The Lotw Diary- Wednesday

It was like a yoof club meeting of the best young players in the world last night. They didnae disappoint either. What was mair pleasing, is that of them on show only Kaka done any damage to us. We shackled Rooney and Naylor shackled Ronaldo. But Kaka was a different kettle of fish.

Accusations can be levelled that Man Yoo and AC never stepped up to the plate against us, well every season they enter CL wie thoughts of winning the thing, while we enter the thing dreaming of away victories and qualification for the last 16.

But then that does us an injustice. While we hung on against Man Yoo at home only for them to be Naka’d against Milan we did hold oor own withoot ever looking like winning the tie. We competed against two semi finalists and potential winners. That’s all we could ask for. We can all dream that one day we will add the quality to maybe get a result.

Kaka’s goal against us was like watching perpetual motion. I have never seen a player move as fast, as gracefully and in such control of the ball as that night in Milan. In fact, it was a joy to go oot to such a goal. Rooney overshadowed him last night but then Rooney is the only player who is as close to the real deal as Kaka.

While both of those players are way oot of oor league, in terms of buying them, the chances of us producing player’s wie a potential to compete at the higher level is increasing. Whether we will see these players fully develop is another question.

Tommy Burns yesterday berated the fact that players he has produced have left for nothing. Liam Miller and Shaun Maloney were the main gripes of his irk. Burns having seen these leads blossom into 1st team regulars saw their heids turned by lucre or by a wage structure unwilling to accommodate demands.

While one, has now found solace in the North East after chasing a boyhood dream that was doomed from the start and the other is still unproven. The lure of the south looms large over us and players bought and reared will always pick up interest from over the border.

The CL is the only place to be seen and we will find that to oor cost. Burns rates Aiden McGeady as the best he has seen. Could go on to anything if he keeps on progressing at the rate he is. Thing is with Aiden how long will Aiden be occupied with maybe qualifying for the last 16 or even only the main group stage every year, if we are lucky, or visiting empty hell holes week in week out?

His heid could be turned not maybe to a move to one of the big four but a middle order EPL club for a season or two to get noticed. He would get handsomely paid for that option. Then again while he was playing for a league title, Shaun and Stan were playing a meaningless match which didnae matter to anyone outside Pompey or Birmingham.

We have blooded youngsters this season at the highest stage. They now have a taste and maybe life back on the bench or the reserve will not occupy some. O’Dea will have strong competition for a regular starting berth but one I feel he can cope wie. Also the return of Kennedy while being heralded as the return of the new ceaser, wrongly in my opinion at this moment in time as the lad still has months of hard work to do.

Tommy Burns said that Celtic have only been a buying club in the last 10 years. Before that modest signings from the SPL was the norm wie replacements found from the youths. A pattern, which I have noticing developing again over the last two seasons. This is the 1st phase of Celtic following the model of the Dutch clubs like PSV and Ajax. We are aiming for the hybrid of the two.

PSV plunder far-reaching corners of the globe for gems and also the lower reaches of the Dutch league get a few seasons from them then move them on at profit. Ajax rear them, take them as far as they can go then sell for profit once the players heid has been turned.

Both teams are constantly changing, nothing lasts forever. Something I think us at Celtic will need to get used to.
Forza The Champions.