Keane to Celtic

[FairwayDodger]

It'll be interesting to see. They've already signed two and will obviously be looking for more but they're shopping in the lower leagues and for younger, upcoming players these days.

Prior to the OF game I gave them no chance of winning the league next year but the performance, more than the result, was very encouraging. Celtic are have more money and better players but are not unreachable. Rangers fans need to not get carried away, however, much depends on what Celtic do and that game has obviously given them a fright and maybe knocked them out of the complacency that had set in.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

A strong Rangers , Aberdeen , Hearts to challenge Celtic would be great for the SPL and would be great for Scottish football. When my father was stationed at Buchan I remember how strong the league was in the 80's and that seemed to encourage top quality players coming through - Celtic need strong teams to challenge them and it would make the league a more attractive watch for people behind Scotland and improve telly deals and sponsership etc - it would be very good to get the league back the standard of the 80's and 90's

 

[NWJocko]

A strong Rangers , Aberdeen , Hearts to challenge Celtic would be great for the SPL and would be great for Scottish football. When my father was stationed at Buchan I remember how strong the league was in the 80's and that seemed to encourage top quality players coming through - Celtic need strong teams to challenge them and it would make the league a more attractive watch for people behind Scotland and improve telly deals and sponsership etc - it would be very good to get the league back the standard of the 80's and 90's

I agree the league could do with being stronger but TV deals and sponsorship (and money from Europe courtesy of TV) is largely reason the gap between the OF and the rest became a gulf so won't solve the problems. Rangers and Celtic are (by a huge margin) the most "marketable" teams in Scotland. Going back 10-15 years they even had joint shirt sponsorship a couple of times (NTL and Carling?) in deals that would have dwarfed any other team. Any company looking to invest in TV rights and/or sponsorship in Scotland really aren't interested in Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell etc etc.

I don't know if you can get these figures but I bet Sky coverage of any SPL game not including Rangers or Celtic outside of Scotland attract a vanishingly small audience.

Keane would maybe raise the profile of the club at a good time with Rangers back in the league to help, but again that would only really raise the profile (and bank balance) of those two clubs.

Not paid much attention to Keane's managerial record, he any good? What are the other names being bandied about for Celtic?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Keane manages to alienate his players after a while. Not really a people person which doesn't help when your job is to get the best out of players. Doesn't seem to be able to accept not everyone is top class. Perhaps being a number 2 at Ireland has mellowed him? Managed at Sunderland and Ipswich, sacked from both. Not a great record.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Absolutely Gerry but let me add some perspective to my thought. Celtic were probably as bad in that semi as they'd been at any part throughout the season and Rangers probably played their best football all season. The score was 1-1. When did Rangers actually last win a game? What about the league stats on the perceiption Celtic have a poor manager in Ronnie Deila and that Rangers have a great manager in Mark Warburton.

Delia - P 36, GD 56, 83 points
Warburton - P 36, GD 54, 81 points

Stats dont always tell the full story but points make prizes, less points in the same games played in a lower league. There has to be seeds of doubt sown there.

Next season is a different beast and there will be lots to run between now and next May and a lot will hinge on Rangers opening fixtures but if they happen to find themselves some tough away fixtures in the first 9 games (Aberdeen, Hearts, Celtic) they may find themselves a bit wanting unless they get some significant investment.

Anyway, Scottish football is a side distraction, the big game for Scottish sport is next weekend in Galway

I think Warburton is a good manager, best Rangers have had since Walter Smith.
However......
Having the second biggest wage bill In the SPFL whilst dropping 27 points in the second tier is hardly a ringing endorsement.
Same goes for Ronnie dropping 25 points in the top division.

I think Keane will be a disaster at Celtic, another Dalgliesh/Barnes fiasco.
The team that may surprise us all is Aberdeen.
Hearts will strengthen their team and are now financially sound with plans this year to upgrade Tynecastle to a 21,000 seater.
Would not be surprised if those two do not push either Rangers or Celtic down to 4th.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Can't see it, dft, the team that finishes above Celtic wins the league IMO.

 

[NWJocko]

Can't see it, dft, the team that finishes above Celtic wins the league IMO.

This.

I'd love nothing more than seeing Aberdeen win the league but tbh this season was our best shot. No Rangers, Celtic were pretty poor really, we had a great start etc. We've been a bit short in terms of quality players and bottle!

As you say, if anyone finishes above Celtic they win it.

 

[Val]

Aberdeen had their best chance in a generation this season and I can't see that coming around again anytime soon.

I do agree Roy Keane potentially has disaster written all over it however you cannot compare managing a club like Ipswich or Sunderland to managing Celtic, expectations are high as will Roy's be and it might (and a big might at that) work. That said, he doesnt have the job and it's all just talk currently.

Anyone who seriously thinks Celtic will finish in fourth needs to see a doctor, there is something wrong with them. I believe Celtic will finish top again with more breathing space than they had this season. This was Celtic worst performance since Mowbray and they still finished top, they wont perform so poorly again regardless of who is at the helm.

 

[Jacko_G]

Scottish football is dead. It's probably not even bottomed out yet. I was talking to an ex SPL player and former Scottish Cup winner last night and he was earning more in the SPL 8 years ago than he was last season before retiring. The money is not there, the finance, fans and sponsorship is not there.

Celtic are pish, Aberdeen are slightly worse. However Aberdeen operate on less than 1 20th of Celtics budget so deserve great credit for pushing a poor Celtic side for so long. Celtic are dire and I hold the board 100% responsible, not Ronnie. Rangers shouldn't be near Celtic after what they cheated there way to however the SFA bottled it and pandered to them.

I also laugh at Heart of Midlothian. Talking about building a new stand at a cost of £16 million, did they not learn any lessons.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I also laugh at Heart of Midlothian. Talking about building a new stand at a cost of £16 million, did they not learn any lessons.

