The Transfer Window Waltz

[Bluedell 5,346]

Nope, hence my use of the words "I think"

 

What's the source of your thinking? Where has it been suggested that it's outside Celtic?

[craig 5,199]

What's the source of your thinking? Where has it been suggested that it's outside Celtic?

 

The mirror I think it was that suggested it. Will try to find the thread where they state that.

 

It stated Desmond was paying Keane's 65k a week wage and that he also personally funded a 1 million pounds loan fee.

[Bluedell 5,346]

Don't worry, Craig. Thanks. That's the info I was looking for. The Celtic accounts should make interesting reading....

[craig 5,199]

Here you go BD (courtesy of alanmidd on the Transfer Deadline Day thread)

 

Robbie Keane has signed for Celtic in a sensational switch - with multi-millionaire backer Dermot Desmond paying �£105,000-a-week for the privilege.

 

Tottenham skipper Keane jetted to Glasgow to complete the biggest transfer of deadline day as the Glasgow giants and their Irish owner put their English Premier League rivals to shame.

 

Desmond put his hand in his pocket to pay the �£1million loan fee and pick up the �£65,000-a-week wages for Republic of Ireland star Keane in a deal first revealed by Football Spy by September 14.

 

Keane was also wanted by West Ham but co-owner David Sullivan pulled back from the deal because it was too much for him - despite his boasts about offering similar wages to Ruud van Nistelrooy.

 

And while Hammers raked in the bargain bin for Egyptian Mido and Brazilian Ilan, Celtic flexed their financial muscles and did the deal with Spurs for Keane.

 

The fact that Spurs were willing to trade shocked captain Keane just a year after his return from Liverpool. However Redknapp prefers Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe and now has Eidur Gudjohnsen and Roman Pavlyuchenko as cover.

 

Celtic have been on the trail of Keane for months, with Desmond making it a pet project to pull off the biggest signing in their history. It is more important than landing namesake Roy who was at the end of his career.

 

If Keane can shoot Celtic to SPL title glory and catch Rangers it would also make the transfer one of their most vital - and probably lay the ground for a full-time switch in the summer.

 

Harry Redknapp revealed that Robbie Keane wanted to go to Celtic - and he was not in the mood to stop him fulfilling his dream.

 

The Spurs chief admitted that the quick move came as a shock but stated: "The chairman rang me and asked what I felt. He said Robbie fancied it and was keen to play for Celtic until the end of the season.

 

"I didn't want to stand in his way. It's a good move, he will play regularly, he wants to play all of the time. He's not happy when he isn't - he is not the type to just hang around and take his wages.

 

"It's a move that appeals to him, he is a big Celtic man. The Irish lads have it in their blood, they all dream of playing for Celtic one day and this opportunity is one he wants to take.

 

"We didn't stand in his way, we are strong in that position. Crouchy and Defoe are in good form, Pavlyuchenko scored the other week and Eidur Gudjohnsen looks good in training."

 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Tottenham-striker-Robbie-Keane-completes-sensational-105k-a-week-deadline-day-Celtic-switch-article308999.html

[Bluedell 5,346]

Thanks Craig. Very much a change in style for Desmond.

 

I wonder if fan pressure got to him or whether he felt that Celtic winning the league this season would put Rangers back 3 years. It was a big mistake not dioing it last season as it that would have put us back around 5 years (at least).

[craig 5,199]

Thanks Craig. Very much a change in style for Desmond.

 

I wonder if fan pressure got to him or whether he felt that Celtic winning the league this season would put Rangers back 3 years. It was a big mistake not dioing it last season as it that would have put us back around 5 years (at least).

 

Yep, a definite change in style from Desmond.

 

I would think the gaping emptiness of Parkhead on match days also played a part in it. They have been deserting in their droves this season and that would not bode well for ST renewals.

 

Their fans have made it very clear that they believe the only reason they lost the league last year was because they didnt spend in January (and they just recently had the "toilet seat" banner campaign to state such) so I would think that he was being pressured into doing something.

 

I suspect they didnt spend in Jan 2009 because they were ahead of us in the table and knew we were in the financial mire - so they could just coast to the league title. This season we are in the same mire but we are 10 ahead in the table (sorry.... effectively 7 ahead in the table, right Monkeyheid ??) so he probably sees the need to financially back them - and given how proud they appear to be with their balance sheet it kind of makes sense that Desmond digs deep personally.

 

One has to wonder though that if his calculated gamble on Keane doesn't come off (which I still suspect it won't, evidence Killie.....) how keen (pun intended) Desmond would be to bankroll another couple of million on one player's loan fee plus wages.

