As Liam Shaw gets set to swap Sheffield Wednesday for Celtic this summer, it would be intriguing to get a look into his mindset.
When Shaw put pen to paper with Celtic back in February, he must’ve been left buzzing. Neil Lennon announced his signing back in mid-February before it was officially announced a month later [Daily Record].
Since then, however, Lennon has left the club as has Head of Football Operations Nick Hammond. In other words – the people who wanted him in the door have now just left. That leaves Shaw in an extremely bizarre situation.
He’s had plenty on his plate since signing up on a pre-contract of course. He’s been working his backside off to get Wednesday out of relegation trouble. That looks like it’s going to be a failed mission unfortunately with a final-day shootout still to come.
Soon, however, all of his focus will turn towards heading to Celtic Park for the next chapter of his career. And he has every right to be a touch concerned.
Liam Shaw joins a Celtic set-up he won’t recognise
Not to be too downbeat over a new signing, but he’s in the worst position possible. He’s coming into a club that will have a new managerial set-up and under a regime that simply didn’t ask for him.
In addition to that, he’ll arrive at a football club that currently has a toxic relationship with its supporters. Fan apathy remains at its peak whilst instant demands will be placed on the team to wrestle back the title next season.
Shaw will be coming into an incredibly ruthless and unforgiving environment this summer. It’s not one naturally set up for inexperienced players or youth projects. And that opens up questions on where he’ll be placed this summer.
Safer to send Shaw down to the development squad
The smart money simply has to be with the development side. Yes, supporters may roll their eyes at the prospect of another signing joining the B team. But, simply put, Shaw still looks like a player that has some way to go before he’ll be a Celtic regular. That would still have likely been the case under Neil Lennon. The managerial change simply makes his chances of instant first-team action even more unlikely.
Of course, what that does is actually give him a better chance to impress in the long term. Considering he likely wasn’t signed to come into the team straight away, that takes a lot of pressure off the Wednesday man. He wouldn’t come in with the same expectation as many other summer signings. He’ll have the same chance to impress as everyone else in the academy who will be looking to make their talent known.
Yes, Shaw is coming into a club that’s in total disarray and still in mourning after a failed pursuit of the 10. But starting his Parkhead career with the development team will give him the chance to come on quietly in the background as try to get our house in order.
In other news, Falkirk have just put Celtic to shame with their actions this afternoon.
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