GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Celtic's Liam Scales celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 during a UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and SK Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park, on September 18, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Darren O’Dea has offered a passionate defence of Liam Scales, and he is fully entitled to do that. But if you are going to make the case for him at Celtic, you need a better argument than that he is underrated because he plays all the time.
The reason Liam Scales plays all the time in Celtic’s defence is simple. We have not gone out and signed a better player than Liam Scales. That is it. That is the reason.
Scales is not proof of some brilliant squad-building strategy. He is proof that this Celtic team has been allowed to settle for less than it should.
If you’re going to make an argument, then make an argument.
Liam Scales is underrated by who? Celtic fans? Fine. That may be the case. But I don’t see clubs from across Europe knocking on our door to sign him. I don’t see interest from England or abroad. I have not heard, read or seen any serious story suggesting that the wider football world shares this grand opinion of him.
So again, underrated by who?
O’Dea talked about squad building, and apparently he has some insight into it that the rest of us are missing. He says squad building is not just about getting the best players you can.
Well, I’m not entirely sure what it is about then.
If he is suggesting that squad building is about filling all the available holes with as many warm bodies as you can get through the door, then that explains a lot. That is how you end up with a bloated squad. That is how you end up with the most mediocre Celtic side in over a decade trying to stumble across the finish line instead of dominating the league.
If squad building is not about finding the best available players for each position, then I would like someone to explain the alternative.
I understand complexity. I understand that some things are not straightforward, cut and dried, or easy to sum up in a single sentence. But this is professional sport, not rocket science.
If people want to argue that squad building is more complicated than simply upgrading weak areas, then fine. Make that argument. Explain it. Tell us what the optimal strategy is if it is not trying to improve the level of the team position by position.
Because there’s just one question here; Is there someone better than Liam Scales out there in his position? We all know the answer is yes.
So why is this more complicated than moving out players who may have served us well, but cannot take us to the next level? To me, that is exactly what squad and team building come down to.
That old wisdom about being only as strong as your weakest link comes to mind. In football, it is literally true. If you have a weak player on the left side, that is the side the opposition will exploit. If you have a weak central defender who cannot pass a ball ten yards under pressure, the opposition will press him and bait him into making mistakes.
That is how football works.
I read someone the other day saying the reason Celtic are not playing well this season is because there is no Greg Taylor in the team. Well, I don’t know how many times I watched Greg Taylor give the ball away under pressure because he was unable to make a simple pass when a player was closing him down.
Our left side has improved immeasurably since Greg Taylor left the team. No harm to Taylor, by the way. I liked him. I thought he was the quintessential good soldier, and there was a lot to admire about him as a footballer. He saw off a lot of competition. But he knew the moment Kieran Tierney came into the squad that he was not going to start every week.
Taylor knew what all of us knew. He had done a job. He had given us service. But the second Celtic brought in a genuinely better player, his time as first choice was done. That is how standards should work.
I have never thought of Liam Scales as anything other than a stopgap. I will not reconcile myself to the idea that we are stuck with him simply because some people think he is underrated.
Even if he is underrated, the question remains the same.
Is there better out there within Celtic’s acceptable price range? The answer is yes.
Some of what O’Dea says is simply unconvincing. Liam Scales has proved himself by being available all the time. So, he stayed fit. So what? Liam Scales is in this team because we don’t have proper alternatives. He is in this team every week because, with our current injury crisis, he is the last man standing.
With Carter-Vickers out long-term, Scales walks into the side.
But he shouldn’t be walking into it every week. There should be competition for places at the very least. The fact that there is not does not represent clever planning or the brilliance of the player. It is an indictment of the way this club has done business. Of course Scales will look indispensable if he is the only option we have.
But start adding better footballers to the squad and he suddenly does not look like a guaranteed starter anymore.
O’Dea’s point that Scales is now a better player than Carter-Vickers because Carter-Vickers is not fit is baffling. Fitness matters, of course it does. Availability matters. But is simply an ability to stay fit really as high as our standards go?
