Jordon Who?

ONE of the “serious” Scottish broadsheets has on its website a piece about “Celtic target” Jordon Mutch, or as he was to me until I read the piece: “Jordon Who”?

No harm to the young man, who it appears is a former England Under-21 internationalist, currently out of favour at Crystal Palace and being touted as a possible Celtic signing during the January transfer window. But, he encapsulates for me, all that is wrong with English football.

He began his career at Birmingham City, and, as is increasingly the fashion south of the Solway, had several loan spells. He never quite established himself in the starting XI at St Andrew's and was sold to Cariff City for £1 million.

Here again, he never became an established starter, but, inflation in England being what it is, he was sold to QPR for £6 million, couldn't get a regular game there either, and was off-loaded to Palace for just under £5 million. He still cannot get a game.

A midfielder, he has scored just 16 goals in five seasons, and, while he apparently has a penchant for the spectacular strike, these don't come along too-often.

Is he really what Celtic needs? After all, they have produced a few Scotland Under-21 caps over the years, who have failed to kick-on and become stars, ending up with lesser Scottish clubs. So, do Celtic really need to import a similar type player from England.

Mutch hasn't made it with a handful of English league clubs who are a good bit smaller than Celtic, that doesn't convince me he could cope with the massive expectations of the self-styled: “TGFITW”.

THIS blog is being written prior to the Celtic v Barcelona game. You do not need to be a mind reader to appreciate, I fancy the Catalans to win, maybe with a couple of goals to spare. However, we are very-unlikely to see another demolition job, similar to what happened in the Camp Nuo earlier in the campaign.

However, fitba being fitba, Celtic, with the backing of the above-mentioned TGFITW just might pull it off, should Barca under-estimate them, but, while wishing the Hoops well – I cannot see it happening.

THERE has been some talk of late of resuming Scottish League representative games – and why not? How about getting back to regular games between representative teams from the British Isles leagues – the Football League, the Irish League, the League of Ireland, the Scottish League and, why not also the Welsh League. These could be a good bridging series of games, between the Under-21 and full teams.

I would also like to see the Home Internationals restored, but, at Under-23 level, maybe even played as an end-of-season tournament in one of the nations, they could even invite the Republic to join-in, as England might not be willing to lower themselves to competing against the Celtic nations.

I am sure, Sky or BT Sport would fall over themselves to broadcast the games, thus off-setting the costs.

Even England, where graduates from their Under-21 side, such as Master Mutch at the top of this blog, struggle to get past the big-money imports and into regular games, might benefit from an Under-23 Home Internationals series.

THE Third round of the Junior Cup was supposed to have been played on Saturday, but, a lot of the games fell foul of the weather. One which was played, however, was the undoubted tie of the round, between last season's runners-up, Pollok, and the mighty Talbot, at Newlandsfield.

Talbot missed a penalty, the match ended 1-1 and they will replay at Beechwood Park on Saturday. Pollok don't like going to Beechwood, it's a bit too “Wild West” for the Southside sophisticates, and, while you have to fancy Talbot with home advantage, you never know and it will still be quite a game.

WE said goodbye to Eric Murray last week. Eric was one of the relatively unsung Ayrshiremen who were the backbone of the 1965 League-winning Kilmarnock team, a good, strong and resolute defender, but, not one of the name players in that great team.

The best Eric Murray story I heard in the aftermath of his passing was of how, many years on from Kilmarnock facing Real Madrid in the European Cup in 1965-66, a Killie fan rescued the Scotsport highlights tape of the game from a skip outside the STV studios.

It so-happened that goalkeeper Bobby Ferguson was on one of his infrequent visits home from Australia, so, a reunion was arranged, at which the tape would be shown to the surviving players. Now Eric Murray had been telling everyone for years, how, in that game: “I had Puskas in my back pocket”. Come the showing, however, Arthur Montford was constantly speaking about Puskas being on the ball.

At the end of the tape – the match at Rugby Park finished 2-2 by the way – one of the players said to Eric: “Haw Murray, whit aboot you hivin' Puskas in yer back pocket, that tape was awe aboot him”.

Unfazed, Eric replied: “That was only 15 minutes, you forgot the other 75”. A great response from a great guy.