I wonder if it was maybe an obligation to buy that Celtic turned down, as it would seem crazy to turn down an option to buy that you can simply pass on if the loan doesn't work out. But whichever it was they're certainly going to have to pay a fair bit more now if they want him permanently. Even at 6 or 7 million though he'd be a good value signing. He scores goals and he's only just turned 23, so they could get him for two or three years and potentially sell him for a lot more than that down the line. Tall, strong, quick strikers who actually score goals are not easy to find so anything under £10m would be a relative bargain here.
Celtic supporters are struggling to accept their current place in world football and it's showing in how they feel about players like Idah and Scales. Scales has been great for them this year, including yesterday, but they dislike the idea that a player from the League of Ireland who didn't stand out at Aberdeen last season represents an improvement for them.
Similarly Idah was third choice striker at Norwich in the Championship as recently as January but has come in and massively improved Celtic. The reality of that is tough for their supporters to take, that they used to have Sutton and Larsson but they're no more than a mid table Championship equivalent team now. So they try to convince themselves that's not the case by saying Idah isn't good enough for them and then go in search of more exotic sounding players from around Europe who usually turn out to be crap.
For me arguably the most positive thing about the last four months for Idah is that he's actually had a good run without injury. His habit of picking up injuries is probably the biggest risk for Celtic in terms of signing him but their supporters don't even realise that's a potential issue as they know nothing about his career before this year.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024...inning-strike/
Rodgers effusive.
I didn't see the game so catching up. Apparently played well and held up the ball to see the game out. Also pushed Diomande onto his backside. So the fans are happy with him on the forum. There are still posters weighing him up with Bojan Miovski and capping what should be paid for him.
Just shows the bias that's there towards a more exotic sounding player among their support. Miovski has scored one goal in his last 10 games for Aberdeen despite playing 90 minutes week on week and is two years older than Idah. I'm sure he'd probably score a few more at Celtic but there's nothing to suggest he's any sort of upgrade on Idah.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
I don't think there's exactly a clan Idah with their own tartan in fairness.
You're being unfair on Miovski too, who scored 26 in all competitions this season for a team in the bottom half and is hardly over the hill at 24. Also he has 4 in his last 10, not 1?
He's the kind of player Celtic fans will be used to signing - someone doing well for a non-Old Firm side. It might suit their ego in a way signing a guy who couldn't make it at Norwich wouldn't.
Course the fans won't be making the signings, and a couple more goals against Rangers will end any lingering "We should have signed the other guy" debate. Wouldn't be too worried about fan gossip.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 26/05/2024 at 3:35 PM.
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
It's been a good loan but won't be first cho8ce if he signs. He has won the double and scored big goals in 5 months I'd like to see him moving on especially if that seria A interest was still there for another new experience
Yep, I thought the same. I’ve been critical of his striker’s instinct in the past and an inability to anticipate but this was pure Robbie, Inzaghi even.
BBC Scotland’s Sportscene highlights show focused on his run, weaving and deceiving the defender before heading for goal. He read early that Bernardo was shaping for the shot and anticipated the result.
His finish was good too, knowing he had to put it under Butland.
What a moment.
Rodgers was gushing in his praise, saying Celtic’s strong finish to the season was catalysed by Idah’s arrival and that there’s more to come from him.
it’s gone down to 15 mins now I see.
Handy job. Yawn. It was a handy job that Oh wasn’t up to.
Players have come from the Dutch league and struggled and gone from Scotland to Netherlands and done well.
The league is good enough to supply international teams better than ours with starting players. But it seems to be Celtic fans that are delusional about their place in the game (as one or two above have said) not Ireland fans.
Celtic is a perfectly good career option for any player good enough to get in the team but a notch or two below what’s needed at the top end of the game.
And a player with an injury history like Idah’s really doesn’t need a 46 game Saturday-Tuesday Championship season.
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