Celtic fans have been doubled in laughter at the title warning from Tam McManus.
The former Hibs striker once played alongside Scott Brown but as the Fifer’s career took off McManus drifted around various clubs before becoming an expert on Radio Scotland alongside Derek Ferguson, Billy Dodds, Alex Rae and Kris Boyd.
After a stint with The Herald he now shares his opinions with Football Scotland which is the digital arm of the Daily Record with similar editorial policies.
Rather than draw breath and take a look at the mid-summer predictions of 2016. 2017, 2018 he has dived in to deliver the time served title warning to Celtic, or perhaps he has just picked one from previous seasons and changed the variables.
Filip Helander is this summer’s great blue hope. Surely he can’t be better than Bruno Alves, Pip Senderos or Connor Goldson who have been dishing out the title warnings in previous season.
After his goal-scoring debut last week against St Joseph’s, Shenyi Ojo is believed to be the best thing to come out of Liverpool since The Beatles which will come as surprising news to the supporters of the last four clubs that he’s been out of loan with. A year ago the same noises were being made about Ryan Kent and Ovie Ejaria.
McManus explained:
There is no doubt that Celtic have cantered to eight in a row, and are the verge of history with very little resistance from chief rivals Rangers. I have a strong feeling, however, that will not be the case this season.
In terms of transfers, Rangers have certainly done more business than Celtic and strengthened the areas that Gerrard craved. The signing of Filip Helander looks a shrewd addition to a Rangers backline that was crying out for a dominant centre back in both boxes.
At 6ft 4in the 26-year-old Swedish international is exactly the type of aggressive centre-back Rangers had to get in the door at Ibrox. At a reported £3.5m he is the largest purchase Rangers have made since spending £4m on Nikica Jelavic nine years ago. That is a statement of intent, and Steven Gerrard is being backed to the hilt at Ibrox to end Celtic’s dominance.
The word coming out of Ibrox is that Sheyi Ojo has been seriously impressive so far in training since signing from Liverpool on loan.
For anyone interested or bored enough, check out the fawning predictions that accompanied the arrivals of Joey Barton, Umar Sadiq, Carlos Pena and Eros Grezda. Not a single word of warning was delivered to the Record’s army of readers.
Celtic fans have been there, read it, bought the T-shirt and enjoyed the celebrations as Graeme Murty gets drafted in to clear up the mess. It’s a movie that we know off by heart.
The close season championship is almost over, Celtic have again finished a distant second with hoops fans lapping up the excited predictions of those that never seem to learn from previous mistakes.
— Tam McManus (@The_Tman10) July 15, 2019
???????????????????? Cool story
— Colm (@ColmCeltic) July 15, 2019
On Oji… “The word coming out of Ibrox is” ….. ????????????????????
On Helander “At 6ft 4in the 26-year-old Swedish international is exactly the type of aggressive centre-back Rangers had to get in the door at Ibrox.”
Have you actually seen either player in the flesh???
What a moron!!— MidnightToSixMan (@MTSMFTFTFJ) July 15, 2019
Celtic have already spent around three times what ” rangers ” are rumoured ti have spent. “rangers” still do not have a single player who would improve the Celtic squad or get into the first team. Still, credit to TM for at least trying to cheer them.up
And giving us a laugh.— Richard McGinley (@Richiestoke) July 15, 2019
Remember when Charlie Nicholas said rangers had outdone Celtic in January ????????…..Celtic are the most underrated team on earth. Cruised it last year again. Rangers have made very risky signings
— Here We Go 10IAR???????? (@Super6Legend1) July 15, 2019
Every year we get told the same. Kenny Millar saying we might be third Bruno Alves taking our trophies, Rodgers running scared of Gerrard. Same old pre season puff guff
— Stephen Craig (@craggy_inland) July 15, 2019
???????????????????? Scottish media are comedians ???????????
— Hugh lynch ?????????????????? (@Hughbhoy) July 15, 2019
Haven’t We already spent the most Tam?
— Kevin (@celtickev) July 15, 2019
Spent £10m already so according to Certain pundits we will now need to spend £110m to challenge ????
— Bob K (@prophet5five) July 15, 2019
Are the liquidators puting a team out this season?
— Magic Bhoy (@magic_bhoy) July 15, 2019
The media in our nations are literally a different breed of stupid
— Jamiemcdaid7 (@celticthebaws) July 15, 2019
Shall we just give them the title in August….like we did last year? ????
— BrendanA ???????? (@Toomai2) July 15, 2019
We have spent, though. We’ve splashed out £10m on two players which is more than all other Scottish clubs will spend combined.
And I’m confident we’ll spend a whole lot more by the time the transfer window closes.
— Banana Addict (@Scott_P_L) July 15, 2019
This ‘old firm’ you mention………. There’s a little detail you’ve glossed over, it stopped existing when Rangers were liquidated and died.
However if someone is paying you for this guff well done, remember when Jabba dies the well will run dry though— gerryquiff-PHOTOS. (@gerryquiff) July 15, 2019
— Tam (@coybig6721) July 15, 2019
