Tom Boyd: The Voice Of Reason Or Celtic’s Yes Man?
Tom Boyd isn’t a man scared of giving his opinion.
This week the former Celtic treble winning captain was announced as one of the Glasgow club’s new ambassadors along with Davie Hay.
Boyd took advantage of the opportunity to state that the recent uproar regarding Ronny Deila’s position at the club was all down to hysterical fans and ex-Celts out to make a few quid in the media.
Probably pointing towards the likes of John Hartson, Chris Sutton and Andy Walker, Boyd said:
There are enough people out there who like to criticise the club without ex-players doing it as well.’
Now for all that I think Boyd makes some decent points regarding the current situation like the fact the team are still top of the league after all, he loses a lot of momentum when he starts to suggest supporters and ex players should just back the club blindly no matter what.
Surely that’s the wrong message in this era of football.
Many accused Rangers fans of blindly following the tune of Sir David Murray in the late nineties and early noughties without any opposition and look how that went.
I honestly think it’s always a good thing that a club’s support challenges the custodians and even the managers when they think things aren’t going swimmingly. Basically it keeps everyone on their toes.
Look at how the Liverpool fanbase fought against the raise of ticket prices at Anfield. They voiced their opposition and they were heard.
Now Boyd surely has to concede that certain fans and ex-players have a few decent arguments regarding the current manager and the team. They’ve gone backwards since Neil Lennon’s tenure and even since the end of last season. Deila’s record in Europe has been pretty poor, to say the least. European competition has to be seen as the yardstick for this Celtic squad and managerial team.
I think Tom Boyd is right to praise Aberdeen but he cannot ignore the fact that the Hoops have taken their eye off the ball domestically too.
Boyd stated:
‘It’s someone sitting at the top of the league, who can possibly win a double. And a lot of people are calling for his head.’
‘I don’t think that has ever happened in Scottish football. You can enlighten me if I’m wrong.’
Well to be honest it happens all the time. I remember certain Celtic fans getting bored of Neil Lennon and happy that he left. I also recall Gers supporters questioning Walter Smith during his last winning season in charge at Ibrox. This is Scotland Tom, we always demand more, even if we are being ridiculous.
It’s funny, I wrote last weekend about Ronny and the misgivings fans have about him at the moment. Some people responded by backing him, which is fair enough I love debate on here and I can see why some would support him. But those backing him were quick to point out that those ex-Celtic stars such as Sutton and Walker were just spewing rubbish to gain some much needed media coin.
But surely we can look at Boyd’s view and wonder if he has now become a spokesman for the board and earn his wage from the club by backing them continuously.
His ex-teammate Marc Rieper said as much:
“Tom Boyd defended Ronny Deila but he is employed by the club and if he spoke out against the manager then he probably wouldn’t at the club tomorrow!”
It’s certainly and interesting argument but not one that I subscribe to. Davie Hay wasn’t as staunch in his support for the current Celtic boss.
I’m not Boyd’s biggest fan, I always thought he was an ordinary player who was often overrated plus I still blame him for that OG against Brazil in 98 (That may not be rational I know).
But in fairness I don’t think he’d say all this if he didn’t believe it.
I just think he did it in a bizarre way that seemed to be too critical of the ordinary Celtic supporter.
He would have been better served to state the positives of having Ronny Deila at the clubs helm rather than go on the attack… But maybe that’s were the problems lie!
Let me end by stating that I think Celtic have chosen well in appointing Tom Boyd as one of their new club ambassadors. Not because he is a yes man but because he has earned it with a strong playing career and by being a model pro at Parkhead,
Posted on February 11th, 2016 by scott
Filed under: Article
We are Celtic supporters faithful through and through,
Over and over we will follow you
I couldn’t care less what he thinks…
Our Club is going backwards and the rot needs to stop now.
We have an owner who doesn’t give a toss about the team…
A Board of Directors who have allowed the Govan Club to get away with murder…thanks to the SFA/SPFL..
Our Manager has produced the worst style of play I’ve seen in years…and most worrying..The players don’t look up for a fight.
Other than that..we don’t have a problem.
Of course he’s a yes man…and it saddens me to think that the PR boys at the Club think this kind of crap makes sense.
Oh yes there have been criticism in the past but not on the scale that the current boss has to put up with considering his short time here and the fact he has had more success at this stage than Lennon had in his time in charge especially when he had years with his Celtic background as a player who knew his staff well. Come on now,Tom Boyd is 100% right there has never been hysteria like it in the history of Celtic considering his achievements in such a short space of time. I am sick of some so called Celtic fans and the prejudice that is being held against Ronny for whatever reason, because that is what I believe is the basis of all this. Most of the rubbish being written particularly in the “Record” is bang out of order and more akin to a “witch hunt” so come on be fair and lay off the guy, give him a break, the comments are vile and overkill. If Ronny got to the final of the European Champions League there are still some who would want to see him go so let’s not kid ourselves. I have never known anything like it and I have been a Celtic supporter for 70 years.
Mike,top ofSP still in cup and going backwards: whatever you’re taking please stop or go to Specsavers and take at least 2 refs with you!
Frankie – It could be argued that Lennon had stiffer competition up against a manager like Walter Smith when he first took charge and had no managerial experience.
Yes but Lennon was well aware of his squads capabilities and Scottish opposition from the start yet he only won one trophy in his first season. Rangers were not in the same league in the last two seasons of his time and yet he came nowhere near the treble. Then in his final season with a settled squad was knocked out of the League Cup in the first round by lowly Morton at Celtic park yet there was no hysteria about it. Under Ronny we did a double as well as knock Rangers out of a cup Semi final at Hampden 2-0 in his first season.Remember this is only his second season in charge.
He is just a yes man for Lawwell and he will continue to spout crap just like Delia. Yes man of course not a man just a pee here. Ignore him he spouts crap just like the manager.
Charlie your spouting a bit of crap yourself without reason. It’s just that you don’t like Ronny isn’t it. Tom Boyd is NO YES MAN and is sookin’ up to no one he is just stating TRUE FACTS that some folk can’t seem to bear reading.
If anyone SERIOUSLY thinks that going out of Europe to utter dross…TWICE…that being knocked out of domestic Cups by inferior Scottish teams ( and don’t bore me with “Ref’s decisions”)…is acceptable..then Celtic doesn’t need you.
As for suggesting that if you criticise RD…. it’s because you don’t like him !!
WTF is that all about…??
I don’t know the guy…have never met him…have never spoken to him…so it’s not personal.
I’m only interested in my Club,whom I’ve supported since 1957, improving year on year.
Someone show me how that’s happening…Please.