IN THE wise words of Paul Simon: “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” So, any member of the Celtic Family reading this – yes you, John and Tom, should perhaps pass on to the next subject.
But no, I wasn't impressed by Celtic beating Feyenoord last night. Certainly, great for the club and for the continent's view of Scottish Football that they didn't finish a dismal Champions League campaign winless, but, this was the epitome of “Winning ugly.”
I thought the Dutch side played the technically-better football, but, had no luck in front of goal and met Joe Hart on one of those nights when he showed, he has always been a good goalkeeper.
Once again, John Hartson embarrassed himself with his gushing praise of the team – when are the broadcasters going to realise, old favourites from either side of the Glasgow football fence are never going to be the honest brokers you need in the critic's chair? Dump the former players and get proper journalists in to opine on what we are seeing.
As ever, at the unhappy end of the Celtic Family's hypothetical Christmas Dinner table, we find those to whom the club's pre-festivities exit from Europe is all down to Peter Lawwell and the “penny-pinching” regime he installed at the club.
Have they forgotten what throwing money around indiscriminately did across the city, or how not spending money well nearly did to their own club before a wee man in a bunnet stepped in and brought some sanity to the place?
There may well be a case for blaming Peter, but, I feel any blame for a regime of financial over-prudence has to lie with the man at the top – Dermot Desmond, who is the largest shareholder, owning around one-third of the club.
Lawwell is “Non-executive Chairman of the Board.” Google, as I did: 'Duties and Responsibilities of a Non-executive Chairman of the Board' and it becomes clear, Lawwell is there to lead, organise and advise, but the big day-to-day decisions are made by Chief Executive Officer Michael Nicholson and Chief Financial Officer Christopher McKay. I reckon, Lawwell's job now is to be Desmond's man in Glasgow.
Another fact which seems to escape those family members screeching: “Spend, spend, spend,” as hard as they can – no self-respecting player looking to for the best financial return on his talent will see a spell at Celtic Park as anything other than a stepping stone to a better league. European games might be the icing, but the cake underneath, the SPFL is stale and uninviting.
Despite this, Celtic currently has a squad of 66 players, (32 first-team; 24 B team plus 10 out on-loan); these players are drawn from 18 different nations, split as follows: 23 Scottish – 7 Republic of Ireland - 5 Japanese – 5 Northern Irish – 3 South Korean – 2 Australian and 1 each from Argentina, Canada, Denmark, England, Honduras, Israel, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and USA..
Sixty-Six senior players, that's more than an American Football team, who, remember have totally different personnel on the park, depending on whether they are attacking, defending or on a special set play.
Given the Celtic B team are currently sitting below such stellar names as Tranent, Bo'ness United, Linlithgow Rose and Civil Service Strollers (and no disrespect is meant to these clubs) in the Lowland League, 9th in an 18-club league, Tier five in Scotland; it's maybe just as well for the men running the club that the ghost of Jock Stein doesn't turn up at Lennoxtown some morning to cull those players and coaches who are clearly NCC – Not Celtic Class.
It is surely also an insult to those hundreds of Celtic-daft teachers and janitors across the Scottish school system, who would gladly sacrifice an arm or a leg to produce just one Celtic first team player for their club, that barely one-third of the playing staff is made up of Scottish players, and just a smidgeon over half of the players are from Scotland and the island of Ireland, This from a club which so-proudly trumpets its Irish heritage.
Look, Celtic (and for that matter that other lot across the city) cannot in the 21st century attract the Galactico players or managers who will make the difference in Europe. Even if they do, produce such a player, he will be picked-off by one of the better-funded clubs in a bigger league, so, the club really should cut its cloth accordingly.
Go back to capturing young members of the Celtic Family at a young age, coach them better, get their heads in the right space, and, in-time I am sure, a second pride of Lions will emerge to put the pride back in the club.
Sure, The Lisbon Lions had two, maybe three World-Class players, but, they also had one or two journeymen. However, they were superbly trained and organised by a managerial genius. Surely another Stein is out there somewhere.
To steal a line from across the city:
If four young lads could have a dream, and that dream could come true – why cannot Celtic dream big and restore the club to the top flight in Europe.
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