In this line of work, you have to be fearless in expressing your views. But you also have to be honest and operate with integrity. That is the opposite of how the mainstream media handled the signing of one of our players in January last year. In that instance, they behaved dishonestly, without integrity, and carried out a deliberate hatchet job on a player before he even kicked a ball for Celtic.
The outlet responsible for this? Radio Clyde. The player in question? Nicolas Kuhn. In that case, they didn’t just present the facts or publish his CV for public assessment. No, they went out of their way to find someone willing to trash him, scorn his record, and predict that he would be a flop. Radio Clyde gleefully broadcast this scandalous opinion.
I can’t overstate how unprofessional and deplorable this was.
In all my time, I can’t recall another instance where a national media outlet deliberately sought negative comments about a footballer who had just signed for a top-flight club. Certainly, Radio Clyde had never done anything similar. This was a unique, calculated effort. They made no attempt to offer a balanced view. Their sole intent was to damage this player’s reputation before he even had a chance to prove himself.
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when Luke McCowan scored against Hearts, there are certain players whose success makes your heart swell a little more than others.
It’s because they’ve had to overcome particular challenges, and when they shine, you feel a special connection. With Nicolas Kuhn, every assist or goal he now delivers reminds me of that individual Radio Clyde dug up to slander him. And I think about the panellists on the show that night—none of whom had watched him play or knew anything about him—yet they were content to sit by as his reputation was trashed without reason.
Kuhn scored on his debut, a fact many would rather forget now. He went on to net important goals in his first few months at the club, including one in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden against Aberdeen. But did he get the credit he deserved? Of course not.
Did Radio Clyde ever retract their initial assessment? No. In fact, I suspect some of those on the panel convinced themselves that his solid, if not spectacular, start somehow vindicated their disgraceful behaviour.
Look at the hype surrounding a player like Cerny at Ibrox, who hasn’t done much to justify it. Compare that to Kuhn, who made a genuine impact towards the end of last season, and the contrast in media coverage is stark.
One was hailed as a superstar after just two games. The other was written off before even playing a match. We all know which is which. While the press still fawns over Ibrox’s signing, I suspect they now recognise the real talent is the one at Celtic Park.
I’m not saying any of us predicted Kuhn’s success to the extent we’ve seen this campaign. But we knew there was more to him than what Radio Clyde’s hatchet job suggested. We saw a player with the potential to contribute, not the failure they tried to paint him as. No one in the Celtic support had written him off, which is why Clyde’s smear campaign failed.
But for me, it’s not about whether their campaign succeeded or failed.
What troubles me is that they did it in the first place. There was no need for it. No justification. This kind of targeted attack on a footballer is unprecedented. They’ve never done it before, and likely won’t again. It wasn’t objective, it wasn’t fair, and it certainly wasn’t balanced.
In my view, Radio Clyde should have been held accountable for it. All of their broadcasters should be banned from Celtic Park.
It was a gloating hatchet job, pure and simple. And now, I take great satisfaction in watching as it blows up in their faces. Kuhn has already proven himself to be a major asset this season. His performance at the weekend was outstanding, adding to his list of impressive displays since the campaign began. He is going to be pivotal for us this year.
If anyone at Radio Clyde had a shred of decency, they would issue a retraction and offer a public apology—not just for what they said, but for the way they treated a player who they’d never even watched, and who until we signed him they probably hadn’t even heard of.
They know his name now though, and that’s a fact.
James it’s radio snyde we don’t expect anything less from them,they have Spew Heevins on their panel getting every prediction he has ever made WRONG,that says it all.
Players take these FOOLS and their BS in their stride as much as the praise that,s afforded them , the ones doing the bringing down generally know NOTHING about NOTHING never mind football
They could have plenty of time to regret their childish actions – Kühn signed a 5 and a half year contract…..
Guaranteed they’ll give him appraise hoping everyone who heard their derogatory comments has forgotten or have a limited attention span , the show the very few times I’ve listened is pretty pish , they cut off or gang up on anyone who gets the better of the argument against them , not too hard as usually the entire panel is pig shite thick .
I’ve flushed more intelligence down the toilet
NK is a prime example, of how players should be given time and patience. And it also helps, when we have a manager in BR, who is capable of bringin the best out in players. Ah never pay any attention tae what the media says about our signins or prospects. Time’ll tell regardless of whit p*** they write.
It harks back to the artical James put up recently about the Managers at Sevco and their lack of improving players if any . A question for the Snyde Quiz they would be going around in circles trying to answer that one .
We do our talking and judging “on the park.” For years now, the language we have used has been stronger than their arrogant platitudes. Will they learn and adapt their behaviour?
Don’t be silly!
I hadn’t heard of Kuhn either tbh but a wee tad of research informed me that he was a talented youngster with the potential for a good career hence the interest In him some years ago from some top European clubs. Like so many he stuttered and was unfulfilled for a period as so many have at a variety of stages in their careers. He was though fancied, was transferred to play alongside players of good quality and unfortunately for whatever reason didn’t shine amongst the shiniest.