[gisabeer 409]

Smith can only beat what is put in front of him.

 

In 23 games he and his squad have lost only ONE game and drawn 6. He has won 70% of the league games this season which is a very decent return when you consider he hasnt been able to sign anyone on a permanent deal for 2 YEARS and at a time when Rangers are, financially, not much better off than the rest of the SPL (some would say worse given other teams could actually sign players in recent times).

 

You must admit that you are looking at this from a performance perspective ? Because, from a results perspective we can't really complain. When you add in the financial restrictions (ignoring whether you believe WS was culpable of those restrictions in the first place) then the fact that we top the table by 10 points is particularly impressive.

 

Sure, the performances have not been outstanding, excepting December, but we are in a position where winning is crucial. WS is doing what he needs to do and to suggest otherwise from the perspective of the table is churlish.

 

As for the CL, I want us to compete too - however we all know that the major nations are far and away financially superior to us. Why is it we should have expected to compete with Stuttgart and Sevilla ? They play in far better leagues with far better resources than us and with much more money than us. Unirea ? Eastern European teams have always been technically sound. Again, why is it we should actually EXPECT to beat these teams ? Have we not been seeing how far a Scottish teams stock has fallen ?

 

Accepting we are making up the numbers may not be good enough for you but from a financial perspective it has to be. Without the CL money the club is fucked. By spending what would need to be spent to COMPETE at that level... the club would be fucked. Simply, we don't have the revenues to be able to get the players in that would assist us in competing at that level.

 

Craig im not falling into the trap of thinking we are a good side because Celtic are doing so badly and ive not changed my mind on my opinion of smith as a manager. I base my opinions on the whole time spent as Rangers manager not just the last couple of months. I see little reason to pat the guy who in my eyes has had a very big part to play in our current financial debacle on the back. with the squad we have the quality of football could be so much better but Smith often opts for saftey and cautiousness to the extreme.

 

and when the big games come he shits it. Home CL games and the pityfull pathetic performance at parkhead this season alone are fine games to judge smith in my eyes and he failed in everyone of them.

 

 

Again the CL. Unirea cost less than 2 million and competed right up to the last game in the CL group so to suggest that we should just accept being there and getting humped is undefendable. as for technical ability, my sons under 8s side shows more technical ability than smiths side half the time.

 

i am delighted to be top of the league mate and i do understand the implications of not winning the league but i will never accept mediocrity in any shape or form when it comes to glasgow Rangers.

 

for the simple reason that i think we could play alot better.

[Super_Ally 0]

Cracking read as usual S_A.

 

Couple of points :

 

1. I think Celtic, or more specifically, Desmond is paying all of Keane's wages. It comes in at 65k. The press made it 105k because Desmond also paid a loan fee of 1 million (which works out at about 50k a week too).

 

2. Of the Gers players missing through injury you should also probably mention Thomson - regardless of his input he is a 1st team squad member who has been missing through injury.

 

It really his high testimony to WS and the Gers squad how well we have competed this season given how threadbare our squad is on top of the injuries and suspensions we have had.

 

I know some of us complain about the standard of football sometimes offered up but to be 10 points ahead at this stage with such a small squad really does speak volumes about how effective WS is domestically. And whether we like it or not, winning the SPL is paramount for us in our current financial predicament - just getting to the CL is a bonus for us.

 

 

Both fair points mate.

 

Forgot about Thomson's absence tbh.

 

I think it's great to stick it to their mob atm when by their own thinking their supposed financial muscle should see them dominating. I bet they can't fathom how they are not far ahead never mind trailing badly.

 

Walter Smith hasnt done anything out of the ordinary this season craig. we have been mediocre bar one month. Our thanks really should go to tony mobray for making a complete arse of it with our inbred cousins from the east side of the city. Not trying to dampen the atmosphere but its the truth. Good fortune and circumstance favour smith again.

 

As for the CL. This seasons campaign was an utter embarrasment yet again under smith and he really has to acknowledge that he is severely out of his depth at this level. Accepting that you are making up the numbers in any competition is not good enough for someone like me who forks out money i can ill afford. If we are going to accept that attitude then the fans may as well not show up for the CL games.

 

http://www.rangers.co.uk/page/tables/0,,5~20090124,00.html

 

4 points better off than we were last season when we won the league. Celtic being poor would not be the only reason we're doing well i'd suggest. Especially when you factor in how strong Hibs and United have been I think it shows domestically we've been very good.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Super_Ally