Posted 03 August 2012 - 11:55 PM
The 'youth system' is a crock. It's a myth. Whatever went wrong with Scottish football over the last 20 years - hmmm, wonder what that might be? - it isn't going to be cured by drafting young players out of the Celtic junior ranks. The quality isn't there for the senior expectations of a club like Celtic. Maye one every three or four years shows potential. But that's yer lot. Selling Hooper, Wanyama, Ledley, Ki, Kayal etc to finance some fictional quality street set up is deranged IMO. There are decent professionals out there, all over Europe. All we need is the right combination of youthful proven players and seasoned pros. We are nearly there now, at least in terms of the model Lennon has set up. The individual parts of that set up are what needs strengthening.
And look, Europe is not an option - its a necessity to the lifeblood and health of our club domestically too. We are a European brand, even now. That's our home - Milan, Madrid, Munich, Barcelona. Getting a crack at those clubs with a club like Celtic is what will attract the players we need to get a strong, hard-to-beat side.
We used to be a club that didn't sell it's players - to a big extent we still are. We didn't sell because the players themselves liked the crowds, the stadium, the class, the medals, the competition in Europe. With a little ambition regarding signing targets, we can be that club again.
Failing to make the CL would be a huge disappointment for a club like ours. But failing that is NOT inevitable. It's not 'facing up to reality'.
Reality is that a shite team playing shite football are currently European champions.
We can easily be as successful as a crude and ignorant and negative and lacking in class side as Chelsea. We just need players who can defend and take scoring chances when they come. That's the fuckn Celtic way. Not this myth that the 'old Celtic' just played beautiful football. We routinely treated lesser clubs like our bitches, with good defenders like the oft ignored J Clark and T Gemmell and T Callaghan and a string of sharp fit deadly strikers. That's not beyond us just yet.
Don't anyone mention 'gulf in class' between EPL and Celtic to me ever again after the Chelski CL travesty last season. It's all within our reach.
Hail Hail
if we were to be knocked out of CL qualifiers I think we should sell at least 6-7 top players and bank the cash for when we need it, selling our big players would then give our youngsters a chance and I think they will grab it with 2 hands.
