I read, last night, with some amusement, how Celtic fans are allegedly shocked that Vasilis Barkas has been getting praise from the fans at his current club in Holland.
Why is that even slightly surprising?
The guy didn’t succeed at Celtic, but those like Keevins who have sneered and suggested that he’s a dud simply show how stupid they can be.
Celtic didn’t pluck Barkas name out of a hat.
We signed a guy who was a regular for both his club and his country. We signed a guy with a tip-top pedigree. That has always been a fact, no matter how many people want to decry it and play it down.
That signing turned out to be a disaster, and nobody would ever suggest otherwise.
It failed and it failed utterly, but to suggest that this guy isn’t a player, that suggests that he’s been a wage thief for all of his career and that’s a ridiculous assertion and isn’t supported by the least fact.
It amazes me that so many – and particularly in our media – have so much invested in the idea that this guy is a complete disaster that they can’t even admit that maybe it just didn’t work out at this particular club.
Are they really so sensitive to the suggestion that maybe things aren’t as simple as they’ve made out?
Are they really so resistant to the idea that maybe there are complex reasons why some players just don’t fit in at certain clubs, and that we shouldn’t judge them on one campaign?
You look at a player like Ajeti, who is now on his second high profile failure, and you are entitled to wonder if he was ever as good as the PR that surrounded him.
But Barkas failed at one club, Celtic, under extraordinary conditions, and immense scrutiny and pressure, and is still young enough to go on and have a sterling career elsewhere.
You know what? I hope he has that.
I hope he proves the naysayers totally wrong and makes the doubters eat their words over and over again.
The rush to judgement over this guy is one thing, the continued slandering of his talents is another.
I repeat; we signed a full international and a regular for club and country.
This is football, one of the most watched games in the world. You do not luck your way to that position, you cannot bluff or bullshit your way to it. It doesn’t work that way.
This guy just wasn’t cut out for life at Celtic … I have never doubted that he will do well for himself somewhere else.
I am pleased to hear that it might just be happening for him.
Good luck to him, but I still hope at the end of his loan spell that Celtic get a buyer for him.
I watched footage of him prior to signing for us and he was saving everything thrown at him!!
Did he actually make a single save for us? I don’t think he did. The guy is the worst keeper we ever had in our history bar none. Stinking attitude as well, couldn’t even be ar@ed making a save in warm ups. Hope the only time he sets foot back in Paradise is as an opposition keeper in Europe.
I watched videos of him before we signed him and he never looked overly impressive, as a former keeper myself, I thought after seeing him in 2 games, he was not even a goalkeeper, no presence and no idea of narrowing angles, he seemed to make the goals look bigger when he was standing in them. It didn’t help that year that Bain and Hazard are not good enough either. Still baffling we let Gordon go. Good luck to the guy though
I completely disagree with the author of this article! Barkas has been inept in all the games he’s played for Celtic and I honestly cannot remember him making one significant save. He has let in numerous howlers and brings zero confidence to the back line. Having said all that, I am really pleased he is impressing his latest club because that should hopefully result in a half-decent fee for him for our club if he is sold.
We played against him in Europe and he had a right good game, possibly an influence in our decision to buy him. I know he moved to a new country, was pretty much isolated to solo living due to lockdown, persecuted in the papers and media but he was really bad and disappointing. I guess for him too. I doubt he could come back and stand a 1st team chance so I think its a goodbye from us now but I hope it works out for him and we recoup a bit of a transfer fee too
I’ve seen some really bad Celtic keepers in my lifetime but Barkas is by far the worst. I really don’t care what he does from here on, I’ll just use the evidence of my own eyes. A truly horrendous goalkeeper.
He came, He failed and good luck to him in the future, as long as its not at Celtic Park.
Even Barkas didn’t make a blunder like the PSV keeper at Ibrox. probably one of the worst blunders at that level I’ve ever seen. Surely that mobs luck in Europe must run out soon.
Bluff and bullshit like is the word for our live media,papers and RADIO,u know where I’m coming from.
I disagree with James in some respects.
Every game Celtic play is a must win game, which brings its own pressure.
Barkas couldn’t handle the pressure, it really is as simple as that.
Also apart from his two matches against us I doubt if He was scouted properly.
I still remain convinced to this day, Peter Lawwells hands are all over this transfer, along with another failure, Albion Ajeti. Call me a liar if you dare James.
Oh, I forgot, you don’t reply.?