Spurs could have had Ange Postecoglou for a lot less than £5 million.
They probably expected that they would. Our statement today wishing Ange well and making this all sound as if it was done without rancour was a masterpiece of PR.
In truth, we’ve probably spent the last 24-36 hours twisting their arms until you could hear the scream, and we had the tools at our disposal to do it.
We were never going to get Rodgers style money, but Spurs could have done this for the price of Ange’s current contract had they wanted to play hardball.
If anyone thinks Ange was on £5 million a year they’re quite mad; he’s probably not on that now.
So why would they – why would Daniel Levy – pay more than he had to? Well, I reckon Celtic reminded him of one or two things here.
Think of this as a Texas Hold Em hand where both parties have gone all in before the flop; in that case both sides turn their two cards over and show the other what they’ve got. I think our hand was pretty strong here.
Our first ace is that there’s a compelling case to make here that their club was guilty of an illegal approach. There’s enough in the public domain, and in the timeline, to make that a very tricky prospect for Spurs if we’d taken it to a tribunal.
That would have been expensive and time consuming, and would have cast a cloud over both clubs, and the man himself. But we could have gotten a lot more than £5 million, based only on what Spurs have paid for managers before and were willing to pay to the likes of Feynoord.
But it was in nobody’s interests that we went down that road … but we could have, and if we presented ourselves as being sufficiently pissed off about this that the bluff couldn’t be called (if it was a bluff; Fergus would have initiated those proceedings in two seconds flat) then that would have given us a huge advantage. Which we played well.
The other ace we had was Ange himself; we could very well have dug our heels in here and told him that as far as we were concerned he had a one-year deal which we expected him to honour, and I am very sure that possibility haunted him, and them.
In those circumstances they should have the advantage because he only had to pay Celtic the one-year salary and he could go … and Spurs would have covered that on his behalf and quite easily. But then Ange would have had to actually do it … he’d have actually had to resign and to make it public that he was just a mercenary after all.
And again, that’s not in anybody’s interests, not Spurs, not his and not ours.
So yeah I reckon that instead of banging the drum in public we banged it in private. We reminded certain people of their obligations and others of how the regulations work.
Even if we didn’t explicitly threaten one of those thermonuclear scenarios the possibility of them and the damage they would have wrought would have been not so subtly made clear.
Celtic’s board deserves credit for chiselling that fee out of them.
In what was a tough start to the week they played this one well. £5 million isn’t everything but it isn’t nothing either; it’s more than Ibrox will get for any of the players they’re trying to flog.
We should give all of it to our number one target, tell him “there’s your salary for the next couple of years … now get to work.”
Maybe some sort of agreement was made too , regarding Ange and Spurs not seeking to pilfer our top players ? Like an old fashioned gentleman’s ‘ my word is my bond ‘ handshake
accordance between both clubs ! That would be reassuring….
Does put me in mind of a highly suspect line delivered by Tony Hendra as Road Manager Ian Faith about how he spends his time on tour in the legendary rockumentary ‘This Is Spinal Tap’……
Very decent sum of money and even if that includes Kennedy and Strachan, which I suspect it will.
A revamp within the club in order to take the majority of this team to the next level may well be what Was needed for ourselves, and only time will tell.
I know that plenty has been stated about just how misleading Ange was about his intentions.
But what I found quite amusing that Ange mentioned how much the game is evolving in general, which is quite true of course, yet he never implied any for his 2 years in charge?
OK there wasn’t a need to with the success gained, yet don’t believe that would be the case next season if he stayed around to make them decisions.
Don’t believe either his team set up if remaining the same will bring about the same success he had with ourselves, again only time will tell.
I hope all this doesn’t affect player recruitment, which has been good in the past two years. It’s now time to consider who will be the next manager and I’d be interested to hear the names the fans are inclined to as well as those they are not.
How about Rob Edwards ? Can Celtic afford him ? In the NOT corner, for me…Moyes, Rodgers, Lennon…and the next England manager, surely, Michael Beale.
See Ange signed a 4 year contract with spurs, so can only conclude that this was only ever about money as per usual.
Not the first and won’t be the last to use the club to line there own pockets.
Regardless of the wonderful job he actually done for ourselves, trod in better things than what I believe he stands for as a person I’m sorry to say.
Greed has long ago been classed as a deadly sin, believe Ange is about to find out the meaning of it
James according to reports the £5m is a package for some backroom staff who where on set contracts and not the one Yr rolling kind .
petty cash to them, we prolly asked for 7 they offered 3 an it was met in the middle to save any fuss.
It’s what’s coming next that’s the worry… CCV, Calmac, Hatate, Kyogo….. Looks like Kennedy moving too hopefully they are paying comp for him.
I think a quick phone call between Pally Billionnaire’s would have secured the Compensation.
Maybe a lump sum for all the coaching staff he wants to take with him?
Ive just heard its more like £12 million, Celtic had a £9 million buy out clause on his contract.
Thought you might have done a piece, along with a poll, James, upon weather the decision Ange has made was based upon ambition or greed?
Just a thought and a simple vote of greed would be coming from myself anyway
It’s a very tidy sum and it does make things a bit easier to digest. If any of our players follow him, I am sure we will be paid top dollar for them as well. We might have a new artist painting on a blank canvas but we will have the dosh to ensure that the finished picture will be a top quality masterpiece produced by an accomplished artist. I’m looking forward to yet another Celtic adventure, we never stop.
Think you nailed it there James,
I actually feel quite empty and let down because I beleaved in Postecoglou and genuinely thought everytime he went to the Celtic support at the end of a game hand on heart I believed him. It turns out he’s not any better than Brenden Rogers who claimed he was and is a Celtic supporter. Once again the English Premiership comes calling waving their monopoly money in their fantasy league and another goes running. It’s a small wonder we can’t compete in the Champions league
If you think £5 million over the next 2 years for a top manager to take over managing Celtic we will get someone like Ange I think this for the birds potter was on around ££10 million a year Moyes plus£5 million per year Rodgers £8 million the American £3.8million per year. I still say the Celtic board should have doubled ange wage and gave him a 3/5 year contract end of last season after winning the 2 cups but again penny pinching but he is gone now so we move in but it could have been avoided .
He did his job now let’s get together before the next season starts . Good luck Ange ? going to spurs is a big jump on the frying pan could all go down hill very quickly then all the money will not make the job easier Celtic FC need to get the best person for the job with good quality experience no second choice left overs
Has he taken his coachin staff kennedy and Strachan with him ? Or are they still here ? Just askin.
Absolute embarrassment of an article. The delusion coming from Celtic fans, blogs etc is laughable. You all sneered and blamed Rangers fans and the media for mischief making and said even if the rumour was true you believed that Big Ange wouldn’t leave because he has integrity and is a Celtic man. The fact is you can spin it any way you want but the truth is that Big Ange strung you all along whilst working his ticket out of the club to move on to bigger and better challenges.
He prevented your rotten club from winning 5 trophies, so not too shabby no matter his aims.
The next coach hopefully broony win games no spin no PR no badge kissing just win trophies and no more obstification from board .