Old man yells at cloud was the perfectly understandable reaction of some Dundee United fans to the probable way-going of highly-rated kid Brandon Forbes to Norwich City.
From what I’ve seen on social media, though, the Grandpa Simpson analogy applies to the younger element of the Tananadice support, many of whom are angry at losing a bright young prospect.
The reality is that a £300,000 fee rising to £500,000 and a 20% sell on is decent business for a boy who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Club youth systems hope to see several youngsters give reasonable lengths of service in the first team with the best moving for decent fees to justify having such systems in the first place.
They should be self-sustaining both in terms of producing first team players and bringing in good fees.
The very fact that a big English Championship outfit are prepared to pay for an unproven talent indicates United’s youth system is working.
In an ideal world, clubs like United could keep their talented youngsters for a few years, but it’s been this way since the days of Andy Gray and Christian Dailly.
The big difference now is they’re moving on before fans have even become acquainted with them.
Young players today are also much more alive to the financial possibilities on offer by moving.
Their agents, parents, and they themselves, increasingly know their worth, and understand that in a game where careers can end with one bad injury, that they should cash in while they can.
Those are the simple, if brutal, economic realities of Scottish football.
There is no reason Dundee and United shouldn’t be eyeing up Europe.
Managers are notoriously keen to avoid setting targets but football without aspiration is flawed, so I’d like to see both believe European football is a real possibility.
I’ve witnessed highs and lows in covering Scottish clubs on the continent, including some good nights and some bad nights with United and St Johnstone.
Saints’ rebuilding is at too early a stage to contemplate Europe again, but Dundee look as though they might replicate what Kilmarnock and St Mirren have achieved.
They’ve already thumped Hearts who were the best of the rest last season, and their draw at Hibs indicates a squad capable of improving on last season’s efforts.
United also look strengthened beyond the expectation of many fans that might have had simple survival in mind on their return to the Premiership.
With the transfer window closing, the strength of the squads on both sides of the street entitles some optimism for European hopes.
Aberdeen seem a far superior outfit to last season, but outside of Celtic and Rangers I see nothing elsewhere that the squads at Dens and Tannadice can’t challenge.
European qualification is a tall order but if you don’t set your sights high you settle for mediocrity, and as Jim McLean was fond of saying ‘if you settle for that, it’s most certainly what you’ll get’.
The prospect of a wee European adventure would cheer fans through the dark winter days of the season.
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