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Mooy Is A Tremendous Celtic Player. It’s Amazing That We Got Him For Free.

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A couple of years ago, I argued that we’re missing out on using the free transfer market.

The truth, though, is that you really have to know your stuff when you are shopping there.

Most out of contract players are near the end of their careers, guys in their 30’s looking for one last pay day.

They are not the kind of players we want at Celtic Park.

I think of the sort of player’s we’ve signed on frees before. I look across the city, aghast, at the colossal waste they’ve sunk into players on free deals. You hear that term and you think sometimes that there’s no real risk in those signings, but they also like bling and they’ve signed a lot of it over the years, like Barton and Kranjcar.

It is dead easy to get that market wrong.

That’s why when you hit the jackpot it so memorable and unbelievable. How in God’s name did no club swoop for Aaron Mooy before we did? We won a watch, but it had nothing whatsoever to do with luck.

Ange knew what we were getting and that he would fit brilliantly into this team. He knew it. This wasn’t even a risk. You need that sort of knowledge shopping in the free transfer market. You need to know that the guy has the right skill-set to fit your plans. You need to know that he has the right personality. Ange knew both.

For all that, I do remain amazed. Because Mooy is very obviously a classy footballer, and he proved it during the World Cup before coming back here and riding that wave of acclaim to brilliant performances in our own famous shirt. He has never looked back.

His performance on Saturday was immense. Absolutely immense.

Not just the goal but the way he marshalled the midfield. He is a cut above every other player in this league not already at Parkhead. He would walk into the Ibrox side every week, without question, and I have to laugh at the idea that he trained at Murray Park and they didn’t take the option on him.

The geniuses at Ibrox left him for Celtic, where he has already terrorised them in a cup final. You could not make that up. It sums up the state of them.

But it speaks volumes for us. It speaks volumes for Ange. And it speaks volumes for Mooy himself, because this is the way to see out the last years of your career. To play for a top club. To win your first titles. To secure your first major trophies.

I love the big guy. He has been an exceptional signing as all of them are … and that we got him for free is a delicious irony when we’re being accused of having bought this success.

Those accusing us of it should consider that this was just one of the options they passed on.

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13 comments

  • Jimmy R says:

    Aren’t we so glad Aaron didn’t “fit the player profile” of the ibrox club?
    It appears that skill set and committment don’t count for much at Auchenhowie. It’s a bit rich for the new club who have short history of signing ancient crocs.
    More fool them.

  • Finbar muldoon says:

    They talk about giving ryan jack a new contract. He has to be older than Aaron? I remember jack being in aberdeen team humped 9-0 by Celts 13 yrs ago? HH

    • JimBhoy says:

      Jack is a year or so younger. Funny that all the red top rags are suggesting ‘hints’ and ‘clues’ dropped by Beale, drum up a bit of excitement to an announcement heralded as a great bit of business. Essentially for a guy who may get a low end English championship team interested at best.

      Wait for all these fabled huge interest in him with rangers winning the chase to keep him.

      I think kent will do likewise and stay on. Morelos moving after a stint at Weightwatchers.

  • JimBhoy says:

    Star performer since he came back from WC. Wasn’t the fittest tbh when he came so maybe that’s what the Ibrox club saw. An older guy with no potential to be coached and transformed into an excellent midfield marshall.

    To be fair we have had our own freebie fails also and expensive ones but we now have a guy leading the club who knows exactly the player he wants to better each position and who demands the best of everyone who plays for him or they lose their team place.

    We don’t need to bring in big names to sell SB’s or for PR purposes but it seems to be the Ibrox way.

    Oh and btw there is more to this story James because the kultchur in the ibrox boardroom shows they let a better manager go than they have in place now. New manager always going to have a honeymoon period, ably helped by refs and VAR I would add but their end product is rotten.

  • Kevan McKeown says:

    Their loss is def our gain. He’s quickly become a key player for us. Piss poor oversight by them. Memories of big John. Maybe we should send them a ‘thank you’ card.

  • Paddybhoy67 says:

    To my everlasting shame, I thought he was another Dion Dublin. I’ve never been so glad to be so wrong.

    • Kevan McKeown says:

      @ Paddyb. Tbf it did take a few games for him tae settle in, tho thing ah did realize about him, was that he didnae waste a pass and he’s just got better as we’ve went along. Turns out he can stick the ball in the net tae, as well as take good penalty kicks. So no bad at all.

  • Johnno says:

    Arguably one of Ange most influencal signings, if not the most imo.
    Only though he was bought into the club as better cover for calmac than what McCarthy or guchi would provide, which I felt was questionable at the time.
    How wrong was I?
    The level of footballing intelligence Mooy has bought to the team has given us a far better all round look and balance to the team.
    That is in no way dismissing oreilly who has also been a remarkable signing in his own right, but need to remember that’s he still a young player learning his trade, and would struggle to find a better mentor than Mooy.
    Such a top class professional and would be criminal of the club not to extend his contract, as still has so much to our team still.

    • Thomas M Daley says:

      My cousin has an aunt whose sister is bonking the milkman an Au-Ken- how-e.
      Says that Mooy cannot get the high notes for Derry’s walls and sang slash not sash, so we’re binned.
      So he were.

  • Woodyiom says:

    Totally agree that Aaron Mooy has been an amazing signing and hopefully he stays for a few more years as he’s so versatile in the middle of the park that he can play in any of the positions there which is great from a rotational perspective. I disagree about him being immense on Saturday though (other than his goal obviously which was a sweet finish!) – generally I thought he was a bit sluggish and about a yard off the pace possibly due to it being his 3rd start in 6 days?? I can think of three occasions in the first half alone where he coughed up possession through not being sharp enough BUT he’s only human and no-one is brilliant every game so I’m certainly not criticising him – just my opinion that I don’t think he was at anywhere near his best.

  • Eire goCeltic says:

    Irish and scottish heritage of Celtic FC: Clearly “Luck of the Irish” has rubbed off on Ange.
    Nothing to do with Good Management. Another example of Lucky Fellow. May it continue.

  • James Archibald says:

    yup the new billy stark I remember myself and 1000s of other celtic fans going nuts when he signed but his ghosting in at the back post to score was amazing HH

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