Celtic legend Scott Brown has told Jamie O’Hara to educate himself before commenting on Scottish football. The Ayr United manager was asked about shock jockey O’Hara’s claim on Sky Sports that Stockport County could win the Scottish Premiership, which resulted in a bodying by Paul John Dykes.
Speaking to TalkSport, Broony said that O’Hara didn’t understand the Scottish footballing landscape, following a succession of players that have failed to do it in Scotland despite success in England.
“Tell Jamie to get back in his box, please.
“I did see the video talking about Stockport winning the league up here. I know where it’s coming from, Hearts are top of the league so he is probably thinking (that) – but he has probably not watched any of the games up in Scotland in a long, long time.
“There’s been many players who came in from the English Premier League and struggled, especially at Celtic and Rangers as well.
“So, look, it’s a different environment and until you’ve been in that environment, I don’t think you really understand what it’s about.
“He was a fantastic player down the road, take nothing away from him in that aspect. He needs to maybe watch a little bit more Scottish football before he can talk about that.”
O’Hara never played in Scotland but he was probably at the level of someone like Joey Barton, who talked the talk before coming up to play for Rangers. Having been Burnley’s POTY the season before, the Scouse midfielder came, was humiliated and went back to the Premier League.
It is to be expected from O’Hara, who appeals to the lowest common denominator in English football, but Sky Sports are the SPFL’s broadcast partner for top flight league matches. It makes the whole thing a mockery if you have a host letting O’Hara makes these claims and it was good to see PJD deliver an admonition of the former Spurs midfielder.
I only wish PJD had got more air time to get tore into him. I thought he did a great job. The way Sky mugged PJ with that infographic was pathetic.
A country with a tenth of the population of England and a fraction of the commercial support that England gets (in fact I think Scotland are ranked 28th in terms of European population), and where the league champions are not automatically invited to the money pot of the CL. Yet we still have a worldwide profile and – no laughing at the back – are a comparatively rich club.
Jamie O’Hara may be paid to be “controversial” but he’s still a complete tosser. And Sky should be ashamed carting out this comparable nonsense. Try and at least back the league that you broadcast. Everything they do for the game up here is 2nd rate and somehow patronising.