If Brendan Rodgers wants this team to be a success on a bigger stage than Scottish football, he must know that he has to put aside sentimentality and start cutting the deadwood. Every manager has blind spots. Every one has players he seems to gravitate to for reasons no-one else can understand.
For Brendan, it sometimes seems like those guys are to be found at the back.
Celtic fans scratch their heads in bafflement every time Dedryck Boyata’s name turns up on a team sheet. The general consensus is that this guy has had enough opportunities to prove he can cut it, and he has proved himself liable for horrendous mistakes again and again and again. What level of beating do we have to endure on foreign fields before it’s clear?
Boyata has been offered a new deal. The very fact of it is stunning.
More astounding is that Boyata is stalling on signing it. Does he think there’s more money to be had? That there are better options out there? Celtic fans already think he’s guilty of day-dreaming his way through certain fixtures; are we now to add delusional to it?
Boyata barely deserves the contract he has right now.
It is incredible that we’re offering him more. If the press is trying to scare us with news that he’s not ready to commit his future to Celtic then they’re barking up the wrong tree. For many of us, he ought not to have a future here beyond the current campaign. He is a busted flush.
The summer window should see a full rethink of our back line. If this guy stays he’s going to cost us something big. It isn’t just the lapses in concentration at Ibrox, although he was horrendous for the whole of the game. He has done it so often, time and again. He has no positional sense. He is easily beaten even by moderately good players. Against high calibre ones it’s more often than not embarrassing watching him flail around as they go past him.
Look, this is not personal. I am sure Boyata is a hard working lad in training. I am sure he has a big personality which brings good things to the club in the dressing room … but games are won on the pitch over 90 minutes where it matters and he comes up short time and time again.
In the SPL he gets by, but we’re looking beyond this league to something more.
And that’s why Dedryck Boyata won’t be here come the start of the next campaign. Brendan may be overly loyal but Brendan is not blind. Brendan does understand that Boyata has come as far as he can; the contract on offer might not say “backup player” on it, but that’s the role our manager envisioned for him over the course.
Revolving Door January didn’t come off, but the summer is going to be busy. Rumours persist that Simunovic fancies pastures new as well. Again, this would not be universally mourned. If we’re not already far advanced in identifying replacements I’ll be amazed.
Whether Simo leaves or not, Boyata looks destined for the exit door though.
Anybody thinking of getting his name on the back of one of their shirts (you mad fool!) … get Ajer on it instead.
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