Mowbray will struggle to sign big names at Celtic
Graham Spiers
At this time of the football season - back from holidays, sun-tanned, having not looked at or kicked a ball for five weeks - you might expect a freshness about the faces of most players and managers. But not in Scotland. And certainly not on the otherwise highly expressive face of Tony Mowbray.
The Celtic manager, even this early into his exciting new career, is feeling something of the slog about his job. Mowbray, in truth, is dragging his heels in having to go to Australia with Celtic for what he views as a mind-numbing pre-season challenge against Brisbane Roar on July 12, but even more draining is Mowbray's current effort to rejuvenate Celtic by making a batch of uplifting and inspiring new signings.
Marc-Antoine Fortune is expected in most circles to sign for Celtic, though with two or three Barclays Premier League clubs also chasing him, the French striker has clearly been in two minds about coming to Glasgow. The very saga that signing Fortune has become has only underlined the severity of the job facing Mowbray.
The recently-installed Celtic manager could be about to find out that the words he spoke upon his arrival at Parkhead four weeks ago will be harder to turn into reality than he had imagined.
"The size of this club [Celtic] should attract good players," Mowbray told the newspaper boys at his unveiling. "There are very talented players out there who would feel the draw of Glasgow Celtic, and know the passion of the great European nights here, who might see this as a club they would like to come to. Players of pedigree might be attracted to those sorts of nights, as well as to playing in the Old Firm games.
"What gives me a decent chance is the sheer size of this club - the tradition of it, the draw it will be for many players. I've got to use that to attract the right calibre of footballer."
Alas, most footballers place the ambience and aesthetics of a club second behind that most appealing of all attractions: salary. Mowbray is now discovering what the Old Firm problem is all about: despite being at a club that dwarfs many of those in the Barclays Premier League, Celtic, like Rangers, simply cannot compete on anything like the salary scales of England due to their feeble TV income.
To put it in a nutshell: if Mowbray really, really fancies a player, and urges the Celtic board to push the boat out for such a potential signing, then with the pips squealing Celtic these days might go to £20,000 a week. Yet this is a paltry sum compared to what is on offer down south, even at Hull City or Portsmouth, clubs that are a fraction of Celtic's size.
Thus we have the first signs of Mowbray scavenging around. Fortune may or may not come to Celtic. Another player you won't have heard of, Landry N'Guemo, is being released by Nancy and could also come to Parkhead. Meanwhile, Mowbray is also said to be trying to convince at least one other Coca-Cola Championship player to come north to Glasgow, though the player in question knows that the top tier of English football could soon offer him far meatier riches.
When a Henrik Larsson arrives at Celtic, it is more often than not a quirk of fate, almost even a fluke. Such signings are few and far between. Tony Mowbray is at a glamorous club, but some aspects of his job must feel distinctly unglamorous.
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Slow press day Graham?? Tell us something we weren't aware of?! lol
Posted by: Baw's On The Slates | 7 Jul 2009 12:34:37
Where is the story here?
The only fact in this article is the date of the game aginst Brisbane Roar.
"When a Henrik Larsson arrives at Celtic, it is more often than not a quirk of fate, almost even a fluke"
Graham "There is only one Henrik Larsson" figuratively speaking of course.
Posted by: Plonk | 7 Jul 2009 13:11:55
To the above poster - this is an opinion piece. Spiers is just commenting on his views, much like any feature writer in any newspaper or magazine. I happen to agree totally with what he says - but I firmly believe the talent is out there but you have to have the systems in place to find it.
Posted by: Anton | 7 Jul 2009 16:28:39
Wonder how much money Celtic will get from the Queensland game? Locals might go but QLD is not a soccer heartland - it's rugby/league/union. Selling more shirts in Melb/Syd I don't think so. Will it compensate for missing out on the ECL group stages because the players are tired or injured? Lawwell thinks commercial ventures are more important than developing the squad which Mowbray should be doing at this stage. All effort seems to be concentrated on Fortune but what's he done - he's come out of nowhere. Smells like Scheidt.
Also why is Mowbray talking about changing captain when he says he's not talked to McManus - thought he's Mister Integrity. I thought he would do this in private with McManus before talking in the press.
Posted by: Scott | 7 Jul 2009 16:30:19
"Mowbray will struggle to sign big names at Celtic"
So, how does that make him different to any other Celtic manager? Pretty much all of Celtic's great players apart from Larsson have come through the youth ranks. If Celtic are ever to have a genuinely competetive side again it will be through an excellent crop of youth players combined with signing the best players from other scotish teams.
Posted by: Richard S | 8 Jul 2009 09:14:16
for all those who doubt , well we have 1 fortune , now for the others , were as we are buys those on the other side(gers) have to sell even paying of youth stars they are that bad lol
Posted by: pat ,coolrunnin mclaughlin | 8 Jul 2009 12:35:52
To poster Richard S: some signings have proved to be top-quality. Paolo Di Canio, Shunsuke Nakamura and Chris Sutton spring to mind.
But undoubtedly, the youth system is the heart and soul of the team. We have to work within our limitations and hope the prestige of the club tips the balance. Fortune has demonstrated that it can, and should. Hull City or Celtic shouldn't even be a consideration.
Posted by: Craig Gallagher | 10 Jul 2009 00:00:37