There is something rotten in the state of Celtic.
Poisonous even…
Failure is an orphan, but this shitshow has many fathers.
In his last two games, Bojan Miovski has found the net, firstly against Celtic at Pittodrie and last night at Ibrox.
The Macedonian striker could be the next John McGinn in Parkhead lore.
There will undoubtedly be interest in the lad over the summer, and the wages on offer in England will undoubtedly put him beyond Celtic’s resources.
The champions travel tonight to where McGinn played his home games before leaving for Aston Villa.
Undoubtedly, he was a missed opportunity during Brendan’s first stint at Parkhead.
It was an open secret that the Celtic manager wanted him in the Hoops.
For your humble correspondent, it was clear evidence back then that the CEO was acting like an unofficial director of football.
When Peter Lawwell returned as chairman-itself bad corporate practice- I wasn’t concerned he could exercise power in the boardroom.
However, I was worried that he might exert influence in the corridor.
The work experience shambles of the January transfer window would suggest that something has gone badly wrong.
“No one wanted our money”, and a rehashed Rory Bremner joke at the AGM later this year won’t cut it this time.
Regardless of the facts on the ground, the optics of the ex-CEO being brought back as chairman and his son as head of recruitment doesn’t suggest that the pre-Ange days at Parkhead have not been reinstated.
It looks like Nepotism FC, and that really isn’t a good look when signing quality players has been such an abject failure over several windows.
Sadly, only one person has the antidote to this malaise and can take the appropriate action, but he’s a busy billionaire.
Of course, saying that he never thinks about Celtic would be wrong and unfair.
On one particular evening next month, it will be difficult for him to ignore the club he owns a substantial chunk of.
That’s because the dear leader will be in the Big Apple on March 21st at the Celtic Foundation Gala Dinner.
The person who sent me this is an avid Parkhead boardroom watcher and well-versed in that place’s Kremlinology.
His take is that it was noteworthy that Desmond was attending this event at all and in a place where many private equity firms are looking for European sports brands to invest in.
Again, that was his opinion, and it was a series of dots that I certainly hadn’t thought of joining up.
After the January window debacle, the disconnect between the fans and those in positions of power at the club is stark and undeniable.
The UEFA riches on offer next season for the SPFL champions will be game-changing for the basket of assets across the city.
Consequently, Celtic are now in real danger of suffering a self-inflicted wound of strategic proportions.
No doubt Dermot has his own reasons for bringing back Mr Lawwell as chairman.
Only he will know whether or not it is worth it.
Brendan now has to deal with the situation he finds himself in and navigate his squad through 14 cup finals starting tonight at Easter Road.
I’ve met Mr Lawwell on several occasions over the years, in pressers and once at the graveside of Brother Walfrid.
Our last encounter was in the foyer of a hotel in Philadelphia just after Rangers had died in 2012.
He’s always been very personable and professional in his dealings with this journalist.
So this isn’t personal. It’s strictly business.
Don Desmond knows what he has to do and that’s remove that particular family firm, both of them, from the building.
As for those love-sick souls currently pleading the case for the chairman remaining in post.
Ignore it.
It’s just noise.
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To aid and abet The Rangers would be grossly insulting to the playing staff. It is my opinion that they are just lazy, arrogant and incompetent.
To deliberately aid and abet The Rangers would be grossly insulting to the playing staff. I think they are just lazy and incompetent.
Massive need for change of attitude from the board or the football part of club will fade into a sideshow ‘ it’s looking more likely that cfc will exist Only as a Business model for DD and his puppet board ”
Desmond is so obviously and demonstrably the main structural problem at the club. Can’t see it being fixed.
Harry Kewell left the coaching staff and I reckon the recent dire displays started from the day he left.
I’ve actually wondered about this stockpiling of cash for some time. I’ve wondered if DD was thinking of selling up, and was basically saying to the business world, “Look at the money this club can make you, with minimal outlay on the park!”
Now I’m wondering, and worrying about it. Sometimes it’s a case of, “better the devil you know!” I don’t want our club to become the toy of some Arab playboy. Or some American playboy for that matter. If it’s sold, it needs to be to someone who, “gets” Celtic, and our history and traditions.
Phil, I’ve thought for some time that Dermot may be getting ready to sell. It explains the large bank balance and the return of “Pistol Pete of the Biscuit Tin Petes” Any potential buyer would have access to that cash and as we’re told, cash is king.
Imho the word has been sent out to DD and PL that if Sevco don’t get guaranteed Champions league money this season they are fecked. Celtic aiding and abetting this monstrocity of an organisation have a track record in this regard after FC Kaunus killed Rangers mark 1 and the 5 Way Agreement fiasco
Couldn’t agree more. probably justifies it as ‘Saving Scottish Football’ but with an eye on maximum competitiveness from them, and with it maximum profit.
Celtic does NOT NEED maximum competitiveness from Sevco. We only need them to exist to get the four games per season that television craves. And to thrash them on a regular basis to keep the fans happy. We gain absolutely NOTHING financially from them in any other way.
Even with Celtic completely dominating domestically Sevco will still win the odd derby match and the odd trophy. That is the nature of football. No club in history ever has won, or ever will win, every game or every competition they play in.
