Ha! Did you guys see that story in the papers today about Sevco sending out a list of players to clubs in England? They want to cut their first team squad right down the middle, like a guy doing an operation with a chain saw. The press said it’s a “fire-sale.” More like a closing down, everything must go, sale.
And it’s going to be hilarious seeing how badly it goes.
For a start, the price tags are ridiculous. There is no way the club expects to get £2 million for Barrie McKay. Even if they do – they won’t – it’s some come-down, right? Stop for a second to consider what it means that they are entertaining such a low-ball bid for him. According to the media, this is their best player. Why would you sell your best player, unless you had no choice? Unless you were so skint that it was seen as your only way of giving the manager a kitty?
So much for King being willing to spend all the season ticket money on players; this is what they are pinning their hopes on, getting rid of all the dross and spending whatever pittance they bring in on new players. If you bought a season ticket for Ibrox on the back of King’s statement of last week then you are a mug and no two ways about it.
I’d swear that sometimes he does this stuff just to see how far he can go and how much he can get away with. He’s pretty brazen about it. King has strung these people along about as much as it’s possible to do, and this is the result of it.
Their best player – who they talked about being worth £6 million not that long ago – is being punted with the dreck.
Joe Garner is being offered to Ipswich for £500,000. They want £1.2 million for Tavernier; yes, no joke, they actually think that’s realistic.
They are offering O’Halloran, who they made train with the kids, to Motherwell in a part-exchange for Louis Moult. But O’Halloran has to say yes, and to a cut in wages which will half his salary. Who would ever agree to something so stupid?
Other players will be available for “six figure sums”.
After flopping in the league the Scottish press tells us is at its worst standard in 30 years. What a sales pitch!
And that’s the problem right there. These people have painted themselves into a big corner with the way their pals in the press have talked down the Scottish game. Now they have to convince clubs down south that players who didn’t cut it up here were simply over-matched by the outstanding talents this country is able to field against them.
Good luck with that one!
Dontcha know it’s the only reason Celtic won any games?
In the intelligence community – a misapplication of terms when you’re talking about the Scottish media – this is what’s known as blowback.
On top of that, all these players would, like O’Halloran, probably have to accept a cut in wages if they were moving to Championship sides or League One teams. The big Sevco boast is that they paid premium salaries to these players; that’s another factor counting against them finding any takers for them. I would bet only a couple of these guys is sold.
Which puts the club in a bit of a hole.
Having declared these guys surplus to requirements – if you’re taking the kind interpretation of it – what happens if they don’t punt them? Do they welcome them back to the squad? Do they play them? This will be brilliant to watch, Caixinha trying to convince their fans to have faith in a team he’s slated.
It’s instructive too to examine the players he’s letting stay; Kranjcar and Rossiter amongst them. Two guys who were injured for half of the season at least. Yes, he hasn’t seen them play … my guess is he’ll not get to either, not for sustained spells. Kranjcar is on holiday here, he can’t believe his luck that he’s getting to finish another season on this salary for doing the sum total of nil. Rossiter, I feel bad for that kid because it isn’t going to happen for him.
It’s not going to happen for Caixinha either. This “For Sale” list is ridiculous. They actually expect to make a profit on guys they signed from Accrington Stanley and who look every inch Accrington Stanley players. Josh Windass? Can you believe the hype that surrounded that guy, for every day he was at Ibrox under Warburton?
What a joke. What a shambles.
And this offers them no way out of it at all.