None of us has any idea what the future holds for Adam Idah.
None of us knows whether Celtic will make a proper move for him or not. To me, it seems like an incredible gamble of unbelievable recklessness if we’ve pegged him as our main target and we are messing about rather than getting the business done. The longer we leave it the greater that risk becomes, and there is nobody who will convince me that this is a good idea.
Today Idah was named on the bench for Norwich and he was booed when he came onto the pitch. By his own fans. At full time he ran straight up the tunnel without the least bit of acknowledgment. In the aftermath their manager said he’s still part of his plans.
That, as must be blatantly obvious, is wildly unrealistic. Idah has his own plans. The fans have made their feelings clear. Whatever Celtic does here, his future is almost certainly not at Norwich City.
It’s a bad place this lad is in, and as I’ve said earlier it seems to me that we have played a role in putting him in this spot, which just isn’t right for him or for anyone else involved.
People who think that some of us do not understand how this stuff works grossly underestimate our ability to comprehend it, so let me tell you what this actually is and let’s cut through all talk about the complexity and break it down to its core elements.
Celtic and Norwich are two drivers hurtling towards each other, betting that the other one swerves first. It’s just as simple as that.
We believe that before this window shuts, they will come back to us and say “your opening bid was not enough and here’s what we’re willing to take.” They believe that it’s Celtic who will do that, with us offering more money to get the deal done.
Those who “understand how this works” think they are so clever; they perhaps don’t realise that this is classic game-theory, and has been road-tested in politics and business for decades and that some of us have not only studied it but seen it applied both successfully and not. The closer we are to the window the more dangerous, and stupid, this game actually becomes.
As I said in yesterday’s piece on the JD Vance Window, it is very easy to envisage a scenario where we realise that they’re not going to budge and we’re not going to get a deal done and we change course, but we do it too late. In short; we go for another player, but with too little time left we fail to get either of them. We all know it could happen. It has happened.
That’s a diagram of what’s known as the “payoff matrix” in the game chicken.
As you can see, there are two outcomes with a “winner”. Both also have a “loser.” The problem here is that both sides still think they can win this, and are still trying to force the other to swerve.
One of the remaining two outcomes ends in a collision; that’s with Idah at a club he doesn’t want to be at, with fans who don’t want him there and Celtic scrambling about looking for a last minute loan deal to tide us over.
The other outcome ends in a tie. But what’s a tie here? A “tie” in chicken is both drivers swerving at the same moment, which is a much misunderstood choice.
Here’s a question for you; who “won” the Cuban Missile Crisis?
It was the grandstand, live version of this principle in action, and that we’re all alive tells you that it didn’t end in a crash, so who won? The US? The Soviets?
How about that it was classic example of the double swerve?
Too many people think the lesson of the Cuban Missile Crisis was “we were eyeball to eyeball and the other guy just blinked.”
That macho, swaggering misunderstanding has been getting people and companies into trouble for years without end, and it seems to drive too much of this, although it has failed us in the cases of John McGinn and others.
In fact, in October 1962, both sides did swerve and that’s how we avoided a war.
There wasn’t a winner and a loser. The crisis ended because Khruschev and Kennedy both had the sense to say “stop!” and to realise that each would have to give respect to the other and put something on the table to get a deal done.
That’s what this is going to take, for the adults to walk into the room and get the posturing goons off the tables, and take over the running of this thing. For the people at both clubs to act like grown men and sensible negotiators rather than frat-boy poker players trying to bluff each other whilst betting against the over card.
So instead of all this grandstanding, how about someone picks up a phone and says “Let’s talk here,” and the person on the other end, instead of thinking this is the moment for standing their ground and pushing the other into a corner says, “What a good idea.”
Cause honestly, this isn’t doing anybody any good at this point.
Nobody needs to do anything, People mad about not knowing, Celtic might have already moved on to other targets. They might still up their bid for him, Norwich might offer him an improved contract. Norwich might accept the next offer from whoever bids.
If it happens it happens but if it doesn’t well we will have a new target and signing.
Negativity SMSM Negativity Fans Negativity YAWN!
Will we? You’re confident of that are you?
You must know something the rest of us don’t.
It’s Idah I feel most sorry for. If Norwich decides Celtics paltry offer is not enough, and Celtic don’t think they need to offer any more, then this could go horribly wrong for the boy. Left at a club he doesn’t want to play for, with a support who know he’s not committed. That shit can ruin careers. Hopefully Celtic get real and quickly, this window could still be saved, but I have serious doubts.
Pistol Pete will be chuckling in the background saying to Nicholson “that’s ma boy”
Idah has made a schoolboy error by downing tools instead of honouring his contract.
Is that the sort of player we want playing for us?
He ain’t worth £9m.
Celtic should have walked away from this deal a long time ago. We have a perfectly good alternative playing in our own league. Bojan Miovski scored 26 goals last season playing in a very poor Aberdeen side.
Our pursuit of Idah aside, why can’t we find a LB, CB, CDM or even a third choice striker let alone a back up?
