Tom English and Allan Preston discuss why Celtic should replace Reo Hatate with Scott Arfield

Showing their complete lack of awareness Tom English and Allan Preston spent part of Wednesday night’s Sportsound discussing how superior Scott Arfield is the Reo Hatate!

It might have been a cold night after an uninspiring Celtic win over Livingston in the lead up to Christmas but there is no reasonable excuse for the conversation to turn that desperate.

Yes Arfield scored two goals the previous night that were celebrated throughout BBC Scotland but there are still certain lines that you pull back from.

The former Huddersfield and Burnley midfielder is the definition of a journeyman.

At the age of 34 he has two career medals to his name. Despite extensive caps at u-19 and u-21 level he never got a sniff of a full cap in the worst era ever in Scottish international football.

James Morrison, Matt Richie, Chris Martin, Graham Dorrans, Craig Conway, George Boyd, Craig Bryson, Russell Martin and Peter Pawlett won Scotland caps, Arfield was never even on international stand-by.

Seeing the light he opted to play for Canada, as soon as he retired from international football Canada qualified for the World Cup Finals.

Allan Preston: Arfield bangs into the box, Arfield would have scored goals if he had played for Celtic tonight. He’d have been in that box, he’d have been in that area. He would have been in there scoring goals and that’s maybe what Celtic are lacking.

Someone that will go beyond, go into that middle of the box, penalty spot kind of area. That’s maybe something that they could be looking for- goal scoring midfield player? One that, not the wider ones, Abada and Jota will create and go in and score goals

Tom English: In that Hatate position?

AP: Yeah

TE: Because your not taking McGregor out of the team

AP: No, no chance.

TE: I think, you need, Hatate is fine………. but if you look at Champions League level I think that you need better in that position, you need more of a threat.

After tanking circulation at The Scotsman and virtually wiping Scotland on Sunday off the map English took his unique skillset to the safety of BBC Scotland in January 2014.

Despite his title as Chief Sports Writer he hasn’t been near any of three World Cup Finals, an Olympic Games or a British Lions Tour since moving to the state broadcaster.

While telling various others that they need to test themselves outside of Scotland English has never had a sniff of a job offer in England. Affectionately known within the BBC as House Paddy it seems that there are no jobs writing about egg-chasing on the go in Ireland.

Preston does know his football, his main job is as an agent for the Stellar Group.

Leave a Comment
Exit mobile version