Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v Heart of Midlothian - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - March 8, 2023 Celtic's Sead Haksabanovic celebrates scoring their third goal Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Yesterday the papers had another series of stories about Sead Haksabanovic, and although I think he’s been ever so slightly misrepresented, for once I think his “veiled criticism” wasn’t so veiled. It hasn’t been particularly veiled at any point.
I think we all knew that he’d blown it when he had his meltdown on Instagram; there was no way that the boss was going to stand for that, and he was soon on his way out the door. But he got a pre-season, and he can’t say he didn’t.
He got opportunities, and he cannot claim otherwise. Ange signed him but never got a tune out of him. Rodgers made the decision quickly. I always thought there was a player there, but God, he’s got no respect for us.
The problem he’s going to have if his move to Stoke falls through, and if he can’t find a new club, is that he will come back here with a lot of people having made their minds up about him. His subtle and not so subtle digs are actually making it virtually impossible for him to return without a serious attitude adjustment, and an apology to a lot of people.
The truth is, he just didn’t do it for us. He can complain all he wants about not being given chances; we spent good money on him, so we certainly didn’t leave him out of the team because of spite or anything like that. He didn’t do enough, that’s the fact of it.
He didn’t hit the heights he was capable of. And I’ll be honest, I think he’s well capable of it.
He could have given us a lot more. He could have been a superb player for us, and if he applies himself at Stoke, as he seems to be, I expect that he’ll be a major success there. That’s good for us either way, because we’ll either get that apology and he’ll come back a better footballer having proved his worth, or he’s going to earn us a big fee.
The best thing he can do for himself right now – and for Celtic – is get his head down and work hard and put in a shift for his current team. He has started well, and that’s got a few people asking if he really got a chance here. Of course, he did. But he seemed almost bitterly determined to burn his bridges and wreck those opportunities.
I do wish him all the best. I just wish he’d stop giving the media headlines when he should be focussed on the job.
That’s the thing; you get the impression that this is a guy who drifts, who can’t bear down, who doesn’t concentrate on being the best player he can be. Even the hairdo is suspect and suggests, as with that clown at Ibrox, someone more focussed on his image than on the job which pays the bills.
Managers will only tolerate that so long.
Sounds like he’s ‘Stoking’ the fires for a permanent move to Stoke !
A pity if that’s the case and he’s playing very well in The Championship which is a very unforgiving, extremely competitive and uncompromising League and if he can breeze it there then The SPFL Premier League should be a cakewalk to him…
Still no player will EVER be bigger and cannot ever be bigger than Celtic FC and if he’s going be disruptive then let him Stoke that disruption at Stoke !
Initially, I honestly thought that Haksa could develop like Abada.
He seemed to have the ability, but couldn’t make it happen.
In pre-season he just seemed to confirm that he didn’t have the right
attitude or application… and yes, although the colour of his hair shouldn’t be
relevant, it seemed to ‘highlight’ Haksa as a fringe player at best.
Hope he does develop to his full potential, but whilst BR is boss he probably won’t
get another chance at Celtic Park?
Haksabanovic is undoubtedly a talented player, but he is not as good as he himself thinks. If he had been, then he would not be in the situation he is now in. He did not really live up to his own hype, he’s a bit of a legend in his own mind, but I still wish him all the best for the future. That future is very unlikely now to be at Celtic Park at any stage of his career.
he has made some silly remarks but i would not say he was a flop
Wouldn’t be the first player to develop a stinking attitude, and won’t be the last either.
When the bridges have been burnt at a club, can they really be rebuilt?
I don’t believe so, which may sound ridiculous with the return of Rodgers, but when putting down the club is a return really possible?
As a player, I would still question as to playing wide for either Ange or Rodgers was really going to get the best from him, especially with the way both managers like to use there wide men?
Don’t think he fitted the profile of what either manager was looking for from his wide men imo.
In that regards, I always wondered if he was actually best suited for ourselves in the wider position?
Regardless, we will possibly never find out the answer to the question now, and not one that ever needs to be answered either, especially while a stinking attitude seems to exist
I agree with you Johnno. While I always think everyone deserves a second chance, and we as humans need second chances as we are far from perfect, it is hard as you say to go back where a toxic atmosphere been created. So he, if he does end up back with us, would need a real attitude change, he is still relatively young so that may come. But coming back would be especially difficult as he would be away down the pecking order with regards to playing on the wing (which I don’t think is his best position btw, he should be playing through the middle).
He also has the disadvantage of not being a player who Rodgers signed which if displaying a bad attitude will make him stick out like a sore thumb,. making his chances of redemption a lot less likely.
But pray for him, as there is a player in there in him and if he is going to develop and flourish then I’d rather see that happen with us. But in the main I think he is gone,. which brings me to another point.
Players when they leave, what do they matter to us? They move on we move on. There’s no point in making a story about them making a story in the MSM that is virtually irrelevant these days! By doing this we give them the reaction and input they were hoping for in the first place!!
Hail Hail. God bless.
He wont be back, good player who was one who was maybe caught between positions at Celtic. Good wing options and a fine striker last season at Celtic and strong midfield. I’d love to have seen him on a year’s loan with some development raring to go at Celtic.
We should get a good rpice for him and sell on, no loss.
He’s a fantastic footballer,quick on his feet,great skills(I’ve liked him since day 1)but you’re gonna have to take yer chances and he hasnae, tried to be to fancy most of the time and it didn’t quite work for him…..its like his heads in the clouds,thinks he’s to good(probably in his back garden he is)but you don’t feck about when you’re playing for celtic!!!so either I hope we get good money for him or he comes back a better player…..both would be advantageous for us anyway……hope its the latter though ?