This “Celtic Are Waiting For Idah” Excuse Is Based On A False Premise. It’s Time To Dismiss It.

One of the things I heard over and over again following my article of earlier was that Celtic are active but that we are “waiting for Adam Idah.”

It’s as if this all hinges on him doing something or coming to some decision.

But let’s cut through the bullshit, because after a dispiriting day both as a blogger and as a political observer who has heard enough of it, I can’t deal with any more of it.

Over in the States people are talking about Trump as if he were a poster-boy for democratic values, when many of them know he is not. He’s being talked about as if he’s a victim of forces that have somehow gotten out of Pandoras Box. He unleashed those forces.

Last night’s events were devastating for American democracy because it is up to the people to end the Donald Trump threat to it, not the bullets of an assassin. That’s how it works in banana republics and autocracies.

It takes the choice out of the hands of the citizenry and puts it in the hands of a lone individual who is motivated by his own hate.

It doesn’t matter what the candidate’s beliefs are; it’s an affront to democracy even if he is a threat to it himself.

But Trump has done more to stir the soup of hate than any candidate in American history. He has preached violence. He has encouraged violence. He has called for and willed violence. If you do that often enough someone will answer the call.

Neither he nor his party can be taken remotely seriously when they demand a toning down of the rhetoric. What they really want is for people to cease telling the truth.

When the media calls Trump a would-be-dictator, they are only quoting his own words back to him and they cannot stop now.

When they call him a wannabe tyrant, it is because they have listened to his political prescription for America and recognise it to be tyrannical.

When they call him out for the promotion of hatred for political ends it is because he has promoted hatred for political ends.

It’s just as simple as that and they should, and they must, continue saying it.

You know, all of us have a tendency at times to be nice when we think it’s required, even if the moment virtually demands the telling of hard truths as this one does. A lot of us bite our lip even when we know we should not. I said in a piece late last week that I was surprised to be asked by someone recently if I enjoy offending people.

I said no, that I did not. But writing stuff people are going to disagree with, that much I am willing to cop to and it’s not that I enjoy it it’s I recognise that if I’m going to be honest on this blog that a lot of people aren’t going to like it.

I can choose to do that, or to do something else. I’m not built for writing bland, safe, middle of the road “let’s not upset folk” stuff … people know not to expect that, people know that even when I get something wrong, they got my honest assessment, not some piece where I sat down at the computer and pulled my punches so as not to piss anyone off.

So, like I said, let’s cut through the BS on Adam Idah.

We’re not “waiting for Adam Idah”.

We’re just pissing time against the wall.

This is not Adam Idah’s choice to make.

In order to get Adam Idah three things have to happen. We have to approach Norwich and ask if they are willing to discuss a transfer and Norwich have to agree to do that. Then we have to come to an agreement on the price. Those are the three requisites which will make this Adam Idah’s call.

Then, and only then, are we legitimately “waiting for Adam Idah.”

Right now, what we’re doing is dragging our feet. We’ve made one offer; they have refused it. Celtic has two options at that point. We can ask them straight, “are they willing to talk?” and if they are we can enter those talks and see if an agreement can be reached or if they say no, we can move on. If we enter into talks and they don’t go well we have to move on anyway.

So, if we’re not “waiting for Adam Idah” what exactly are we waiting for?

And bear in mind that every minute we spend on this – not that it seems to be taking up much of our time as a club anyway – is time we’re not spending looking for an alternative or getting another deal close to completion. Every minute we’re spending waiting for the phone to ring is a minute closer to the America trip and the start of the new campaign.

Time in which we could be picking the phone up and getting busy ourselves.

“Rodgers wants him” will be the call from some people.

Yeah, I know well that he does. I remember him wanting John McGinn.

Those who think that’s an answer are preaching to the wrong person. This is the stated wish of the manager, and so those inside Celtic should be busting a gut to make it happen, and if it’s not going to happen then everyone has to move on to who is next on the wish-list.

And you know what? It doesn’t look to me like anyone is particularly bothered, and maybe one of the reasons they aren’t particularly bothered is this perverse belief that we are waiting on someone else to make this happen.

We are also “waiting on Bernardo.” And presumably now “waiting on Schmeichel.”

Adam Idah is one player in one position, and we need a Hell of a lot more than that. I am no longer content to sit here and hold off on criticism on the basis that this club is waiting for the right moment to spring into action for one particular player. It is nonsense.

You know what I’m waiting on?

Our club taking this moment seriously, instead of our directors and upper executive trying to nickel-and-dime their way through this as though we’re as skint as the club across town. What I’m waiting for, what we’re all waiting for, is them getting their arses into gear.