Celtic’s quest for ten in a row is demanding on the fans. It has been a nine year wait and now it is finally here, the pressure is building and the excitement to cross the line on this once in a lifetime achievement is at fever pitch. It means everything to the fans, but does it mean as much to the players? I think not….well not to all of them anyway.
There is a core of players at Parkhead at the moment that “get” ten in a row. They understand what it means to the club, the fans and the history of the game. They grasp the reality of accomplishing this feat and how it will write their names into immortality with the fans in the same way the Lisbon Lions did when they lifted the European Cup.
Players like Scott Brown, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Leigh Griffiths and Ryan Christie all get it. Celtic is in their blood. It’s in their DNA. The rest? I don’t deny they know the importance of winning the league, but lets be clear. They were not sold on signing for Celtic on the basis of ten in a row. They signed for Celtic on the promise of performing in Europe, namely the Champions League to build their profile for their next big move. And there is not a single thing wrong with that.
Imagine the contract talks of Moussa Dembele, Edouard, N’tcham, Julien and Elhamed et al . Their agents and Celtic (probably) will never have mentioned the league run and the potential of winning ten league titles in a row. The talks would have been centred around “If you perform in Europe, you will get your big move”.
Look at Fraser Forster. This is an example of a man that knows Celtic. He has played with the club for a total of five seasons. He “gets” ten in a row and what it would mean to the club but he STILL chose to head back down south to chase his next big money move. You could even say the same for Ryan Christie. I rest my case.
Ten in row matters most to the fans, and only the fans. For the majority of the players, it’s all about the next best move.