SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

Three months ago,I would have laughed in your face if you suggested to me that G-Mak and JJ looked set to leave the club in the January transfer window. JJ was gearing himself up to join the Croatia squad at the forthcoming World Cup,and had established himself as their first choice right back. This was certainly not the case before he arrived at Celtic Park. Up tilll then,he had only received six caps for his country; his eighteen months with us had brought him over twenty more. Unfortunately for us,it brought something else-the attention of others!

Although he had been tenuously linked with a move to Atletico Madrid during the summer,we all had a quiet laugh to ourselves and brushed aside such fanciful notions. Apart from anything else,Ange was trying to build something at Celtic,and it hardly seemed likely that he would be interested in dismantling the side so soon. Sure,in Tony Ralston,he had capable cover-but when both of them got injured last month,we had to pressgang Reo in as emergency cover!

Even so,the rumours wouldn’t go away. And the World Cup itself only strengthened the theory that he was indeed for the off. When Chelsea and Barcelona became part of the discussion,they somehow seemed more believable than Atletico had in the summer. Mainly because the quality of JJ’s World Cup performances had given such suggestions some credence. Even the oil-lubricated Newcastle United apparently had a look,though I doubt they can play Trippier and JJ at the same time. 

And that World Cup added further fuel to the fire too,because we went out and signed the Canadian right back during it! And having thrown Alistair Johnston in for his debut against the huns at Ibrox,we know we haven’t signed a shrinking violet content to sit and play second fiddle. No way,this is a baby-faced assassin! In fact,he could well become the in-yer-face type who stands up for his team mates in a way we haven’t seen since Broonie-and who we therefore badly need. 

So my conclusion on what are only a hatful of rumours-mainly from sources not normally known to be friendly to us-my own conjecture and opinions? We will be looking for a new No 88. I hope his future pans out better than that of Gary Hooper. 

To G-Mak,then. Clearly viewed by Ange as the second choice behind Kyogo but what a finisher he proved to be last season when injury saw him given the chance. In fact,he only usually needed a sniff at the goal and-bang! Pick that out of the net. Cloughie famously said of Gary Megson that his second touch was a tackle-just after he had signed him,btw! I dunno if the same is true of G-Mak,because his first touch is usually a goal!!!

His opportunities have been even more limited this season due to the form of Kyogo. And even when he got a run in the team,the goals didn’t quite flow as freely. Mainly because he was too busy winning The Crossbar Challenge(!) The fans love him,and he seemed to love the club-and his style gave us a completely different option to Kyogo. And then,suddenly,not so. Contract problems of the likes not heard of this century. The fabled “Do well in your first season,and we will up the ante.” When that,obviously,wasn’t forthcoming-lost in translation?-it seems that either he or his agent went public on it. 

Again,I took this with a pinch of salt. Mainly because in the modern age,nobody relies on a verbal promise. Again,it looks as though he is on the move regardless. 

In both cases,it may be that the players are not to AP’s liking off the pitch. I think he is a man for a harmonious squad-not a bunch of yes men,but get the job done and talk to me privately about other things. Either way,he isn’t fighting hard to keep them,and I very much doubt that is because of boardroom pressure to sell. So this window still has some way to go before a satisfactory conclusion. 

However,selling the players does not in itself provide that satisfactory conclusion. During the World Cup,when most of us realised that JJ was almost definitely a goner,when his performance levels were catching the eye of seasoned observers everywhere,including the teams already mentioned,we would have been expecting the club to set the starting price at around $20m and hope for $25m. After all,these were big hitters,and the euro pricing is deliberate. Why then is the talk that we are ready to accept a deferred $8m offer from Italian minnows Monza,a vanity project of Berlusconi? 

G-Mak is a bigger puzzle. You might agree with him being pissed off if what he says is true. But surely it makes sense for him and his agent to have tested the waters before mouthing off? So far,only Mitjdylland in Denmark and a mid-table side in Japan have expressed an interest. The $7m fee seems to have scared off the former,derisory as it is,and to be honest,I think G-Mak has higher ambitions than Denmark or Japan. 

On which note,to the real point of the article. Whoopy-do! $15m the pair? WTF? Both players have been in outstanding form for nearly three years now,with one a medal winner at the recent World Cup. Strikers with nearly as many goals as starts are like hens teeth and rocking horse shit. Each is approaching their prime years,their mid to late twenties. Current internationalists,etc. You name it,the box is ticked. I could get more for the pair of them doon the Barra’s-and I wouldn’t be doing tic either,or deferred deals or whatever jargon is current. Selling at these prices is not merely a dereliction of duty,but is seriously undermining-and undercutting!-Ange’s stated plan to sell big and buy better. 

We are NOT a bargain basement stall,and when we have quality players available,we should demand that the price reflects that. Neither of these two players should be allowed to leave for anything like these prices,and if they are in fact being offered at that,whoever is in charge of that needs some very sound advice. At the very least. 

The only problem is that there is an elephant in the room,and I think you all know where I am coming from on that one.

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Above article by BMCUWP