Another transfer story died on the vine over the weekend, and it did so almost as swiftly as it appeared in the press. I am learning not to get too excited when a transfer story appears unless it is so obviously daft that I have to comment on it. But the McKenna story wasn’t quite that crazy, which isn’t to say that I believed a word of it.
Scott McKenna would have made no sense. The manager likes Carter Vickers, Scales, Welsh and Nawrocki. That’s four players for two spots. Where does a player like McKenna fit into that group? Is he necessarily any better than any of those guys? In terms of experience, you can’t knock playing in the top flight of England, but we’ve got Champions League experience at the back now and that’s something McKenna doesn’t have.
The simple truth is that a centre back is not a priority. We’ve sent home Phillips and we’re getting ready to punt Lagerbiekle, but if Nawrocki is rated then along with the other three that’s enough. I will complain again later, this time about the players going out before any come in, but we got into the state we are in because we overloaded certain areas of the pitch.
We had no choice but to buy an extra couple of defenders in the summer. We didn’t realise Scales was going to grow into such a stalwart of the team or that we would lose so many players to injury. But having signed three, and now having others fit, we’re in a good position again in this area of the team. Adding McKenna would have had exactly one benefit; he’s a home-grown Scottish player and that would have been handy if we lose David Turnbull.
Champions League registration should be the least of our concerns right now. We have certain key positions to improve and the central defence is not one of them, and we’d simply be setting up another stockpiling situation if we bought someone there.
Central midfield is more important. Another wide player, preferably on the right, is more important. And a striker is critical. We could probably do with a left back as well if we can get Bernabei off the wage bill, and in fact even if he’s going to hang around because he’s no use to us whatsoever and we should be looking hard at that position.
I think McKenna is a decent enough player, but is he really any better than the guys we have? I want to see Scales develop and if Rodgers trusts Welsh that’s good enough for me. Nawrocki is someone the club has tremendous faith in, so it’s just not clear where McKenna was going to get a lot of game time, and if it came at the expense of Welsh, it would have been a bad idea.
Most of the stories we’re involved with are garbage, and you’ll notice how this January a lot of them are about the Ibrox club as well as ourselves, right? A lot of people linking both clubs with the same footballers. That’s not a coincidence. Someone is playing games with that one. I can well believe they are in for McKenna although where they’re getting the money I don’t know, and they would need to try and shift some deadwood first.
But he just makes no sense as someone we should be moving for. Wrong position at the wrong time, that’s all. Not a deal that would have much to credit it. I wasn’t surprised to see that it was denied almost as swiftly as it appeared.
Suppose ‘being linked’ to McKenna provided a few weeks of useful
distraction for us supporters – who are impatiently expecting
a few new faces at Celtic Park?
Wonder who the next CFC ‘target / non-target’ will be mentioned in the SMSM?
And, could the boy Lawwell become even more unpopular than his Dad
by the end of this transfer window…? 🙁
“Although where they’re getting the money I don’t know” –
Aye it’s one of life’s mysteries but get it they will especially with the golden jackpot that comes with this season’s title…
Meanwhile our lot do what they do their very best at – Dragging their heels at snails pace…
The invisible Nicholson man and all that –
But The Balance Sheet Champions League trophy looks great so no worries…
Only there is –
That there could be a bigger one at Liebrox this time next year…
But it wouldn’t be for long –
As it’d be traded in for the best players going and strutting around in blue shirts, white shorts and black socks with the fenian blood around the knees…
And full credit to their board if they pull that off –
The one bonus being that our lot would be ran outta town the day before tomorrow !
Would’ve liked another keeper in and sincerely hope we don’t regret neglectin that position. Priority and absolutely crucial for the rest of the season, is another striker and if we dont, that’ll be league suicide imo. If anythin happens with Kyogo, no way can we just go with Oh up front for very long. Oh cannae be faulted for effort, tho should be scorin a lot more than he has and isnae cuttin it for consistency. We definitely need a hard midfield player in there as well, tae shore things up and probably another LB. Tho who, or what, we’ll end up wi is anybody’s guess, so time will tell.
However, Welsh is injury prone. CCV has already been out twice this season with injuries and Nawrocki has hardly featured because of injury. So we have one regular centre back.
The club may have faith in Nawrocki but not sure Brendan does. I’m a big fan of Welsh but another injury is a concern and CCV seems to be picking up regular niggles now. But agree the CB area can prob wait for now. A good left back would help, though we had a good young player in Montgomery who is 10 times what Bernabei is. We definitely need a goalscorer with experience that can hit the round running. Oh reminds me of Nunez at Liverpool’s Will run around and cause a nuisance but incapable of eating up easy chances. Another experienced CM, a la Aaron Mooy , would add to the centre of the park and these two positions are more important to fill for now.
Scales and Welsh Celtic class ,do me a favour.
If Champions league is our aim I’m afraid Scales and especially Welsh should not be anywhere near a Celtic 1st team , emergency only ,this guy is a bombscare and Scales is marginally behind him.Both of them are so nervous and indecisive,mostly side pass because they havn’t got the nous to play it forward which has always been the Celtic way.