Andy Walker stood defiantly at his Sky Sports commentary position and answered Neil Lennon’s criticism head-on, correcting the Celtic manager on not knowing his history as Walker talked with conviction and no little pride about his time wearing the Hoops under both Billy McNeill and Tommy Burns. Walker was the top scorer in Celtic’s Centenary season, one or supporters of a certain vintage will always be remembered particularly fondly.
Walker also explained that the overseas trips similar but much more modest than the recent Dubai fiasco were regarded as being ‘Jollies’ by the Celtic players in his era and also the managers he played for.
Moving on and looking ahead Walker was speaking alongside Kris Boyd (we’ll ignore him) and where Celtic go from here after a fourth game in 2021 without a win. Hardly the form of title contenders is it?
“It’s going to be a really long season for Celtic supporters,” Walker said.
“We are in January, the league has long gone and they are just wondering what will happen at the club in the near future,” Walker told Sky Sports.
“Whatever you think about Celtic, a lot of people will realise that this is the end of an era. The Quadruple Treble and the astonishing Invincible season, they are now just great memories. So, you have to think, what do you do now?
“This team will break up and that’s going to be an astonishing job to rebuild. I don’t know who will be doing the rebuilding and right now, I don’t think anyone knows what sort of finances will be involved in the game,” Walker added.
“The big problem now that Celtic will realise is you are asking supporters to buy into something that’s broken for next season.
“They are looking at players who won’t be there, the loan players, for example, like Diego Laxalt, Shane Duffy and Mohamed Elyounoussi.
“The reality of the harsh financial landscape will kick in – how will that affect others? Maybe that means players that Celtic don’t want to lose will then be open to offers, just to get money in. Celtic are like any other club, they are being affected financially.
“So it’s going to be a long number of months before the end of the season. I think you always have to regard a change as an opportunity, but I don’t know who it will fall for.”
He is right we will need rebuilding, however the foundations are there for the rebuild, players like Turnbull Soro Julian ,and the players who are wanting out may have to think again, all over the world the pandemic as taken effect financially, so how many teams have money to spend on players. many teams and i include big names are no longer going to spend millions on players wages etc. So all is not lost ,i have 1 hope that Chris Ajer will sign a new long term contract and stay with a fit Julian by his side our defense will be better a new keeper is a must have.