Leave now, Aiden, and take your place in Celtic history

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Sometimes players go a bit left field

“NOW that Tommy’s gone, maybe all the young players Tommy has coached over the years will think about what he’s said to them and take it on board. If they’re intelligent enough and think about the knowledge Tommy gave them, hopefully they will take something from it.”

Danny McGrain

“HE did the right things, he looked after his diet, he worked hard at his game as he just wanted to further himself all the time. The red hair wasn’t purely superficial as he had a wee sharp temper as well, which was excellent as I like people with spirit and Tommy had spirit in abundance. But he was a good example to youngsters because he was dedicated. He didn’t have to tell them a lot as they saw it in him and he was a well-disciplined boy off the park. He was straightforward and honest and upright with it and that was probably Tommy at his best. He treated people as he expected to be treated himself.”

Billy McNeill

So what if I had only just turned 12? I was young enough to read the papers, smart enough to recycle what they – and their TV counterparts – had to say. And that was enough to convince me that the imminent marriage of a precocious talent would work wonders for his maturity and development into a top-class professional.

I remember my father, who devoted less time to digesting the collected wisdom of the popular press, looking at me with an incredulity that bordered on astonishment, with a smidgeon of panic thrown in. Fortunately, these were the days when that sort of parenting was summarised with myriad variations on the question, “What nonsense are you talking now?”

“He’s 24 – bit of a hot-head but he could be a great player. I reckon, now that he’s getting married he’ll settle down and get into less trouble.”

And you know what? I was right. I never again saw that talc-white chest with the wee red nipples topped off with orange paint – because I never again saw him rip off the Celtic shirt in anger at some referee’s (or manager’s) decision.

Now I have to say right now that Tommy did me – and about a couple of million others – proud. But once upon a time some people doubted that he would turn all that skill, talent and potential on the left of midfield into the sort of outcome that would make us sing with joy while he played and look weeping into mirrors, wondering where such a great part of our lives went when he was, unbelievably, taken from us.

It has been said recently that Tommy Burns was the “buffer” between Aiden McGeady (22)and Gordon Strachan.

I never had any advice from Tommy – but if I had, I would have listened.





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Playing the press is a dangerous game, Aiden

While most of us have by now become inured to media stories telling us that we are to lose our best players, the recent revelation by The Herald’s Hugh MacDonald that Aiden McGeady is ready to leave Celtic cannot be dismissed with our now customary contempt.

We are well used to journalists in the red-tops mixing blatant lies with crude PR on behalf of our lesser rivals. And even in the quality titles such as The Herald, we would rarely give credence to such tales if they came from Darryl “I-Learned-a-Big-Word-Today” Broadfoot.

However, the story about McGeady is intriguing on two counts.

Firstly, the writer: unlike almost all of his colleagues, for many years Hugh MacDonald seems to have resisted the temptation to amuse himself or gain notoriety by producing the unadulterated guff that passes for sports journalism in Scotland. So, when he suddenly breaks a story such as this, it is very unlikely that he is making it up.

Secondly, the content of the article, specifically the quotes, point very squarely at Aiden himself or his representatives as the source.

"Aiden took the criticism for some time but then hit back," said the source, speaking under condition of anonymity….
"The manager seemed to be blaming Aiden for the result," said the dressing-room source. "Aiden was quiet but, as the manager went on, he let him have it. He did not hold back."

“It is understood that Peter Lawwell, chief executive of Celtic, has been informed of the breach between player and manager and will advise board members today of the depth of the rift. Sources close to the player believe that the board will have to back Strachan, paving the way for the 22-year-old to leave the club he joined as a schoolboy.”

“The most likely outcome is that the player will be allowed to leave Glasgow with England or Bayern Munich in Germany, his most likely destinations.”

There are a number of interesting elements to these statements.

To begin with, why would Celtic have decided to sell the player 24 hours after Shaun Maloney suffered a serious hamstring injury? The most likely answer to that is that they have not – it is merely wishful thinking on the part of McGeady or his agent, perhaps believing that they can force the club's hand.

Also, while MacDonald has protected him as well as anyone can in the circumstances, the story also reveals interest from Bayern Munich, as far as I know the first time this has been intimated. That would suggest that the dressing room “source close to the player” is very close indeed – in fact, close enough to share the same jockstrap.

Next there is the content of the quotes themselves: "The manager seemed to be blaming Aiden for the result. Aiden was quiet but, as the manager went on, he let him have it. He did not hold back."

Who would indulge in such a self-pitying “’snot fair” whine after a dressing down from the manager, before boasting that he had then let him “have it”?

It is less than six months since McGeady signed a new five-year contract, letting slip in the televised media conference that he expected to remain for “two or three years”. Now is not the time to throw a tantrum demanding a move.

Aiden has much to achieve at Celtic – and a great deal to learn. He can learn respect for people in the game who know more about it than him. He can learn to listen to instructions. He might also learn when to run into players and when to pass.

He could also learn to accept criticism like a very wealthy footballer expected to play to a match plan, rather than impersonating Derek Riordan.

If McGeady was as shrewd a judge of the game as he appears to think he is, he would know that the wisest move is to become the best player he can be at Celtic before moving to one of the world’s top leagues. Gordon Strachan can help him achieve that. We can only imagine how managers like Alex Ferguson would react to any player who cannot follow instructions or who performs inconsistently.

He would also be well-advised to bide his time until it becomes clear how the seismic shifts in the financial world affect the top clubs. For all he knows, this time next season, Manchester City might be the top club in England, while a giant like Newcastle United could be playing in the Championship.

And if he has any sense he will learn of the dangers of conducting his business through the press.

He may think that by avoiding the usual suspects in the Record, Sun and Evening Times, he is spinning this story in a more subtle way than others have done.

But once a player has gone down the route of turning up the pressure by “going public” with a matter that could better be resolved in a more mature manner, he usually ends up losing … often starting with respect.





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