Caldwell v Jan- the glamour of the Premiership

Two years ago Gary Caldwell and Jan Venegoor of Hesselink were driving Celtic to a third successive SPL title- at lunchtime today they could be face to face in one of the Premiership's least attractive fixtures.

Wigan Athletic against Hull City has all the attraction and appeal as the semi-finals of the Aberdeenshire Cup but dressed up by Sky as part of the Premiership package it will have a worldwide audience of millions looking in on the former Celts.

Earlier this season Wigan beat Hull 4-1 at home in an FA Cup Replay with just 5,335 fans bothering to turn up.

After picking up a serious looking head knock against Aston Villa big Jan is hoping to be back in the Hull side that will only beat the drop with two wins in their final matches alongside a defeat for West Ham and an unlikely goal swing of 22 against the Hammers.

Jan left Celtic at the end of his contract last summer and has scored three goals from 15 Premiership starts plus 14 substitute appearances.

Stephen Hunt is Hull's top scorer with just six goals with the club averaging less than a goal a game from a season that always seemed destined for relegation.

Since his January move to Wigan Caldwell has started 14 Premiership with his new club ensuring their Premiership survival in their last home outing when they came from behind to record an unlikely 3-2 win over Arsenal.

Adding to the Celtic connections in today's game will be the presence of James McCarthy in manager Roberto Martinez's side.

Both names were linked seperately with Celtic last summer before opting to move to Wigan.

McCarthy was also linked with a loan move during the January transfer window but has been a regular in the Wigan midfield since the new year despite being only 19-years-old.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for the former Hamilton midfielder who made his international debut in March for Ireland against Brazil.

Meanwhile Ronald Koeman has probably talked himself out of the running as the next Celtic manager.

The former Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia and Benfica manager has told a Dutch newspaper that contact has been made with Celtic.

Going by previous 'changeovers' any candidate that goes public about discussions with Celtic are likely to be looking elsewhere for their next job.

James McCarthy uses the head and ignores Caldwell

James McCarthy has ignored the advise of Gary Caldwell and will make his full international debut for Ireland against Brazil tomorrow night.

The long road from being rejected by the Scotland u-16 squad to becoming a full internationalist for Ireland will be completed when Giovanni Trapattoni gives the Wigan midfielder his first full cap.

Despite the many obstacles that were put in front of him and hostility throughout the country Caldwell thought that he might be able to sweet talk the 19-year-old into an international u-turn.

McCarthy listened, smiled and ignored Caldwell and will be welcomed warmly into the full Irish set up against Brazil tomorrow night.

"He had a chat with me but nothing was going to change," McCarthy admitted about the Caldwell approach, apparently made with the approval of Craig Levein.

"He (Levein) spoke to Gary about it, as I say, because Ireland have done so well for me in everything they've done for me, I was delighted to be part of it.

"It's a bit frustrating when it keeps coming back now and again. I don't know where it's coming from, I don't know who's saying it, I just have to block it out and just get on with my own game. 

"I got a couple of phone calls from Ireland asking what's happening but I told them from day one that nothing was happening and it's just paper talk."

"Liam Brady was on and I told him nothing was happening and he said to keep working hard at my club and see what happens.

"Scotland said I wasn't good enough, Ireland came in and I was delighted to go and represent Ireland especially for my granddad who was so proud.

"I was told by my advisor at the time that he asked Scotland to put me in a squad, but they said we'll leave him now, he's not better than what we got. 

"Ireland came over and watched my first game and put me in. It was Seán McCaffrey who came over himself and he is a really good fella, he looked after me and my family."

McCarthy won't be a fully fledged internationalist in the eyes of Fifa until he plays a competitive match but even the persuasive powers of Caldwell will find it tricky to turn the situation around.

Portsmouth's Marc Wilson will also be making his full international debut for Ireland after turning his back on Northern Ireland.

The Belfast based association are far from happy about the number of players from the six counties who are opting to join up with the Football Association of Ireland with Everton's Shane Duffy following the example of Derry born Darron Gibson in moving south to experience international football.

With attention turning towards McCarthy the Duncan Ferguson of Irish football, Stephen Ireland, continues his international exile at Manchester City where he regularly pops up questioning the important and purpose of international football.

Paul Hyland of the Evening Herald has produced a great article on the background and politics involved in these decisions CLICK HERE to read it.

Get over it Gary

Gary Caldwell is now a Wigan player, a Premiership star alongside Titus Bramwell, Mario Melchiot and other anonymus millionaires at the DW Stadium.

Money is the motivation for 90% of footballers and Caldwell has reportedly signed up to a four and a half year deal worth £25,000 a week- three times his Celtic wages.
Mission accomplished.

Caldwell has made good use of the Bosman rule just as he did at Hibs where he signed a pre-contract agreement before moving to Celtic on a free transfer and pocketing another significant rise.

There isn't really any need for Caldwell to go bitching on Celtic's offer or lack of an offer to keep him.

Whether it was the moneymen or manager that made the decision Celtic have clearly decided that they'll get better value out of Jos Hooived than Caldwell.

The new Dutch signing is quite happy with the terms on offer at Celtic which makes Caldwell's comments today seem silly. Hooived is preferred by Celtic while Wigan have also got their man.

