I’m told that there will be a Celtic presser tomorrow at 1.30 pm.
It will be Celtic’s new manager and the new chief executive fielding the questions.
Apparently, some “fan media” representatives have been invited, and this is a positive development.
I just spoke to young James Forest of the Celtic Blog this evening as he is one of the invitees.
I’m sure that he won’t be an empty chair at the proceedings.
I reminded him that the only questions worth asking in a presser are those they don’t want to answer.
Dear reader, I’ve been there.
Late last night, I spoke with a well-placed source in the Desmond firmament and I hope what he told me was correct.
For the avoidance of doubt, I have a high degree of trust in the integrity of the source.
He said that following on from the (costly) consultant’s report into the operation at Celtic, there would be big changes.
The consultants stated that in terms of bang for the buck, Celtic was only operating at 60%.
Quite simple, given the size of the financial disparity with the competition, the Parkhead outfit was underperforming across the board.
In fairness, Mr Desmond didn’t need to shell out major cash to a consultancy firm to find that out.
I’m told that the only aspect of the business that got top marks was the commercial revenue department.
Now the changes are being put into effect, and my guy characterised it to me as “a cull of the accountants”.
If this is true, then the Lawwell paradigm is being jettisoned.
It was an open secret that most of the departments within Celtic were headed up by someone with an accountancy background.
Perhaps Celtic might have, more by good luck than good judgement, landed with a decent off-field team.
The Ange and Dom double act has a massive job in front of them.
MacKay is widely credited with radically renovating the archaic structures at the Scottish Rigby Union (SRU).
Unlike his partner in the presser tomorrow, he was a long term target of Desmond to take over from Lawwell.
One question I suggested to young James for the presser was for the ex-SRU chief:
“Will the manager have the final say in all recruitment decisions in the football department?”
If he doesn’t, then I would fear for these two.
Then there’s these two…
That one shouldn’t be a tough call for Ange.
The inconvenient truth is that the new manager has a ridiculously short amount of time to assemble a squad.
Now, that isn’t his fault, so the very least he should have is the final say on who is added to the ranks.
If he isn’t fully in control, then Hoops fans should set their expectations accordingly.
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I for one have become enamoured to our new manager, the way he handled himself with those awkward questions was admirable and not seen since Martin O’Neill days, the authenticity I mean and not the fuax Celtic fan BR approach.
Dom did well too, focussed on what he should be and it looks as though he’s backing his man.
Now we have to mould what we have left in the dressing room into a unit, bring in some new fresh faces and get the philosophy of Ange embedded.
I’m all in so far
Celtic incidentally we’re the only Top Flight Club not to take the Government Loan for Covid.
That actually speaks volumes about how Celtic was run under an Accountant.
It’s the constant meddling in Football matters that was the problem not the fact Leter Lawwell knows how to run a tidy ship.
2angers have spunked over £70m in losses into winning a solitary League Title.
Only a fool thinks that is a sustainable business model and Lawwell and Clare clearly no fools,
They had the biggest begging bowl out of the rest of them when it came to State Aid.
Once again you are heavy in blaming the accountants, yes they are partly to blame but the biggest culprit was the OF love in. Both teams thrived on bigotry, and when the rivalry was lost due to Rangers FC cheating that hit hard on the finances. In an attempt to lessen the hit, Lawwell tried to play down the cheating years and tried hard to save them. This upset a huge batch of your hard core support thus a loss in revenue.
As an accountant myself, I would love to believe your source.
However, I will take these positive noises with a bucketful of salt.
In my humble opinion: after 17 years of close control by the departed CEO, it is an organisation culture change which is required at CFC – from top to bottom.
…and that doesn’t happen quickly.
All that’s changed so far: we have a new CEO from a different sport and a new manager most fans – including myself – had never even heard of about 4 weeks ago.
Talk is cheap at a presser.
I’d rather wait to see if the actions at CFC match the realistic ambitions of the paying punters – especially with regard to seeing some tangible progress in Europe.
Don’t hold your breath.
Desmond is part of the problem not the answer.
Mackay like Lawwell is his place man and if you think the changes are going to be anything other than cosmetic then you are clearly not seeing what is and has been going on.
We have a multi Billionaire chief shareholder who spends very little of his vast wealth rectifying any issues at Celtic.
This shambles is of his and their making what makes you think putting another place man in there from the world of Rugby is going to improve anything on what Lawwell achieved previously?
He at least knew the game and the Club before he took the job.
Anything less than an O’Neill type revolution this Summer in the window and the new man is bang up against it from the get go.
Time Desmond ponied up and took the brunt off the paying Supporter.
Just for once.
I think we would be going back into dinasour land if the manager has final say on recruitment, that doesn’t happen anywhere apart from pub team fitba.
Are you having a laugh. So who does have the final say?.
The head of recruitment? That’s right , we don’t have one of those.
The Director of Football? Oh , we don’t have one of those either.
The CEO? He knows nothing of football
Peter Lawwell? Look how that has worked in the past.
If the manager doesn’t have a say on recruitment, he’s not a manager ,he’s a coach.
It’s the managers reputation on the line, so he he’s got anything about him he would demand that he has full control or he walks away