Of all Celtic’s want-away players, only one didn’t really get a chance under Ange Postecoglou, and it had nothing to do with our manager not rating him or not wanting to play fair.
The player in question was Kris Ajer and we have to wonder if there was something about his attitude which the manager just didn’t like.
It seems likely that was the case.
Ajer got us a lot of money. He was bought cheap and sold for big bucks.
We never saw the best of him in my view, because we consistently played him out of position. He is not a defender, and he never looked like one against top class opposition. I don’t expect him to do a Van Dijk and move up from that position.
He is not a natural there.
That’s why I find his comments, as appeared in the press today, to be quite absurd.
It’s why a lot of our fans from a lot of other clubs have offered their own critique of his record up here.
The SPFL wasn’t sufficiently challenging for him? Is he kidding?
He might have been our best player last season but that’s not saying much, and in Europe every one of his football weaknesses was exposed again and again and again. He does not impose himself physically the way a defender should.
His positional sense is suspect.
He plays the ball out from the back well, and with great skill … that’s what you expect from a midfielder.
Fans – and not just Celtic fans – lined up to tell Ajer how ludicrous his comments are.
Livingston fans were especially scathing, reminding him that he was never on a winning team at that ground. We saw him bullied by players no top defender should get outplayed by, people like Lyndon Dykes. It should embarrass him talking like this.
A lot of people go out of their way to insult Scottish football once they have gone. But others have more respect.
I like Ajer still, I wish him well, because he gave us good service and we got a pile of money for him. But really, unless he improves massively from the player he was at Parkhead he’s going to get found out most weeks in England.
Then these words are going to come back to haunt him big time.
He will prove himself as a quality player
The simple truth is this. Celtic have improved the core of the main squad. We now have to watch and see. Nobody knows what will be, will the new lads click or not. Either way i have more positives for the next season than negatives. I care not a jot about the mob frae Ipox they peeked last season as much as we fell. Game on.??