The press is working hard to make Celtic’s decision not to name Arzani in our European squad into something that it’s not.
This is a complete non-story; the kid is just in the door and we have no idea what he can and cannot do.
The Record thinks it’s significant that he was not included in the squad whereas Kouassi was, pointing out that reports suggested he would be allowed to leave the club in the last window. Brilliant insight; those reports came from only one source and that was their own rag.
They are still smarting at how wrong they were.
Other Celtic sites have said what I’m going to here – well done, in particular, to Celts Are Here – so I will keep it brief; the media is just trying to stir something up when there’s nothing to see. The Record wants to focus you on the manager’s comments early in the progress of the deal where he made it plain that he was not the one pushing for the deal. We know this. It’s not a story. Brendan is happy to work with his footballers whoever they are.
This is not Rodgers snubbing the kid to send a message to the board, or anything like it.
The player is new at Celtic and the manager has no idea what he can offer yet. We have two years to find out if he’s got the stuff, and in the meantime the manager is happy to go with the likes of Christie, Forrest, Morgan, McGregor and, most important, Mikey Johnson.
Mikey is a revelation. He’s the real reason Arzani isn’t the European squad, and the club has high hopes for him as a footballer. You can see why watching him.
Brendan will not rush any player to the first team squad; Arzani is 19, will need a settling in period and a chance to shine before he’s ready for European games. The decision to bench him is entirely understandable and not motivated by anything other than necessity and good sense.
The media as per usual is trying to stir the soup.
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