Claiming that Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell forced him out Caldwell said: “You have to ask Peter and Dermot if they underestimated me as a footballer.

“They judged me and their judgement was a little bit off from mine. I have no regrets, I had three and a half years there and they were great for me.

“Hopefully I was good for them but the boss had one opinion and the club had a different one. I think the club won in the end.

“The gaffer told me at different times he wanted me to stay. Ultimately we came to a crossroads and it went the wrong way for me and my future at Celtic.”

Caldwell can now concentrate his energy and anger into proving Celtic wrong starting tomorrow in the glamour clash away at Wolves.

Over the piece Caldwell did a good job at Celtic, probably the most successful example of the Bosman ruling but being chased by Wigan and Middlesbrough is probably a fair indication of his ability.

Captaining a Celtic side in which a number of his team-mates were earning three times as much as he was was clearly something that rankled with the defender.

Keeping things quiet and in house may have earned him a better deal at Celtic, a significant rise in salary had been on the table for over a year but he chose to rufuse exactly as he did at Hibs.

Caldwell chose at times to discuss contract matters in public, a tactic that may grab some headlines but unlikely to go down well in the Celtic boardroom or win over supporters split over his ability.

Life goes on for Celtic and Caldwell, Hooived probably has no idea the expectations that are being invested in him by the Celtic support.

A mixture of Johan Mjallby and Roy Race will be hard to live upto- playing his part in reclaiming the SPL title shouldn't be asking the earth.

Strachan scouting for married men, and bhoys?

Gordon Strachan is deadly serious about his persuit of married men with married Bhoys at the top of his wanted list.

Middlesbrough scouts are out in force looking to bring in new recruits to the Riverside with matrimonial status a key factor.

Despite the troubles that Tiger Woods is engulfed in the former Celtic boss seems to be a subscriber to the old fashioned view that married footballers are more stable, settled and reliable than batchelors and singletons.

The WAG generation doesn't seem to have altered Strachan's thoughts despite many current players being under instructions from their other half with no self respecting WAG likely to see a move to Teeside as a sensible step in their career.

Despite his due diligence before taking the Riverside job Strachan was dismayed to find just three married men in his Middlesbrough squad with one of them the reserve 'keeper!

Speaking to The Times he said: "There are only three people married here. You need a bit of responsibility in life. Three people married and one of them is the reserve goalkeeper, Danny Coyne.

"You need a certain amount of men in your team. When I say to the scouts I need men, they think somebody clattering into tackles, and I say, ‘no, calm down’, I mean ‘men’ who take responsibility and play when the pressure is on."

A number of the players that Strachan brought to Celtic are married, with two of them also out of contract at the end of the season.

Will Mrs Caldwell and Mrs Robson feature in transfer negotiations in the new year? Can married players expect to be paid more at 'Boro?

Strachan has plenty to get involved in during the transfer window on the back of home defeats from Blackpool and Cardiff City that sees the club lying in 11th place, nine points behind West Brom in the second automatic promotion place.

One win in seven since taking over from Gareth Southgate probably wasn't what chairman Steve Gibson was anticipating when he changed manager.

Middlesbrough require a quick return to the Premiership, not an overhaul of the club, if promotion isn't achieved this season they could join the long list of former Premiership clubs marooned outwith the top flight and cast adrift without the lifeboat of parachute payments.

Most managers return to their former clubs when the transfer window opens with Strachan quiet honest about his likely dealings with Celtic.

He admitted, again referring to men (ie married players) : "As long as you are honest, that’s all Dermot (Desmond) and Peter (Lawwell) ask.

"They know that fine well, they trust me implicitly, they know I would never be dishonest. I wouldn’t feel good about myself. Can I see myself going back (for players)? I am after men and if Celtic have men...”

Strachan's emphasis on men points towards the married types, scrappers and battlers- categories that Caldwell and Robson both score highly in.

TIMES interview with Gordon Strachan

EVENING HERALD report on Motherwell match

Captaincy decision looms closer for Mowbray

The return from injury of Stephen McManus will pose some interesting questions for Tony Mowbray in terms of his defensive formation and also the captaincy issue.

Captaincy is generally a less important issue in the modern game but at Celtic it carries more status although recent captains have had their work cut out living up to the job description defined by Billy McNeill and refined by Danny McGrain and Roy Aitken.

McManus's return presents Mowbray with three central defensive options and also three captaincy options.

The Celtic manager hasn't commented much on the captaincy position, it is trendy to suggest that a team should be full of captains but inspirational types are generally thin on the ground.

McManus has been the club captain for the last two years but faces a battle to regain his place in the team which would surely put his position as captain in jeopardy.

CONTRACT
Caldwell has been the captain this season, when available, but has been below his best form and is now well into the final year of his contract.

Outsider Looverns had a troubled start to his Celtic career but since starring in the Co-Operative Cup Final win over Rangers in March has probably been the club's best defender.

Three into two won't go with Mowbray a fan of the 4-4-2 system which looks like leaving one internationalist sitting on the sidelines as the season develops.

Picking up on the impressive domestic form against Dundee United and Hearts over the next two weekends is all important, last season Celtic managed to draw six games out of eight against the teams battling for third place.

The defensive selection and captains role tomorrow will give interesting pointers towards the future shape of Mowbray's side.