Last week, as regular readers will know, I wrote a lengthy piece on why I’ve started worrying that this could be the JD Vance transfer window.
JD Vance, Donald Trump’s pick for vice president, was selected because they were running against Joe Biden, who was obviously suffering from his age. They believed the election was already won, so the vice-presidential pick didn’t really matter.
Four weeks later, and the Republican Party is in a nightmare scenario.
Biden is gone, replaced at the top of the ticket by Kamala Harris.
She chose, as her running mate, Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, ex-military, ex-teacher, championship-winning football coach, and a guy who will wear the term ‘liberal’ like a badge of honour and challenge his opponents on it, rather than run away from it.
Because the Republican Party prepared to face one opponent but ended up facing another, they are flapping and floundering. They don’t know what to do about it except throw around schoolyard insults in the hope that something will stick.
That’s what happens when you are arrogant and complacent and think all you have to do is show up, only to find there’s a real fight happening after all.
I’m a movie lover, as everyone knows. So let me delve into a movie for a classic example of where we find ourselves right now.
Some of us are in the position that Tony “Duke” Evers, the coach of Apollo Creed, finds himself in the first Rocky movie. When he catches sight of a TV feature on the challenger training in the meat house, pounding slabs of raw beef, he says, “Champ, you better come take a look at this. Your boy here means business.”
And he’s shocked when he turns to look at Apollo in a suit, surrounded by his accountants, going over his bank statements and dismissing his challenger with the words, “Yeah, I mean business too.”
There is nothing sophisticated about the club across the city.
They are a basket case club, run by owners who not only couldn’t get a simple stadium upgrade right but also failed to submit the proper paperwork, which would have allowed their new defensive signing to play in last night’s Champions League game.
By our accepted standard, they are uncultured and messy. They are Rocky Balboa, training in the meat house, with a broken down trainer, a borrowed robe, and whose corner team is a belligerent friend and a cut man from the 1950s. Apollo, in contrast, is a slick, powerful athlete with all the moves and skills, surrounded by pros, but who never takes the fight seriously until he’s getting up from the canvas after being knocked down in the opening rounds.
Last night, our rivals secured a credible draw against Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev. They only need to win at home to secure an estimated £4.6 million.
From there, they are two games away from sharing the Champions League pot of gold, while our club should be over the hills and far away already.
Now, I’m not saying they’re going to make it.
In fact, I thought it was a very unimpressive performance from both sides. And I think without their home ground advantage, they might crash out of the competition at this stage.
But if they don’t, and they secure that £4.6 million, unlike Celtic sitting on our mountain of money, they will undoubtedly find something to spend it on, giving them a fighter’s chance, a puncher’s chance, of getting to those lucrative group stages.
Mark my words, if they get there, we’re in a real fight all over again because they won’t use that cash to stuff the mattress; a goodly portion of it will be spent on the team. If we haven’t gotten our act together, if we are as unprepared then as we are now, we are going to find ourselves like JD Vance and Trump, like Apollo Creed, on the ropes, on the brink of disaster.
And that might be the price we pay for our arrogance, complacency, and the presumption that we could get by on the bare minimum and still find ourselves on the winner’s podium at the end.
Should we find ourselves instead, sprawled out on the canvas, or worse, standing at the end amongst the nearly-but-not-quite with a silver medal and a pat on the back, we’ll know who’s to blame. The risk here is so obvious that you can see it a mile away.
Celtic, we have been warned. The next warning we get might be the punch in the face that reminds us that any enemy you don’t knock out can knock you out instead.
Spot on. Last night was a shock to most, but we’ve all seen them defend well Away in Europe. Something Lennon Deil Rodgers Ange never did/do. If we sell ORILEY clubs will know we are even more cash rich and inflate prices for their players as window closes. Just awful
Spot on
Yo , Adrienne…..
Decent enough result tbf. Tho tbh, ah don’t think Kiev looked much. Although graeme ‘ i had a lump in my throat when rangers beat dortmund’ young of the DR ( of course) says they are an ‘impressive’ side. Ah must’ve been watchin a different game. Looked more like 2 bang average sides of europa class at most goin at it. It’s the usual, only until the reality arrives in the first team they get, who actually ARE a good side. It’s never usually hard tae predict. As far as the domestic scene goes, thats a different matter. If this board again decides tae ‘gamble’, there’s every chance the ibrox club could dae the unexpected. That’s my opinion.
We are worse off than last season at this point. Let’s say the same players get injured again as last season, we will struggle again but might not be able to get over the line this time. Is that what it will take to axe this board. ?
James, I totally agree 100% spot on, we should have Idah in already, plus 3 others that Brendan had identified, but I imagine we are haggling over a fee ,most likley a few million in each target,
That could end up costing us 30 million next season
A few million on each target ends up a hefty sum but they should pay the goi g rate for the player.
COMMENT REMOVED. YELLOW CARD.
Their european record in the europa is decent but in the champions league it isn’t very good at all and as for money for compensation I believe that is already available and possibly covered by insurance.
James why did you publish Mark B’s comments, I know you’ll get the odd Sevco fan joining in, don’t mind a bit of banter but when they try to ref child abuse in their snide remarks then that should never see the light of day. Did you take some other meaning from the ” stockpile money for the alleged compensation ” remarks?
From now on ANY post that references that subject is getting removed and the person banned.
It’s not for compensation, it’s because we are going back to 3 qualifiers,maybe 2 but our co efficient isn’t to great,don’t listen to the plebs re compensation m8.
Watched the game last night, thought The Rangers International FC were the best of two very ordinary teams. Defensively both teams were a shambles and yet their attacking players could only score 2 goals between them.
