First things first, Scott Allan is gone.
On loan, for the moment, but it’s unlikely he’ll ever return to Celtic Park.
His signing stands as one of the strangest in recent years.
It was a deal that was done beyond logic, for reasons that are impossible to fully comprehend.
I don’t blame Scott Allan for that. He was in a difficult spot. When everyone expected him to hang on for Sevco, he knew what the best offer was. He knew who the bigger club was. He wanted to play for Celtic. He chose to. He wasn’t “one of us” but he wanted to be.
But I never thought that it would work out.
He was entitled to go for it, and I hoped he would be a hit, but there was just too much competition in the midfield. Even Armstrong wasn’t getting a regular game in Ronny’s side, and when Brendan took over that was pretty much it. He was gone on loan last season, and I reckoned that would be it.
Scott Allan will be playing in Scotland, which means Brendan will get a chance to keep an eye on him, but there has to be some doubt that he’s got a future. He might well prove to be a sensation at Dundee, but I wonder if even that would be enough.
The signing always struck me as being more about giving Hibs a win in their battle with Sevco than it was about securing a good player for us. I think whoever made that decision, if indeed that was the reason for it, owes Scott Allan a very substantial apology.
If it’s true, they played one-up with a kids career, and that’s a fairly deplorable act.
Good luck to you Scott.
I hope you do well at your new club.
In meantime, the Jonny Hayes saga looks as if it’s at and end.
Aberdeen have been accused of messing Cardiff about; I wonder if Celtic didn’t feel the same way, and make them a “take it or leave it” offer. I also wonder if the club’s willingness to sell him, especially to us, is why there’s talk about Derek McInnes getting out.
Everyone knows how I feel about the prospect of signing this guy.
He’s 29, an SPL player, and little more.
He will be a decent signing as a squad player for the league, but beyond that I’m hugely underwhelmed.
If Roberts’ deal doesn’t go through then this is probably our right sided midfielder and I’ll be pretty cheesed if the window closes and that’s where we are. I would rather stick with Forrest out there than spend £1.3 million and let Ryan Christie go in order to bring this guy in.
Everyone says “Trust Brendan,” as though I don’t.
As though feeling that this deal sells us short is a reflection on his management.
Hey, even the best bosses do make mistakes, but I don’t believe for one second Brendan Rodgers believes Jonny Hayes is an adequate replacement for the Manchester City kid.
I trust that.
Regardless, this deal appears to be just about over the line.
Almost time to write the “welcome” article, I guess.