Scott Bain was doing a little gloating yesterday, and he was fully entitled to. Scott Bain is a happy man and I can easily understand why. He has got the move of his life, the one he must have been dreaming about for years. He is at Celtic and on the brink of competing in a Scottish Cup Final. Next year, a title winners medal and Champions League football beckons.
Scott has come a long way in the space of a year.
He was a great servant to Dundee, playing over 100 times for them. But that all changed when Neil McCann came in as manager. Something happened between them, and nobody is sure to this day what it was, but the PFA later backed Bain in the case and he left the club on loan.
Bain had less than year left on his deal, but he had signed a one year extension prior to all the hassle and it’s not really in doubt that he would have wanted the club to get something for him. His contract would have seen him through to the end of this season, and he would almost certainly have left the club for a fee.
McCann’s arrogance has almost certainly cost the club a small fortune. The fact Bain has ended up at Parkhead makes it clear that he was, and remained, a saleable asset. The magnitude of this screw-up cannot be over-exaggerated.
In deciding to treat one of his players with such appalling disdain, Neil McCann has torn up a sizeable cheque.
His board appear to be happy with his performance because he didn’t get the club relegated. Their position is not materially worse than it was last season, but nor is it better. They are a club in a poor state, one seemingly content to meander along.
Like most SPL clubs, they rely on prize money, TV cash and whatever they can bring in for players.
They cannot afford to let prize assets leave for free, but here in a battle involving Neil McCann’s ego there was only going to be winner. At least in his eyes. I hope he’s satisfied. It gave him a momentary ego boost, and Celtic have a superb player for nothing.
I’m just not sure what Dundee got out of the transaction.
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