Fifty Fifty X

Disappointing football news. Apparently Dundee United sold two of their best players to Celtic on the last day of the transfer window yesterday, meaning they won't be able to play in the upcoming League Cup Final against, Celtic. It looks very like Celtic have just opened their cheque book to reduce the already slight risk of losing the game. It's only a slight consolation that the players won't be able to play for them in the final either, being 'cup-tied' (already having played for another team in the competition), but it's hard to see it as anything other than a cynical use of their overwhelming financial muscle. One of the two was already leaving United in the summer when his contract expired but leaving immediately just leaves a sour taste. And I thought the United board had said their finances were now in order so they wouldn't have to sell players they didn't want to. Seems that either that wasn't true or while the United supporters think their club is playing one game, on the pitch, the board are actually playing a different one, with the balance sheet, that trumps the first. Only there's not many supporters singing about the size of the annual profit. Obviously this sort of thing happens all the time as the big clubs hoover up the talent from teams below them but the timing of this seems particularly bad - United win their cup semi-final on Saturday, Celtic win their cup semi-final on Sunday, Celtic buy two of United's best players on Monday.
Pah :-(