A lack of competition may damage the league’s chances of sponsorship, but so what? It’s chickenfeed cash in comparison to our club sponsorship. Other teams may rely on it, but that’s their problem. Let them work within their own financial means. There’s no automatic relegation for going into administration, just a points deduction, and it’s extremely unlikely that even a very large points deduction would put Sevco down..
A lack of competition will not affect our own sponsorship. We presently have the two largest sponsorship deals in the history of Scottish sport. One struck after winning two successive trebles, and one after winning four. Deals struck with global brands who are paying huge sums of money to be associated with success. Our success.
I largely agree but it’s not just TV and sponsorship. Our attendances and season ticket sales haemorrhaged when Sevco were in the lower leagues. The kind of Celtic fans who are not all that likely to comment on forums like this just stopped going – and lots of them. The entire section directly across from mine in the Jock Stein was closed entirely for four seasons. Bear in mind too that for the four seasons where no version of Rangers was in the league, all Celtic season ticket holders got a £100 discount and concession season tickets were as low as £150 throughout that time. Even with that, 15-20k Celtic season ticket holders just weren’t interested without a Rangers to compete against.
That would only happen IF Sevco went down, and as I already stated that is an extremely unlikely scenario.
If Sevco were deducted 30 points today, they would still be in the TOP SIX in the league. Celtic are currently not even accepting applications for the waiting list for season tickets it’s so long.
The present league set up, and admin punishments, have been structured in such a way, that it only just stops short of giving a written guarantee that neither Celtic or Sevco will ever be relegated.
The sooner the OF brand is completely disconnected, the better. The fans don’t want it. Only seems to be the board that endorse such a toxic union.
I do wonder why the “love sick soul” is making the case for Lawwell. It’s clear, that with this problem returning with him, where the problem lies. And it is a problem for anyone who only want to see Celtic be the best they can be. Is what he’s getting out of this relationship he clearly has worth the loss of the league?
Watched the game from Ibrox last night, THe crowd roared them on to victory. The crowd are united over there
We are being sidetracked by this civil war between sections of the support and the board, a temporary truce has to be called or this League is gone. The crowd will have to get behind the team at Celtic Park, a club divided doesn’t win titles,
This Celtic team is lacking confidence and needs all the help it can get, the off the park debate about our signing policy has to stop, at least until the last game of the season. when it can recommence, and even if we win the League, those who want change can let rip at the board. The over the top criticism from some fans of players, such as Joe Hart and Gregg Taylor has also got to stop, these two players have contributed in a big way to our success over the past two seasons and deserve some respect.
There is no bigger critic of PL than me, especially over the McGinn debacle, and the guy should have been quite happy to beaver away behind the scene at UEFA on Celtic’s behalf.
To say he is only a figurehead is just ridiculous, especially with his son as head of recruitment and his protege as CE. It is hard to believe he wouldn’t try and influence decisions made by them.
There is no way we can now bring in any fresh faces so the supporters have to let it go for a few months, in the interest of the players and supporters. Lose this title and Celtic could be out in the cold for a few years. Some people may feel that is a price worth paying, I don’t.
Have done all I can. Removed from waiting list. Stopped buying merch. Cancelled Celtic TV
A team who has been carried this season so far on the shoulders of a few individuals. Our rock, CCV , now out for another period, our Japanese samurai who’s sword has gone blunt and our Captain who’s back must be a breaking with yet another season of taking the strain for others. The cohesion of last year seems a life time ago as we wait for Brendan’s style to take hold once again. If ever there is a need for a ‘good run of form’ it is now and our players need to take hold of matters.
Yes, it is intriguing so see how generally quite the latest transfer windows has been, but given the prize at stake we decided to stick not twist.
What does that tell us about really wanting to cement our place in the biggest Champions League opportunity we have seen for a long while? What does that tell us about our non speculation transfer policy.
We fear that we will loose 1 or 2 of our prize players such as Matt next year, but surely our ‘asset management’ policy needs to be better than ‘hoping someone turns a profit’ for us.
Tonight, I will be cheering again from afar, hoping the past doesn’t repeat itself in such an important season for our beloved club!
The window was poor for other clubs, not just Celtic. The English premier league spent only 10% of the quantum spent in the same window 12 months prior. It wasn’t the right window to do business. As a team, we’re transitioning from Ange ball to Brendan’s style. We must retain faith and see the league out. Panic and figure pointing will do nothing positive for the team on the pitch.
We’re not transitioning, we’re regressing. This is a turning point for Sevco, not for us. We win this league, they die…again!
100 % correct
EPL clubs owe over £2 billion in transfer fees. With the English FA clamping down on FFP, clubs decided not to spend.
It had nothing to do with not decent players about yo sign
This is not about the January window alone. This is about season after season not recruiting quality in all positions of the team, we should be over the hill and far away, instead of being under pressure from a financially doped club who are apparently on a uefa watch list! Big deal. The blue pound is all that matters to our club because it tops up pensions if you see what I mean.
Red herring as we are not playing against the English only TRIFC!
But, But, OLD FIRM, OLD FIRM!!!!!!!