No sooner had I finished the last piece, on the need for a hero and how one might arise, but the news came through that Joey Dawson and Owen Moffat had been left out of tonight’s match for the Celtic B side.
That might well be consequential.
Dawson is a young English-born prospect who we signed in the summer. He was immediately tabbed as a development player and he knew he would have to work hard if he was going to get a chance.
We haven’t seen him in the first team orbit yet.
Owen Moffat is a long-time Celtic academy player who leapt into the imagination of fans during the summer when he was standout in the pre-season games. I thought at that point that he would be the next player to break into the first team squad and stay part of the plans; instead it was the left-sided Adam Montgomery who was given the big opportunities.
But Moffat has never been far from the thoughts of the fans or of the manager, who already knows what he can do if the right opportunity comes along. That opportunity may be here.
Dawson and Moffat would have been expected to play tonight; that neither is strongly suggests that the phone call I talked about earlier has come for them both.
That is hugely interesting. I thought that Moffat was an obvious player to have featured last night; when he wasn’t on the bench and Kyogo was that might have suggested a certain lack of faith, but it really didn’t.
There are limited places in any squad for players and Moffat, until last night, had two expensive footballers in front of him.
Now there’s nobody, but from such humble beginnings big things often come. Moffat can play either as a striker or on the flanks; if he gets into this side and stays there this kid might be the real breakthrough for the campaign.
Likewise with Dawson. Signed to learn his trade and develop, it might well be that the moment that makes him will arrive sooner than any of us imagined.
For these two players – and indeed for the whole club I think – this is an exciting development.
When you refer to Montgomery and his chance, i feel it was always more tenable than the forward chance. He plays LB/LW, where we need cover, however his place is on merit alongside necessety. Dawson and Moffet are different, their chance comes through the need for cover in those positions. I also think that Owen Moffet is in a good place now to show his ability. I’ve seen his play in the collts and he can step up. Ange has the Celtic squad playing “Angeball” from the kids, the B team and the first team. So any player coming in should know the style of play. Last night that showed with a B team bossing it. We’re ok.