When Ange Postecoglou had his first January recruitment raid as a Celtic manager, it was clear that he was in total charge.
Lawwellball was a thing of the past.
The three players he wanted from Japan were done deals, and they were Celtic players at the start of the winter break.
Two of the trio, Hatate and Maeda, were quality additions to the starting eleven.
Notably, the combative midfielder who had a goal or two in him.
The league title race was tipped in Celtic’s favour by the dynamic impact of Reo Hatate at a packed Parkhead in a derby match under the disco lights two years ago today.
When Brendan Rodgers decided to leave the Parkhead job five years ago this month, it could be summed up in one word:
Recruitment.
Celtic fans must be getting a terrible sense of déjà vu.
This all seems very redolent of 2009 and 2019.
From “no one wanted our money” to “we’ve got about a million wingers and don’t need another one…”
Weeks after that, observation about Maryan Shved Rodgers was gone.
Terminado.
When he was convinced to return to the Parkhead job last year, he sought strong assurances that the recruitment side of the club had been overhauled.
I’m told that he, in particular, wanted to be reassured that the esteemed chairman would have no influence in the day-to-day running of the operation.
Well, that was last summer, and now is the window of our discontent.
In terms of how Celtic conducts their recruiting, it was suggested to me recently that focus should be put on how the recruitment team was, well, recruited.
What process unearthed Mark Lawwell as the outstanding candidate for this crucial role?
Was there an exhaustive executive search carried out?
In the absence of any clear answer, it opens the doors to the possibility that he is the Nepo Baby of the boardroom.
That’s why the featured image, which is a tweet of mine from last week, cannot be so readily dismissed.
The lads at the Huddle Breakdown laid out the amateur hour stuff of Celtic’s recruitment fiasco, and it’s worth your time.
It was no secret that the Celtic manager had targeted FOUR positions that he wanted to strengthen in the January window: goalkeeper, left back, central midfield and striker.
He emphasised privately and publicly that these acquisitions would have to be “quality”, and he used that term again and again.
Instead, he got a winger and then a loan deal at the 11th hour to bring in a striker who is the third choice at Norwich City.
No harm to Adam Idah; I’ve seen a fair bit of him in the green jersey, but he doesn’t bring anything to this Celtic squad.
In his presser today Rodgers, as ever, picked his words carefully.
“I would go with supporters thinking we maybe could be a bit a little braver in terms of bringing in another level of player”.
That is a lovely bit of understatement to aim at those in positions of power at the club:
“a little braver…”
You can sing that!
Meanwhile, across the city, I had already reported that dear Philippe would be restricted to bringing in players on loan.
Follow follow the money.
That said, the Sevco High Command strained every financial sinew to back him as best they could.
This league title race, with millions in UEFA revenues at stake, could end with a self-inflicted strategic failure of Shakespearean proportions by the richest club in Scotland.
The indecision of those in positions of power at Celtic could return to haunt them.
Truly, this is the window of our discontent.
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PL – Mr Missed Opportunities, all in all a case of woulda, coulda, shoulda!
Lawwell’s job is to make money for Desmond. They don’t want to be miles ahead of the new club.
This transfer window was like 2009 when Gordon Strachan needed a striker….. they got him Willow Flood.
If we had signed a decent striker we’d have won that league and probably the next two.
Until they leave the club won’t progress.
A Shroud has no pockets
Personally I think the main aim of the celtic board is to keep rangers close to celtic. Imagine the cenario of rangers winning the league with access to 60 million champions league money, hey presto’ job done for the celtic board.
Rangers with 60 million, out of financial trouble, celtic with 70 million in the bank. Competitive league guaranteed for the next five years, bumper attendance for both clubs, more attractive to sky and others.
Celtic support would forgive the celtic board with a couple of good signings at the start of next year.
Alternatively, celtic win the league with an extra 60 million in the bank, miles ahead of rangers, not good for celtic, sky or anybody else.
