21:12
I really don’t understand this signing. What about developing Morgan (when fit) and young Johnston?

17 Aug 2018 17:24:22
Weird if the manager never knew him when he actually was the one who persuaded him to sign by phoning him eh?

17 Aug 2018 18:42:36
Negative Negative, can the club ever satisfy some of our fans
Armani will be fit and ready in 3 or 4 weeks, he is not injured but hasn't played any games since World Cup.

17 Aug 2018 18:48:28
Krv read what Rogers said before the story about phoning him came out. He said i don't know much about the player but i believe he has been identified by the club. Next comment from BR is that he won't be available for some time. You go and work it out Kev. that's what Rogers said. Anywsy let's see how soon he will be ready. At this moment in time he is irrelivant, another project. Joke.

17 Aug 2018 19:44:18
Johnny he'll play where he's told from what i saw at the wc he played wide left and right he's a bag of tricks and imo he'll be ready quicker than you think.

17 Aug 2018 21:08:45
All I know is that he is a young Australian, a very talented player and went to the World Cup where he looked very, very good, ” said Rodgers.

Where he looked a very very good player. So seems the gaffer has seen him?

Would he phone him if he didn't want him? 🤔🤔.

17 Aug 2018 21:12:50
If he gets a start before Christmas I will be amazed. Main point is this. At this moment in time he is no more than a distraction. He is a loan deal for us to develope and lose. The issues are about defence right now not more projects. Fine if we have a stable team but this is another Charlie Mundosa, loads of potential but we have no idea how he will pan out. We need CB and right full back before we go anywhere.

18 Aug 2018 13:14:08
Why should it take him so long? Komper made the Charity Shield. He’s young a should be ready sooner than 3-4weeks. He’s obviously not a Rogers signing and will be used now and again as a sub. Unless he is half as good as the hype. We’ve been down that road with Masonda and that was a farce. I don’t know anyone who is excited
about another project,

17 Aug 2018 13:05:45
Welcome Arzani. Hope he can find his feet and get into the 11. The attraction of playing for BR strikes again.

17 Aug 2018 13:32:34
Brendan95, is this the Same Arzani who BR said, "to be honest I don't know much about the lad but I think he has been a player that's been identified by the club"

17 Aug 2018 18:44:46
Johnnymac, if you are in your teens or older you are bound to know not to take too literally what any football manager says at these press conferences.

17 Aug 2018 21:17:41
Chris I have followed Celtic for over 50 years. Sorry don’t buy into don’t listen to anything a manager says in a press conference. So you just suggest we dismiss everything BR says and make our own mind up? Chris either BR knew about the boy or didn’t know about the boy. It looks like this may have been part of his rant about no signings by telling us that he had not selected him or BR is covering his own backside, either way this guy is a sideshow right now. Who really cares?

17 Aug 2018 22:05:22
A middle age man like yourself mustn't listen too often .
Brendan went out of his way to thank the Board esp. D D and P L for getting him all he could dream for in the Jan window . He was really happy .
Low and behold with 3 or 4 weeks still left of the summer season B R used the SMSM to publicly denounce the board and put the club in turmoil losing 2 and drawing 1 of our next 3 games, something unprecedented with our good managers .
Somewhere a long the line Brendan is taking a liberty, the board cannot be ultra kind and generous and within a pile of months miserable and putting the future of ist team at risk .
I am sure u remember some of the gems WGS and MO'N came out with and knew to take them with a pinch of salt.

17 Aug 2018 11:07:51
Ed is there any word of any signings? was chatting to a friend the other day and was saying we need a quality CB in ASAP to get him settled before EL and Sevco game, we need to lay down a marker in this match, stamp our authority and give them a reality check, but the longer this transfer window drags on the less convinced i am.

{Ed007's Note - There's two weeks left in the window.}

17 Aug 2018 17:48:52
I honestly don't think in this day and age of sports science and daily monitoring of every physical aspect that we can be picking up these injuries due to training methods.
BR himself, said of Moussa - that his style of play that relies on random bursts of pace during a game makes him susceptible to this type of injury and the same could be said of all our strikers.

17 Aug 2018 10:07:35
Boyata our Caulker and Terry in to help develop young Ajer and Hendry.

Yaya Toure in and we have a great bit of experience added to the squad along with a winning mentality.

