Dermot Desmond

Just finished watching it.

Pretty good listen. I think most of us are in agreement that the scouting of players and the decision of who picks the players to target is probably the right way to go about it. It looks like the Chief Scout and Tisdale will go to Rodgers with a bunch of players in the positions that Rodgers wants to strengthen in, they then streamline the targets to bring in together. The problem is definitely when the targets are given to the people above Rodgers and above Tisdale, which is Nicholson and McKay. You're asking a couple of guys with no experience in player valuations to make investment moves for assets they know * all about.

The club clearly need an overarching manager, like a DOF/Sporting Director, who has the control of the finances from a footballing perspective. Nicholson and McKay control the budget, with the board backing that and Rodgers, a DOF and the Chief Scout decide who they sign and for how much.

 

The funny thing is the reality seems to be completely at odds with what Desmond says about their recruitment structure. He maintains that the budget is set by the board and the manager has ultimate say on what to spend. Rodgers is begging on a weekly basis now for new players that he can't "magic up". A blind man can see that our board control the decisions on transfers, no budget is set, recommendations come to the board and they will only offer pittance for players until it gets late and desperate where they might sanction a panic buy.

 

I think there's too much evidence now to ignore that the suits are stalling on deals. Jakob Breum looked a very good deal at £5m and Nicholson/McKay are going in there with 33% of what they're after. It looks incredibly unprofessional and if you're Breum, are you wanting to sign for someone who values you so low?

I mean, the Go Ahead Eagles director was pretty scathing and as has been discussed previously, the amount of agents and directors from certain players/clubs who wouldn't even deal with Lawwell grew as the years went on. It's clearly a suits problem when it comes to getting transfers over the line. Whether it's Nicholson/McKay or Lawwell or anyone else on the board, no one really knows but it looks to be a CEO issue.

 

Time he left, and passed on to someone who wants to take Celtic forward, he's an old dinosaur.

 

On paper that seems pretty much straightforward and a sensible approach but could you imagine the reaction to a DOF going out and spending millions which then in turn effects the bonuses of Lawwell and his buddies.

The reaction would probably be similar to when Dom McKay done it. Ie sack him and appoint one of their pals who has their similar greedy interests at heart.

 

We are making it hard to sign players by ourselves. Club will say it's hard to attract, but we are doing that damage ourselves.

Even the wages is an issue. A wage structure that's barely moved in 25 years now. Bobo was on 30-33k 20 years back and to this days the only player(s) above that are usually our captain. Perhaps KT and Jota break that's but won't be by much and 40k won't be the the high earner, it'll be at best 35k.

Then remember the Giakoumakis issues, signed by Ange and Dom McKayz made a promise that if he proved himself we would go back to him with a good deal that reflects his worth.
McKay is out, Nicholson is in and Lawwell control returns - Giakoumakis has since commented that the club renegadeed on that gentleman's agreement

Doing this damage to ourselves.

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The problem being - nobody knows the structure. Its all speculation