More lazy journalism for you, folks.
Last night, an article appeared on the website of The Daily Mail with the convoluted headline “Brendan Rodgers says he ‘loves’ Moussa Dembele but admits forward will leave Celtic in the future: ‘He knows he’ll get a big move… he can only work hard and see what happens’”
First up, ouch. That’s a mouthful.
It’s also not exactly news.
Why is it being dressed up as a story?
I dislike the word “admits.” It suggests that people at Celtic have been living in denial. It suggests that we’ve been forced backwards towards facts we were trying to run away from. Rodgers was being asked how long we could keep Dembele from the very first press conference where the player was unveiled. And at no point did he say “He’ll be here until he’s 80.”
I read the story last night, waiting for the big reveal. There was none. The headline writers took a single line from a lengthy interview with Brendan, where he mostly talked about how sharp Moussa looks, and blew it up into something it never was.
And as expected, other outlets have now followed suit.
This is wearisome.
Earlier in the week it was Boyata, going to Lazio, a story that had no truth to it whatsoever.
Today he’s linked with Fulham.
Then, as we all know, it was a Sevco blogger at The Record on a podcast with a so-called “transfer consultant” pushing a flat-out lie about Kieran Tierney, and now that those stories have significantly dampened down – amazing that, considered how “advanced negotiations” were ongoing, right? – the media has just pivoted back to its old favourite again; big Moussa and the inevitability of his one day no longer being a Celtic player.
The Scotsman is running this dreck as well, also using the word “admits.”
“Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers admits a big move will come for Moussa Dembele.”
Which is kind of like writing “Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers admits that one day he’ll have to retire from management.”
It reminds me of a headline I once saw in a Celtic fanzine; it read “Celtic Fans Shocked At Larsson Latest.” And the upshot of the mock newspaper article underneath it was that “Celtic fans turned on the board today when it was revealed that Henrik Larsson will one day be too old to play professional football. ‘How did they not see this coming?’ one fan fumed …”
Here’s the amazing thing; none of those stories is saying that it’ll happen this year.
Because a feeling is growing behind the scenes at Celtic Park that Moussa will be with us for a while yet, this season for sure and perhaps even into next. Brendan has plans for this boy as part of his team, and rumours of a new contract continue to circulate.
With any luck we’ll seal it before the season kicks off.
In the meantime, we endure.
We endure this nonsense day after day, and if it’s not one player it’s another.
It’s been like this for years.
You’d think we’d be used to it now.