Today the media has us linked with a move for Callum Paterson of Hearts.
I like Callum Paterson, and I always have. He’s a talented kid. But I wonder if a right back is really what we’re looking for at the moment? We have two of them– three if you include Efe – and unless either Lustig or Janko is for the offer why exactly do we need another?
Now, it’s possible, although I think unlikely, that with Lustig’s advancing years his ability to get up and down the wing will be impaired and that because of this Brendan fancies playing him as a centre back. If that’s the case I understand the Paterson story to a certain degree.
This could be paper talk, of course, but this is one of those rumours that won’t go away and as he’s a promising young Scottish player I can understand why it has legs, although there are clearly other areas of the team where the need is greater.
Callum would probably not cost us a lot; he’s out of contract at the end of the season and Hearts might not be difficult to deal with if it looks like he’s not renewing his deal. He’s played over 100 games for them already and is only 21. He, like many others in their squad, effectively forged his start out of the adversity of administration. Hearts policy of giving youth a chance was partly responsible for their relegation … it was also responsible for their recovery and their rude health since. That was a club that did everything right.
Brendan likes young players. He has a good record of developing them, of giving them a chance. We saw young O’Connell thrown into a major European tie last night; can you imagine Ronny or Lenny or any of our other managers from the last few years taking such a risk? And yes, it was enforced, to a degree, by our lack of cover … but still, it was a monumental demonstration of faith in a player who probably didn’t expect such trust to be placed in him.
Celtic’s policy of buying predominantly young players has to change if we’re to progress, but one of Brendan’s many positives is that he works hard to merge the two; youth and experience, going hand in hand. The signing of Toure, for example, will be of tremendous benefit to kids like O’Connell.
The signing of Paterson would fit into his grand design.
This one is worth watching, and many will say it should be broadly welcomed if it’s true, whilst recognising that it fills a position where we’ve already got cover and still leaves unresolved issues elsewhere. For me, Paterson would be a good long term option … but only if we plug those other gaps first.
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