IT WILL be interesting to see how Leigh Griffiths gets on at Celtic. In an ideal world, he would have arrived there two or three years ago; I first saw him when he broke through, as a very young kid, at Livingston, and I thought then - this one could make it.
Maybe, had he gone to Celtic Park, direct from Livvie, he would have done better, I don't think his sojourn (such as it was) at Wolverhampton has really helped his development.
Of course, the shadow of Riordan appears (in the eyes of our mainstream media) to hang over Griffiths. He might, like Riordan, not grow up and become a waste of space, or he could (and hopefully will), instead take a leaf out of Scott Brown's book and grow into being a Celtic player - I just hope he grows up at a faster rate than has the Celtic and Scotland captain. If he does, Neil Lennon will have some player on his hands.
But, as we all know, playing ability, which Griffiths has in spades, isn't the only thing which matters in a young Scots player joining what we used to term "The Old Firm"; how he deals with the off-field shite is every bit as important. That's the concern about Griffiths, and, if he can win that battle, it will be great news for Celtic and for Scotland.
MEANWHILE, across the city, Lee McCulloch has done one of those cosy wee pieces for his club's in-house media department, in which he insists there isn't all that much between levels one and three in Scottish football.
In this instance, Lee is talking out of his jacksie. Just who is running the propaganda department at Castle Greyskull these days - Billy Goebbels?
IT APPEARS to be League Cup semi-final weekend. BBC Scotland is trying extremely hard to big-up the two games, to a great deal of indifference outwith the four clubs concerned.
The League Cup, as first envisaged back in the days when I and the rest of that glorious generation of Baby Boomers were being born, was a terrific competition. The powers-that-be have, over the years since we same BBs were bringing sex and rock n roll to Scotland, tinkered with the set-up in various ways, to the detriment of the competition.
Go back to groups leading to knock-out last eight, last four and final rounds - AND - most-certainly, get it over and done with between August and October, and, once again, this would be a great competition.
Stringing it out, as now happens, does nothing to the lustre of the competition. AND, if it is not going to carry the lure of a European place for the winners, then, try something else. I would love to see the League Cup made, if not a Scots-only competition, then one in which the "eight diddies" rule worked; ie, each club had to have at least eight Scottish-qualified players on the park at all times. That would be great for developing our young talent.
Ah the wee sections! How I hated them at the time. Once we won in 62 we never got out of them again! You are however right, they should return and the whole thing over by years end.
ReplyDeleteStop writing things I agree with, that's not what I come here for!