Soccer Football - Scottish League Cup - Final - Rangers v Celtic - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - February 26, 2023 Rangers manager Michael Beale reacts REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Back when Michael Beale took over as the Ibrox boss he gave a series of press statements which were so deranged and out there, so cynical, that I nicknamed him The Mooch, after Trump’s notorious, short-lived Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, whose downfall was assured because of his own daft statements out of his own big mouth.
I have used the nickname ever since and over and over again he has justified it. Yesterday was no exception. The thing is, although the nickname is basically me dissing him the truth is that the media which covers him is more deserving of scorn than he is. It is obvious when this guy is bending the facts to suit his narrative; his mouth is moving.
I can barely believe the nonsense he trotted out when he sat in front of them yesterday. The only reason I do believe it is that some of the hacks have talked the same garbage. The Ibrox club does not need to qualify for the Champions League? They do not require the money? So they can afford to allow Celtic to grow the finance gap? Their non-participation will actually assure us an even bigger cut of the cash, as we won’t need to share the TV pool.
So what the Hell is this moron talking about, why is the media letting him away with it? Almost every person in the media, even some of those who’ve said this, know it is patently untrue.
They might be worried about seeing the team get dismantled in the Groups as they were in the last campaign, but they have to know that the money is too good and that their club most definitely needs it. The Mooch himself knows his budget was given to him largely on the proviso that he built a side that was good enough to make those Groups.
People in their boardroom – those who approved that spending – must have been aghast. Imagine how they feel hearing him dismiss the possibility of a Champions League exit as no big deal. They have spent money the club does not have, and they only did that on the caveat that they would get it back with qualification for those Groups.
The Mooch loves to make excuses. He loves to try and deflect. He loves to point his finger at other people and comment on what they are doing, but he hates proper scrutiny. Which is probably why he loves being at Ibrox, because he doesn’t get any.
But their club cannot afford to leave that money on the table, and they definitely cannot afford for us to make it whilst they don’t. That’s crazy. Even with our board and their aversion to spending anything extravagant, we’re going to spend more than £20 million in this window, and although we got a chunk for Jota that’s still insane for Scotland.
And the fact is, with Champions League cash this year we’re going to be able to spend big in January if we need to in order to make sure we can do it again next summer if we have to.
If we’ve won the title they are in even more trouble because the next Champions League campaign will be worth more than ever. They definitely cannot afford for us to get that. If they don’t get to the Groups next week they are in trouble, because they can’t spend in January like we can and that window might be the one which wins the most important title in years.
Only he would get away with that. No Celtic manager would ever be able to say that and have the media basically all nod in silence, which they might as well have. A Celtic manager who said that would be crucified by the press and accused of getting his excuses in early. A Celtic manager isn’t allowed to lose one of these ties, far less talk about it this way beforehand.
Bear in mind, when Ange Postecoglou went out of the Champions League he was told – not asked, but told – by the BBC just seconds after the final whistle that it was “a catastrophe”. He had been in the job five minutes.
If was his third or fourth game. He didn’t have his signings in place. The Mooch has had plenty of time to get his ideas across, and he has spent big this summer … for what? To play in the Europa League? That’s a joke and everyone knows it.
But nobody says it. Which is an even bigger joke.
T’was always the way in “The best wee country in the world” (Sic) and T’will always be the way in “The best wee country in the world” (Sic) again…
It is incredible and actually tragic the way the media soft soap Sevco week in week out, season in and season out in Scotland but happen it does according to the truthful Celtic blogs and forums and thanks for highlighting the latest instalment of it…
They could be trying to divert ‘floating’ football fans (which can happen around these shores outwith Glasgow and the central belt) towards Sevco and they could succeed with such said fans if they were illiterate enough to listen to what they write and say – but I’d certainly say it’d be an illiterate Celtic fan that financially supported them in any way or manner and the above article and the many others that are reported on here is conducive to my thought process of dismay when I see Hoops fans say ‘it says in The Record that…’
I’m on tour in Ireland as of early tomorrow so won’t be posting for a week ( a peaceful and rant free place The Celtic Blog shall be then !!! ) – But on Wednesday I’ll be taking in PSV Eindhoven v Sevco in a Celtic bar and if we get the result that we all pray for, then it truly will be a joy to see the tearful and lump in the throat emotion of the Sevco loving pundits that they have in the studio and I hope it’s Kenny Miller although his incoherent rambling would turn it into a positive for them by probably saying they’ll win The Europa League this time.
