Nickel-Man Nicholson And The Celtic Scouting Team Maybe Actually Know What They’re Doing?

I’ve been one of Michael Nicholson’s biggest critics this summer.

Every transfer seems to take an eternity.

Every deal feels like it’s negotiated down to the last 50 pence.

Every rumour is followed by weeks of “preparing bids” and “monitoring situations.”

And in the end, we don’t even sign the player.

It’s enough to drive supporters mad.

But…

Credit where it’s due.

Camilo Durán looks like an outstanding piece of business.

Celtic’s Next Pressing Machine

The Colombian has impressed in both of his performances so far.

Against Middlesbrough, he took his goal brilliantly.

Powerful, composed strike into the top corner.

It was the sort of instinct the we have lacked at times since Kyogo left.

Then against Sporting Lisbon, despite the disappointing result, it was his pressing that caught the eye, that leading to the goal.

He looked desperate to win the ball back.

That’s exactly the intensity Martin O’Neill has spoken about wanting from his side this season.

You can teach tactics.

You can’t teach that hunger.

Martin O’Neill Clearly Likes Him

O’Neill has already hinted that Durán could have an important role this season.

That’s significant.

Particularly one as experienced as O’Neill.

He knows a thing or two about Celtic strikers…

If he’s already talking publicly about Durán’s importance, it suggests he has impressed every day on the training ground, not just in matches.

Sometimes that’s more valuable than anything supporters see for 90 minutes.

Maybe The Scouting Department Deserves More Credit

It’s easy to criticise recruitment when deals drag on.

And rightly so, especially this summer.

The board’s negotiating style can be painfully frustrating.

But recruitment and negotiation aren’t the same thing.

The scouting department identifies players.

The board decides how long it takes to sign them.

Those are two very different jobs.

Durán looks like another example of Celtic identifying talent before the player’s value explodes.

It’s exactly what happened with Nygren last season.

Find quality early.

Develop it.

Watch the value soar.

Don’t Mistake Cheap For Poor

This is where supporters, myself included, probably need to separate two conversations.

There’s a difference between being cheap…

…and buying cheaply.

One is a lack of ambition.

The other is smart recruitment.

If Camilo Durán develops into the player, then Celtic may once again have found exceptional value long before Europe’s bigger clubs were paying attention.

That’s good scouting.

Not good accounting.

Now Keep Going

One successful signing doesn’t suddenly erase all the frustrations of this transfer window.

Celtic still need reinforcements.

The squad still looks short in key positions.

Supporters are still waiting for action rather than rumours.

However, Durán should also remind supporters of something important.

The people identifying the players seem to know exactly what they’re doing.

The problem has rarely been finding talent.

It’s been getting the deals over the line quickly enough.

So perhaps “Nickel-Man Nicholson” deserves half the criticism…

…and the scouting department deserves twice the credit.

Now the board just needs to stop haggling over every last penny and let them finish the job.