Nicholas Slams The Mooch’s Nonsensical “Our Squad Is As Good As Celtic’s” Claim.

The broken clock is right again; Charlie Nicholas doesn’t do it often but there are moments when he really hits the mark, and his latest article talks a lot of sense.

He starts with a warning to the Celtic board not to mess Ange about over transfers.

Why mess with something that’s working? He expresses his disquiet – shared by many of us – over the way in which talks with key players over new deals appears to have stalled.

He attacks the Lawwell appointment and blames him for the failure to win ten in a row.

To read good sense from him is actually kind of nice this morning.

But he saves his best for The Mooch and his own bizarre comments, made in his presser last week, where in a flight of bombastic fantasising he actually said that the Ibrox squad – you know, that one with zero resale value in it – is as good as ours is.

Nicholas was in no mood to be gentle.

“I can’t believe Michael Beale claimed the (squad) he has just inherited is as good as Celtic’s. Beale is no fool. He is clearly looking to motivate his players and get the fans behind them. There’s nothing wrong with putting some positivity out there and trying to break down barriers – but the barriers are reality.”

Incredible to hear Nicholas so clearly express a sentiment which is common on here.

Reality, mentioned in a mainstream media report on the Ibrox club. Wow.

“As a manager, you need to say things that are maybe not popular or realistic. But that was a pathetic comment because Beale, above, knows (they) are miles away from Celtic. Ibrox sporting director Ross Wilson confirmed that last week.”

That sums it up neatly; “pathetic.”

I think most of us thought the same when we read that.

It’s an outrageous comment, and one that shows a stunning lack of savvy on his part. Because if their squad is as good as ours, what does he need money in January for? Surely he only has to wait until everyone is fit and there’s his title challenging team?

I wasn’t aware of Ross Wilson making such an admission last week, but I’m not surprised. It does sort of damn his own record, as he has the responsibility of making sure it’s not the case. But under his own “leadership” we are, as Nicholas said, miles ahead.

The Mooch’s remarks remove any alibi he has for failure.

The Ibrox supporters, who do not believe them, will nevertheless hold him to those comments and make him eat them when things start to unravel, as I’m almost certain that they will, and fast.

The Mooch is making his own life harder here, and Nicholas is right to call his bombast pathetic. It doesn’t change the facts on the ground. That old school psychobabble isn’t going to suddenly make bad players better ones … but it’s going to give the board an excuse to say no to him when he comes asking them for money.

What a fool.