The Japan International Scare Story Which All Celtic Fans Should Be Laughing At.
The international break is always dull for Celtic fans, but the media specialises in trying to liven it up, usually with some scare story or other.
The one they’ve gone for this time is as old as it is tiresome, the old “Celtic players will have to travel long distances in a short time.”
You would think that the airplane age had just come upon us.
You would think there was no such thing as luxury travel or saunas or any of the other things that makes long distance journeying more bearable. You would think there was no such thing as coffee or sports science or that no player in the history of the game had ever had to do it before.
Celtic’s players will have plenty of time to rest up after their travels.
Most ordinary citizens can do it after an eight-hour sleep and these are professional athletes who will have three days to get ready for business. This is a spook story that wouldn’t work on children.
When Ange was asked the other week if the proximity of the Ibrox game would see him try and discourage players from going away with their countries he roundly rejected the idea, reminding folk that it was an honour to play for your national side and that he, as a former national team coach, understood that it was not good to deprive managers in that position of their top stars.
Our Japanese players do us credit. It is good to see that the form of the likes of Maeda and Hatate have gotten them their rewards with the Japanese national team, just as it is great seeing Carl Starfelt getting called up for Sweden.
Our Japanese players are going to have to get used to the long trek home, but Tom Rogic has been doing it since he signed for us and aside from injuries sustained on international duty – which can happen to anyone in any country – I can’t remember him missing a minute of competitive football in Scotland because he was jet-lagged.
This is a ridiculous story and Celtic fans should be laughing at.
Certainly it’s nothing to be afraid of.