Careers though can be over a longer period of time and deserve to be judged, or as I prefer assessed, over a period to do any debate justice.
Sometimes you need maturity of the body, sometimes of the head, sometimes you need that physical, mental and emotional developmental support and it takes some more time than others to find the right place, the right time and the right coach or manager. Old football saying, “He just need a manager that can put an arm around”. He obviously feels settled, wanted and supported here and his time has come. Confidence breeds more confidence
Brendan as a coach and his style can bring any player on. Kuhn had enough in him last season to show he had the ability to be moulded by Brendan to the player we see today. That ripple through the team brings the whole team up to a better standard and positive experiences takes the team up to a higher expectation.
Listen to Gilligan on Sky sport, the guy has no answers other than blind hope.
Radio Clyde are only making comments to get a reaction.
Kuhn has improved considerably from last season to now.
Anything said about him last season is probably justified at that time.
Now Kuhn is becoming a firm starter and also reliable, he is covering when defending and putting up a lot of competing on the pitch.
Palma on the other side has not improved, more concerningly he has gone back the way.
Forrest has done his bit for the club and now needs to retire, he has to do so before his past achievements are forgotten and he becomes a figure for negative comment.
Everyone has a shelf life and Forrest is on the wrong side of his.
Forget Radio Clyde, what’s important is how our players perform on the pitch.
The same has to be said on how we support all our players and how we can encourage them when they play.
Players can respond to us, so get out and cheer them on, we can help them make a difference.
Keevins seems to believe he can hand out brutal assessments of footballers or managers with impunity, even those who’ve just arrived at a club. He thinks he’s some sort of cutting edge football journalist who know’s the Scottish game better than anyone. Many of his intitial assessments turn out to be wildly inaccurate, but there never seems to be any accountablity in way of an apology or an admission he got it wrong.
Contrast that with the likes of Chris Sutton, who can also be brutal, but as in the case of Tik Tok and Barton, usually gets his assessments correct.
Lately on SSB I’ve noticed callers asking to speak to the footballer of ex footballer on the panel by name to have their question answered with due credibilty. Keevins is sitting there absolutely fuming when that happens, itching to interrupt as soon as he gets the chance.
I read and heard the negative stories about Kuhn before I seen him play and it did make me wonder, then I seen an interview with him and he was talking about improving and trying to get into the Germany squad. So their little hatchet job (luckily) didn’t affect the player and he is improving, he’s looked like a superstar this season so far.
I’m a Clyde Superscoreboard listener however I choose the times that I listen very carefully as like in when we batter Sevco like 1st September and a few weeks thereafter (it’s the same when Sevco drop points to anyone else out with Celtic) but with them leading when Kühn arrived there was no way that I was suffering any of them at that point so I’ve no idea who it was demeaning our then new signing…
I’d hazard a guess at that incoherent rambling wreck Miller or perhaps Halliday – I doubt it’d be Delziel as he’s not too bad for someone who once played for Sevco…
Perhaps someone could remember who the tramps were that wished our German recruit the very worst and then I can openly mock them in revenge for their folly and believe me I will for sure…
I think I could be quite a busy keyboard warrior this season if I find out who they are / were…
Thanks in advance anticipation if anyone is kind enough to furnish me with the information of who the Clyde Superscoreboard tramps were at the time !
15th January, about 10 minutes in on Spotify.
Kenny Miller and Gordon Hannah.
Miller was by far the worst.
They know who he is now. Still waiting on the 1 at the other club showing up.
Spotify
15th January
10 minutes in.
Hannah and Miller.
Thanks Albert – Just had to be that incoherent rambling numbskull Miller…
The man who started off being Green and White in The East –
The man who screamed Gooooal into a Camera in Green & White v Sevco in The West…
Who then whored himself to Sevco three times…
Any wonder he’s a truly desperate sad Fuck in The Scummy Scottish Football Media then…
Don’t worry Kenny – We won’t let ya forget !
Why were the panel on Clyde not named
OK who carried out the hatchet job or is this a made up story.
Most of them, and Old Tosser Keevins was the ringleader.
I remember it oh so well.
Who are the rest of them John?
I stopped listening to this biased shit of a station years ago….anything they ever said journalistic nonsense, it seems like they have n?ever changed, another reason for Celtic fans not to tune in to that crap station in the first place . Tge same as paying each day to read the daily rangers ….. i gave that up years ago ….high blood pressure is no way to start your day ….think twicebefore you pay these “joke jou?nalists” .
James, you mentioned that you can’t remember such a gloating hatchet job. Can I take you back to 27 October 1998. when we signed Lubo Moravcik for £300K and they signed Colin Hendry for £4m. The Daily Ranger headline read ‘Lubo Who!’ and lambasted Celtic for signing a nobody.
Well, we all know how that turned out when Lobo destroyed them at Parkhead.
HK is living proof of the Mark Twain quote ‘It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.’
Brilliant but we have had this for years from the Scottish press and as you pointed out they never put their hands up and admit the got it wrong to be honest I don’t read or watch any of the Scottish press as they have no idea what they are talking about Hail Hail