Confess your unpopular Celtic-related opinions

I hear players and coaches say Calmac leads by example with his attitude to training etc. But you rarely see him piping up and rallying the troops. Hart and Taylor used to do a lot of it and I see Schmeichel do it now as well. But the game can be flat and you don't see McGregor out there getting the boys fired up or cracking some heads together.

I fully buy that he's a model professional but that alone doesn't make him a good leader. Maybe it's preference but I far prefer a captain in the mould of Broonie. In my modest experience of playing team sport, that's the sort of character that you need around when you're two-down, or getting pushed around, or just all demotivated.

 

He’s not a Broony like leader, but he’s took aspects from his style definitely for me. Calmac is the one everyone looks around and uses as an option when they’re in trouble and he’ll bail them out. He’s always an option. He also when he feels it’s needed will drive forward with it, and there’s been a lot of examples of him being the one that does something to get us the win.

He isn’t like Broony though, if I think through the captains I remember for ushe’s more a Jackie or Paul Lambert, or infact a Paul McStay might be the most bang on example.

Not a Lenny or Big Mick or Broony type. Lenny and Broony in particular football ability are underrated for what they done so it’s not a slight on them, but Calmac does it more as a footballer leading on the pitch and in training. He talks to those around him, points it out, but he’s not a shouter there. Schmiechal, Hart before him, And Taylor as I’m actually happy as * you used as an example because he was major for that and a reason I liked him.

Calmac isn’t that. But he’s constantly, and I mean constantly coaching others on the pitch, is always turned to, controls the tempo and will push us on when he knows he needs to… he’s a great captain.

But it’s down to what you want out the captain, Lambert and McStay in the same position were similar sort of leaders. Lenny and Big Mick would be absolutely going mental at * when needed. Broony a mix really.

McGregor when you hear everyone in the team talk about him even, he drives the winning mentality. I love Calmac majorly. Broony i adored and I had him as my favourite captain easily for a long time. I’m unsure who I’d pick between them now. Broony himself has said how much he leads on the pitch.

 

Yeah the comparison with McStay is apt. Probably my favourite Celtic player but not my favourite Celtic captain.

I totally buy that McGregor is responsible on pitch and will take risks to help out teammates, push for goals, and set the tone for the game. I think that's valuable within a team, but it's not sufficient in my view to be a great captain.

On the other hand, who's to say how much of our dominance is due to having a guy that's consistent and professional setting that standard for the team. In a dominant side, perhaps you don't need someone in that commander role as much. There's games where we could absolutely use that personality, however. You look at the Kairat game, for example, and you just want McGregor to run round and give them all a wee slap on pitch, but he's not that guy.

The one black mark against Broonie for me was the COVID year. There was a clear morale issue across the squad and I remember looking at Broonie at times thinking he was unusually quiet. Maybe his head was out the door along with the rest of them, I don't know.

 

Fans who don't sing should have their ST's suspended for a first offence and taken from them for any further failure to support our team.