We badly need to add at least one central defender of real quality in the next window. I would prefer that we signed two. Carter-Vickers is injury-prone. This is not the first time he has been out for a long spell, and it will not be the last.
In those circumstances, Scales will again look like the best option if he is the only option. That is not the same as being good enough and no amount of his mates in the media will convince those of us who watch him every week.
Liam Scales will remain at Celtic for as long as Celtic are prepared to accept that level. Because no one else is coming to buy him.
Wanting the best players Celtic can get is not a crime. Everyone who watches this team knows Scales is a limited footballer. He is not someone we should be overly reliant on. You will not move me by saying he plays every week.
He plays every week because we have no other options. That is why limited players play every week all across he world. It’s the consequence of clubs either not being able to spend money upgrading them or not being willing to.
That is exactly what this club has to move beyond.
I am willing to be convinced on almost any player if they start performing every single time they are on the pitch. But O’Dea did not offer a coherent argument in favour of Scales. He raised more questions than he answered.
Underrated by who? Ever-present because he is brilliant, or ever-present because Celtic have failed to recruit properly? We all know the answer.
We signed a centre-back in January who had played exactly zero first-team games. He replaced a summer signing, another academy prospect from England, who had played only a handful of senior matches.
None of these guys is going to seriously challenge Liam Scales. But that does not mean no one could. It does not mean no one would at a better-run club.
All of this starts with two questions.
Where are we? How did we get here?
Well we’re in a close title race where there’s as much chance we’ll finish third as first. That’s the answer to the first question. The answer to the second is that there are too many Liam Scales types in this team. Too many B-list options thrust into first-team prominence because the club has not given the manager better choices.
That is not Scales’ fault. But it is Celtic’s problem. Add proper options and then see how long he keeps his place.
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Footballers and other professional sportsmen thrive on confidence, that much is clear. This applies to elite performers and to “good soldiers”. So when those involved or recently involved in their management and development get involved with media outlets actively promoting such confidence there should be no surprise. Good soldiers are not there to be thrown under the bus by supporters or fan media if the desire to elevate across the squad is not shared at club management level. Praise in public, action in private, play the ball not the man. Liam Scales and Anthony Ralston, for it is they, deserve our support not our disdain.
I agree that Liam Scales is not a world beater but to use the argument that no clubs have come for his signature is flawed. Who has come looking for James Forrest? The answer is nobody, and yet we’re expected to see him as a legend.
I get the point about quality but who in the hell would anyone trust at Celtic to add the said quality…
I also think that we need a core of Scottish / Irish Bhoys that would walk through fire for Celtic in all weathers which a helluva lot of foreigners certainly wouldn’t !
To say that liam scales only plays because we’ve not signed anyone better is a pretty ridiculous statement in my view because it applies to every player at Celtic, in scotland and beyond. Really James it’s about time you started showing Celtic players some support. Scales has been a first pick for Ange, Brendan and Martin and has seen off a lot of other centre backs at Celtic. He gives everything for celtic, and while he might make the odd error, who doesnt? Trusty makes errors also and was known as a bomb scare among arsenal supporters but you don’t ridicule him. When was the last time you seen Scales dominated by a centre forward, if ever. By the way I think you should also show Forrest a little more respect, very deserving of another year contract imo. Less negativity and more support James
Agreed – if trusty was a world beater he would still be at arsenal
James your criticism and belittling of Celtic players is getting beyond annoying. Please tell me what player you would sign for around 10 million or who’s available on a Bosman that is better than Scales, and who’s 1st choice would be to play in the the SPL. You’re great at the criticism but I’ve asked you many times to name the players in our Squad who in your eyes are good enough to play for Celtic.
I’ve watched Celtic for 75 years and some of those teams were great to watch, but most of them carried your journeymen decent players, who were the supporting acts to the smattering of special players that made a team special.
