CELTIC FANS are a passionate fanbase, we wear out hearts on our sleeve when it comes to supporting the team from the terraces and go above and beyond for players who do the same for us.
While this is an admirable quality in the support it makes loan signings an absolute nightmare.
When Celtic get a player on loan who excels and endears themselves to the support there is an almost instant clamour from certain supporters (including this writer) to get them signed up as soon as possible. When we see magic being made and know there’s a clock ticking in the background it can often lead us to repetitive madness.
We had it with Paddy Roberts, however, I do insist to a certain point if it hadn’t been for the vigour in which Celtic fans campaigned for his return we might not have got Paddy for an extra season. You’ve had your Robbie Keane’s and Craig Bellamy type players come in and make a splash without ever sticking around.
We have Mohamed Elyounoussi on loan and two months into the temporary deal we’re again going down a familiar road in wanting to call for him to be signed up. It’s natural, but it also stops us from completely enjoying the player while he’s at the club – we’re so worried he’s leaving we get wrapped up in a usually pointless end game.
Mohamed is out of our league financially – as we reported on over the weekend, the midfielder is on £60kpw basic and cost Southampton £16m – a figure they will likely look at if anybody wants to buy him.
When Celtic pulled this deal out of nowhere towards the end of the window, I was delighted. It wasn’t a young player we were going to try and enhance for another club – this is a guy with genuine talent who has had a rough season in the Premier League.
It’s exactly the type of loan deals Celtic should be aiming for to help supplement the squad and Moi is proving he can live up to the expectations so far.
Our resilience as a support is also well documented – something that keeps us going once Moussa Dembele leaves only for a new Prince to be crowned in Odsonne Edouard and when he leaves…Well I’m not ready to talk about that, yet.
You can start to see the wheels turning and perhaps a more pragmatic approach from some coming into play who know these players won’t be here for the long haul but the short term benefits outweigh the stress of seeing them leave.
Yes , we do get this nonsense about loan players every time , five signed last season and we were spouting about signing 4 of them , Benkovic , Burke , George Weahs boy , and Scott Bain , only the German full back wasn’t wanted, some never really get it about the affordability of having these type of players & get carried away with themselves, not realistic attall.