I try to be measured in my comments but our board really are useless with regards to supporting the managers transfer ambitions, Every one of them should be shown the door and told the only way they are welcome back in Celtic Park is if they buy a ticket for the away end!
They need reminding at every opportunity that the money in the bank account, which BTW is courtesy of supporters, sponsors and prize money won by the team belongs to the football club and should be getting invested in the football team, the PLC only exists to operate the football team and its sole purpose is provide the funding to ensure it thrives.
It really should be no surprise if you consider who our major shareholders are
Bank of New York – only interested in profit
Desmond – Views club as his own and something to be passed down to his Son, absolutely appalling state of affairs and shouldn’t be permitted.
Leeches the lot of them who contribute nothing.
James please keep asking the questions others won’t go near. Speak the truth and be the voice for all of us who want Celtic to be the absolute best it can be. HH
All poor bud can’t believe this happens just about every year
Smacks of the Eddie Howe scenario where the board bizarrely put all its eggs in one basket. We got lucky with the panic signing of Ange.
And let’s be clear. Idah is not going to shift Kyogo. He is a decent player but we should be looking at Miovski who is more rounded and not only looks a player who could complement Kyogo, but replace him. As usual, our board is a skip fire.
Yir often fond oh quoting movies an the like – groundhog Day anyone…
Also, yi don’t think then that the USSR won the Cuban missile crisis, since its resolution saw the removal of nuclear weapons from Turkey, which had been deployed there the year before, which was probably their aim in the 1st place when they reciprocated by placing nuclear weapons in USA’s back yard…
The Soviets did well out of the Crisis up to a point.
But most of the world saw it as a major win for Kennedy and the US. It’s only now that we understand more of the backstory that we can see that in fact it was a superb piece of compromise statesmanship from two sides which both realised – thankfully in time – that we were on a very bad road.
There’s a superb book called One Minute To Midnight, by Michael Dobbs, which lays it out minute by minute. It’s pretty scary in parts.
I’m hopeful that Brendan Rodgers is waiting for the premiership teams to announce their teams for the season before making a move for players, well I did say hopefully.
Also it’s bang out of order on regards to idahs treatment, if the board are not paying the fee then enquire about miovski and put an end to this .
Idah was 3rd choice at NC when we got him on loan. Celtic made him into a better player. NC are capitalising on this.
If I was Idah I would jump at the first offer NC want to accept. NC are looking for the highest bid. Celtic want to over a low bid, which Idah will be disappointed as he sees our offer to be poor.
Also NC not desperate to sell, just received +£20m for a midfielder.
Celtic need to blink or move on
The old biscuit tin mentality is alive and kicking and just shows that our board as you have stated ad nauseum do not consider nor care what the guys who pay season tickets,merchandise or champions league packages every season ,put themselves thru to support their team.A rude healthy bank balance is always numero uno.An absolutely disgracefull way to run our club. Time is up ,get out and let real Celtic supporters take the helm.
There has got to be a middle ground here that will suit everyone concerned, let’s compromise and get the deal over the line. However, if it doesn’t happen in the next week it is time to shop elsewhere,
Sad but true James. I was just talking about the McGinn debacle the other day. However until the grownups are allowed back in the room and the ‘spoiled bratbhoys’ are put back into the nursery I don’t see Idah coming. I’m in my sixties and seen many bad decisions made by various boards but this one takes the biscuit.
Everybody needs to calm down enjoy flag day gubbing McInnes pie eaters laugh at Belgium waffler piss artist sevco zombie implosion plenty of Heineken and rum.the deal will be done FACT. Adam on Monday keiv horsing sevco on Tuesday full on jelly and ice cream time. HAIL! HAIL!.
It’s not a fact. We need to make it a fact. Or move on.
Who ever is in charge of recruitment at Celtic Park seem to make an Axse of it consistently.
A few years ago there was the Fraser Forster and Craig Gordon fiasco when we ended up with Barkas, before that there was the John McGinn poker playing shambles, then we had the Eddie Howe farce. Toney or Ajeti? yep you know who we went for. These people are getting paid well to scout and sign players and appoint managers and be competent at their jobs, but over the past few transfer windows they have been anything but competent. Okay the goalkeeping position has been covered well but when it comes to outfield positions the lack of cover in certain positions is glaring.
The People at Celtic Park and Norwich should grow up, get round the table and reach agreement, Idah was 3rd or 4th choice last season at Norwich,I know for a fact that most of their supporters couldn’t care less about Idah moving on. Both clubs are being very disrespectful to the boy
With John McGinn I think Lawell’s dallying made him feel that Villa wanted him and valued him more, giving him an easy decision. Idah is being disrespected even more than McGinn after his contribution to the double. If another club come in he’s gone.
Due to the Celtic board continuing to show no signs of life, still in a vegetative state, now is the time to turn off their life support. Patient and patience have expired.
Today is the day to move on and make our feelings clear.
How about we offer Mickey J plus cash?
Put lawwell out to pasture and bring in Martin O’Neil as chairman. He is everything lawwell isn’t. He is smart. He is a football man and a Celtic man and he is ambitious.
Solidarity to bloggers.
Keep on keeping on, James