I don’t know if they have the Trades Description Act in the Netherlands.
If they do then FC Utrecht technical director Jordy Zuldam could possibly be found to have violated its terms and conditions.
Welcoming the signing of Vasilis Barkas on a season long loan from Celtic, Zuldam laid it on thick.
He was reported as saying: “He has good reflexes, rules in the air and in the box, stands his ground in one-on-one duals and has charisma.”
Are we talking about the same person here?
The Greek tragedy who cost Celtic £5million from AEK Athens then lost his place to Scott Bain on the subs bench?
The goalkeeper with poppadom hands – as one supporter cruelly, but succinctly, summarised his failings? Barkas is textbook proof of how poor player recruitment has the power to dictate the course of history.
For better or worse.
He is arguably the worst Celtic goalkeeper I have ever seen – and I can go back 60 years to Frank Haffey, the man who lost nine goals to England at Wembley while playing for Scotland before leaving the club and emigrating to Australia.
Barkas was supposed to have been one of a raft of signings to get 10-in-a-row over the line for Celtic.
What he became was a costly embarrassment among a multi-million pound assembly of assorted flops and over-rated rejects.
Some of whom, like the Greek, are still on the wage bill while Ange Postecoglou restores order, and returns trophies, to the club.
Celtic will never recoup their losses on players like Albian Ajeti and Boli Bolingoli. A disgraceful waste of money through poor judgement.
All Celtic can hope for is to find others like Zuldam who are capable of seeing redeeming features in lost causes.
Meanwhile Celtic, under new recruitment director Mark Lawwell, have to avoid any repetition of their predecessors’ mistakes.
The decision to let Craig Gordon go and sign Barkas was a palpable error in the first place.
Gordon remains Scotland’s first choice goalkeeper and was voted Player of the Year last month for his outstanding contribution to Hearts.
That adds up to misjudgment on the part of those who discarded him at Celtic Park.
Successful teams are also constructed on the back of harmonious dressing rooms.
Postecoglou has built one from a standing start. Celtic’s shot at 10-in-a-row was screwed well wide when Bolingoli flagrantly ignored Covid restrictions and left the country for what we’ll term rest and recreation.
The place was never the same after that. Bad signings. Bad behaviour. Bad end.
The £6m signing of Cameron Carter-Vickers from Spurs is a major statement of intent but Celtic supporters will remain uneasy until the deal to bring Jota to the club on a permanent basis is completed – such was the impact of the Portuguese winger last season.
And they will be keen to see others of comparable quality added to the squad.
In the meantime, we can monitor FC Utrecht’s progress while they have this guy in goal with exceptional reflexes in the penalty box and charisma to burn.
You could’ve fooled me.
