Dundee United fans fear a January fire-sale of their star players after the cash strapped club asked players and management to accept a 20% pay out to help see the Tannadice club through the Covid crisis which has decimated revenues at clubs of all sizes up and down the country.
Do you remember the row earlier in the year when clubs furloughed staff and the likes of Celtic and Liverpool (with all their wealth) were criticised for taking advantage of this Government scheme? Celtic held firm amid the supporter criticism but Liverpool blinked and reversed the decision under intense pressure from their own support.
Earlier this week there was a report on Empire of the Kop, the leading Liverpool fans site, that stated that some Liverpool employees are now relying on hand-outs from their colleagues to make end meet, and they reported on a statement from the club that admitted that their revenues had been decimated by the pandemic and the lack of supporters at Anfield and as a result they were no longer in a position to offer the kind of over and above support that was provided earlier in the year.
That’s Liverpool, Champions of England, recent Champions League winners and current World Club Champions so you can understand Dundee Ud struggling.
And it also illustrates that Celtic were correct to use the Government’s furlough scheme. Things are going to be tough – very tough – for football clubs and their supporters – over the winter.
Writing in The Courier Jim Spence points out that Dundee Utd are financially exposed to the coronavirus conditions that prevail at the moment and warns that things could get messy. He fears that the club’s biggest assets, Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland and Swiss goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist, could be sold in a January fire-sale and with it the chances of United maintaining their Premiership place could be be significantly reduced.
And the former BBC man (who lost his job there because he refused to accept that a Phoenix club and its predecessor that was liquidated could be the same entity when clearly with his legal training – he used to be a law lecturer – he knew that was complete nonsense), revealed that Celtic were watching the United keeper last Saturday at Perth.
You may recall that Benjamin Siegrist was very impressive when Celtic visited Tannadice at the end of August and it took a late goal from substitute Albian Ajeti to secure the points.
Celtic spent £5million on Vasilis Barkas in the summer but he has now lost his place to Scott Bain, who impressed in France in midweek in the 2-2 draw with Lille in the Europa League.
Maybe Siegrist at a bargain price will improve the Celtic goalkeeping options…
‘If they end up selling their two key assets Lawrence Shankland and Benjamin Siegrist in the January window, hopes of staying in the Premiership may be damaged’……Celtic watched Siegrist at Perth on Saturday🤔 https://t.co/ZMqO7KPgjb
— Jim Spence (@JimSpenceDundee) October 30, 2020
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