I won’t be renewing my seasonticket next season regardless if we win league on not. In last seasons champions league we wer competitive in every game except real madrid away felt we wer 2 or 3 quality additions away from having a really good team. 14 months and 2 transfer windows later wev a squad full of dross. Tens of millions in the bank and we persist on signing 20 year old untried projects. Iv had enuf won’t be giving Celtic another penny while Peter lawwell and his cronies are lingering about.
The Ange targets were available and willing , what we need to know is what moves we made to obtain Brendan’s Targets , if any . If Lawwell snr is involved in our Transfer activity he should be sacked immediately , Dermot appointed Brendan personally , so the Chairman had better back him and keep his fingers out of the pie . I’m not convinced that Celtic made moves for any Top Class players , the SPFL isn’t the glamour League . We need to pay over the top wages to get them here , Sevco went for Cheap unknown players putting all theur eggs in one basket , we’ve gubbed them twice with a weakened Team … could the Board have it right , the Future is Green and White ….. time will tell but 60 Million is riding on it .
Same failed Lawwell strategy; same failed Lawwell outcome.
The purported £72m in the bank doesn’t exactly do much good sitting there when there’s a £60m pot in Europe.
Here’s the very predictable future. We lose the league, and go into the qualifiers. We adopt the usual wait and see approach whilst flooding the team with projects and loanees. We ultimately fail to qualify and after we’ve been turfed out, then Lawwell opens the purse strings.
In what world is this guy and his protégé worth £3m a year.
It is difficult not to conclude that the managed decline is wholly intentional in order to ensure the survival of their treasured O** F*** “brand”. Even taking into consideration the elephantine ego of the chairman and his ongoing passive-aggressive feud with the current manager (and indeed all managers who like to exercise control), it’s difficult to see how that can’t be put to one side in the best interests of the club, unless those wielding power believe binding us to a toxic tribute act of a detested rival in perpetuity IS in the best interests of the club…. which for the avoidance of any doubt, it isn’t and never has been.
The big question is, how do we bring about the changes required without causing colossal self-harm to the club and giving the ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ contestants from G51 the sort of financial uplift that could propel them back to parity or worse?
To throw away the league title and the riches of the Champions League could see the end of this board .
They are not acting on behalf of shareholders or sponsors it’s all about self interest and their bonuses
Rumours are interim end of year accounts could show us in 100 million profit .
I’d not blame the manager from walking away .
It seems interference is coming from the usual suspect regards transfers .
Shame on him and all the rest of the board
And the nepotism doesn’t end there
A very good article. One notable omission, however, is Rodgers’ own response to this latest kick in the teeth outwith the “braver” remark. Is he just going to take this lying down? An awful lot of fans are expressing sympathy with him and seeing the absence of signings as the excuse for another exit by the manager.
Right now I wouldn’t blame Rodgers if he left and it was a good while ago I realised why he left the last time and I now direct the blame for THAT where it belongs: Lawwell. He has no business picking players for the manager. He has no idea what makes a good player in whichever system the incumbent manager is employed. Not sure why they think risking the money on offer for guaranteed Champions League involvement next season is a good idea. Quality acquisitions in the window just past would be a small price to pay. I’m absolutely incredulous at the board’s intentions here.
Wasn’t Lawell Jnr involved in recruiting Ange?
3 words sack the board
Phil, this is de ja vu , we know the January window is difficult to bring players in and no disrespect to Adam he is not the quality that Celtic need. Lawwell snr has should be nowhere near recruitment afterall he is an accountant all he thinks is the bottom line and a strong Rangers.
With every passing year, and that’s more than a few decades, it becomes harder and harder not to realise that this club is being held back deliberately. To some that would be a conspiracy to other all the the evidence and smoking armouries just keeps piling up. There’s no way these millionaire businessmen could contrive to fuck things up so often. Before anyone mentions our period of dominance as mitigation, did we have any real competition ? If we progressed as we should have over the last 20 years, this topic wouldn’t exist.
Spot on sir! But try telling that to the board sympathisers. We should have been buying one or two quality eevery window and out of sight.
Spot on , looks like someone with the power to hold us back in favour of a stronger club from across the city, simply to keep our stadium full season in season out, never mind the outcome of title race , treating its biggest customer with total contempt.