With several ongoing issues around transfers both in and out of the club this month, the situation with Greg Taylor and the club must reach a resolution soon…
It would be to the benefit of both the club and the player to know where we all stand moving forward into the future, as the uncertainty serves nobody’s best interests.
Taylor’s advisors and Celtic are still some distance apart
As reported previously on The Celtic Star, it has been speculated that the Scotland international is looking for around £25K per week to extend his stay with the Scottish Premiership Champions. That is a figure that Greg Taylor and his representatives believe has been hard-earned by the former Killie man and after his years of service to the club – helping restore it to the apex of Scottish football – is nothing less than he deserves, in their view.
That figure is by no means outlandish – until you factor in the homecoming of our former star, Kieran Tierney. Now it seems as if this one is a matter of when, not if he arrives back at the Parkhead gates and I think mostly all of the support would be delighted at the prospect of KT donning the green and white hoops again. His first spell at Celtic Park was marvellous and he really set the bar where full-backs are concerned.
Therein lies the problem for Greg Taylor; despite all of his efforts in helping restore Celtic from the doldrums a few years back under Ange Postecoglou and prove pivotal in our success since, he feels as though he is always in the shadow of our former star. That’s not the fault of anyone though. Sometimes in football, as in life, you play the hand your dealt. And if truth be told, it isn’t a bad hand really, is it?
Where there is a will there is a way
In spite of all of this, I firmly believe there is a compromise to be had which can see all parties satisfied with the outcome. Surely there could still be a significant pay rise for Greg under the £25K per week requested and which the Celtic Board would be amenable to? And even if Tierney is returning to Paradise and we have two big earners in the left-back spot, isn’t that the whole point in this process with Rodgers – improving for Europe?
Big clubs can have two top players in every position
And with the argument that Greg feels he will play second fiddle to Tierney, I would say that point is wide of the mark. The season is long and if we are in Europe that is some amount of games for one player to be playing. For years we’ve not had two decent left-backs and now there is the real opportunity and possibility to make that a reality and safeguard that position for the future. It’s what we should be striving for all over the team and squad.
There’s a compromise to be had if everyone wants it.
Paul Gillespie
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Taylor is never worth £25k a week. Even last night 2 of united attacks came from Taylor not being up to the job. The header in the centre circle you can see in the sportscene highlights where he has a free header shows his inability to win duels to a high rate or make good decisions consistently.
What shows this most is how many times does Kyogo win headers and clearences in our box when we are defending a corner? Many, especially this season.
Taylor doesn’t do even half as well and he is a defender! When a small, slight Japanese centre forward can defend corners better than your left back then the alarm bells are ringing of the scale!!!
Never mind therangers performances or Europe.
John has a fair point or two.
Greggs has done terrifically well for an underrated Scottish player. But 25K a week?
15k tops, maybe, with a bonus structure.
Show him the door and get Valle in as a depute. He would sign for 15k easy.