Ange Postecoglou made a brave decision in taking Boli Bolingoli down with his Celtic squad to Wales.
Not many would’ve expected the Celtic star to still be at the club in any shape or form given his betrayal of the football club last year.
Who can ever forget the Belgian left-back breaching public health guidance and putting Celtic at risk? He was sent out to Istanbul Basaksehir because Celtic as a collective wanted him out of their sight.
Fans have yet to forgive him either. It doesn’t look as though he ever will be forgiven in fact. It obviously doesn’t help that Celtic went on to lose the league. Many will trace it back to this moment of madness from Bolingoli that eventually led the club into a downward spiral.
But now he’s back. Supporters haven’t been willing to give him a chance, but he’s still back. And Postecoglou, who will undoubtedly have been briefed on his situation, has given a sign of good faith.
Taking him to Wales in a gesture that shows he’s willing to take a look at the £3m 2019 signing from Rapid Vienna [The Herald].
Ange Postecoglou would have a long way to go to convince Celtic fans on Boli Bolingoli
Boli is a unique case. Whilst his ability has always been questionable, that’s not the main factor Celtic fans don’t want him to feature. If he performs well in pre-season, it simply doesn’t prove anything.
The argument here is a moral one. Do we want a player in our squad who provided a major health risk last season? A player who put himself before the club? I’m sorry, but not for me. Plenty others will be feeling the same on this one too.
So many fans who will be against this move won’t ever change their mind. Normally, performances can do so much for a player in the eyes of the supporters. It can at times wipe away the most controversial of incidents in the past and ingratiate a player back into fans’ hearts. Boli, for many, will even be beyond that.
Postecoglou may give him a couple of pre-season outings to keep his fitness up. But he really must think twice about using him in competitive action. So many Celtic fans just don’t want to see it.
If the manager goes down that route, it’ll be a very tough sell. Perhaps an impossible one. It’s the kind of decision that would also be flung back in his face if things ever went south.
We’ll see what happens over the course of the next few weeks. Postecoglou, however, would do well to avoid underestimating the anger some fans still have towards the left-back.
In other news, Dom McKay’s next potential Celtic move has caught the supporters’ attention.
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