WELL it is back to earth with an almighty bump for Celtic fans after that dramatic Beautiful Sunday at Ibrox.
Had the result gone the other way the MSM would have a little race to occupy their minds and fill their columns and radio shows.
It started last night on Clyde Super Scoreboard – apparently and according to Celtic supporters on Twitter – when Hugh Keevins told us that we’d be losing Dembele, Edouard and Roberts in the summer.
Then the papers this morning have Brendan going to Southampton, just ignoring that they told us he was going to Arsenal last week and wait for it, Celtic are apparently facing a “battle” to sign Scott Bain, who is out of contract in the summer and therefore a free agent, because he is wanted to both Hibs and Hearts on a PERMANENT deal.
See what they’ve done there? A PERMANENT deal is better than the crappy loan deal that Celtic have. However they don’t stress the point that NO-ONE can take Bain on a LOAN deal after his contract with Dundee expires because they would have no club to loan him from!
Two Celtic neds shouted abuse at one of the loan Rangers in Tesco on Saturday:
a) There is absolutely no need for that.
b) Word gets out among agents etc and makes it harder to attack players to Glasgow.
c) Tit for tat means that our players will be increasingly seem as ‘fair game’ when they are out and about in and around the city.
But let’s go back to Keevins.
1. DEMBELE – Moussa may be off this summer right enough. However he was meant to go in January and that never happened. His agent seems an intelligent chap and we know for a fact that he has NOT closed the door to a new and improved contract at Celtic. We cannot say that Moussa will be a Celtic player next season, what we can say is that it is possible.
2. EDOUARD – We broke the story on Sunday evening that Brendan Rodgers is warming to the idea – to say the least – of taking up his option on Odsonne this summer. Everyone else seemed to catch up yesterday but Keevins seems to have disregarded all that in favour of going with the negative. With hints of the old biscuit tin mentality, Celtic will be portrayed as reluctant to shell out the transfer fee of €8million to Paris Saint-Germain. Brendan is convinced, he has praised the player extensively, on Sunday and again yesterday, and he knows enough about man-managing football players to ensure that the French teenager knows that he will be wanted. But it’s football. Things can change quickly. It’s something Celtic will sort out when the season is over.
3. ROBERTS – His second loan deal is up. Manchester City now want to sell him and he was quoted as being part of a deal with Leicester City. Roberts knows he has no future at City, and last summer he had AGREED to sign for Celtic on a permanent deal, with Celtic and City initially agreeing a £10million transfer fee. Yes, Hugh, £10million – more than you’d find in your average biscuit tin. Celtic were left frustrated at the last minute when Pep Guardiola blocked the deal. A hastily arranged loan period was agreed and the matter kicked down the road to this summer. Roberts has had an injury hit campaign and is looking to get some football in before the season is over. He will play a BIG role in deciding where he will be playing his football next season and his City contract will be a year nearer its end too.
Scott Bain? We need not worry too much about Hibs and Hearts, nice try though.
Then there’s Brendan to Southampton…
Last week it was Arsenal, this week it the Saints, next week it will be dear knows who. It just shows the bias in the MSM in that they never link Mr Murty with the big jobs that come up in England…
NEW EPISODE – Margot McCuaig on The Celtic Star Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind
The Celtic Star Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind presents its latest instalment of insightful discussion around the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning treble-winning Scottish champions.
This week, Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham are joined by Scottish documentary director, Margot McCuaig.
Margot is an award-winning documentary-maker and acclaimed novelist.
Having found her feet on Celtic TV, Margot has gone on to make a number of Celtic-related documentaries including films on Jock Stein and Jimmy Johnstone.
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