CELTIC LEGEND Willie Wallace seems upset by the fact Brendan Rodgers is refusing to rush young Daniel Arzani into the first team.

Wallace, who lives down under these days believes the Celtic manager is doing the midfielder a disservice and if he was on the board he’d want Rodgers out for the decision.

In quite an astonishing rant the former Celtic player blasted Rodgers for having a losing attitude in Europe and even joked he could beat Tom Rogic in a race.

Speaking about Arzani, there was no room for misinterpreting what Wallace was saying.

“He’s saying it’s going to be a while before he plays. Well, why are Celtic paying the wages and not Man City?” told SunSport.

“If I was the board at Celtic, I’d have kicked the manager’s a*** out the door.

“Why would you take Arzani for two years if he isn’t going to play in your team? The kid, for me, will finish up a better player than James Forrest.

“Arzani is quick, he takes people on, and he reminds me a bit of Jimmy Johnstone because of that.

“When I heard Rodgers say he wasn’t ready, I was baffled. Why take the boy if he thinks he’s not ready?

“If I was the lad, I’d ask to go back to City or go somewhere else to get a game.”

Arzani signed on a two-year loan deal but Rodgers has been wary of fielding the youngster, saying he has yet to play proper first team football in his career.

He wants to mould potential into a player and believes that will take time.

There have been Wallace apologists out there but his comments are deeply outrageous and disrespectful to a Celtic manager who has brought home an unprecedented double treble.

Regardless of any Celtic minded persons views on a single Celtic matter – the way he’s gone about it is pretty poor.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Can’t understand myself why we would pay another teams player his wages when we don’t seem to be benefiting. Perhaps there’s something we don’t know? A player pushed on the manager perhaps? I trust Brendan though

  2. I think Brendan made it clear earlier in the Summer that he had little (no?) input into the club’s transfer dealings. Sounds like this move was forced on Brendan, just like Musonda, and I suspect Compper. What the board’s strategy with these moves is, is anybody’s guess. Cheap, short-term means of deflecting fans’ attention away from real transfer activity, perhaps.

  3. I know and respect he is a Celtic legend but his football was from a period around half a century ago. Although the object i.e. play attractive football, entertain the fans and score goals is the same, the speed, physicality and tactics are all different now. I cannot remember Celtic having to play against packed defences as often in Willie’s day as we do now and I’ve followed them since before he joined them. I don’t think Arzani was a Brendon signing, I think it was big Peter who made the deal and Brendon will have to fit him in as and when HE sees fit. One more point, Urzani and Jimmy Johnstone in the same sentence now you are having a laugh.

  4. Arzani will get his chance and playing in the 1st team. He is playing very well in the development squad and Brendan Rodgers will play him very soon.

  5. Canny just send a gifted young man into a game in which referees won’t protect him, up until now he has had that. Referees don’t see brutal challenges on Celtic players, he needs to learn how to ride a challenge. Once he has mastered that he will be able play and play well without some 6foot knuckledragging @rsehole ends his career and we get to hear “honest mistake, I was going for the ball”
    Hail Hail

  6. Wallace should have more respect for BR. Given Wallace’s late entry into the Lisbon Season he should enjoy the ongoing adulation rather than mouth off to appease the media vultures. He might have scored two in the semi to beat Dukla and again in the Cup Final against Aberdeen but he has no need or right to criticise current Celts who have achieved what he didn’t despite the superiority of the Lions

  7. Reading between the lines,it does SEEM that Brendan had little input in Arzanis signing.However what is CERTAIN is Brendan has had a big input and expertease in the development of players and particularly young players both in his time in England and definately while at Celtic.Ultimately,it is Brendan who will decide when the time is right for Arzani to make his first team debut.Arzani has signed a 2 year deal so there is plenty of time to get him up to speed and Brendan obviously feels Arzani has no more to offer the team than Forest, Sinclair, Morgan,Christie or Johnstone,given these are the players positions he would be challenging,not exactly an easy task.Wallaces opinion,that Arzani would be better off back at City trying for game time is bizzare,if he can’t get into the Celtic team playing in the SPFL,what chance getting into the City team playing in rhe EPL.
    Hopefully we get to experience what Arzani can do sooner rather than later,and if the hype that precedes him is at least 75% genuine,then we are in for treat,more in the Patrick Roberts class than Jinkies,me thinks,but who knows? H.H

  8. If Arzani, is a succesful player for the Hoops. Will he end up at Girona too?? Why spend so much time training him for mediocre finish for his future talent, if Man City won’t play him or Celtic to buy him after two years. Seems a waste of capital and manpower, I Guess if Celtic were bought by a shiehk. Their future playing talent would go elsewere for first team football. Wait a minute …….. They do. FFS.

  9. Brendan will only bring Arzani in to first team if he can make the cut his chance will come like all the other players you can grasp your chance and make it to be a first choice player or a squad player or just fall away he is here to shine if he can,nothing wrong in that Brendan will give him the time he needs and then pull the plug if he fails simple as that………….

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