When Jota left this club to join the Saudi League, for the kind of money even a merchant banker might consider a gross obscenity, I thought he would probably hate it.
He’d hate the heat. He’d hate the cultural changes. He’d hate the travelling. He’d hate the standard of the league, which is for all the bling now attached to it is poorer than our own top flight although obviously he and other players are being brought in to change that.
What I didn’t expect, and what has now become clear, is that Jota has a whole different set of problems. His club seems wilfully determined to move him out on loan somewhere, anywhere, whilst still being in the country.
Which for most new signings in a new land would be fine, except that one of his reasons for going there was a Portuguese manager and the presence of other Portuguese players in the squad.
There are no guarantees of that elsewhere.
One of the things that will very swiftly become apparent to Jota is that he hasn’t really been signed to play football at all, which is just as well as it’s looking as if he’s not going to get to do much of that for a while yet.
No, he’s been signed, as a lot of others have, to increase the lustre of the league and to act as a sort of sporting ambassador for the ruling regime. It’s a PR exercise more than anything else, and that’s a bad thing on its own in terms of his future.
But what’s worse is that his employers aren’t really a football club either, but that self-same regime, and they can pretty much do with him whatever they like at this point.
If they want to move him four times in a season, if they want him to go out and play the equivalent of public park football against sixth rate players, ruining any chance of his developing into a genuine European, or even world level, talent then that’s just how it’s going to be.
The money will be there. Of course. It’s the reason he went, and it will change his life, and after all it’s only a few years and then he’s free to do whatever he wants with his enormous wealth. It’s just that those few years are shaping up as if they are going to be like slow water torture.
I wish I could think well of this guy and the choice he has made.
But the greed inspired endorsement of a planet poisoning petrostate and its leadership, and one with such backward ideas on other issues – the reason for the outpouring of disgust against Jordan Henderson – greatly reduces my capacity for sympathy. Nevertheless, if he feels like he was slightly misled if not outright sold a pup I can see why, and I can understand he’d be angry.
Nobody should be treated like that … but in some ways that’s what he’s signed up to.
He’s owned now, by a regime which barely views him as a person far less the superstar he was promised he’d be. And they will use him as they wish at least as long as he’s contractually obligated to dance to their tune. He will have plenty of time on those long journeys to games to think not only on what he’s gained, but on what he has undoubtedly lost.
Jota left wi the big ££ signs in his eyes and it seems, what might’ve been better for his future development as a player, was put secondary. His decision, so he’s stuck with it. Goodbye and good luck. Really is that simple.
I love Jota, I really do, but as I said at the time when he left, I thought he was selling his soul to go to Saudi Arabia. He certainly didn’t go there to play in a better league, he went there solely for the money. And it’s not like he was barely making ends meet when he played for us. Well I hope the guy who told me to STFU will consider that the next time he can’t handle someone disagreeing with him on the Internet (I know, right?).
Nicholas was the same. Liverpool at that time were hugely interested in bringin him tae Anfield, where he would have had the best team and management in Europe developin his future career. Nope ! Went for the bigger money pot and the London bright lights and look where it got him. As a player, practically hee-haw. Nae luck Chas.
Couldn’t give a rats arse about jota he’s left end of just like the liar ange turned put to be.
Jota made his decision and took the money.
Nothing wrong with that, but there is a personal price to pay – which he’s maybe just starting to appreciate?
Having lived and worked in Saudi for several years – for a UK company –
yes, he will suffer ‘culture shock’ as he tries to adapt.
He will quickly realise that ‘things don’t operate there like they do in Europe’.
And a potential, longer-term issue for him: I quickly learned never to be employed by a publicly financed
organisation in that country – as they had a habit of NOT paying their employees… and for months.
Some dud nickel&dime so called journalist has written an article in the daily sevco today telling bigger lies than Donald Trump himself,the ARSEHOLE is Robbie Copeland bragging about the money sevco are raking in throughout Europe this season.
He goes on to say should sevco get knocked out tonight they will get more money in compensation and a windfall for not making it to the last qualifying round to get into the champions league proper.
Apparently it’s LOADSAMONEY Harry Enfield style.
Just how they get away with writing that DROSS on a daily basis is anyone’s guess.
They get away with it because all The illiterate Sevco fans keep buying it Scud…
Sadly a minority (well I’d like to think it’s a minority) of utterly daft (well they must be) Celtic fans do as well…
It’s the way it’ll be and the pro Sevco anti Hoops Laptop Loyalists will just get worse and worse and worse until they finally die off which every sane Celtic fan hopes (or surely hopes) will be soon !
It’ll be interesting to see the next set of circulation figures for The Rancid Record !
U think Henderson bothered he same with rest there for money and be lot more going there in any case don’t they own Newcastle arsenal chances are own man utd own city they taken over premium league and the players there influence is gaining all the time wots difference all paid and owned by Arabs not one these clubs thought about human factor way run country way people killed no didn’t enter there mind stone cold cash that’s why clubs sold there souls psg included so don’t blame jota Henderson grown men they knew about human rights nd atrocities carried out by Saudis before went there nd no difference to English clubs there players receiving blood money as well give it 5 years they own English football mean Chelsea been taking Russian money for years nd years nothing said about that tho fact is clubs n players do not care a jot long they get big contracts simple as that
There will be ramifications down the line for all this outrageous spending, not just by the Saudis but in England, France and Spain as inflation takes hold. Smaller clubs will feel the squeeze and unable to afford transfer fees and wages.
They get away with it because it appeals to their target audience in Sevconia.
They print what the deludemol charged bunns want to hear. Anything but the truth.
My biggest gripe is the large number of so called Celtic fans who continue to feed cash
into the SMSM coffers and the BritNat Biased Cnuts. Are they all mad? Giving their hard earned
to peepul who openly hate us, our Club and our Culture.
I haven’t given a penny to any of the churnalists or the fanzine ‘Copy n’ Paste’ typists in over 15 years.
I’ve even just now had a go at my better half for bringing in a copy of the daily rectum because it had a
headline of ‘ Thurs been a Murdur ( I know) locally.
Stop reading it. You’ll feel better for it and your pocket won’t feel as light.
There’s plenty of serious newspapers out there and on line.
A truly MAGNIFICENT post there SFATHENADIROFCHIFTINESS !
My thoughts and sentiments entirely – and Thank You –