Yes..That is why the fans are now more or less in charge of the club.
Not a new stand, just making the old one bigger.
Once the stand is finished they will be carrying £3m in debt.
That is what their profit was this year.
To many full houses this year for it not to be successful.
Check out Anne Budge's statement on Jambo's Kickback if in doubt.

 

[Jacko_G]

Yes..That is why the fans are now more or less in charge of the club.
Not a new stand, just making the old one bigger.
Once the stand is finished they will be carrying £3m in debt.
That is what their profit was this year.
To many full houses this year for it not to be successful.
Check out Anne Budge's statement on Jambo's Kickback if in doubt.

Well maybe they should be paying back all the company's who were left short changed when they failed to pay their debts and spent out with their means for years.

If a redevelopment project costs £16 million and they made £3 million profit including the sale of a £1 million player where is the other £13 million coming from. Pie in the sky stuff once again.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

A strong Rangers , Aberdeen , Hearts to challenge Celtic would be great for the SPL and would be great for Scottish football. When my father was stationed at Buchan I remember how strong the league was in the 80's and that seemed to encourage top quality players coming through - Celtic need strong teams to challenge them and it would make the league a more attractive watch for people behind Scotland and improve telly deals and sponsership etc - it would be very good to get the league back the standard of the 80's and 90's

Celtic won't want St Johnstone to get any stronger as that wee didiy team well and truly gubbed the 'tic tonight. Saints were good tonight - but really - Celtic are pretty pish.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Well maybe they should be paying back all the company's who were left short changed when they failed to pay their debts and spent out with their means for years.

If a redevelopment project costs £16 million and they made £3 million profit including the sale of a £1 million player where is the other £13 million coming from. Pie in the sky stuff once again.

http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/5161

Who was the £1m player ?
Crows are well up, playing to full houses most weeks.
During the Romanov era they were playing to less than 10k most weeks

 

[davidy233]

Absolutely Gerry but let me add some perspective to my thought. Celtic were probably as bad in that semi as they'd been at any part throughout the season and Rangers probably played their best football all season. The score was 1-1. When did Rangers actually last win a game? What about the league stats on the perceiption Celtic have a poor manager in Ronnie Deila and that Rangers have a great manager in Mark Warburton.

I'd argue that Rangers played their best football in the previous round against my team Dundee - they absolutely thumped us, three days after we had gone to Parkhead and comfortably drawn (we should have won). Rangers that afternoon was easily the best performance I've seen from anyone against us this term.

The downside to Rangers being back in the top division is that it brings back all the bigoted rubbish from the moronic element on both sides which has been largely easy to ignore during their years in the seaside leagues.

From a football perspective though if they are as good as they were the day i saw them then they'll challenge.

As for Roy Keane - don't see what in his record justifies the Celtic job - was surprised to hear a couple of ex Celtic players say on the radio a couple of weeks ago that it has to be a Celtic minded man

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'd argue that Rangers played their best football in the previous round against my team Dundee - they absolutely thumped us, three days after we had gone to Parkhead and comfortably drawn (we should have won). Rangers that afternoon was easily the best performance I've seen from anyone against us this term.

The downside to Rangers being back in the top division is that it brings back all the bigoted rubbish from the moronic element on both sides which has been largely easy to ignore during their years in the seaside leagues.

From a football perspective though if they are as good as they were the day i saw them then they'll challenge.

As for Roy Keane - don't see what in his record justifies the Celtic job - was surprised to hear a couple of ex Celtic players say on the radio a couple of weeks ago that it has to be a Celtic minded man

More than that I fear as I suspect that many Rangers fans won't be 'letting bygones be bygones'; their resentments against the teams that supported their hoofing out of the league are massive; and so atmosphere is going to be very hostile.

 

[davidy233]

More than that I fear as I suspect that many Rangers fans won't be 'letting bygones be bygones'; their resentments against the teams that supported their hoofing out of the league are massive; and so atmosphere is going to be very hostile.

Not sure I see that at all - lots of noise on social media but a hostile atmosphere from Rangers fans when they play Ross County/ICT/Aberdeen because of any of those clubs voting to put them in bottom tier?

 

[ger147]

Back on topic, still nothing from Celtic re. Keane and today's story is Brendan Rodgers holding more talks with the club.

 

[Tarkus1212]

Rafa Benitez is probably available....

 

[stevek1969]

I'd argue that Rangers played their best football in the previous round against my team Dundee - they absolutely thumped us, three days after we had gone to Parkhead and comfortably drawn (we should have won). Rangers that afternoon was easily the best performance I've seen from anyone against us this term.

The downside to Rangers being back in the top division is that it brings back all the bigoted rubbish from the moronic element on both sides which has been largely easy to ignore during their years in the seaside leagues.

From a football perspective though if they are as good as they were the day i saw them then they'll challenge.

As for Roy Keane - don't see what in his record justifies the Celtic job - was surprised to hear a couple of ex Celtic players say on the radio a couple of weeks ago that it has to be a Celtic minded man

Well said David, as much as hate Dundee Utd and that muppet that runs them id rather have them in the Premier league than another bigoted bunch of wallopers in the form of Rangers, the only man than wanted them down was Thompson so in a way its kind of karma them pass each other. Back on topic i think its Paul Lamberts job, Keane is another car crash as Neil Lennon was

 

[davidy233]

Well said David, as much as hate Dundee Utd and that muppet that runs them id rather have them in the Premier league than another bigoted bunch of wallopers in the form of Rangers, the only man than wanted them down was Thompson so in a way its kind of karma them pass each other. Back on topic i think its Paul Lamberts job, Keane is another car crash as Neil Lennon was

Not sure I'd go that far - though I will miss the derbies