Tonight, there are some suggestions in the media that Albian Ajeti is “not convinced” by some of the offers he has outside of Celtic Park. To my mind this is stupid. Whatever it is that Ajeti wants, if he harbours any ambitions of salvaging his career he needs to move on and find a club where he at least stands a chance of getting into the team.
That will never be at Celtic now. The decision are made as far as he is concerned. He has been a dismal failure, and that’s painful considering how much he cost, but facts must be faced. He has probably scored his last goal in our colours.
Ajeti is now on his second failure in a row. Every day he remains at this club in this window that failure has been compounded. If he stays and spends another four months cooling his heels, not even getting into our substitutes most weeks, he will find the options for his next move narrowing until they are virtually non-existent.
For his own sake, this guy needs to go out and play football.
The unedifying sight of a guy content to draw his salary for contributing precisely nothing is not one that endears a footballer to clubs who might want to take a chance. If he was hungry, if he was desperate to play, if he was willing to go anywhere to get himself back in the spotlight, that would be one thing … but to look at other options and treat them as if they are beneath you when you aren’t kicking your own arse, well that is career suicide even in this game.
It is mind-bendingly stupid to do what he seems as if he wants to do. What purpose would it serve him to stay here beyond this window? His contract is running down. He should want to be in a place where he will at least have good offers when it ends.
But he will not get those sitting in the stand.
It is one thing to fail in England. That happens to players. He risks being a footballer who failed in the SPFL. And if he really is too daft to understand that then maybe he deserves the pitiful next contract which will be the legacy of his time here.
If he’s willing to play for modest wages, I’m sure there are some MLS clubs that would take a flier on him. There have been several players from the SPFL to make the move over there and carve out nice careers even if the money hasn’t been the best.
It does show that he was not the right kind of developed person for our club. His signing is the responsibility of the previous regime. They carry the can for this.
Just a byproduct of the area of the market Celtic operate at – a relatively unique one. If a player is a success for us, there will be suitors who can pay them a lot more; if they flop for us, it’s unlikely they’ll find anyone willing to pay them anywhere near as much. It is outwardly an unedifying sight as you say. There are some players who will take a pay cut to play elsewhere, but almost every other human being on the planet wouldn’t dream of doing anything equivalent to that. Indeed, if a player does move on in that scenario, they would always need to be ‘convinced’ by the option – that they will likely spend more time playing and therefore achieving at the new cut-price club; otherwise, why would they bother. No one else would.
Celtic can always release him, as they did with Ntcham, say. Presumably we haven’t because we want at least some compensation going in our direction (compensation for our own failure). So, everyone’s in on the unedifying spectacle if we’re honest about it.
Realistically he’ll be released after the transfer window closes and the possibility of getting anything for him is officially eliminated. Celtic will still have to pay off his contract though.
I think the club can terminate any contract. They wouldn’t have to pay up the full thing. If that’s the case, they’d be much better off keeping him and seeing what he can do for the b-team or whatever. They can terminate, all that means is they lose the right to get any money for him. That’s really what I’m saying. This article is largely blaming the situation on the player, but it’s really the club, as employer, which is acting in bad faith by saying to potential suitors: ‘here’s a bad footballer we don’t want playing for us; a recruitment and development failure on our part; please give us money for him.’
Mikhail Gorbachev, a man who tried to change a country and succeeded. It’s a crying shame one of his successors has torn apart that legacy.
A decent man, RIP.
I know it’s not Celtic comment, but it’s worth comment.
I feel absolutely nothing for lennon as a celtic manager , goes back way before 10 in a row , how could he walk out on celtic ? For what …1 yr later manage Bolton ! Didn’t know 1 celtic fan that wanted him back permanently after Rodgers- him + lawell what a carve up …if lawell comes back im done going….celtic Park still stinking from lennon signings , I reckon the guys cost us thick end of £50 mill counting wages , ange the firefighter still putting out the flames …your hero my hero our hero, big ange.
All those teams in the self proclaimed greatest fake league In The universe need a goalscorer he would walk into at least half of them easy and save them the sack
Come Monday slippy gone the ego Moyes and maybe even lampard
Tbh I think he’s now in it simply for the money and I can’t see him moving on and giving that up for less. If he were to get an alternative club I don’t think we’d be getting any money for him. Quite the reverse we’d probably have to pay and make up the wage difference. This one’s defo on the old regime though aren’t they the current regime minus PL
Ajeti is a natural poacher he was never going to fit in at Celtic with the way we now play.
We’ve not operated with two strikers now since Neil Lennons first tenure at the Club when another poacher namely Hooper had a stellar spell operating alongside Stokes and or Samaras.
Ajeti simply doesn’t have the tools to adapt to leading a line as a lone striker.
A blind man could see that.
However deployed in the correct way and in the right system he will get goals.
Right guy ,wrong Club.
Here’s hoping he goes on to find the right Club who utilise him the way he should be utilised.