Last night, as I was going through the stories I intended to look at today, my attention was drawn to Des Roache and Steve Conroy’s latest comments about Alistair Johnston.
Now, I’ve written before about their views on our right-back and Roache’s suggestion that Johnston is involved in what he calls “the dark arts.” And what do you know? They are at it again—this time claiming that AJ should have given away a penalty at the weekend. And, there was some discussion – which Roache squashed, to be fair, although Conroy didn’t – that he might have got a red card as well.
I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of these people.
Roache seems to have a particular fascination with Johnston—an unhealthy fixation, I’d say. Something folks should probably take a closer look at. In the previous piece I wrote on this, I said they were trying to put a target on his back. Well, very clearly, they are not done with that yet and are determined to keep it up.
I wondered what AJ has done to annoy these people so much. Then it dawned on me—he plays for Celtic, and he plays well for Celtic.
For a lot of people, that’s enough. For others, they realise that the quickest way to get their little blog or podcast into the paper is to say something controversial about a Celtic player and—boom!—instant headlines guaranteed.
It’s one of the most well-known shortcuts in Scottish sports journalism. And that’s why so many people take it, time after time.
AJ needs to watch himself—not because he’s necessarily doing anything wrong, but because there are people determined to find something wrong, just so they can highlight it over and over again. The rights and wrongs of individual cases aren’t important here. What matters is that a pattern has emerged in the way he’s being covered by certain people. You don’t have to look too hard to spot it—or to acknowledge that it exists.
So our boy is just going to have to be careful.
But not too careful—because that’s exactly what these people want. They want AJ second-guessing himself. They want him in his own head. They want him worried about those 50/50 tackles he makes so well.
They want him off his game, and that’s why they’re concentrating on him the way they are. They want to rock him psychologically. And I understand why—because, psychologically, he’s one of our strongest characters. He’s one of those guys who leads from the front. He is a proper warrior.
That’s precisely why he’s a perfect target—not just for other players but for a media desperate to find a crack in Celtic’s almost impenetrable armour, desperate to knock us off our stride. And they don’t care if they have to stamp all over a young guy’s career and reputation to do it. But AJ can cope with that. I’m sure he can. As I said, he’s got a solid mentality. He is not a faint heart.
Still, he shouldn’t have to put up with it. I’d love for one of our fan media guys attending Friday’s press conference to ask Brendan Rodgers about these stories and let the manager respond in the way only he can—by knocking them down and taking a pointed shot at those pushing this dire narrative.
Our manager is excellent at protecting his people, and AJ has become one of our key players. He doesn’t need someone to stand in front of him like a human shield—but it would be nice if the club did it anyway. It would be nice if the manager did it anyway. It would be nice if we, as fans, did it anyway—just as a thank you for what he delivers on our behalf every week.
We all know AJ is more than just a blue-chip asset. We all know we’re looking at a guy who could be a future captain if he stays long enough. It’s our job to make sure he does. He’s a dressing-room leader. He’s a huge character with a distinct personal voice in a game full of cardboard cutouts. That’s why it’s an absolute pleasure to hear him interviewed whenever he speaks.
And I think a lot of his critics know that. I think the people trying to put that target on his back recognise that he’s a danger to the idea that we’ll suffer massively from the loss of Callum McGregor’s leadership. Now, of course, we will miss Callum—because he’s an exceptional footballer. Replacing him will be no easy task.
But that brand of leadership is especially hard to find.
Our team has more leaders than most, but having a player who speaks and makes others listen? That’s rare. And you get the impression that, in AJ, we’ve got one of those players. That’s why I hope he stays at Celtic for a long time—not just for his footballing ability, but because of what he brings beyond that.
And that is precisely why so many people would love to see him out the door as quickly as possible. That’s why it’s vital that people inside the club stand up for AJ and speak out against those poking away at him, trying to encourage officials to treat him more harshly.
I think it’s pretty reprehensible stuff. They wouldn’t act this way towards a player on the other side of the city. And for damn sure, we should not be letting them get away with doing it to one of ours, and especially not this one.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Our latest podcast is up now, we’ve called it Sprinting To The Finish … and we did it live! Please show us your support by subscribing on YouTube!
Still haven’t heard a peep about Jefte’s assault in The new year Glasgow Derby and won’t either…
Or The Raith Rovers thug that maimed James Forrest – And we won’t…
I’m not sure what Scummy that these pair take their filthy lucre from –
But well done in highlighting the pair of bastards James and the evil scrutiny Celtic are up against in Scummy Scottish Football as well…
I still think it was a penalty all the same !
So do I. But not a Red Card.
If that tackle was in our Opposition’s box I’d be claiming it.
We got away with one there and the churnalists of the West Coast rags will be pointing that out nonstop to get their bruvvers in the Ludges to extract revenge.
Petty minded weans the whole lot of thum.
Agreed SFATHENADIROFCHIFTINESS !
They only thing I’d add is that weans are generally innocent –
These bastards Scummy’s of The Scummy Scottish Football Media that act like crayon scribbling weans certainly fuckin aren’t !!!
AJ’s made of sterner stuff and their criticism will be like water off a duck’s back.
Nevertheless, you are correct James, we should not be accepting their malicious accusations and someone at the Club, whether it’s Brendan or not, should be challenging the scheming fuckers.
Agree with Clach. Defo a pen. His clearance header back into the 18 yard line was a bit of a school boy error too. That said hes a solid brilliant pro and brings tons to the team. On a separate point a hope he reins in the Hibs left back on Sunday cos his crosses could cause us real pain
Thought it was probably a penalty, but not as clear cut as the outcry from certain people would have you think. He was a bit rash going to ground and on making contact with the top of the ball it took his foot into the St Mirren player. It was much like the foul in the box on Engels against Bayern for the penalty which we didn’t get, even after the ref was sent by VAR to review it, I think what saved the Munich player was he didn’t go to ground.
I’m sick and tired of the tiniest controversial decision going Celtics way, becoming a talking point for days on end. Even after they win the game by a 3 goal margin.
You’re right James it’s a good way to get themselves noticed and a good way to get yourself a job with the Mainstream media especially at Pacific Quay.
AJ, by his own admission, enjoys the physical side of the game and puts in strong tackles but he’s by no means a dirty player. It should’ve been a penalty at the weekend too but here’s the thing, we spend most our time attacking and AJ has been on the end of some terrible challenges especially in the derby, where they definitely made the decision to put one on him. He’s too good to be affected by biased pundits but he can expect some unfavourable treatment from refs whose mindsets can be changed by these clowns.