Job done 💚🍀.

17 Aug 2018 10:20:54
Job done! getting in caulker and a 38 year old John Terry and it will be job done! Some of the suggestions on here baffle me honestly 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️.

17 Aug 2018 11:07:26
Great shout nickybhoy 👍.

17 Aug 2018 11:18:21
Lh86 caulker is a good player. Probably better than what we have.
Wouldn't touch Terry with a barge pole though.
Why would we want him?

17 Aug 2018 11:23:15
Wit baffles ye LH? We are needing experience at the back and solid defenders .

Caulker has played well in Scotland so far and JT would help bring on and settle in Ajer and Hendry.

{Ed007's Note - When was the last time you watched John Terry play? He was constantly left struggling and blowing out his ar$e last season and most Villa fans were glad to see the back of him, people complain about Lustig being slow, the Dunoon ferry turns quicker than Terry can move, plus he's 38 this year and is nowhere near good enough to play for Celtic.}

17 Aug 2018 11:39:26
If we sign Terry I think my head will feckin explode. Surely to feck the board or even more so Rogers will see this as another fudge, short term disaster?

Nay, Nay and thrice Nay. Or as we say up here, GTF!

{Ed007's Note - John Terry won't be signing for Celtic, relax.}

17 Aug 2018 11:46:48
Ed I watched him a few times last season and he is still a good defender. There no doubt he’s getting on in years but his experience and leadership would benefit the central defenders we have.

How can he not be good enough for Celtic when he has won plenty of silverware and hounors throughout his career?

{Ed007's Note - The operative word there is 'has' - past tense. If he can't cut it in the English second division he's not going to cut it in Scotland or Europe a year down the line. It's a ludicrous suggestion.}

17 Aug 2018 12:05:06
Wit baffles me is u thinking the job will done if we sign a 38 year old John Terry, who was done about 4 year ago! And caulker has done well since he came up! How many times you seen him play? Caulker no doubt has great attributes but I hardly think with his past he’s the type to bring Ajer or Hendry on! Far to much of a risk if u ask me. yes we need experience but those aren’t what we need! We need stability at the back, a RB and centre half who we can depend through a long season.

17 Aug 2018 12:05:35
Fair play Ed. I am just keen to see a leader coming in at the back because I do feel it will benefit Ajer and Hendry.

These lads are good players and a leader experienced head next to them would improve them further.

{Ed007's Note - I know what you're saying and I agree about the type of player you (we) want, maybe even 4/5 years ago I'd say differently about Terry but not now.
We should have taken the 'risk' and went for Neven Subotic when he was leaving Dortmund in January, there's a leader right there with plenty of experience and he's only 28/29.}

17 Aug 2018 12:21:00
Dunoon ferry is more mobile than Lustig as well.

17 Aug 2018 12:32:54
Nicky how many of these types of really succold player do we need to sign before people realise it doesn't work

Ian Wright
Freddie" Ljungberg
Charlton cole

Even Roy Keane didn't make major waves though he played ok.

Just because a player WAS class and won plenty doesn't mean he's always going to be able to.

17 Aug 2018 13:24:08
Am hearing you Kev83. Proof is in the pudding I accept your point.

I still think an experienced centre half will be good for the young central defenders to learn from.

I am sticking with Caulker I would like to see him signed.

17 Aug 2018 13:27:37
LH86 why does Caulkers past have to do with developing young players on the Park?

JT is a leader and Bruce was keen to sign him back up. Someone of his influence would benefit any team with young defenders in it. Anyway I’ve moved on since messaging Ed with it so belt up.

17 Aug 2018 15:22:20
Haha belt up! Aye wait and al do that petal, just for u! your John Terry nonsense has been torn to shreds so maybe it’s u who should belt up with the garbage your spouting son!

17 Aug 2018 15:35:04

******** TEXT DELETED ********

{Ed007's Note - That's enough bickering you two before you end up smudging your make-up.}

17 Aug 2018 18:57:50
We signed a relatively young spring chicken coming from a renown background in January . I am sure BR thought they were getting their experienced hand to nurse the youngsters through when he signed Compper . This signing has turned into more of a laughing stock and I think it will be a couple of Windows before B R can approach the board with a similar type centre half to nurse the youngsters through.

