Following on from our article this morning of former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis scoring a sensational goal for his new club Atlanta United in the MLS, a familiar narrative has taken root among certain sections of the Celtic faithful.
A lot of Celtic fans have watched the clip and have come to the conclusion that Celtic were wrong to let him go, and that Giakoumakis was the best striker at the club – NO CHANCE. However, this sudden surge of nostalgia seems to distort the reality of the situation.
While Giakoumakis did make a notable contribution during his time at Celtic, the perception of his impact has been magnified due to his absence, combined with the struggles of his replacement, Oh Hyeungyu, who missed a crucial opportunity at Ibrox last weekend. This juxtaposition has fostered an exaggerated view of Giakoumakis’ performance during his Celtic tenure.
Celtic fan nostalgia
Certainly, it’s not uncommon for fans to view former players through rose-tinted glasses, especially when they move on and perform well for their new clubs. The nostalgia for past successes can sometimes cloud the reality of the situation. The truth is, Giakoumakis left Celtic because he wasn’t getting the contract he desired. At 28, he knew that his next deal was likely to be the most lucrative of his career, and Celtic, for whatever reasons, were unable to meet his demands.
This is not to belittle Giakoumakis’ contributions at Celtic Park. He was a competent striker and scored important goals, but to label him as the club’s best striker seems a stretch. It is important to remember that football clubs are businesses as much as they are sporting institutions, and they must make decisions with their financial health in mind. Celtic’s decision to sell Giakoumakis was likely not made lightly and it’s crucial to trust the judgement of the club in such matters.
As fans, we should certainly be able to appreciate and applaud the contributions of past players, Giakoumakis included, without creating a false narrative about their time at the club. We can and should celebrate the spectacular goals Giakoumakis scores in the MLS, while remembering the context of his departure.
It’s crucial for us to balance our nostalgia with a healthy dose of realism. Celtic will continue to evolve and improve, bringing in new talent and saying goodbye to others. It’s the nature of the game and it will happen more and more under Ange Postecoglou who clearly has the view, you’re either 100% in or 100% out.
THANK YOU!!! He’s literally playing at a lower level than in Scotland, no polished t*rd of a league like the MLS. He’s gone, people forgetting he turned into a big sulking mess and Ange had to bench him.
Focus on the players we have, not the ones who didn’t even want to be there.
GG shouldn’t have been allowed to leave. There was no point in selling a proven scorer for a lot less than he was worth, and then replacing him with a relative novice who may, or may not, succeed.
A gamble not worth taking when we didnt even maximise his value in the trf market in any case.
If he wanted to be at Parkhead, he would be at Parkhead. Thanks for your contribution Giorgios, but Sir Jock and now Ange, recognise how useless, even negative, is the influence of an unhappy player. Don’t want to be there, Go! That same issue was one of the many problems that cost us 10 in a row.