Target Man

[Frankie 8,869]

I seriously doubt if McCoist was serious about trying to bring anyone else in.

 

48 hours have passed since he made those comments and still no sign of anything.

 

Let's be straight:

 

1. The club would have been 99% certain Jelavic was leaving in January.

 

2. As such, a list of replacements* should have been drawn up at a variety of different price-points.

 

3. If one was unavailable or unaffordable, we should have moved onto the next.

 

4. Deals could have been informally agreed with clubs, agents and/or players beforehand in the event of last minute decisions.

 

5. The fact we didn't sign anyone either suggests the common-sense process above wasn't followed or we were not serious about replacing Jelavic. Either way points to a lack of ambition when it comes to defending our SPL title.

 

 

* There should be an ongoing, updated list of transfer targets in any case.

[Stefanovitch 0]

Let's be straight:

 

1. The club would have been 99% certain Jelavic was leaving in January.

 

2. As such, a list of replacements* should have been drawn up at a variety of different price-points.

 

3. If one was unavailable or unaffordable, we should have moved onto the next.

 

4. Deals could have been informally agreed with clubs, agents and/or players beforehand in the event of last minute decisions.

 

5. The fact we didn't sign anyone either suggests the common-sense process above wasn't followed or we were not serious about replacing Jelavic. Either way points to a lack of ambition when it comes to defending our SPL title.

 

 

* There should be an ongoing, updated list of transfer targets in any case.

 

I can't believe this wasn't the case but once again we're led to believe all our eggs were in one basket i.e. if Jelavic goes we try (not very hard) to get Grant Holt. We knew Holt was going to be expensive and didn't have any other viable target.

 

Quite simply that is ludicrous for a club of our supposed stature.

[Frankie 8,869]

I can't believe this wasn't the case but once again we're led to believe all our eggs were in one basket i.e. if Jelavic goes we try (not very hard) to get Grant Holt. We knew Holt was going to be expensive and didn't have any other viable target.

 

Quite simply that is ludicrous for a club of our supposed stature.

 

To be honest is is completely unacceptable.

 

We either have/had funds to replace Jelavic or we didn't. To claim we did have £2million and not spend it on a replacement striker is dreadful management and has put our defence of the title at risk.

[craig 5,199]

Fair enough. He does not say that he cannot bear that deficit though and was willing to pay a substantial fee/wages for Holt. That he does not want this deficit to stay longer than necessary or to grow is clear enough. But I do assume that he knows that should we retain the title, there's the prospect of a CL jackpot. Hence spending some money now and do it sensibly might actually get us into the draw for that jackpot. We could stay with what we have, yet, on current form, it means that we not even draw a ticket.

 

But we simply dont know if that Holt bid was actually a serious one. I mean..... you or I could put a bid in for Holt but so long as I know that it isnt going to secure his services I dont actually have to have the money. Right ? And we know that 1 million was not going to get Holt in. So Whyte would have known that he neednt worry about a) stumping up a transfer fee and b) finding the wages for Holt.

 

As for your statement about the CL jackpot..... in that weekend Q&A with Tom English (I assume you read it) Craig Whyte, on multiple occasions, said that he simply would NOT gamble on the possibility of getting into the CL. He was very clear that we would not be spending money on the hope of reaching the CL - that we would be spending money assuming we do NOT get into the CL and that if we did make the CL then it would be a bonus financially.

[Frankie 8,869]

Accounting for no European football each season (or extra Old Firm matches) is definitely best practice.

 

We simply have to have a sustainable vehicle to ensure we break even without such bonuses. Unfortunately, there's only so many playing assets you can sell to bridge the gap while this model is found. Ask Hibs.

[GovanAllan 0]

Accounting for no European football each season (or extra Old Firm matches) is definitely best practice.

 

We simply have to have a sustainable vehicle to ensure we break even without such bonuses. Unfortunately, there's only so many playing assets you can sell to bridge the gap while this model is found. Ask Hibs.

 

Or Celtic.

[Frankie 8,869]

Or Celtic.

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. Hibs broke even in recent years because they sold their best players while looking to bring through more by building East Mains (and improving the stadium).

 

That particular player sale tap has stopped running now and their debts are supposedly mounting up again. It's such a fine line.

 

Unfortunately for us, Celtic appear to be one of few Scottish clubs able to balance their accounts effectively. Yes, we've won the last 3 titles but they appear to be better placed for the future.

[GovanAllan 0]

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. Hibs broke even in recent years because they sold their best players while looking to bring through more by building East Mains (and improving the stadium).

 

That particular player sale tap has stopped running now and their debts are supposedly mounting up again. It's such a fine line.

 

Unfortunately for us, Celtic appear to be one of few Scottish clubs able to balance their accounts effectively. Yes, we've won the last 3 titles but they appear to be better placed for the future.

 

Or they just have better accountants (wink wink).

[der Berliner 4,107]

But we simply dont know if that Holt bid was actually a serious one. I mean..... you or I could put a bid in for Holt but so long as I know that it isnt going to secure his services I dont actually have to have the money. Right ? And we know that 1 million was not going to get Holt in. So Whyte would have known that he neednt worry about a) stumping up a transfer fee and b) finding the wages for Holt.

 

As for your statement about the CL jackpot..... in that weekend Q&A with Tom English (I assume you read it) Craig Whyte, on multiple occasions, said that he simply would NOT gamble on the possibility of getting into the CL. He was very clear that we would not be spending money on the hope of reaching the CL - that we would be spending money assuming we do NOT get into the CL and that if we did make the CL then it would be a bonus financially.

 

What I said is that the current squad is probably not good enough to a) win the title for a direct entry to the CL qualifiers, and b) will not be good enough to do it in the future either. By bringing in some freebies or low-budget people as "replacements" for the strikers gone and missing, we may have at least a chance to retain the title and look at a brighter future than now. If we don't even draw a ticket though, we will not even have a chance to get into the CL. Going by the selling and loaning statistics, there sure should be some money about to finance one or two freebies till at least the end of the season. The loss would thus be minimal, the gain substantial. And, while I am at it, getting a few fresh faces in and perhaps retaining the title would give the team as well as the fans a much needed boost. (I was not asking for recklessly throwing money about.)