Today we’ve given Bologna permission to talk to Rocco Vata. The question arises; how did this particular player end up so close to the exit without ever having seen regular first team football at our club? If he’s capable of playing in Italy, why not for us?
Something has gone far, far wrong behind the scenes with this kid. Reports that Celtic have not even offered him a new deal seem unbelievable. But if he’s telegraphed his intention to reject whatever we offer, what then? What if he just doesn’t’ want to be here? What should we have done? How should Celtic have handled something like that?
Is Vata good enough to play first team football? We don’t know.
People at Celtic clearly do not think so and nobody should pay a blind bit of notice to his performances in the Lowland League. That’s a ridiculous level to be trying to judge a player at.
It remains one of the stupidest things we’ve done in years and I cannot believe anyone still thinks playing public park football in such a low-quality setting is benefiting our young players in any way, shape or form.
We’re going backwards at a development level. That’s the pure and simple fact, and it comes in part from trying to rear our players in such a depressing environment. Scottish football has provided us with nothing at all to help us in this area, but that’s partly the fault of those at our club who have lacked the imagination to challenge the SFA status quo. Even if you do blame the SFA entirely, our club must have had better options than the Lowland League.
That doesn’t explain the saga of Vata, although his playing regular football in such a place does perhaps give you an insight into how he can still be so far away from the first team level. It is hard to see how any youth player at Celtic can convince the manager that he has what it takes considering that level of opposition. Added to that, of course, is a coaching team that isn’t exactly out of the top drawer, and further proof of the incestuous way we do things.
Vata is one of those players a lot of fans were excited about. But it’s been clear for at least a year now that we were never going to see him become a Celtic Park regular and there is probably right and wrong on both sides of this.
I can understand Celtic not wanting to give a platform to a player who had no interest in committing his long-term future here.
I can understand us not trusting a player who has been playing his football on kick and rush muddy fields for the last two years. But when even a change of manager hasn’t altered his status in the squad, I would suggest that there is more going on here than just Celtic not being willing to give a young guy a chance.
Whatever the explanation, that is the daftest of them and the least likely.
We either don’t rate him or he doesn’t want to stay. Celtic may have shown bad judgement in being willing to let him go, but only time will tell and he’ll need to impress at a much higher level than the one he’s been playing at. But on no account is this someone who “slipped away” or someone we “lost” as though we’ve been careless.
If he was good enough or committed enough to the Celtic cause we’d know it because he’d have played 20 games in the first team squad by now.
That he hasn’t tells you that something has gone wrong somewhere. In a very short time, it will no longer matter what that something was. I cannot claim to be concerned or that we’ll miss someone who had literally no impact on our club.
I am more concerned with the fumbling about we’re doing in the first team. This is small potatoes next to the enormous risk we’re taking with next season’s Champions League.
I’m surprised no one can say categorically what has went wrong. I don’t know how things work but I thought there would be at least some information given out by the club to the general media or fan media. Agents sometimes leak some hint of a situation also.
Best of luck to him whatever the circumstances.
It wasn’t a tough call under Brendan to see us drag our heels in the transfer market seems to be the way of things and James you raised the question on what do the recruitment staff do all season. I have no answer.
There are apps on databases out there flagging player availability so you dont even need to mobilise the scouts to see what the options are. Players nearing contract end etc.
We still have a few weeks I know but getting players in early has real advantage. Miovski for example has proven ability and would be an easy pick up for us. Shankland can he play a number 10 role, I think so. 2 players knocking the goals away that we could get in now for an outlay of around £3m first payment.
Prices will go up nearer the end of the window. The more we wait the more I suspect we are awaiting some big players intent to move away from us. Hatate, CCV, O’Riley??
If previous windows are anything to go by, it’s more than just the CL we’re risking.
You would think that this transfer window had just come out of the blue and we had no prior knowledge of it! Why are we now 10 days into the window and still no hint of a signing. People talking about staff being on holiday need to have a word with themselves. There is a dept whose job it is to recruit players. Are people suggesting that they go on holiday during a period of the transfer window?? I refuse to believe we’re as amateurish as that! C’mon Celtic, lets get some signings in the door and ready to work!
Karamoko Dembele, Blackpool FC.
Celtic should hang their head in shame allowing all out best young players to leave for other clubs when we have absolute dross getting kept i hope the boy turns out to be brilliant rodgers needs to look at himself youth will get a chance aye right
We will live to regret letting him go!
James maybe our club is looking for the next Messi before they can step up to the 1st team we only have to look at how we handled Ryan Christie who was running the midfield as a teen for ICT we then let him go to Aberdeen on loan & again he ran the show before throwing him on against Hearts where he proved what he could do , again we turned our noses up at Scales loaned him to Aberdeen & reaped the rewards but his chance only came about due to injuries & more recently we can see the emergence of Bernardo who’s now showing what he can do after a run of games how many minutes has Vata played for the 1st team if they ain’t given the chance how will we ever know ?
It’s time for a proper Reserve League to be re-established James. We had a good standard to promote and process our youth and ” fringe” or returning injuries. When Sevco F’d it by pulling out , the SFA shut it down. Let’s not be kidded here, ou players are risking their careers by playing in Lowland League and agents and advisors are telling them to get out of Scotland – not necessarily – Celtic. Some may have heads filled with crap, however, the reason is real.