You have to give the media credit for their unerring ability to utterly misread a situation and assume only what they want to at any particular moment in time. This is especially true when it comes to what happens at Ibrox.
They are simply brilliant at misinterpreting all manner of things in relation to that club over there, and in particular when it comes to money.
The latest fantasy is that the Gerrard move to Aston Villa may be exactly what the doctor ordered for Ibrox, as he is “certain” to want to take some of his former players with him.
This is a fantasy the media has clung to before, of course, and they’ve never really stopped clinging to it when it comes to Callum McGregor – that Brendan Rodgers would plunder the crown jewels of Celtic and weaken our squad.
In the end, he’s signed precisely nobody from Celtic Park, not even the captain who is comfortably good enough to play at that level.
There are basically three reasons why Gerrard is not about to raid Ibrox and hand them the kind of money that will cover a multitude of sins over there, as well as giving the new manager the fabled “transfer war-chest.”
A lot of people seem to believe this, including a lot of Celtic fans.
None of these reasons – all good reasons – appear to have dawned on them.
First, Gerrard does not work for Ibrox anymore and he has no loyalty to them whatsoever.
So you can forget him doing this for them as some kind of favour.
That is a ridiculous notion. He has bosses to answer to who will not allow him to spend their money enriching his former club. Just think for a moment about what they would say if he even tried.
Because they know the second thing, that these players simply are not worth – and will never be worth – the overinflated prices the Scottish media is encouraging the club to put on them.
Delusions persist inside Ibrox that all they have to do is “hold firm” and they will “get their price.”
The truth is, that’s fantasy thinking.
Gerrard is not playing Football Manager with the editor on, he’s gambling with the money of his new club and these guys might have plenty of it but they – unlike the Ibrox clowns – did not attain their wealth by pissing it against the wall.
None of the Ibrox squad would be an automatic starter at an EPL club.
Not one of them, no matter what the media dreams up.
The so-called flair players produce once in a blue moon, nowhere near often enough to be considered as guaranteed a place on the team-sheet at that level.
Gerrard’s team is battling relegation. Every signing he makes has to be right on the nose, and someone capable in the position for which he is being bought.
The consensus in England is that his immediate priority is central defence.
Do you think he’s going to sign Goldson to play against the talents down there? He might as well quit now and spare himself the months of agony that would surely follow before the sacking.
Do you think he really believes Kent or Hagi is consistent enough to break open teams at that level? That Aribo will have the time and space to waltz about like he does up here?
That Kamara really is the footballer some clowns in the media think he is?
But even if these guys were all that, even if Morelos was capable of playing at that level and Gerrard just had to have him and others the third reason is the most compelling, by far, as to why Ibrox’s path to riches will not start at Aston Villa.
The Ibrox club is skint and Gerrard is more than well aware of it.
His directors know it too, as was evidenced in the gratitude with which Ibrox snapped up the £3 million.
Their finances are in such a state that Gerrard decided to jump at the first offer.
That should tell you what his level of understanding of the state they are in is – a far greater understanding that anyone in the press corps wants to admit to.
So tell me, knowing that they need money as desperately as they do why in God’s name would Gerrard or Villa pay the barmy asking prices for players? If you were in their shoes would you?
They can have these guys for knock-down rates and they know it … and Ibrox knows that they know it and so even asking for those fees would be a fool’s errand in the first place.
Our gormless sports hacks can cling onto their dreams as hard as they want, but those at Villa, and Gerrard especially, who has gone there, let’s not forget, to further his own career and his chances of getting to Anfield, will do things ruthlessly and based on those two key elements which have been utterly excluded for all the analysis of this up until now; fact and logic.
Largely agree, though I do reckon Aribo would stroll into a PL side of that type and that Gerrard should sign him, or one of his competitors will. I also do rate Kamara and would dearly love to see us sign a midfielder with that level of work rate and energy.
Did you see Kamala today in the Finnish side and the number of misplaced passes.
Yeah great energy level, running about like the proverbial head less chicken and consistently gifting the opposition possession. That’s him 98% of the time. Not worth the gamble.
There’s a reason he and several others of the same ilk ended up at Ibrox and not the EPL.
Haggi, Arribo, More-or-less, Tav-Pen & Co have been hyped up by the Scottish media at a truly hyperbolic rate to try & generate funds. No body has come calling yet.
There’s more chance of Gobby G going in for CCV or julienne than any of the NUH squad
But.. but.. but… WEEARRAPEEPUL!! ???
100% correct James I was talking to an acquaintance of mine who’s a Rangers supporter and he was coming out with all this guff too. I said to him that not one of their players would get in the Celtic team much less the Villa team but there’s a lot of Celtic players who’d get in the Villa team. His reply, but we’re the champions, when I told him that was because we imploded he had no reply. It’s the hope that kills them. I also asked him if being at a consevative guess of £100 million pounds of debt was worth it to ultimately only win one trophy? His answer was aye but it was the trophy. When I told him since his club was formed in 2012 we’ve won 19 trophies, 9 spfl titles 5 Scottish Cups and 5 League Cups, he still insisted that their achievement was worth it. There’s no reasoning with stupidity and that’s why they’re nailed on to be liquidated again and this time Celtic need to make sure they stay there. If I was attending the agm I’d be asking to board to insist on FFP at the very least.