Celtic continues to be at the mercy of a swirl of transfer rumours. You’re always going to get people offering the club advice. Almost all of that advice is of the most ridiculous kind. And when it comes from former players, I always find myself tensing and wincing, because I don’t think any of them really talk sense. Especially not the Prince of the Clown Car, Frank McAvennie.
He’s one of the few former Celtic players I genuinely cannot stand listening to on any subject related to the club. His ignorance is on a par with Hugh Keevins and others who know absolutely nothing about Celtic’s intentions and have absolutely nothing informative or sensible to say about what our plans should be.
I’m not even slightly surprised to see that he’s pushing the name Danny Ings as a potential Celtic signing.
It just goes to show what planet he’s on when it comes to our club. The idea is preposterous. The suggestion is completely unhelpful and adds nothing to the discussion about what our priorities are. It’s just noise.
It’s one man’s absolutely colossal, ignorant opinion. But because he’s an ex-Celtic player, some people think it carries weight.
It has all the weight of bottled air.
It’s certainly not advice the club needs.
It’s certainly not advice our manager needs. It’s a lazy idea from someone who doesn’t really know much about football — and certainly not Celtic’s transfer priorities. A “bling” signing like that — a famous name with a big wage but not much in terms of delivery — is the last thing we want or need. It’s hard to believe anyone could be so ignorant of our transfer policy as to advocate something like this.
We’re not going to sign players from England on the back of past glories. We’ve seen what happens when clubs try to sign players based on name and reputation alone. It gets you into trouble. It gets you into debt. It’s foolish and stupid and it goes against everything Celtic has done in the transfer market for more than a decade.
Have we always signed the prototypical “project for development” player? No. But I can’t remember the last time we did something like this, except in one specific area — in goal.
The signings of Hart and Schmeichel brought us big names, title winners, guys who had done a lot down south.
But because they were goalkeepers and still had a lot to offer. They were no-risk signings. I can’t see any merit whatsoever in going for someone like Ings. I’ve never rated him anyway. I don’t think he has a great scoring record. I don’t think he’s ever been the kind of striker we need.
So when McAvennie suggests he fits the profile, it makes me wonder whether he’s ever actually watched him us play, or watched him play either. Had he studied his record, even he might have realised he’s not exactly a natural or proven goal scorer.
I know these are just suggestions. I know they’re not serious and we shouldn’t get overly het up about them. But honestly, summer is tough enough without an endless stream of this kind of rubbish.
There are transfer stories that at least address obvious problems in the team. They make sense — whether they’re true or not, whether we’re really interested in the players or not — but they make sense because they speak to a need.
They are grounded in some form of reality.
Even the story that broke earlier today about the young Fulham striker we’ve been linked with is grounded in reality. It’s the kind of deal Celtic does make. It’s the kind of player Celtic does sign. It makes far more sense than some 30 plus, over-the-hill has-been with no growth potential.
Honestly, spare us these nonsensical stories going forward. It should be easy to weed them out and keep them off our websites.
Everyone knows what Celtic’s signing strategy is. Everyone knows what kind of player we’re looking for. Everyone knows our model — and everyone knows what isn’t part of it. Everyone knows what fits. Everyone is equally aware of what does not.
McAvennie’s ignorance of all things Celtic Park is well known. The idea that we should listen to him — or that anyone does — is ridiculous. He has nothing productive or informative to say. He is a clown. He’s our version of Kris Boyd.
Click tick bait tick job done
Aye, I was the same, read it yesterday shaking my head. He’s entitled to his opinion and unfortunately because he’s an ex player it’ll be delivered through the media and in turn some people will think he speaks for the club. He talks mince, the idea that Idah could play when Ings gets tired, as if we’d just be grateful to have a guy like that, was the crux of his suggestion. Mince.
As if Brendan would Listen to Frank McAvennie…
I’ll just say – That’s for the fuckin birds !!!
It’s a wonder that Mc Avennie isn’t putting himself forward as the cure all of celtics forward problems .
I met him years ago at a convention. A boorish, self entitled alky