Start of the Second Season

By: Matt | May 26th, 2008

Once the titles and cups are won, football clubs compete perhaps even more fiercely in what I like to call the “second season”. Instead of using a team’s strength, speed, and skill, it is usually the size of a team’s coin purse that often wins the transfer season. While the better offs choose from a list and have expensive bidding wars, lesser yet still big clubs like Celtic must use a bit of imagination during the transfer season. Make no mistake about it, Celtic will enjoy the luxuries of a last 16 appearance in the Champions League type budget with the Beeb estimating that in the 20 million range (a little higher than I would have expected, but take it with a grain of salt). Unfortunately, Celtic seem to be starting the transfer season on a “loss”.
Croation sources confirm that Ognjen Vukojevic has turned down a move to Parkhead in favor of heading to Dynamo Kiev. I had reported earlier that Celtic and Vukojevic were close to coming to an agreement, but the two sides failed to travel the distance. No word on why Vukojevic chose Kiev, but I would guess it is a combination of Vukojevic wanting a more proximate location to his home and Celtic perhaps realizing that there was no need to shell out big money for a holding/defending midfielder which they seem to have by the bushel currently. This is just the first of numerous transfer rumors and almosts, but one shouldn’t worry about not being active in the transfer period. After all, as long as the Hibernian Football Club is around, there will be transfers.

I would personally like to see moves made at left back. Lee Naylor looked confused at best this season. I would hope that Strachan FINALLY sells Derek Riordan and think that we can get a fair amount for him. Although I’ve always liked him even though he struggled this year, I think we could get some good money for Massimo Donati. I do NOT want to see McGeady or Boruc sold. Peter Lawwell and Gordon Strachan have talked about how their goal is to make it past the Last 16 of the Champions League. Yet selling either one of McGeady or Boruc would not be practicing what they are saying.

Speaking of Champions League Football, thanks to Manchester United winning the Champions League Final, as the Champions of Scotland Celtic will be automatically through to the group stages of the Champions League. The way I understand it, Romania’s UEFA rating was actually better than Scotland’s and got the last automatic qualifying spot, but because Manchester United won the Final their spot for winning the EPL goes to the next highest league champion, which low and behold is our beloved Celtic. Celtic would be a pod 3 team, but as they say “What the hell do we care now?!”

Here’s a neat little chart to show teams coefficients and what pot they would be in. The * next to teams means they still must go through the qualifying process.