SENTINELCELTS

Yesterday our lauded Greek Australian leader spilled the beans, and stated what every Tim already realized, and what Scottish football didn’t need to hear, that we shall be improving as a team.
The best team in the land (by a distance) shall only get better. Cue gulps throughout Alba as the realization hits home.
 
There’s some obvious takeaways to be had from that line.
For starters the bean counters will be very happy at that particular statement of fact. He never said he needs more bodies which suggests the core has been assembled and outlays aren’t heavily needed.
Improved players bring in better transfer fees.
Finally the supporters, already happy with the journey embarked upon and enthralled by their new heroes, have added incentive to cough up their hard earned as this journey shall get only better.
All three will be music to the boards collective ears.
 
Next, the actual choice of words is instructive.
‘My’ Celtic side rather than ‘this’ Celtic side tells me he will be there to observe this upcoming peak, so those managerless clubs elsewhere can save their advances for a couple of years, at least.
 
It’s also notable he didn’t name individual players such as Kyogo will peak, but rather mentioned the team as a whole. It takes confidence to utter those words, there’s many managers out there who cannot say that with a straight face, like Klopp, Pep, or even yer man across the way who loves to talk. A confidence garnered by being in and amongst the group, assessing state of mind and will to win. He’s been around many blocks, and would only make such a statement if he knew with certainty it will come to fruition.
 
This despite the widely reported tendency for his teams to peak in their second year once they really have a handle on the gaffer’s demands, on and off the pitch. We are coming up on two years in charge, only to hear the future is brighter, so did Ange change tact upon joining the club and assemble a squad for the long term, as well as the short and medium?
Looks that way where I’m sitting, which further reassures me the chap has a vision for the club and won’t be hitting the door anytime soon. This doesn’t sound like an ‘impress and bounce’ plan at all, it reads more like ‘were going to do something special here’, music to our collective ears.
 
We were warned before not to get attached to players, these words echo that, it’s all about the team. It itself will improve through the player churn, and on some level this doesn’t sit easy with me. I guess I’m a bit of a traditionalist and players tend to fall into two categories, leavers or keepers. Traditionally I think it’s fair to say domestic Celtic players careers tend to be long or short, long if they are good enough to cement a position or happy to be in and around the first team picture, short if that proves a bridge too far.
When it comes to overseas signings I usually expect the chap to be allowed a season to bed-in, and be truly judged from the second onwards, but staying at least three years in an attempt to get the maximum out of that player,,Naka for instance.
That’s why it was somewhat disturbing to see 18 months players recently, I’m simply not used to foreign first team players splitting the scenes soo quickly. Given reports of children’s tears as their favourite player departed not long after arriving, I’m not alone in my bewilderment.
 
But it is what it is, and I’ve total faith in Ange on these calls, he’s certainly earned it. I guess we should all get used to ‘Boom, he’s gone, now you’re in’ and the next chap will get signed with those funds to replace the new guy when history repeats itself. As a slowly but surely type of guy, rapid turnover isn’t my style, but I admit it is damn exciting when it comes to the football pitch. You never know what you’re gonna get, just like Forrest’s Gumps famous box of chocolates.
It’s still gonna hurt though, the green tinted specs just won’t accept good players quickly walking away from our special club.
 
The same green tinted specs hint that Anges words also mean there’s a good harmony amongst the squad, which cannot be underplayed or understated.
Togetherness cannot be bought, ask Chelsea, and at the risk of repeating myself when a talented Celtic team is fully together in spirit and cause, special things tend to happen.
 
Personally, I think this was the perfect statement at the perfect time. With the players extra buoyed by the gaffer’s faith I’m confident doubling down on my prediction of swaggering to the season’s end, and I’m also confident Ange’s words of improvement shall ring true.
Onwards and upwards, a Tim could get used to this.
 
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com