What I will say is that Clement got the best out of what he had available, and if complacency creeps in to our club then we could be punished. This board of ours have 3 weeks and 3 days to show they mean business on the transfer front. After the 30th of August it will be up to BR and his squad, let’s hope they are given the tools to do the job properly.
Poor game last night. Got to remember it was Kiev’s first of the season and I believe that showed. Kiev are the better side and will be in better shape next game.
Like I said in my earlier post I think Celtic are awaiting the O’Riley money before releasing some to Brendan and that is shocking if the case.
Miovski is looking sharp and would be a great asset to Brendan, dynamic, pacy, skillful and can score. We should get that one done ASAP.
We will most likely pay over the odds to replace Matt as the window ends. Instead of having a replacement already bedded in.
This is turning into a nightmare. We could get Miovski for what we took for Oh, we could most likely get Idah for what we will likely get for Mikey.
Has Brendan been told to move out others to give the youth a chance and that’s his Squad options for the season?
Let me leave you with this…… One Striker !
they played Belgrade in last round won 9-2 aggregate
Apart from the previous round when they won 9:2 on aggregate against Partizan Belgrade you mean?
How was it kievs first of the season? Did they not beat a team by a convincing score in the last round?
Our first eleven are ok at best, our depth shocking, our hangers on useless and wage stealers. Get these fools off the books. Sign 3/4 decent players that are first team level. Think that’s going to happen? Not on your life. I’m convinced McCarthy has compromising pics of Desmond and Lawell.
Aye – Well I remember James 2008/09 I think it was and ‘The Willo Flood Window’ And Lawwell playing Russian Roulette and Poker two things he is utterly pish pot jerker at but ultimately thinks that he isn’t pish pot jerker at unfortunately…
The ashen faced look on his coupon said it all as Celtic flung the title in the direction of Liebrox and they’d spend big and win the next two as well…
They could be watching to see what happens with Sevco before deciding what to do by which time any action will be far far too late…
Factor in the point that ‘Cheats with Whistles, Flags and Monitors’ won for Sevco on as early as Matchday No.1 and it could be a long and nervy old season which it should never have been but probably bloody well will be…
But that’s maybe what ‘they’ (our ‘custodians’) want !
I completely agree with all your saying,Jan window was terrible and this one looks worse!
Hearts right back must have cost pennies and a great game against them,where are looking at ? Sevco will spend every penny on team and will get stronger and better while we have lots in bank .Just being better than them will cost us in the long run,should be miles ahead.pretty disappointed and disgusted and I won’t be buying champions tickets .
I can’t believe the fans in and around the directors box didn’t let their feelings be abundantly clear at the weekend. We should be outside celtic Park NOW and be letting the board know exactly how we all feel. I’m of the belief that jota most definitely didn’t want to go to Saudi just as I don’t think KT wanted to go either. Or wee josip for that matter. I think as soon as a team comes in with an offer it’s right son out ye go. I get we are a selling team but surely to fuck we don’t need to sell to the first team to lift their skirt to us. Every year lawell manages to take the euphoria and feelgood factor out the club leading into the new season. Wish he and the rest of the board would just get tae fuck and allow the club to move forward. We have no clear plan for taking the club forward and havent for decades.fucking shambles
Hi James, thanks for posting. I generally enjoy your articles; however, not for the first time you venture into self-indulgent movie analogies which are all too long-winded, boring and self-indulgent. Your knowledge of all things Celtic is commendable, and you clearly have an eye for detail, particularly when referencing or commenting on the media. I applaud all of this, but please James, give the movie references a miss mate. I find them a real turn-off and I stop reading every post when you start to make comparisons between films and real life. I remain an avid reader of your otherwise excellent blog, but please take a rain check on the movie stuff.
You make me want to write more of them.
From now on I am going to include at least ONE in EVERY article.
A disappointing and arrogant response James.
What, more arrogant than you presuming to tell me what to write in order to keep you here?
I think not.
I love the wee preambles and, more importantly, this is free so you can write what you like.
It was a good result for them and I think they’ll get through this round, Kiev were pish, Partizan must’ve been awful. I’d say there’s only one of the 4 possible teams they could get that will definitely beat them so there’s a good chance we will regret (again) not hammering home our advantage.
Yippee….Keep it up James.
The backdrop you paint with your analogies invariably provides context
and highlights misguided reasoning behind the Board’s motivation and strategy.
Spot on Gary h…that’s me done reading then then..who cares about what happened in fuckin rocky or what Donald trumps doin
Bye then. Been good having you here!
Comparing what’s happening at celtic and sevco to a stupid shitty fictional boxing film is just rambling nonsense..we only want to read about celtic or we wouldn’t read erm celtic blogs
I thought you were fucking off somewhere else?
Why are you still here?
In recent club history,
there is only one significant example when
the Board pleasantly surprised the support
by showing unexpected ambjtion:
when Rodgers was signed first time round.
However, if the stories are true, they only got
Rodgers because Desmond had been insulted
at the 2016 cup semi loss to sevco!
Maybe a sevco executive could slag off Desmond
about our pitiful European record?
We might then get some quality players…?
🙁
I don’t like it that you blame our club for everything and I hope you don’t now include it in every article from now on.
Oops too late
What ARE you gibbering about?
Let’s hope that whatever small sums they earn from this round is taken off them in court next week by Elite Sports. They still haven’t a pot to piss in!
Remember the words
“Planning for when we don’t get ”
Celtic’s board are years ahead of us , supporters are easy picking. HH
Did write this on Wednesday. Stars line up and the Belgian gets the best out of them, then they will be basking in CL Group Stage glory and they will spend it all.
Our board need to wake up now.
I think the new defensive signing across the river must have been eligible to play in Europe as he was listed as a substitute. Surely they didn’t have a Legia moment ?
Speculation was he wasn’t properly registered for their game at Tynecastle , but Cement claimed it was just a training issue.