The news, last night, that our new left back has been arrested in Glasgow City Centre for a “road traffic offence” left me shocked, and stunned, and pissed off with the guy.
Before I write another word, the media is making allegations about other incidents for which there is not the least public evidence and none of us should be involved in spreading rumours to that end.
Leave that to the hacks and their penchant for mischief.
There is nothing about that in the Police Scotland statement and I think we can trust their version more than the tabloid gossip.
Still. What a goddamned idiot he has been here.
Getting behind the wheel drunk is no joke. It’s a flat-out disgrace and he should be severely sanctioned for it.
He’s new in the country. New to the team. New to representing this club.
He will almost certainly cop a major fine from Celtic.
What happens after that we’ll find out in due course, but this act of sheer recklessness is almost limitlessly stupid and there need to be major consequences for it. He won’t be bagged or binned, those arguing for that are over-reacting, but by God he can’t get off with a slap on the wrist either. He is deservedly in big trouble.
What in God’s name was going through his mind?
He’s finding it tough enough to get into the side without being at the centre of a circus like this.
If he came here expecting a free ride and an easy path to the team, well Greg Taylor has had something to say about that and Ange will most definitely not be in the least bit impressed.
Whatever superstar pretensions he may have come here with, he had best get over them swiftly.
To be part of this unit, you have to be made of the right stuff.
Ange talks about a certain type.
This guy has pissed all over his team-mates and the dressing room, and if he wants to be part of Celtic he had better shape up or he will be shipped out pronto and the manager will not even hesitate.
It doesn’t matter what he cost or what his rep is, the boss will simply not tolerate this kind of thing, and he will not allow it to disrupt the squad.
This, to me, is up there with the Bolingoli disgrace of a couple of years ago.
But I said that I thought the big guy was thrown to the wolves over that, especially as Ibrox’s wayward idiots didn’t get the public slating that he did when they had their own moments of madness, but nobody mourned for him because most people had made up their minds that he just wasn’t that good anyway, and saw it as a chance to get him moved on.
We’ll see how this is dealt with, but before anyone gets past it, this guy needs to apologise to the whole club, and the support, and start focussing on his game.
He has given himself one Hell of a mountain to climb and he only has himself to blame for it. If he thinks he’s here on holiday or that this isn’t going to be a demanding environment he better think again, get real and start to focus.
He’s put himself under enormous scrutiny and immense pressure, and some of our supporters are pretty relentless and unforgiving at the best of times. His honeymoon is over already. He doesn’t get to make many more mistakes.
Even if this is a one-off moment of stupidity – and that happens; Edouard, don’t forget, was involved in an incident far worse than this before we signed him – it’s the last thing he needed before we’ve really seen him play.
Let’s hope the guy is given proper help and support.
Can’t be easy moving to a new country on your lonesome.
Our captain done similar when a youth player, and he’s managed to turn round his previous mistake.
Callum McGregor made the same mistake under Lennon he managed to turn it around big time.
McGregor is probably best placed to take him under his wing in this regard.
I think you are over reacting. A young guy in a new country working in a new environment makes a mistake and you are asking for his head to be served up on a platter. I would more focus on educating him about such things as drink driving but also dig a bit deeper to find out if he needs further support settling in to Celtic.
I don’t agree with you James he comes from a.country with a higher alcohol level whereas here in this country you drink a half pint of lager your over the limit plus he’ll not yet be acquainted with the roads in the city what we’re ralston and Welsh doing as they were with him they were out for a meal together
Get a grip James, your talking like a guy who was perfect as a young man. 21 years of age there were times I was a stupid eejit did things I was ashamed of. 57 years later I’m a wee bit more sensible. Give the boy a break , strange country, away from home and sitting on the bench. The lad needs support not sanctimonious rubbish.
Your sense of outrage here made me laugh. I was reading in anticipation of you calling for him to be instantly, publicly blood-eagled! Just when I thought the hysteria was washing away…never mind eh.