In those seventy five years I’ve only watched what I would call a perfect Celtic squad and I’m sure you’ll know, that was the Lisbon Lions.
This Board have let us all down by selling the special players as quickly as possible, and for a few years they got away with it, as reasonably adequate replacements were found. With Ange they got lucky with his knowledge of the Japanese market, but their luck ran out this season and the weakness of their scouting operation has been laid bare. Add to that their obvious tense relationship with BR and the appointment of a Rookie manager from the uncompetitive MLS and this shambles of a season took shape.
MON and his backroom staff are doing there best, with some journeymen players, some decent players and a few special players who are suffering wear and tear injuries.
They are giving their all for the cause, and for you to continually to belittle individual players is out of order, especially at a time when we’re still in the Title race with 4 crucial games ahead of us.
100 percent correct micmac
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That was clapping hand emojis not question marks ffs
James, I commented on an earlier piece with “step away from the keyboard” you will alienate your readers. You criticise the MSN for attacking our club and supporters all the time but do not see you do the same, supporters opinions are wrong, ex players are wrong, players are not good enough. We have four games to come together and support the team and you put a piece on here criticising a player and his contribution. Just shameful. You really do think you know it all but in reality you’re turning into a Keevins ‘a’like blogger, give us all some peace
James, I commented on an earlier piece with “step away from the keyboard” you will alienate your readers. You criticise the MSN for attacking our club and supporters all the time but do not see you do the same, supporters opinions are wrong, ex players are wrong, players are not good enough. We have four games to come together and support the team and you put a piece on here criticising a player and his contribution. Just shameful. You really do think you know it all but in reality you’re turning into a Keevins ‘a’like blogger, give us all some peace
I don’t know how long you’ve been reading this blog, but you should know that wee Jimmy’s never been one to tolerate anyone disagreeing with him about anything.
Messiah,wee Jimmy doesn’t learn either.
Might be a wee bit of baiting n clicking going on here. For the record imo its carpet slippers who should be surplus to requirments.
Scales has proved himself over and over again. To say he’s only playing because we haven’t bought someone better is true of every player in the team. Celtic could conceivably get a better CB than Scales but it’s not a top priority, he’s good and we’ve got bigger problems
I am not convinced by all this negativity around our current squad. I do agree with James on most of what he writes but there is a time and a place. With 4 games to go, I don’t think this is the time or the place. For me CCV and Trusty would be the starting pair with Scales and Maik Nawrocki as back ups. There is no way this board is going to splash out anything like £10 million on a centre back. They won’t even spend that on a striker. And there is no chance that those charlatans will leave if we win the double.
Maybe James is pulling a Sutton here but I doubt it. But like most on here today, I am getting fed un with the constant tearing down of players. Anyone can do that.
Scales is a brave lad who is seen in a bad light because it seems to me that because of the incompetence and laziness of the midfield it is left up to him to make the play for which he doesn’t have the brain. He is their “go to guy” when they want rid of the ball leaving him sauntering up the park wondering what the hell to do with it.
Although, I can’t help thinking is is main talent is being Irish.
This article reads as an audition to be the next Hugh Keevins. It’s incoherent and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of building a successful squad – “buy the best players”. Until they ended their Galaticos policy Real Madrid were serial underachievers. And PSG fell into the same trap (albeit with domestic success but nothing in Europe) until they realised they needed the best team and not the best players.
As has been noted by micmac and others it fails completely to understand the position we are currently in with regards to the league and Scottish Cup – 5 wins almost certainly secures a double. Denigrating the current players is not something any right minded Celtic fan should be contemplating at this time.
The idea that we should go out and buy two centre backs is risible. Post season we will have six on our books – CCV, Scales, Trusty, Welsh, Murray and Nawrocki. Whilst we need to see how CCV recovers from injury, we also need to see how the new manager wants the team to play before we buy/offload players (something James acknowledged himself earlier this week).
So a very good audition to be the next Hugh Keevins. But an incoherent mess of an article.