CARL STARFELT had an inauspicious start to this Celtic career with some high profile mistakes. Since then, we’ve seen a lot of fans give up on the Swede already – unconsciously anointing the defender as this season’s whipping boy.

It’s confirmation bias at its finest.

‘Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values.’

Carl’s slow start means he’s facing an uphill struggle to convince the above type of Celtic fan. The Aberdeen game was an example of the player doing well but not receiving any praise for what he was doing. Instead, people focus on that misplaced pass or that one missed interception.

Celtic are not in the business of recruiting finished articles or world-class defenders – we simply can’t afford them. Most players we bring in are going to have some rough edges.

Our defenders are also going to make mistakes given the system we play, it’s inevitable. Too many fans focus on what Carl is doing wrong at points in the game but miss the 90% he does right.

I was happy to see I wasn’t alone with this assessment after the Aberdeen game. Some fans managing to think for themselves and detach Carl from earlier performances.

I already know when I post this article onto our social media feeds we will have reactive statements from some of these supporters who won’t even read this article, telling us the Swede is ‘hopeless’. That’s how some of our fans choose to operate – each to their own.

If I thought Carl was useless, I would say so. If over the season he can’t shake major mistakes then that’s a different story, right now, he’s doing well. Not amazing, but he was as much a part of that win against Aberdeen as anyone else in the Celtic team.

9 COMMENTS

  1. In my view, Carl Starfelt has been doing well.
    The are some amongst our fan base who seem more like the worst of Sevco fans.

  2. I agree with your comments about Starfelt. He does look a bit awkward and his passing is sometimes a bit suspect but he has been settling in to a new country and culture. I thought in the the 2nd half v Leverkusen and v Aberdeen he looked a decent player.

  3. .Celtic fans are to quick to judge players, some are slow starters and need more time. Same with the manager, some fans are already counting him out when we all know what a shambles he took over. Given time, the signs are already there that we will come good. Kyogo, Abada,and Jota are 3 examples of how good this manager is going to be going forward. Another transfer window and we will be on our way. 1 bad game does not make a bad player or a poor team .

  4. I take on board all the positive comments which have been made. I agree he has made some telling interceptions, however I’m afraid I’m sticking to my guns on this one. I have coached from 5yr olds to 17 year olds for a good number of years. I do not think he is or ever will be, Celtic class. I do not think he is worth the money we paid and I simply can not help the anxiety that rises within me, every time he gets the ball. The opposition know it and everyone of them are all over it like a rash. I actually think the guy has a depth perception problem. I am being genuine and I am not mocking a disability etc etc, I genuinely believe it. You see how awkward he is on the ball and it’s as if he doesn’t realize the distance between him and the ball and most of the time, the passing is like a jab.

  5. CARL STARFELT is the LH we have the RH WE ARE MISSING THE CH But he will be back soon 3 along the back with 2 attacking wing backs 2 holding in midfielders 2 attacking midfielders and a CF,IT will get better now that they know how to win games in Scotland play hard and for 90 mins plus…

  6. I would like to add we are a team full of new faces it will come if we see it out this season with our new manager 2 more new players in jan and we should be looking very strong,all new teams need to lose and win together and grind out wins and never ever think we are beat do all that together and we will come good for Ange…

    • Starfelt keeping young walsh out the team is baffling, he is caught out of position on numerous occasions and has been lucky to get away with it. We keep moaning about young players not coming through and not getting game time.

  7. When you pay £4.5 million for a player you expect him to be able to do the basics.

    Starfelt has difficulty doing the most rudimentary tasks called upon a defender.

    All i ever see him do is pass the ball back to Joe Hart or across the goal to Vickers. Whenever he does decide to dribble five yards he looks like Quasimodo towing an invisible caravan.

    Ray Charles has more vision than this fella, and Ray Charles is blind and dead.

    We should not be discussing the merits of Carl Starfelt on here, because anyone with even limited sight would have known that this fella was not worth 450,000 let alone 4.5 million.

    You’d have to question are the board wheeling and dealing when buying these crap players and getting a slice of the pie in the bargain?

    There is no way on any planet that anyone who knows anything about football would say that this fella is worth £4.5 million.

    Therefore, difficult questions should be asked.

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