James McCarthy. For next season. On a free transfer.
The second I heard this story today, about how we’re looking to sign a crowd-pleasing footballer who “gets us and gets it” on a Bosman – a market we have scandalously overlooked in recent years – I thought “yes that’s exactly the kind of move Lawwell would make.”
McCarthy is 30. He has perhaps two good years in him, if he’s fully fit.
There is no re-sale value to speak of. The deal would not kick in until the next campaign.
It screams of deflection, of something being considered to market season tickets on.
But without a clear, definitive, answer on who the manager is going to be it’s also a complete waste. They can fill this squad with as many “Celtic minded” footballers as they want, and try to tug on the heart strings as they like, but they will not buy us off unless it’s with a top coach in the dugout and some people above the manager moving on.
There is no scenario under which the majority of our supporters will tolerate another season of the Lawwell-Lennon show. These two have blown it. Their departures are an imperative.
The club can wave as much “jam tomorrow” in front of us as they like, but they aren’t going to sweeten the deal in a way that makes this dead-end-duo palatable.
McCarthy would once have been an outstanding signing for us.
That was a good few years ago now. I refuse to get excited over the prospect of us making such an obvious move as a way to sell season tickets to fans who have been pissed on from a great height.
This smells like a move for appearances sake.
We’re trying to sign an out-of-contract EPL midfielder with a Celtic connection whilst we don’t know the manager is going to be?
This would be the ultimate in Celtic short-term thinking.
If that sounds cynical it’s because that’s the kind of season it’s been.