Liam Scales was signed in the summer transfer window last year from Shamrock Rovers on a four year deal.
From what I can see from looking at the stats, he started nine games for the club and made a total of 19 appearances last season, mostly at left back and scoring once.
He looked a decent player and I was impressed with his height, strength and athleticism. He looked composed on the ball and gave us a different option in that position at 6ft2, compared to Greg Taylor at 5ft9.
However, Scales has now joined Aberdeen on loan for the season, and is being utilised more as a centre back and apparently doing well.
Aberdeen have apparently already tried to make the deal a permanent one, with Celtic at the moment not willing to move Scales on for good and perhaps want to see how he performs this season for the Dons, which I think is a good decision.
However, I was not impressed by Scales’ recent comments on his time at Celtic.
Here’s what he has to say a couple of days ago:
“I had a couple of months where I was in and out, in for certain games and probably played ten times between November and January.”
“I thought I did OK and then in the second half of the season I wasn’t as good. It was tough not being involved.”
“Coming into training on a Monday knowing you don’t have much of a chance of playing is hard.”
“I am glad to be out of it now and in a different cycle where I am playing every weekend.”
“When you are training every day knowing you have a chance of playing on a Saturday your mindset is different.”
“When you know you’re not going to play, it’s hard to keep yourself up.”
“You do your best, but it can be hard to be as motivated for training as you are when you’re in and about the team and playing.”
“You know then that you have to prepare right for the game and perform as well as you can.”
Ange has said umpteen times that he doesn’t not have a first choice XI, he fully believes in his whole squad playing a part and wants every player to be ready to step in and contribute to the team when called upon.
Yet, here we have a guy, in his debut season at the club, basically admitting that he wasn’t training and applying himself as well as he should have been because he didn’t think he was going to be playing.
Is it any wonder Ange didn’t give him more chances if this was Scales’ mindset and application?
I can understand he will be disappointed when he isn’t playing, but that should want to make him try even harder and do even better in training to force his way into the team, not put you in the mindset of “och I probably won’t play at the weekend so it’s too hard to get myself motivated for training”.
If this guy has any ambition and desire at all to make it at Celtic, he better get his act together if he is given a second chance.
Young, dumb and full of cum. Ange would’ve seen right through that attitude and this is a reason why he was put out on a development loan. Still a young buck and we’ve all said stupid things at a young age we wish we hadn’t. He’ll hopefully widen up with age, but if he doesn’t change that attitude, he’ll soon find that he might not have a place at Aberdeen, let alone the Champions of the country.
HAIL HAIL
KEEP THE FAITH🍀🍀
Honest assessment by a player of his time with the Hoops last year.
Ange will of course as a manager declare that he doesn‘t have a set 1st11.
Just wait until Sat.
Scales a much better left sided centre back prospect than the 2 vying for that position this term.
Neither have a left kicking foot.
Will be interesting to see how he develops if injury free.
Hail Hail.
Must say that at his age I have rather played for Alloa every week than sit on a bench every week for Barcelona.
Ralston, Welch, Forrest, Bernabei, Siegrist, Bain, Johnston*,McCarthy…meet your pals Liam.
No guarantees for these guys either,but they’re all doing something right to be in about it.
I hope Liam proves me wrong because i believe the talent is there…maybe he just doesn’t have the attitude right, or was it an honest confession that he just knows he’s not good enough?