The news today that Celtic are on the brink of closing a deal for Carter Vickers, coming on the heels of stories from last week that we’re almost over the lot with the agreement to sign Jota, strongly suggests that this club intends to push the boat out in a way that we haven’t done in a long time.
This manager might just get the full backing he deserves.
There are a lot of us who are still of the impression that this board is lax, lazy and lacking in any form of strategic vision. I don’t think the hiring of Lawwell Jnr is a positive step.
But I am open minded and willing to have it changed.
I don’t think the hiring of Michael Nicholson shows our board in a good light.
But I’m willing to rethink that if he does a good job.
The summer is going to change a lot of minds one way or the other. If these guys deliver for the manager and the club then they will be hailed for doing what no Celtic board has in a long, long time. If they fail, then it’s not impossible that they are going to get criticism like no Celtic board has faced since fan pressure brought down one in 1994.
If we get these two massive deals over the line – and they are massive, and that’s something we should not ignore – then it’s an outstanding start. There will still be plenty to do, but we can have faith that the man at the helm is up to the job and if he is given the right level of support the future is something we can face with full confidence.
This club never builds from a position of strength.
We all know that. We’ve seen it time and time again, a failure to think big, to think strategically, a failure to build and grow the team and thus improve it for every challenge that comes our way.
But perhaps that is changing. The appointment of Ange might have been the thing that galvanised this club back into life, the thing that sparked the interest again of a board that had become stale and lax and prone to short-termism.
If so then we will see a summer like no other for years.
We will see this club aggressively pursue its targets and a manager given more support than any in our recent history. If Ange gets to use the current squad as the foundation stones for a club-wide revolution, we might be on the brink of something truly special.
In that case, this board will deserve every bit of credit that comes their way.
They can either rise up or they can fall short … I know we’re all hoping it’s the former and not the latter.
The power is in their hands.
If they have the will to back this manager, his vision will rehabilitate them and restore our faith.
I desperately hope that this is what they do.
I feel pretty optimistic regarding summer recruiting but i feel what might hold us back will be the getting players out in order to free up wages and bring in the extra monies that will be required.
Jota and CCV would be great. Add another CH as Julien looks off and a LB and DM and that would be a good window. 12m for Jota and CCV followed by 5m on the other three. 27m that’s a statement and yes we can afford it .
“The club never builds from a position of strength” – so very true and to our cost on more than one occasion in my lifetime. However, as much as I have criticised DD and PL, they did back NL in keeping a number of “wantaway” players at Celtic Park in the bid for 10iar, as well as some new signings (Ajeti for e.g.)!. Unfortunately, their bigger mistake was making the shower appointment in the first place, and that cost the club more in the long run. Like Ms Budge backing Craig Levein, their loyalty, whilst being very admirable, eventually becomes undone when the smooth talking is eventually stripped back by the lack of substance and results, and one has to own up to a wrong appointment.
So yes, this summer will be very interesting as Ange will be truly judged on his exploits in Europe, and the current squad requires quality additions, whilst recognising that the present squad should improve and develop from this season. DD has done nothing in all of his years as an “non-executive” director! at the club to enhance Celtic’s reputation in Europe, IMO, so will this change under Ange?
Well, whilst not underestimating DD’s influence to The Celtic FC PLC company in providing strength and stability over a number of years, his legacy presently, in my eyes, is as one of the three who blew 10iar. Through luck or otherwise we now have an experienced manager that, in one season, has highlighted what others before him lacked. Will he be backed to take the club to the levels rarely experienced in Europe, and in turn enhancing the legacy of the likes of DD?, or will we fall short once again and immerse ourselves in to the hubris of a Scottish 2-horse title race?