Expensive lesson for football

669

The success rate of Celtic’s player recruitment strategy in recent years has been exceptional; pound-for–pound better than any period in our history.  Forster, Mulgrew, Lustig, Matthews, Izaguirre, Wilson, Ledley, Wanyama, Commons, Kayal and Hooper have arrived for limited outlay and have propelled the club into the latter stages of the Champions League.

By contrast, Mo Bangura failed to impress on any occasion tested.  At another time it would be easy to write him off but it seems unusual that the current system for scouting and assessing footballers has led to a striker who only yesterday recorded his first goal for the club.

In all honesty I suspect Mo will not get a chance to turn things around at Celtic, there are several strikers ahead of him in the squad and our scouts will forever be working on fresh recruits, but this doesn’t mean he is a bad player.  It’s more likely that his induction into Scottish life missed a crucial step.

Did you see the story and photograph about Michael Johnson yesterday?  The 24-year-old was paid-off by Manchester City near the end of his £40k per week contract.  He was unfortunate with injuries but there is a lesson for football to learn in his demise.

The day anyone, young or old, clever or stupid, signs a £10m contract life can become one long party.  ‘You don’t like my attitude/weight/blood test/friends?  I’m on a multi-million pound contract, deal with it.’ How can football deal with this issue?

For the record, there is absolutely no connection between Mo, whose attitude has been first class, and Michael Johnson’s demise.
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  1. Paul67

     

     

    I watching Bangura last night for evidence he will make the Celtic grade. His goal, although extremely well taken, did not convince me.

     

     

    When Sammy came on I was struck by the difference between not just him and Bangura but between the Sammy that frustrated us as Bangura has and the Sammy we now appreciate.

     

     

    That difference is a readiness by Sammy to use his physique to take the blows whilst he masters the ball. He is more ready to be hurt holding off players than he was in the past. Whether that is down to a greater belief in himself or he has just “manned up” with age I do not know, but if Bangura is to make the Celtic grade he is going to have to man up in the same way.

     

     

    I doubt he has the same physique to do so but Sammy had the physique and it was not until he got it into his head he had nothing to fear that he improved.

     

     

    Perhaps Bangura will make the same in the head change but it would help if he developed more muscle and then used it.

  2. If anyone is looking for tickets for the Juve game at Celtic Park then I won’t be using my Season Ticket to purchase the extra 2 tickets. I’m working in the City Centre(Glasgow) till 8 tonight and if some honest soul would like to borrow my ST to purchase 2 tickets tomorrow morning then let me know.

  3. Tonyg 15.57

     

     

    Neil Lennon stated at a meet n greet with him in November,that he signed him on the strong recommendation of Mr Park our head scout.

     

    TT

  4. at last!!!!!!!!!!!! long time lurker……..never thought id get registered…been trying for months…..get all my celtic news from this blog as you just can’t trust the msm sites that i can access from out here in afghanistan………(not a soldier btw…or a hun before that 1 comes into play) although how the site never got blocked by the US of A after the faulklands/thatcher debate/fracas escapes me………..errmmmm…..hello…(back to lurking)

  5. When you listen to the news bulletins tonight, Celts, spare a thought for all those involved in the incident in Algeria, but spare a thought also for CQNer IstanbulCelt, who is in the area, working at a similar facility, knows some of the people taken and is obviously just desperate to get through the rest of his stint safely so that he can get home on Monday.

     

     

    Sure puts my troubles into perspective.

  6. Paul

     

     

    Man City have turned transfer fees in the Premier League from a joke to a nonsense. Imagine if a Scottish club did the same thing. That would just be a laugh. Oh, I forgot, it is now.

     

    Celtic, showing the way to go in more ways than one.

     

     

    H H

  7. •-:¦:-•** -:¦:- sparkleghirl :¦:-.•**• -:¦:-• on

    IstanbulCelt

     

     

    Your comment here was the first I’d heard of this, just looked at news sites to see what you were talking about. Wishing you all the best. Let us know now and again that you’re stiill ok!

  8. Istanbul Celt-News reporting Algerian faction with al qaeda links,protesting against situation in Mali.Good luck to you all.HH

  9. Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly on

    miki67

     

     

     

    16:58 on 16 January, 2013

     

     

     

    Moose steak…..

     

     

    Are they no awfy wee?

  10. Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly on

    If somebody in the pub offers you cheap burgers, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

  11. Bada Bing

     

     

    Big Carroll models his game on Horst Hrubesch,but it turns oot like my little pony.

  12. My Dear Kojo….

     

     

    Ah Reckon That Alyss Has Called It Right..

     

     

    On The Prospects Of ‘Bounce’ Bangura..

     

     

    Looks Lost On The Pitch….

     

     

    His First….Terrible….

     

     

    And No Heart Evident…..

     

     

    Reminds Me Of Blinker….

     

     

    Cowardly Wi’ Nae Mallum Whatsoever…

     

     

    A Poor Man’s Peter Grant….

     

     

    (If That Was Theoretically Possible..)

     

     

    Now Samaras…Has Found Some Bottle Lately…

     

     

    And Is Prepared To Take The Knocks…

     

     

    Seems To Me…

     

     

    That This Change In Attitude…

     

     

    Came About Midway Through Last Season….(Agin’ Dunfermline?)

     

     

     

    When He Was Forever Receiving Knocks To His Head And Face…

     

     

    Almost As If His Assailants Were Deliberately Targeting What They Perceived As His ‘Vulnerability’…

     

     

    His Anxiety To Preserve His Handsome Physiognomy..

     

     

    However….It Hiz Backfired…..

     

     

    Sammi Has Consulted The Oracle At Delphi…

     

     

    And Hiz Been Advised That Since He Is Destined To Look As Bruised And Battered As Anthony Quinn….

     

     

    By The End Of His Footballing Career..

     

     

    He Might As Well Get ‘Stuck In’…

     

     

    Like Zorba The Greek….

     

     

    Hence The Profound Change In Attitude..

     

     

    Howz Dem Aipples..?

  13. ..a bloke in the pub offered me a great deal on eight haunches of venison.

     

     

    However, i refused his offer as I thought is sounded two dear!

     

     

    ….. offski….

  14. South Of Tunis on

    Blondie ?

     

     

    Fond memories of going to see Werner Herzog’s Heart of Glass movie in a Notting Hill art house cinema . Late 70s / early afternoon showing ,hardly anybody in the theatre .

     

     

    About 30 minutes in , a guy stood up and shouted ——

     

     

    ” Where the * * * *s Blondie ?”

     

     

    and then noisily walked out

  15. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Dont know what all the fuss is about with the horse DNA in the Tesco burgers.

     

     

    I had two for my tea last night and was up eating my oats and carrots nae bother this morning…

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