Another ex-Celt climbs into the clown car full of people talking Lennon Miller’s talents down.

Just the other week, I did a piece on Pat Bonner and his comments about Lennon Miller and why he shouldn’t sign for Celtic—or why at least he should think twice and consider going somewhere else. I lamented the fact that a former Celtic player is actually talking this kind of trash.

Well, it turns out that he’s not the only one who’s been saying this stuff.

I say that because Mark Wilson has joined him. Mark Wilson, who signed for Celtic from a Scottish club, is now advising another Scottish player not to do the same. And I come back to what I said: these guys are not actually criticising the system at Celtic at all, although undoubtedly these two think that that’s exactly what they are doing, in one way or another.

What these guys are actually doing is telling Lennon Miller, “You’re not good enough. You’re not good enough to make it, so don’t waste your time.” And I’m amazed that this hasn’t computed yet. I’m amazed that this hasn’t penetrated their skulls yet, that it hasn’t dawned on them that in trying to tell this kid, “You won’t get the chance at Celtic,” they’re telling him, “Don’t bother even dreaming. You don’t have what it takes.”

What’s the purpose in this? What’s behind it? Why are two ex-Celts doing this? Because here’s the thing: it’s obvious that they’re not conscious that that’s what they’re doing. They’re either not able to see it, or they just don’t want to recognise what it is they’re telling this kid. Because if they were able to recognise it, they would be framing their argument in a whole different way.

And the way they’d be framing their argument is to tell Celtic not to sign him. “Don’t waste your time spending £4 million on a player to sit on the bench.” If they realised, even for a second, that that’s what they were saying, that’s how they would say it.

It blows my mind that these people don’t understand what it is they’re actually doing. Because there’s no logic to this argument otherwise. Unless they believe, against all common sense, that somebody who has signed for your club and proved that they were better than every other player in their position would be stuck on the bench anyway.

I mean, maybe it’s just me who doesn’t get this?

Maybe I’m the one missing it.

Maybe there’s been some change to the fundamentals of football, and I was asleep when it was taking place. I mean, I don’t rule that out. I get up late some days, especially when I have a hangover. So, I never exclude the possibility that maybe there has been some dramatic shift in how football works and I’ve somehow missed it. But here’s the thing: I don’t think so. Because even if that had happened, I’m sure I would have caught it before now.

And my interpretation of this is the same as it’s always been. So, please, correct me if I’ve got this wrong; it’s still managers pick the best players, yeah? And if a player is in that category, he’ll be in the team more often than not. That’s still how it works, right?

On top of that, clubs don’t do really stupid things like spend millions on a player not to play him, not unless that player proves to be really, really bad.

I have to think that if we go to Motherwell and make them an offer for Lennon Miller, which they find acceptable, that that will be, in some way—and quite an obvious way—a huge vote of confidence in the player and in his future and his future development prospects.

You don’t spend that kind of money unless you’re sure.

So, if you consider all of that as the accepted logic and the accepted wisdom, then what else are they saying, except that Lennon Miller is not good enough?

And if they’re saying that, why aren’t they phrasing it that way?

Why aren’t they telling us, “Don’t spend the money. Don’t waste your time. You have a good midfield already. You don’t need to add to it with this kid who hasn’t proven himself yet.”

That in itself is a headline story. That will get them their ink. That will get them in the papers. And that’s what a lot of these attention-seeking muppets are actually all about.

It’s what I’ve thought that Wilson was about for quite a while now.

If they think that Lennon Miller is good enough to come in and be a Celtic first-team player, then they should be advising that kid to jump at the chance. Do not turn it down.

That should be what people who care about the player—and who care about the club and Scottish football as a whole – should do.

I don’t think either of those two men has ever had an original thought in his life. I don’t know if either of those two men is capable of an original, intelligent thought.

They are surrounded by people all day, every day, who never manage an original, intelligent thought. I mean, when you consider who Wilson’s media colleagues are on that radio station where he spends most of his working time, it’s hard to imagine how he’d ever be inspired to be smarter. Even on his worst day, he’s probably the most intelligent person working in that studio except for everyone on the backroom team, the cooks, the cleaners, the clerical staff, the delivery guys …

Bonner works for the national broadcaster. In theory, he should get more of an intellectual workout, but the obvious results of surrounding him with the “real Ranjurs men” cannot be other than to drag him down to their level, especially considering that you couldn’t get two watts of juice if you strung all their brains together and plugged them into the National Grid.

But that they can’t basically analyse the words that are coming out of their own mouths and take those ideas to their logical conclusion is incredible to me just the same.

In truth, they’re not offering this kid advice, except that he should maybe think about lowering his ambitions. They’re telling him to find a lower level, to shoot for one of those clubs that’s simply middling along. And I wonder; could this be why these two aren’t working at clubs and why they make their career as pundits?

Would you want them giving career advice to your kids?

Honest to God, I’m already sick and tired of this whole debate.

We’ll either move for him, or we won’t when January comes around. I suspect someone will, and so I think if he’s on our list we have to.

But if this kid has any balls, if this kid believes in himself, he’ll pay not one bit of attention to clowns like these, he will ignore their pathetic advice and he’ll commit his future to this club, which will turn him from a good player into a great one … and then no-one will keep him out of the side.