Articles

Today The Mooch Gave Ibrox Fans The Bad News Celtic Sites Have Long Predicted.

|
Image for Today The Mooch Gave Ibrox Fans The Bad News Celtic Sites Have Long Predicted.

When Ibrox fans look back on this season, it will not be with great affection.

Today the worst kept secret in Scottish football was all but confirmed; none of the “big players” that their manager had been so confident of getting to sign new deals will do so.

Kent and Morelos, who have played almost every week for this guy, will be doing walking away after all.

This guy has contradicted himself at every turn during the so-called “negotiations” over these two. Others might accuse him of deliberately misleading the media and the Ibrox fans over their futures. Even now, with their departure near certain, he still won’t say a word that might have some impact on season ticket sales, but it’s obvious both are done.

There’s also a growing question over Tillman. The Mooch definitely wants him, but it’s no coincidence that he’s back in Germany with an injury which rules him out for the rest of the campaign in the same week that Chris Jack is openly asking whether or not he’s worth the outlay that it would take to keep him at the club.

Most of us twigged to this a long time ago; if you’ve only got a limited budget, does it make much sense to spend the bulk of it on a single player? We never would have, not in a million years. It would have been remarkable and stupid.

The trouble for Beale is that he’s publicly made signing this guy a priority and he hadn’t given up on that today. He’s talked about things going on behind the scenes, but it’s clear that he still wants, and expects, to have the player when the new campaign starts.

That’s going to be a problem for him if the club decides not to do it.

Jack has suggested that the investment might be justified on the grounds that they could develop him and sell him for “five times that sum” – yes, you’ve read that right; Jack thinks he’s the latest £25 million player – but that sounds fanciful if we’re being generous.

For all that, he’s slanted the piece against the idea anyway, on the grounds it’s too big a risk. Taking the punt on the off-chance of that sort of payoff would be more than just risky, it would be lunacy, but The Mooch is still holding out hope.

Whether he is aware of what it means that people with links to the board are openly briefing against the signing remains to be seen … it would be poetic justice if he was caught cold by the directors telling him that they just can’t endorse doing the deal when the reek of panic over it has been in the air for months, even as he was talking the idea up.

That was a bad, bad press conference for him.

As recently as February, he was talking about how he thought talk with the two players were progressing well and Kent in particular was someone he really thought he could convince to stay.

How often has he mentioned the great relationship he has with the player, and how much trust they have in each other?

Well, he still hasn’t come right out and said it but when he’s talking about all the parties having come to the same conclusions about the future you know that it’s over.

That it’s a barefaced lie at the same time – one of a number he’s told here – hardly needs pointing out. If he wanted the player to stay and the player wants to go there’s no agreement at all and nothing mutual about the parting of the ways.

As much as he’s tried to mask his disappointment, that was a presser from a guy admitting defeat.

Again. He should be used to it now.

Share this article

James Forrest has been the editor of The CelticBlog for 13 years. Prior to that, he was the editor of several digital magazines on subjects as diverse as Scottish music, true crime, politics and football. He ran the Scottish football site On Fields of Green and, during the independence referendum, the Scottish politics site Comment Isn't Free. He's the author of one novel, one book of short stories and one novella. He lives in Glasgow.

16 comments

  • Effarr says:

    If Kent, Morelos and Tillman are such failures, then why the happy excitement because they want away? Will it not be better news for Celtic fans if they stay? Or is it that you really secretly admire them?

    • Benjamin says:

      Because Ibrox doesn’t have enough money to sign equally capable replacements for one much less all 3? The downsizing is beginning, and UEFA through their FSR regulations will ensure that the club is run on a sustainable basis – meaning no more £25m losses as what happened when they won the league.

    • JimBhoy says:

      Because they could get money at some point for all 3, it might be a grab as much as you can type of deal but they would learn from Morelos and Kent running down their contracts.

      They will be in the market for big names at big clubs who nobody wants to take a punt on.

      Some may work out but the majority will quickly suss the good life they can have like Morelos and pick up a big sal for not much effort. Like Lundstram, lazy, unfit and less than motivated.

      The more disruption the better for me. Celtic will strengthen onto an already solid base.

      The post was mainly about beale and the shoite he talks. That only works for a while and a few bad results and we will see how he handles the pressure.

  • Bennybhoy57 says:

    Big troubles ahead for Sevco..fatboy, Kent, mcgregor and Jack gone.
    Lunstrum, Barasic, kamara and a few others going into final years contract, surely they ain’t going to let their contracts run down also.
    Either going to offer more to sign extensions, or punt on the cheap as no club going to offer decent money for that lot.
    Looks like more money down drain either.way.
    Also Tilman deal Looks dead in the water.
    Build a squad of freebies and hope to qualify for CL…NOT A HOPE IN HELL.
    But a bet they still win the close season championship.

  • Dando says:

    But, but, but a faut he looked deep into their eye’s.

    HH

  • Jimmy R says:

    It’s always a risk when you splurge a significant amount on a single player. But when that single player blows as hot and cold as Tillman, it’s not a risk. It is downright lunacy. I sincerely hope they do sign the kid because that means there is £5M less to spend on improving the squad, which, if I remember correctly, Beale was suggesting was the best squad in Scotland when he first arrived at ibrox.
    MBs next venture should be called “Contradictions R Us” because he has an endless supply of them to land on the gullible.

  • Paddybhoy67 says:

    I can see another Goldson scenario developing, where nobody wants Kant and Fatboy even on a free transfer and they end up staying on. Which would be great news for us 🙂

  • Henriksgoldenboot says:

    Is this the way to Amarillo?
    Every night I’ve been hugging my pillow
    Dreaming dreams of Alfaredo
    And sweet Ryan who waits for me
    Show me the way to Alfaredo
    I’ve been weeping like a willow
    Crying over Alfaredo
    And sweet Ryan who waits for me.

    And then the Mooch woke up and realised he was in a NIGHTMARE!

  • Henriksgoldenboot says:

    “When You Live Your Life By Poor Standards, You Inflict Damage On Everyone Who Crosses Your Path, Especially Those You Love”

    Sevco fans. One for you!

  • Henriksgoldenboot says:

    And then the Mooch said,

    “I Always Tell The Truth. Even When I Lie.”

  • Michael Clark says:

    It’s in total contrast to us where I mentioned it’s exciting times to be a Celtic supporter. Ange is going to gear up for the Champions league and strengthen the squad during the summer and the Rangers are on the verge of imploding. There’s no saying what kind of starting eleven they’ll send onto the park next season but there’s one thing for sure. Celtic are going from strength to strength while their future appears in tatters.

  • Kevin Dunne says:

    Two big players ?Kent ,big mouth , Morelos big belly and elbows, big money exspected for both ,hahaha big ZERO,S ,TILMAN not coming back either,can anyone blame him not that he,s anything special

Comments are closed.

×