Let’s start with the last question answered by Ange Postecoglou this afternoon at his media conference, with this question coming from the Celtic Fan Media.
The Celtic Manager was asked if he expected Karamoko Dembele or Ben Doak to play a part in the remaining 10 games of the season and that is a particularly interesting question given the contractual situation of both these talent teenagers. Karamoko has only recently returned to full fitness after suffering a bad ankle injury in the pre-season friendly with Bristol City.
He has been on the bench in recent weeks but has yet to get a run in the team, although with Celtic struggling to break down Hibs on Sunday many thought that he would have been the logical choice with just the one substitution having been made by Postecoglou, an unusually low number since the allocation increased to five.
Postecoglou has never been afraid to give youth a chance as indeed the other player mentioned in the question proves. Ben Doak came on for his first team debut against Dundee Utd before being introduced into the fray in the Glasgow Derby win over theRangers a month ago.
Now both young players have decisions to make about their futures and Doak has been linked with a move to the Liverpool Academy, with Celtic very keen to retain the winger. Dembele has for a number of years been attracting interest at all sorts of clubs but with a essentially a season out injured his name may well have slipped down a few lists of potential suitors. Again Celtic are keen to retain his services.
That’s the background, here’s Ange’s answer to today’s question and we’ll look at some conclusions that are fair and reasonably drawn from this after you read this from the manager:
“It’s different situations. With Karamoko, he’s just been really unlucky with injuries. In pre-season, I was really looking forward to working with him. He was on the end of a tackle that really set him back. He’s worked really hard to get his fitness back, I just haven’t found the right game to give him his opportunity but he’ll get it before the end of the year absolutely,” Ange said.
“With him and Ben it’s about their futures and where they see their futures. This club is everything a young player would want, particularly at the moment. I really want to bring young players into our first-team and give them an opportunity, as we have already.
“But they’ve got to invested in this club, they’ve got to want to be here, and want to be here long-term. If they see their futures elsewhere, if they’re not certain, I have total respect for that but I’m going to invest time and opportunity into people who want to stay at our club.
“Whether they’re young guys or older guys, irrespective for me they’ve got to want to be here and see their future here for me to give them the opportunity.
“Karamoko will be in the squad tomorrow night. He’s missed a lot of football so I’m careful about when I put him in but he’ll get an opportunity. He’s an exciting young player and the way we play should suit him so hopefully he has an impact and helps us.”
To the conclusions. Ange regards Karamoko Dembele as a player who wants to stay at Celtic, he is being careful with him given his injury problems this season but has committed to giving him his chance at some point. Dembele has also been reminded that quality young players who want to be at Celtic will be give their chance by the manager, and no-one can really argued otherwise when reviewing Postecoglou’s first season in charge at Celtic.
Ben Doak is not involved, indeed him dropping out of the picture after highs of theRangers game was something of a mystery, with posts on various forums gossiping that he has indeed had his head turned by the Liverpool interest. Doak remains fully fit, indeed he impressed in the Celtic B team win over Stirling University at the weekend.
Ange has also explained that he won’t sell Celtic to anyone, Australian international Riley McCree being a case in point. So if he 16 year-old sees his future elsewhere then that’s fine with Ange but Doak will not be involved in the first team.
Will he go onto become a star at Liverpool, if that’s where he is going to end up? Stranger things have happened but given he’s been given a taste of the big-time by Ange Postecoglou and has played in a sensational night in the 3-0 win over theRangers, it really is a huge gamble to give that up and seek something supposedly better elsewhere.
Perhaps though Doak has yet to decide and is sitting things out until he does. However if he is for the off then that will be it as far as him getting any more Celtic first exposure. We can expect to see Karamoko Dembele get his chance sooner rather than later though.
In other words the future of either player is not in Ange’s hands – the Board, as ever, are in control of recruitment & sales & these two young lads will be offered incentives to stay, or otherwise as the Board sees fit. Lawwell may be gone but his arrogant demonstration of his own and the Boards overarching incompetemce showed that the manager really has very little say in such matters, other than as their frontman – irrespective of the fact that he may have had influence in our purchase of cheap options within the Japanese market.