As the Jota saga rolls on, a lot of people have ants in their pants and the media is emboldened to write nonsense, although I have to say that most of the hacks are not going over the score, with a number of them saying it’s a matter of if and not when.
What you do get at this sort of point are a lot of people reading tea-leaves.
Jota’s social media profiles are regularly scrutinised for “hints” about what his future plans are. Nobody should be overly reliant on those things. What can we learn, after all, about a man from his behaviour on holiday?
Well, there is one thing …
They say that fools rush in where angels fear to tread; I’ve never been an angel so without further ado let’s leap into this subject and if I’m proved an idiot later on, well it won’t be the first time and it probably won’t be the last time either.
I have an inkling that there are one or two things we can learn from Jota’s social media pictures, and not just that he wore a Celtic shirt in a couple of them. What stands out most is that this is a guy out there in the world thoroughly enjoying himself.
This is a guy who doesn’t have any concerns. This is a guy whose future is settled and decided.
Whether an actual contract has been signed or not, you see him and you can’t help but think that this is a lad who knows exactly where he’s going to be when the season kicks off … and that does mean, folks, that it’ll be at Celtic Park.
How do we know that? Well, we know that because as far as Benfica are concerned the matter is settled, they’ve agreed a deal with us and they consider him gone. We know it because not once in any of the stories out there is there the merest hint that his agents have other offers or are talking to other clubs.
There hasn’t even been the slightest blip on the radar of anything like that, and that would be the kind of story to worry people.
It’s also the kind of story that the Scottish media would dearly love to write.
Footballers do worry about this stuff, you know. No player likes to have his future up in the air. Jota would not be out there having such high times if there were critical matters to be decided about where he’s going to be next season. And yes, most of that stuff is done at the agent’s level … but these guys aren’t turning us down and looking elsewhere.
They’re not even playing that old agents game of leaking that talks have stalled or anything.
We’re all very familiar with what happened with Eddie Howe last year, of course, and so we’re all keeping our eyes on social media and waiting for the announcement, because then we can all relax a bit and wait for the new signings … this, really, is the one we’re all looking for above the others because he was such an impactful player last year.
My inkling from everything we’re seeing –and just as importantly, everything we’re not seeing – is that this is a player who has no bigger decision to make than about which pair of shorts to put on at the start of a day whilst he’s out touring the hot-spots.
He looks contented. Relaxed.
Secure in the knowledge that the next few years of his career will be spent at a club where he’s already a hero.
For us, it’s like Tom Petty said; “the waiting is the hardest part.”
It’s almost over, folks.
The season just past was outstanding … but how well do you know it? Take the quiz, go up against your mates, and see who gets the highest score on Celtic’s 2021-22 campaign.
Everyone has their moments of idiocy, it’s inherent in most of us, some more than others of course, but in this case James your credibility will remain intact. Jota’s body language, his choice of casual wear and his gravitation towards Celtic minded people make his intentions crystal clear. He wants to be part of the Celtic family, in fact he already is, he does not need a signature on a form to confirm that. However when he does sign on the dotted line, it will be all the sweeter for every Celtic fan. and it will be well worth waiting on.
Mind you, I still wish he would fkn hurry up. 🙂
“It’s also the kind of story that the Scottish media would dearly love to write.”
Since when did a lack of truth stop the SMSM hacks writing an anti-Celtic story? I’m surprised they haven’t as a distraction from the cinch furore…
I’ll probably be wrong as usual but I feel Celtic have gone back to their old ways. They should have had this done and dusted as soon as they saw his capabilities. He doesn’t need to be on site to get it done: that’s what agents are for . Almost a month gone now and nobody new in the door. So much for Ange ruling the roost. It’s fast becoming a joke.
Sells papers. He seems very comfortable at the Celts, comfortable in media on holiday in his Celtic gear. The only reason he would want to stay in Portugal would be family reasons.
I am just back from 10 days in Portugal. it’s a 2.5 hr flight away.
Jota will be a Celt and will be seen on the biggest European stage for the next few seasons. Good for him and inevitably good for Celtic.
Spot on James, in one of the games you so him tapping the Celtic badge that mad up my mind where he was going. Effarr get a grip and no negativity.
Carter-Vickers was the one we absolutely needed, but I really hope we can keep Jota too. You sense that he can get even better.
I don’t mean to sound a negative note but the longer it drags on, the more likely it is that he is considering other options.
Meanwhile, the £25m bids for Bassey are still conspicuous by their absence…