With Celtic on course for an unexpected but seismic rebuild of the playing staff this summer, on top of the structural changes afoot, the comments via beIN sports https://www.beinsports.com/en/football/ indicating Christopher Jullien may see his future away from Celtic Park will have been a headache for both the supporters and those tasked with next season’s recruitment and one we could well have done without.
READ THIS….‘Next season we want to win everything, it is non-negotiable’, Christopher Jullien
📺 @Chri6ViF : I suffered a injury in Sept, I came back for 6 weeks with the team, we won the Scottish Cup and achieved the Quadruple Treble which is historical for the club. We were already behind in the league at this time, and I couldn’t help my team due to my injury #SalonVIP
— Celtic France (@Celtic_FR) March 17, 2021
He expect to be fully fit next Sept/Oct : « Next season we want to win everything, it’s non-negotiable at Celtic » 🦸🏽♂️🇫🇷
— Celtic France (@Celtic_FR) March 17, 2021
« Scoring in the League Cup final was incredible. I have still chills speaking of. I celebrated my goal with my family in the stands. Our match wasn’t good, Fraser Forster was our hero this day, it was difficult. On social media some fans still remind me this game and this goal »
— Celtic France (@Celtic_FR) March 17, 2021
Celtic’s central defender’s quote of : “Go to OM (Marseille)? We don’t know what the future holds. But I don’t have to come back to France” may well be much ado about nothing of course, but it may also be designed to test the water out there in terms of interest from other teams.
In normal circumstance I’d be frustrated at the timing. After the season we’ve had however it’s just a case of adding it to an ever-increasing pile of want away stars and dealing with it accordingly. If the lad wants to go, so be it. If there is interest that materialises from the player’s comments, then we need to be looking at it and preparing for alternatives.
This season we have lessons from which we can learn. Certain players clearly didn’t buy into 10-in-a-row as the supporters did, they didn’t wish to hang around in Scottish football for a shot at a record that held little weight with them and we kept hold of them.
I have no complaints at the original decision to keep all players at Celtic, nor the attempts to bolster the squad at the same time, but with the benefit of hindsight it was a counterproductive decision to tell some of the Celtic squad, many who had been sold the dream of playing for Celtic as a gateway to the riches of wealthier leagues, that we were reneging on that agreement, however temporary that was, because this particular season was huge in the history of the club. It turns out they cared little for that and it blew up in our faces.
Olivier Ntcham and Odsonne Edouard in particular looked far from focussed this season. From as early as the Euro qualifying exit it was clear there was little appetite for the domestic environment that lay ahead minus the opportunity to showcase their wares on the premier European stage, especially so after finishing bottom of the consolation Europa League group.
That hasn’t been exclusive to the French lads either, there is an argument to say the likes Jeremie Frimpong who has headed elsewhere, Ryan Christie and even some of those on loan at the club didn’t see games against Motherwell and Hamilton as appealing as ties against Lille and AC Milan and the disparity in performances between the domestic and European efforts was clear to see. As such we need to be wary of Christopher Jullien’s comments and learn some lessons.
Jullien’s remarks may well be borne of frustration, he’s had a tough season and is known to have been far from enamoured with both the coaching, particularly at a fitness level, as well as the quality of his medical care over the course of two spell on the side-lines with injuries – so much so that he employed his own trainer and sought medical opinion outside the confines of Scotland. Add to that a disappointing season with a truly bizarre pandemic backdrop is fairly certain to have impacted some players and thoughts of home comforts is certainly understandable.
What we can’t afford to happen is to start next season with any players who do not wish to commit. There are changes afoot and a hoped-for modernisation of the structure at the club, particularly around the appointment of a Director of Football and a new Head Coach may well have an impact on players such as Jullien and possibly even Kris Ajer reconsidering if their ambitions can indeed be matched at Celtic by the arrival of a coach of some repute. If however, that is not the case it is time to cash in – should suitable bids be made – and attempt to attract players to replace them who at least see their immediate to mid-term futures with Celtic.
As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. After Christopher Jullien’s reported comments it may well be worth ensuring we are not fooled for a second season running.
Niall J