McCann would be more measured in his comments but his pain will be more palpable non the less…
There ain’t nothing worse than Celtic and Hibernian childhood fans (McCann and Miller) who have whored themselves to Sevco the sickening way that they have – well actually there something on a par – and that is Celtic supporters who financially support the Scottish mainstream print and broadcast media !
Hi James, not sure if you’re taking comments or not, but this from the morning’s Guardian is enlightening. I have relatives who’ve gone down the same rabbit hole of fantasy – it’s terrifying and heart-breaking. The Mooch is really tapping into the same zeitgeist of social media distortion. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/26/naomi-klein-naomi-wolf-conspiracy-theories
Read it this morning mate. Stunning. Thanks for posting, I would urge everyone to read that.
Frightening in many ways as it’s difficult if nigh impossible to combat as so much of the World’s Media is in the hands of eldrly, white, male XXtreme Right Wing Billionaires.
We are well and truly Fluxed.
When you get a new version built exactly on the same as the old version, of lying and cheating, then are you expecting to much to change James.
No doubt, if CL qualification isn’t gained for the scum then the financial issues will increase for the scum, with the usual dose of confetti released during the season yet again.
Already possibly overspent the available budget this season, with increasing the wage budget than actually reducing it, and still ended up with shite on offer, that needs plenty of turd polishing from all there cheerleaders.
We know we face a huge week ahead for ourselves in terms of gaining quality added.
The scum still face a bigger week where desperation awaits with a couple of defeats.
So who really is in the better position heading into next week?
“The rangers” spent money they never had. But wealthy supporters and directors spent money they had. Those people have been paid back the money they spent (not all some was paid back in confetti shares) maybe the mooch is expecting the same people to do the same thing again mmmm
It is always the way. therangers managers quotes are taken verbatim. The Celtic managers are always second guessed and opined on.
Beale’s mouth does run away from him, but I think on this occasion he was told to say such. The R2ngers board have to paint a picture of everything is hunky dory or future investments / loans dry up.
Jon Dahl Tommasson could explain further.
The media ibrox love in continues. No hard questions. No accountability. Never let the facts get in the way of an ibrox puff piece. The BBC Sports Scotland website today, in an article, previewing their fixture with Glasgow Citycomes out with the following nonsense: “. . . Jo Potter is unburdened by the three months of hurt her Rangers side have felt since Glasgow City’s dramatic winner snatched the title from their grasp in the final game of the last Scottish Women’s Premier League season.” History rewritten in their favour yet again. When City scored so late in the last game of the season, our ghirls were in pole position to win the league. A draw was no use to the ibrox girls if Celtic won, which they did. Unfortunately so too did City. The ibrox side finished third, not that you would take that from the BBC article.
It’s been hilarious listening to the Rangers slant on their European exploits this year. PSV a team who have never beaten Rangers going into their eighth attempt, had 70% of the possession on Tuesday! They had more chances and attempts at goal yet McCoist was bumping his gums in co-commentary that Rangers played well and held their own against a “good, good, side”. Mooch is obviously trying to take the pressure off his players by making out that qualification is not essential but everybody knows that failure to qualify for them would be a disaster. The compliant press here in Scotland are writing stories about how much money Rangers have made from these ‘qualifiers’ and how much they’re guaranteed from the safety net of Europa Qualification to again take the stress away from this crucial 90 mins in Eindhoven. We can watch and enjoy knowing that the bookies very rarely get it wrong and that PSV are long overdue a win against them and what better chance than at home. These qualifiers will also knock the stuffing out of them ahead of the first derby game.
Clachnacuddin and the Hoops says..
Spot on regarding the Celtic fans that still financially support the SMSM.
I can’t understand why they would part with their ‘hard earned’ to people that LIE to them about their Club, fabricates untrue stories about our Players, extracts the urine out of them personally, dismisses their justified fears and suspicions as ‘Paranoia’ and treats them as second class Citizens ( actually disloyal ‘ Subjects ‘ in their eyes).
It’s insane masochism to the n’th degree. They’d be better off paying someone to punch them in the face. The pain is temporary but the damage done by so the called ‘impartial’ Scottish Medjia and State (Unionist) Broadcaster can be dangerous and long term.
STOP GIVING THEM YOUR MONEY FFS.
Bravo, well written.