I don’t want to go off on one and lash Michael Stewart today.
He’s not an enemy of Celtic. But I found his recent comments about our worrying “loss” of our “Scottish identity” absolutely baffling, not to say even a little ridiculous.
He’s concerned that we are signing too many players from the Far East, too many that Ange knows, and thus risking turning into a side which neglects where it’s from.
Sorry, Michael, but that’s simply not the case at all and you need only look at the current squad to know it.
Greg Taylor. Tony Ralston. Stephen Welsh. Callum McGregor. David Turnbull. James Forrest. Mikey Johnson.
And all these guys without even thinking of Henderson, Moffat, Murray and others who have gotten their first taste of competitive football under our manager.
He obviously didn’t listen too closely, either, to Ange himself talking about the pleasure he gets from developing home grown – and especially club produced – talent.
We have a Scottish core.
It’s a subject I’ve written about several times, one I return to on this blog over and over again. We always will, firstly because a club in our position needs to have that and secondly because it has worked well for us down through the years.
Once Ange has been at the club for longer than five meetings, he will have a better idea of which Scottish players might make the grade and which ones won’t. He will have identified those who play in this country who could do a turn for his team.
It will come, but right now he’s not willing to rely on the judgements of others. He is backing his own. That is how it’s supposed to work. Why does Stewart think it’s Japanese players we’re buying?
Ange managed there last. He has seen them.
Now he manages here. He will be watching for who on the domestic front can cut it.
If he wants a look at a club that is losing – haha try lost – its Scottish identity, he only has to look across the city where they are about to sell their only promising academy graduate.
Where is the “Scottish core” of their team? Nowhere. McGregor is a year or two from retirement and Ryan Jack has been injured so long there are questions as to whether he’ll ever return.
Honestly, of all things to get animated about … this one is pretty dumb.
I don’t know what Stewart has been thinking recently; I realise that his absence from TV of late must have been frustrating for him but I seriously hope he’s not going down the typically lazy road of criticising Celtic for easy headlines and a guaranteed starting position on the BBC Sportscene sofa.
No, he’s better than that, right? I certainly hope he is.
He’s been told by bbc scotland controller, “Fall into line with rest of our pundits, or you’re getting your jotters”. HH
Probably !
Michael’s been told in no uncertain terms that if he wants to keep his cosy media job then he’d better start toeing the line and stop having a pop at Rangers* and start making up nonsense like this
I couldn’t care less if the Celtic first team was made up of 11 Martians. Words like identity (and tradition) are used by huns to justify their intolerance.
Mon the Hoops.
the inter-galactic american hero ET won’t be available until 2023. the CIA have sent him to afghanistan to rescue john rambo who has had his arse kicked-in by the taliban. the shirtless rambo is freezing and needs your donation of warm clothes. he has also run-out of vials of testosterone and his torso is more slaggy than usual. ET told me that religious bigoted sectarianism and derogatory name calling is not acceptable. he said ” the founding Father of Celtic FC (in the heavens) is disheartened”. do something positive together.
a glasgow easter sprint race like the new year sprint would be exciting. no handicaps and no bookies. the amateur athletics assoc to oversee. Mr. McNeill can tell all about the excitement.
Mr Stewart must be careful he does not lose his own identity here. This is a very strange statement from someone who is generally known to be honest. One look at the percentage of Scottish players at all levels in our club is enough to throw this idea out the window.
I think the 3 comments above this one are spot-on. Scotland is becoming a racist country. It is a shame that Mr Stewart feels he has to make a statement like o keep his job. It looks like the pressure is being applied from his media cronies? We can, and will, strengthen our club with the best players. That’s what they are scared of. Their racist and anti-catholic club is very threatened AGAIN.
Should be “this to keep his job”. – second paragraph, second to third line.
Apologies.
I have just read Roonsa’s excellent comment, which I endorse completely and your points about Ange are spot-on James. He will use his experience and knowledge to build the squad he wants, NOT the squad the media and our rivals want.
As a very decent human being once said “They are Scotland’s shame”. I would apply this to the MSM as well as the despicable and dishonest club they support. Scotland would be much better off without them and could then take its place in the modern world. We all know how this works.
Ange’s job is to sign players who will improve Celtic – not Scotland.
the percentage of home produced players in scoti and engles premiership football is distressingly low. engles premiership is a league of nations. it’s big business..scoti p l football should comprise players from scotland, ireland and wales with limits on other nationals. the money paid for trades is outrageous..ange wants instant success. so do clubs. the celtic squad is more than three teams. do the full count. michael stewart is looking at the top clubs rangers, celtic, hibernian, hearts.and scoti p l generally..if you look after youth it won’t be long before you will crush the engles in a world cup qualifier.