Does Time Make Us Remember Players Better Than They Really Were? Celtic Look Set To Sign Greg Taylor

The longer a player is away from your club, the better they seem to become.

That’s exactly why the rumours linking Greg Taylor with a shock return to Celtic have divided supporters. Reports this week suggest Taylor would be open to returning just a year after leaving for PAOK.

But is bringing him back really the right move?

Or is it another sign of or club struggling to move forward?

The Greg Taylor We Remember Isn’t Always The Greg Taylor We Watched

Greg Taylor was a very good servant to Celtic.

He won trophies.

He adapted brilliantly under Ange Postecoglou’s inverted full-back system.

He became one of the most technically intelligent left-backs in Scotland.

But let’s also remember what the conversation looked like before he left.

Supporters questioned whether he was good enough physically for the Champions League.

His contract situation divided opinion.

Many believed Celtic needed an upgrade.

Now, just twelve months later, those criticisms seem to have disappeared.

Time has a habit of doing that.

Sentiment Doesn’t Win You Titles

This isn’t really about Greg Taylor.

It’s about Celtic’s recruitment strategy.

If the club genuinely believes Taylor is the best left-back available, then fair enough.

Bring him back.

But if the move is happening because it’s familiar…

Because it’s easy…

Because it’s cheaper than identifying somebody better…

Then that’s a problem.

Elite clubs evolve.

They don’t keep circling back to yesterday’s answers.

Supporters often accuse the board of lacking imagination in the transfer market.

Re-signing players you’ve only just allowed to leave would only reinforce that perception.

Have Celtic Become Too Comfortable?

This is beginning to feel like a recurring theme.

Former players return.

Former managers return.

Former coaches return.

There’s nothing wrong with continuity.

But there is something wrong with stagnation.

Football moves quickly.

Recruitment has to move even quicker.

The best clubs are always looking ahead.

Sometimes Celtic seem more interested in looking backwards.

Memory Is A Powerful Thing

Even players who received heavy criticism during their first spell like Greg Taylor often become more popular once they’re gone.

Distance softens opinion.

The bad games fade away.

The good moments remain.

That’s human nature.

But recruitment shouldn’t be based on nostalgia.

It should be based on improving the squad.

The Bigger Question

Whether Greg Taylor returns or not isn’t really the issue.

The bigger question is why Celtic are in this position at all.

The club allowed him to leave.

We’ve failed to sign Saarachi.

If the answer to losing Saarachi is to bring back the same player that divided so much opinion this time last year, then you have to ask whether any real planning took place.

Greg Taylor would undoubtedly improve the squad in terms of depth I feel.

He’d also contribute to the European need for Scottish players.

I feel this is the right move; time will tell, however.