I think I’m on the point of spotting why Celtic need a PR man.

Or at the very least an accomplished speechwriter.

“James can still be a fantastic footballer. Everybody sees what he has but he has to do it more often in games.

“There has to be more intensity in everything he does. When he carries the ball he is like Messi. You just feel it is so easy.

“Everything is good but it has to be more effective and it has to be more intense defensively and offensively. Then he will reach his full potential.

“Now he is in a very good place but he hasn’t played so much because of the competition. He has to use his minutes.

“Now that he is going he wants to play every match and train every day. It is a big step for him. If he stays then he will be even better because James has something special.”

Ronny Deila comparing James Forrest to Lionel Messi, and giving him a big public hug. and assuring him that the fact the deal was for four years meant something.

“Is the four-year offer a statement? Of course it is.

“But I never get surprised any more. We have these interesting situations all the time.

“There are a lot of things the player has to talk about.

“They have agents and there are other opportunities. It is a tough thing. But we have given him a good offer and we have to go on now that he has said no.

“He’s here and he’s a good footballer so I will continue picking the team that I think is the best. We will see what happens with James between now and Christmas.”

Supporters might feel a little bamboozled at this latest twist in the story concerning the recent “rejection” of a new four year deal by the winger, after the club adopted a David Cameron style of PR, which is largely just saying whatever you think people want to hear, regardless of whatever else you’ve said, or indeed what the facts are, on any given topic.

So, of course, Honduran left back Emilio Izaguirre should also be feeling wanted as well, after fearing that he might be surplus to requirements.

 “Of course he has, we can’t have one full-back. Yes, he has a future and he’s a great player.

“It’s tough competition on that side. Everyone can see what KT has done but everyone also respects what Emilio has done for this club. We know we have two very good full-backs. He’s a player we want to keep.

“I talk with Emilio lots of times. He comes into my office and we talk. Of course he wants to play more, that’s for sure. Everybody in that squad wants to play.

“But it’s a competition and you never know in football. Something could happen with KT and also he can show in training that he is better. I can’t make my decision on what a national team coach is having an opinion 

I’d be happy if he’d start by making decisions based on his own opinion, and told everyone else he was the manager, and he’ll make the decisions that affect the team.

And he alone.

These days, football managers are not allowed to have the open chequebook and brown envelopes that served them so well in the past, for obvious reasons.

Men such as Harry Redknapp, Dick Advocaat and recently Brendan Rodgers, have been a little over enthusiastic with their clubs money, and it had to stop sooner or later.

Paying over inflated wages and fees will ultimately lead to more than one club taking the Rangers route to oblivion, and its no surprise that very few now have complete control.

Deila, though, doesn’t seem to have any. He’s trying to make the players feel wanted, but it appears to be out of his hands.

Yesterday, the club tweeted Deila claiming..

“I haven’t talked straight with Jamesy about these things. Been a part of our squad for many years, and we wanted to keep him.” 

Thats hard to believe.

Why would a manager not talk to one of his players, especially one he wants to keep ?

So, lets assume he has.

The club also tweeted;

“An issue between the club and the player. We got a no from an offer which we felt was really good and we have to keep going.” (MH)

So its not between the manager and the player ?

Okay, who then ?

The players agent, surely ?

And the man who offers the contracts ?

Okay, lets make something up, lets imagine we overheard a conversation between the two.

Maybe , for instance, the man offering the contract asked for an answer, you know, to tidy things up and move things along.

Maybe the agent said the player would like a bit of time to talk it over with his family.

Maybe not, maybe the agent just rang the club and asked for ridiculous money and a guaranteed first team spot.

Unlikely. no agent, knowing how the club works would act so rashly. you’d assume, anyway.

So, the players wants time to think it over-he’s got until December, there’s no rush, at least in his eyes.

But the contract manager isn’t getting an answer when he wants it, and he is a man used to getting what he wants.

What if he threw a wobbly, and said the deal was off ? And said he knew it was a mistake offering it in the first place ?

Then, the club announces the player has rejected the deal ?

The trouble is, conjecture like this will always surround this kind of situation, and even though the club has said the player has rejected the deal, it does seem rather a lot of hullaballoo for the traditional turning down of the first offer, which is the point that both sides actually start to go to work on the deal.

And , as the club have a history of fudging the issue, have deigned to employ certain types of character on the board not entirely unaccustomed to telling lies, then I’ll stick with my made up version of events.

And when that gets boring, I’ll make something else up.

You see, the problem now is getting out of hand, and won’t help the player , the coach, or the CEO to say or do anything any of us believe, and the press are beginning to sniff blood, which means  they can do their usual anti-Celtic stuff and do their best best to upset the players and even spread a little bit of panic amongst them.

I mean, look at this….

Hibernian 0 Morton 3:

Ton run riot at Easter Road as Hibees’ title hopes take a

huge dent 

With Celtic set to face the Greenock side in the cup quarter finals, this ridiculous attempt to unsettle the players by making up a scoreline is beyond the pale.

( Ralph, you’re fired -Ed )

Oh. turns out thats true, but then again, if it’s nearly Easter, it must be time for the annual hibernian Festival which involves everything you’ve done for twelve months falling into pieces for no real reason other than thats what happens at this time of year.

So I wouldn’t worry about Morton causing us any problems in the cup, as it’s been a couple of years since they last knocked us out of a competition, and with the game being at noon next sunday, no-one from Greenock will be up for it, as the police sirens and gunfire would have kept them awake the previous night.

And anyway, we might just have a surprise for them…

Another attempt to make a first division club and its manager relevant.

And another reason why we should have a strong PR department, or a speechwriter.

I’ll give it a go..

“Ronny , what do you think about Mark Warburtons views on articifial pitches. 2

My solution, after much deliberation , would be for Ronny to say.

“I don’t give a flying fuck what he thinks, or anyone else from that lice infested shit pit. ”

The papers, of course, like to kick up a little controversy, as they did when Gary Harkins of Dundee commented that Rangers were a new club.

He’s been vilified on social media by the supporters of that club who have opposable thumbs, which is still a sizeable percentage, and we hear that the papers have lined up another “unbeliever ” for the hordes to feast upon.

Celtic face Hamilton tomorrow. I’ll ring Peter in the morning and let you know what the team is…..

Caption competition today is in full colour, and its quite a , er, striking image.

Though it appears the ultimate caption competition winner of all time has been announced…

Finally, one person has already been chopped for his comments.

Keep it rational, respectful and reasonably thought provoking.