Thursday, July 19, 2018

Celtic Park no place for Bozos or Jozos - Simunovic has to go

In one of the most embarrassing misjudgements made even by this blogger, the defensive partnership of Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata was tipped as one to watch develop, a ball-playing defensive rock, powerful and calm, and one capable of holding its own against Europe's elite clubs.

That was after our first season under Brendan Rodgers and I suspect that many Celtic fans felt something similar.

But within a few months, Brendan was warning Jozo that he had to cut out the mistakes if he wanted to retain his place in the team.

Jozo didn't and he was promptly dropped with Brendan preferring Dedryck, Kristoffer Ajer,  Jack Hendry and even Marvin Compper, who increasingly looks like being a Gary Gillespie for the 21st century.

Through Belgium's World Cup exploits, another Compper injury and nerve-wracking recruitment, Jozo was given another chance against Alashkert - one  that he blew in some style.

With Rosenborg looming after an otherwise excellent early-season performance, what defender wouldn't lunge in with his studs showing, above waist height, in the middle of the pitch during the first 15 minutes?

Answer: any one with an IQ in excess of his continental shoe size - that's who!

While many were understandably putting team loyalty and disappointment ahead of the evidence of their eyes, Brendan was in no mood to point the finger at anyone other than the true culprit - the former Celtic defender, Jozo Simunovic.

I say, "former", as Brendan would surely trust Steven Gerrard with a pass-back rather than risk Celtic's fortunes with another outing from a player who is now causing some to fondly recall Oliver Tebilly.

Where he may go is another matter - perhaps some club without access to television might fancy him as a make-weight in a transfer move. Frankly, I don't care as long as he never again plays a competitive match for Celtic.

Trying to make real progress in European football is a difficult enough task without the booby-traps of random Simunovic moments.

It's a serious business with profound implications for our immediate and medium-term future.

It's not a job for Bozos - or Jozo.
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