The grumbles are growing. Right now it’s background noise and nothing more, but you can hear it, swelling and rising. Celtic fans expected to see some signs of life. We’re on Day 17 of the window and we’ve signed a kid we’ve already sent back to his club on loan and a central defender who can’t play in the European tie and who’s not exactly “one for the future.”
And people are entitled to wonder just what’s what with that.
The club is sitting on money right now, and whilst I am not of the “spend, spend, spend” school of thought, it’s without doubt that this team needs freshening up of the real sort. One central defender has gone out. One more has been brought in. We’re no stronger than we were two weeks ago when we were collapsing over the New Year line.
Today the press has us linked with Jack Hendry of Dundee again. I like the boy. He’s a decent enough player. But is he Celtic class? Because if he’s the target he’s the guy we’re bringing in to “strengthen” the centre back slot for Europe.
And if he’s that good, then why are we pissing about over the fee? I don’t want us to be conned or to pay over the odds … but let’s be clear exactly what it is that we’re talking about here. This is Celtic. We pride ourselves on being a global club.
We claim to have ambitions for Europe. If our coaches believe a defender at Dundee is good enough to play for the Celtic jersey and good enough to play at the highest level for us then I’m willing to suspend disbelief and get behind that decision. As I’m sure every Celtic fan will be.
If he’s good enough to play for Celtic, good enough to get into and stay in this current team, then £1.5 million is a bargain and all at Parkhead know it.
If we’re holding out then there are doubts somewhere, or we’re trying to screw Dundee out of their due. As a club we do things the right way, but on this one we better get the story straight. We better present it to the world as if we know what we’re doing.
Jack Hendry is not the calibre of player many of us were expecting. If the coaches believe he’s the guy then any haggling just makes us look cheap. A Celtic class player, available for that kind of cash? It’s a no brainer, so what’s the delay?
Time to start doing some business, Celtic. The good kind. The right kind. Fans have sunk a fortune into the club – where else did that £90 million record turnover come from? – and are fully entitled to believe that the manager will be backed and that our ambition is matched by those inside the walls. We started this window well, but optimism has faded in the two weeks since and now here we are counting down the last fortnight … targeting a Dundee player.
Quality over quantity, I said yesterday. I have no reason to believe that Hendry can’t and won’t do a job for us. If he can then he’s worth every penny. If he can’t then why are we even bothering to make an offer? Sevco aren’t the only ones who have to sell season tickets in the next few months. If fans aren’t convinced that the Rodgers Project is moving forward, or being sufficiently supported, then expecting them to pay big bucks is a very big ask.
There is an impression forming amongst the support that something in our team-building plans has stalled. They don’t see genuine quality being brought to enhance the team; as it just so happens, I don’t believe they are entirely correct in that assertion. I do think Ntcham is a fantastic footballer, that Eboue has shown enough to impress me, that young Morgan has potential. But there’s a lack of oomph here, a lack of that signing that will telegraph real ambition.
It is high time our faith – and the manager’s efforts – were rewarded appropriately.
If he wants the boy from Dundee it’s up to others at the club to close that deal. I don’t care if the media is stirring the soup here, or trying to bump up his value … if Hendry is the target then some will question whether or not he enhances the team.
The only way to erase those doubts is to pay the going rate, and whatever people inside Celtic Park think, £800,000 for a next-level central defender ain’t that.
That’s assuming that’s how he’s seen by those at our club.
Cause frankly, another “project” signing in that position, going into the game in Russia and next season’s Champions League qualifiers … well Hell, I talked about gambling last night on the Sevco piece. And that, my friends, would be a gamble and a half.
If those running Celtic want to put doubts, real doubts, in the minds of fans for the first time in a while … yeah, that’ll do it.