Davie Provan is a strange pundit. Well strange as in the way he views Celtic. As a former Hoops player you would think he would have more positive things to say about the club, especially when things are starting to look better for the team.
In fact, he did, according to Born Celtic but as soon as the positivity has been served, the negativity rolls back in.
Speaking on Go Radio, Provan insinuated that Joe Hart was “desperate” signing by Dermot Desmond to take the heat off him and did suggest who he would have brought to the club that would have offered better value, “He is a big name (Hart). And I think there was an element of appeasement about the signing.
“I think Dermot Desmond has thought, ‘We’re all under pressure here let’s go and sign a big name’.
“An England international, 75 caps. Ticks all the boxes.
“But I think Celtic could have got better value from Benji Seigrest at Dundee United, 29 years of age and into the last year of his contract.
“They would have got him for not a lot of money. But listen, Joe Hart could prove me wrong completely if he’s still got the the appetite for the game.
“There’s no doubt he was a top keeper.
“If he’s got the appetite, he can be again.
“Let’s be honest Celtic was desperate to get a goalkeeper in and given the performance of Barkas and given that there was no reliable substitute for Barkas he (Desmond) had to act quickly.
“And it would be a case of looking at who was available and what the wages were that determined Desmond has gone for the big name.”
Seigrest is a good keeper. No doubt. But Celtic class? Not for me. Hart is a proven winner. He has won Premier League titles at Man City. He knows what it takes to succeed. Seigrest on the other hand, even at 29 years old, for me would have been a gamble.
Only time will tell but the early signs are that Hart has brought a calmness to the Celtic defence. One we haven’t seen for a long time. That in itself is worth the £15k a week alone.