Celtic’s players are back in pre-season training, and to be honest the news could be better.
The players seem confident and upbeat in front of the looming campaign, although it already seems clear that it will be played out against a backdrop of epic weirdness.
Will we see fans inside grounds, for example? Unknown.
The frustrating thing here is that New Zealand has proved that this thing can be eradicated completely and Australia is on the verge of proving the same. We really could have contained this, and eliminated it already, had the government in London put aside its macho posturing and wised up a little sooner.
Scottish football will be living with their mistakes for a long time to come … but at least our club will be in good shape going forward.
The two footballers most hacks were tipping to leave – Ajer and Edouard – seem happy to stay.
Eddie is in talks about a new contract and Ajer has sacked the agent who was trying to get him to move this summer.
Neither player has even hinted at wanting a move. Ajer, in particular, has been exceptional in how he’s dealt with the swirl of rumours around him.
He told the media after his agent made his shocking comments that they were of no interest to him at all; he wanted to get on with playing for the club and securing the ninth title.
Now he’s knuckling down for the ten.
Discussions with Edouard over a new contract are long overdue, and this is some of the best news we’ve had in a while.
It means he will certainly be here for ten in a row and perhaps next season as well; he has no reason to want to leave, and he will be elevated to the ranks of the highest paid players at the club, as is his due for the ability he’s shown.
Lennon has promised the fans as many as four signings; we know we need someone at left midfield and at least one central defender. We know we may need another left back and if Shved isn’t going to cut it we should probably consider someone wide right as well … there are a lot of positions needing filled and the club is going to have to get it right.
But just as important, as I’ve argued from the first, and perhaps even more so, is that we have to at least try and keep this team together.
This team that has won so much, that has accomplished such great things, the team that has won three trebles in a row and yet stands on the brink of a fourth one and ten in a row with it.
This was the Scottish media’s worst nightmare.
Not only will it wipe away much of the coverage, designed to unsettle us, but it makes it harder to generate optimism over in Sevconia.
The news from Celtic is good.
We’re back in training, the transfer business is progressing and we’re going to keep this squad together.
I am really looking forward to getting back to football.
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