17 Aug 2018 07:14:09
What is happening with our training that so many players are getting injured. Especially with hamstring injuries.

17 Aug 2018 07:25:39
Kev it's just bad luck these things happen.

17 Aug 2018 08:02:29
Don't know mally. I am sure it happened for a sell under Lennon tae and he complained about one of the pitches at Lennox town. Sure the changes it and it stopped happening.

17 Aug 2018 09:02:02
No sure Jeb but you d think the training pitches would be ok at this time of year been up a few to. es to lennoxtown and the grass pitches are excellent.

17 Aug 2018 09:43:03
You are right Kev83
We have not had a settled front line for a long while now
Seems it’s either one of the 3 out injured
Eddy being out during the week was a blow
And Dembele has been injured a few times as has griff.

17 Aug 2018 10:00:33
Was thinking the same kev. Last season dembele was injuried at this time. Now it was Griffs, dembele again, Morgan, commper ( since he got here) and no eddy. All the forward lads are muscle injuries like u said hamstrings. Surely there is someone in the medical team that must be seeing. We are now struggling to have a fit C. F. at the start of the league with only 2 league games gone.

17 Aug 2018 12:41:40
I would be surprised if the pitch is causing hamstring injuries. According to a study carried out in English professional football, the most common cause of a hamstring injury is running and it most often happens during a match near the end of each half. Players of a black ethnicity are more prone to them, as are older players.

17 Aug 2018 14:52:38
Was it not soft tissue injuries Kev? Don’t ask me what they ment by that but they definitely changed the pitches.

17 Aug 2018 01:16:30
I hope everyone realises that the same Boyata situation will arrive next season, if Dembele doesn't sign an extension to his contract in the early New Year.

17 Aug 2018 07:07:53
All will happen is dembele will be sold. He and his agent won't behave like boyata and his.

17 Aug 2018 07:23:47
I highly doubt it. Demebele has said multiple times he wants to be assured of playing where ever he goes. If no team can assure him of that then he’ll be going no where. Dembele cares more about actually progressing as a footballer than 95% of them do.

17 Aug 2018 11:01:52
Dembele will have no problems getting guaranteed playing time in a league much stronger than ours toprig. If he doesn’t sign an extension he’ll either go to a desperate English team in January for big money or leave in the summer for a reduced fee.

16 Aug 2018 23:45:27
for a team which, (according to many Celtic site posts) are on their last legs and about to go under., they have been busy in the transfer market place having spent almost £8.4 million. (not counting loan deals etc. )
And recouped about £3 million so overall, spent around £5.5 million.
We have spent just over £9 million on Edouard and recouping £8 million
So, we have spent £1 million. (so far)
Makes you wonder who is investing right now. (I just hope we have some dealings going on in the background.

17 Aug 2018 07:25:23
Have you seen what they’re investing in though? Has been a and players that can barely pass a medical.

17 Aug 2018 07:47:07
Maybe but they kept a clean sheet in Slovenia, would we have achieved that? Not so sure we can keep a clean sheet against anyone, and I include Thistle in that on Saturday.

17 Aug 2018 08:24:42
my point entirely Chinks.
All I see on here and on other Celtic sites is that they are about to implode, almost broke and heading for admin2, buying run of the mill trash etc. etc.
I also get some replies (not on here) calling me a closet sevco supporter and from many telling me they don't give a rubbish about the other lot's dealings and I must be obsessed.

But, like my post said, for a team in those dire financial straights they have certainly shifted some capital and right now, who are the happiest supporters?
I really do hope we have something going on to strengthen the team. I also believe that we have probably had a few thanks but no thanks when approaching some targets.
Still a couple of weeks left of the window left but we need to get our finger out.

17 Aug 2018 09:50:44
Yoprig, who can't pass a medical. They are sll playing. We have Moussa not 100% fit. Eddy not fit. Griff not yet 100% match fit. These are our main go to men.

17 Aug 2018 10:17:19
Have to agree with you chinks67 about how bad our defence is. Celtic defence looks all over the place when teams attack and l include the league. Even livi scored again them. Way too many passengers and lustig is having a nightmare start but in defence and attack. Celtic have had 1 clean sheet in the last 6 matches in both the league and Europe.