They were combined, no?
Interesting. My error as the two threads show up in search.
Two horse race!!
"Data provided to BBC Scotland by football finance expert Kieran Maguire tells us that Celtic and Rangers make up 70% of the Premiership’s total revenue. Their wages account for 69% of the league’s total, while they amount to 96% for combined squad costs.
In 2021-22, they made up 95% of transfer fees in the division." BBC.
Just heard Norwich are loaning Tzolis out.
Tzolis cost £9 million, loaned out to Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Rashica cost £11 million, loaned out to Galatasaray.
For a supposedly well run club we loan out a lot of expensive players to wealthier clubs!
'Twas ever thus in Scotland. Of course, England has turned into a one-horse race.
It’s all about tv and money. No longer a sport but a business. And of course the gambling industry has a stake. Sad.
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Well yes absolutely but I think it remains the case, certainly below PL level, which for me is orchestrated non-contact ballet rather than football, that nothing beats the the thrill of a live game of football. I’m well aware for example that I now support a brand rather than a football team and of course something important has been lost. Nevertheless it remains hard to describe the thrill of a proper full on live game. Add in a cup; some floodlights on a Tuesday night and occasionally what you have can still be utterly unforgettable.
For the second consecutive year, I’ll pass on the opportunity to subscribe to watch the EPL. There is no shortage of alternatives, all Uefa tournaments, Bundesliga, English cups, “Championship” and First Division. Naturally, I’ll watch every Rangers game on the club channel. Of course, we’ll see enough EPL teams in Europe given the rigged nature of the competitions’ qualification requirements.
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The SPFL (Scottish) starts tomorrow. As above, the usual 2 team contest between Michael Beale’s “I’ve watched him ( 9 new signings) as an 8 year old” vs. Brendan’s Asian all-stars. I think Rangers will play more in the style of Postecoglu’s Celtic, but have no idea what Brendan will do with his lot. His team seems set up more to leverage the brand in Asia vs. compete in Europe. What saddens me, both Rangers and Celtic likely to field only two Scots each on a regular basis, diluting the Old Firm games as a spectacle.
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‘For a supposedly well run club we loan out a lot of expensive players to wealthier clubs!’
Who return most of them, unwanted!
A list of all Premiership teams & the players they want to sign appeared in todays paper. I noted that even Aarons wasn’t on anyone’s radar. If he does go it will presumably be to a foreign side or for a derisory fee to a Premier side, much in the vein Cantwell went to Rangers for.
Not expecting much from this season but it would be nice if one or two players start showing real promise & the club does not then sell them off to the first club showing any interest.
I feel that for at least the past five years, apart from Maddison, we have sold our young, promising, talent a season or two too soon for both their & our benefit. The likes of Lewis, Godfrey & the Murphy’s were not ready for the pressure of large transfer fees to bigger clubs. A bit longer with us, lower expectations, less pressure to perform at a higher level, may have been good for both parties.
I think either the players or their agents see City as a dead end nowadays.
I feel sorry for Aarons as he’s been a good servant to the club and could have gone to Barcelona a couple of years ago. Now everybody realises we have a huge hole in the finances and will only offer peanuts.
Owls v Saints. It’s a bit industrial after the EPL.
Saints looked a much better team than the Owls this evening. The latter look too dependent on Bannon and set-pieces for creativity. While Saints deserved the 3 points and looked very good in possession, they don’t create very many clear-cut chances and lack a ruthless striker, a problem they had in the PL last season. I fully expect them to compete for automatic promotion but with the parachute payments and all that money coming in from the sale of the prized players, they really need to address that striker issue.
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At one point on the Beeb’s online text commentary they wrote: ‘Saints haven’t won a competitive game since the clocks went forward.’ I was tempted to ask, ‘in which year?’
I’m not sure the one thing I’d take from the changes is that the Old Firm derby is diluted. As an outsider I look at that game and think it’s part of a bigger problem. The less significance that game has the better. You don’t tend to see many scousers bemoaning lack of same for their derby etc.
Sticking with all things sadly sectarian I have to say I’m thoroughly non-plussed by our signing of McLean from Wigan. Maybe a makeshift striker but until Mullin is back hopefully not anything more than cover for Mendy.
My previous forecast of a 10th to 16th finish was of course a typing error.
I clearly meant ‘obvious title contenders’…
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I’m with @petersfi on this one, Mike. And I suspect most Celtic and Rangers fans would agree. The passion and sheer bedlam are what make the Old Firm games so thrilling, and that is undoubtedly diluted with the overwhelming number of non-Scots. There are better ways of tackling the wretched, shameful sectarian blight than not signing Scots players.
The Merseyside derby (or any other derby in the UK) doesn’t come close to an Old Firm clash, and I’d like to keep it that way. I also want to see Celtic and Rangers stop the petty spat over ticketing and let away fans come back to these games.
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How many games per week are we allowed to watch? Despite retirement, I saturate at 4, maybe 5. With 2 reserved for my team, what is the preferred approach for the others. Pick one team from each of the EFL/Bundesliga and follow weekly, or maybe the marquee game each week from those other leagues. Highlights don’t do it more me. Other thoughts appreciated.
Back in the football league and with a very deceptive score line. Had a lovely day out with the boy and what a cracking match. My son has seen us in the EFL twice. On the first occasion he was 364 days old and we survived relegation to the then Conference. A year later and we were down. He’ll remember this one a tad longer.
Two down in 12 minutes we essentially looked very much like we’d fallen off a plane from the USA recently. Second to the ball; feeble of tackle and largely loitering without intent we conceded an unlucky own goal followed by the first of many cracking goals from both teams and then slowly pulled our socks up. Take out the opening and it was 3-3 not 3-5. We also had brilliant chances to score that Lee; Cannon; Davies, Barnett and Palmer all ought to have gotten on target. Given that we were without Lainton in goal, Hayden, Tunnicliffe, Boyle and of course Mullin then the reality is that we can and will improve.
An interesting contrast with Notts County whose rather odd high line cost then their keeper.
Good to see refs intend to be as inconsistent as ever. Booked one player for kicking the ball away. Didn’t book three others for doing exactly the same. Added 17 minutes on in total thanks to the new rules. Consistently failed to insist any players took throw ins from the right place or legally.
Positives - Mendy was targeted; survived and scored. Jones in midfield was superb. Palmer and young Bickerstaffe came on up front and instantly looked like a partnership which could do something compared to Dalby and Waters. Jordan Davies came on and was nothing short of magnificent after a very difficult promotion season. Looked back to peak.
Negatives - Fozzy (every game an error). Tozer’s lack of pace horribly exposed by the MK strikers. Elliot Lee way off the pace. Billy Waters lack of strength and ball retention. Andy Cannon keeping Luke Young out despite being horribly inconsistent. Mendy was targeted and struggled. Then scored our first EFL goal in 16 years 
The MK strikers - Leko and Eisa - were a handful. Think Alexander will do well to build anything more than a potential play off team though.
Overall, a harsh welcome back but a great day.
Absolutely loved that the first caller on Radio Wales was a Wrexham fan called Bernie who thought Parky should stop fannying around in America (and arguably be sacked after today) and who walked out at half time in disgust when we were 1-2nd own. Barry Horne tried very hard not to wet himself laughing.
Purely for reasons of domestic harmony I stick to my two matches and maybe one or two others more than that and a bent ear from my one and only.
It’s odd because just before a match and directly after there always seems to be a raft of either diy or household chores to do.
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