There is a moment in the movie Wall Street when Budd Fox, the young up and coming broker, has given the slippery mogul and stock market legend Gordon Gekko some bad news.
Fox has gotten in the door in the first place because he was able to give Gekko a key piece of information about a stock that was going to go up. Now his own bet has lost Gekko money. Gekko, who always knows more than it seems and is aware of exactly how Fox came about his initial piece of info, caustically says “Well I guess your dad’s not a union representative of that company.”
Some people need their daddies to get on in life. Like our chief scout, one of the Strachan sons, who worked his way to a scouting job at our club from a golf shop. The head of recruitment at least managed not to wind up on the Celtic payroll up until now, but what a ghastly appointment that was, as this website predicted at the time to much scorn from others.
It would be nice to be able to reward family and friends by giving them gigs at the place where you work. I once got my sister a job working with me in the homeless hostels. She liked that public service role so much she parlayed in into a career in a related field and has done very well.
But I couldn’t have given her an executive job even if I’d held one myself, because in just about any organisation worth a damn that would have been subject to vetting and a process and a list of candidates would have been interviewed for the role.
That’s how shareholders are best served.
I don’t know what ours are doing standing back and watching this disgrace unfold.
The other day, The Celtic Trust picked this moment to appeal for members. This is the moment for a credible, focussed fan organisation to come to the fore, one that can command respect and bring people together. They are not it, not even close. If they have a coherent plan short of “standing with the Green Brigade” I have yet to hear it.
The Green Brigade themselves are the loudest voices in the stands; they have put this board until no pressure whatsoever. They would rather bang on about an ancient chapter in Irish history than they would fight for the wellbeing of this football club.
Did their return to the stadium come with a “no slagging the board” clause?
Because honestly, their voices should be critical here … and they are oddly silent.
Every single one of us has to do better than this.
Nobody can be looking at this board and believe that they are progressing this club at the moment. Every fan media outlet and every fan organisation, in fact every single individual fan, has to think about where we are and where we are heading.
Nobody can possibly think this window was a success. Nobody can possibly believe that this board does not have questions to answer about why the last two transfer windows were such a farce. We needed quality in the summer and we got 10 players but no first team starters.
We needed quality in this window – the manager was adamant about that – and we got one signing who he clearly wanted and a kid on loan from Norwich reserves who arrived last night via a club statement without Rodgers endorsement in it. Yet there are people who are trying to tell us that the manager is t he one responsible for this disaster of a window.
The stink of cronyism and nepotism reeks from every level of the football department; I wrote about that at the start of the week. The same applies to the upper executive.
We are run on behalf of a handful of people according to a decade old stratagem which becomes harder and harder to defend. The one year in which we had real success in signing first team ready footballers was under Ange, who decided not to use any of the current network at the club … what does the success of his first and second windows tell us when we compare them with the four after Lawwell junior was running things?
The numbers don’t lie, so let me present you with some.
He has signed 22 players in his tenure as head of recruitment.
Of that number two haven’t been here long enough to make a proper judgement.
Of the other twenty, only five – Mooy (who was Ange’s boy, and let’s not kid on about that), Jenz, Johnson, Palma and Bernardo – have been able to get into the team and hold down a place for any length of time. We decided against signing Jenz. Palma is in the side right now because Abada has been injured and Maeda is away. Bernardo is also in the side because there is no Reo Hatate at the moment, and perhaps not for some time to come.
Oh is a squad player but as soon as we have a better option he’s gone. Yang is a squad player and he’s currently third choice on both the left flank and the right. Nawrocki might be around a while and will probably be considered a success. I like Iwata and so does the manager, but Iwata definitely was an Ange Postecoglou pick as we all know full well.
The rest is just so much wreckage on the highway. Of all of them who remain at the club, only Alastair Johnson is a guaranteed starter, and he’s got that role because his backup will never challenge him for the first team place. Is he as good as Juranovic, who played in a World Cup semi-final?
Four transfer windows.
One player – one – who right now walks into the team every week and he’s got nobody to keep him on his toes or challenge for his place.
But then neither does Greg Taylor, Joe Hart or Kyogo, so perhaps that’s not a surprise.
22 players signed and we still need a goalkeeper, a left back and a decent 25 goal a season striker to challenge the starter who isn’t on form right now. We probably do need a backup right back and at least one more midfielder. Under this head of recruitment, what are the odds on filling any of those holes with quality come the summer?
If there is a common cause amongst the support, holding this board to account has got to be it.
We can start to put pressure on these people, or we can wait for a disaster which won’t help us but will give them a chance to appeal for unity whilst they pick another yes-man for the dugout and we start this cycle all over again.
Ask not what your club is doing for you, but what you can do for your club. This is the moment to decide … and remember; Noah built the ark before the rain.
I’d prefer that we didn’t wait for the disaster.
Yes, Noah not Moses built the ark. You try writing one of these with a pounding headache at 2:00am, see how many mistakes you make!
Personally I’d be delighted to run our current “custodians” out of town, but I’m not sure the fanbase is as engaged as you hope. Disaster is frequently the biggest driver of change, unfortunately. I use UK firearms legislation as an analogy. The three key firearms acts, dated 1968, 1988 and 1997, all significantly tightening up legal access to weapons, each came about as a direct reaction to the actions of shocking spree killers (Robert Mone, Dundee 1967, Michael Ryan, Hungerford 1987 and Thomas Hamilton in Dunblane in 1996), so I fear that we will probably have to crash and burn before any meaningful change occurs…
I think you will find it was Noah
Noah built the ark. Has it been that long since Sunday school?
I think you’ve just re-written the bible.
Would be nice to hear something from the individual
who is ultimately reponsible for allowing nepotism, cronyism
and dysfunction at the club: DD?
As the largest shareholder, (at c. 35%) we are led to believe
DD makes the big decisions – including bringing the deeply
unpoular and distrused PL back as Chairman.
PL significantly overstayed as CEO for 17 years.
Putting PL out to pasture and well away from Parkhead,
would buy some immediate goodwill amongst the support?
Fans should continue to go and support the team this season and get the title over the line. The best form of protest is for nobody to renew their season ticket and nobody to buy the new shirt or club merchandise. Sadly it wont happen
The Kelly/White/McGinn mob of the 80s and 90s now reads Desmond/Lawwell/Strachan. The fans are being royally shafted.
Wasnt it Noah?
Weaker after this window, why Turnbull was allowed leave with Hatate out for approx 8 weeks , the answer is obviously the 2 mill they got for him , starting to feel like covid season all over ,bad feeling about rest season
James how did the board fail the manager? Come on explain…
Brendan Rodger stated he wanted ‘quality over the nest two windows’ That is window one. He also stated the winter window is not normally the window permanent signings are made. We added two players in positions the manager wanted boosted. Brendan Rodgers also mentioned rather than relying in analytics he likes to talk to future players which he did with the two that came and both hungry to succeed and WANTED to be here.
Oh the left back yup we never got cover for Greg Taylor but Berabei is decent, Liam Scales can play there and why Lagerbielke was refused a loan deal so we have cover and Michael Frame is decent also ( we need more home grown players and the manager has also mentioned this).
So where is the failure?? we are top of the league and the main threat of anything is the fans not backing the team.
So yes I agree the fans need to step up. However I do not think we mean the same thing….
There is a massive waiting list and many supporters waiting to take the seats of ANYONE who wishes to give theirs up.
James the way Brendan has been treated is a disgrace he has deliberately been undermined by 2 individuals lawwell and his wee bhoy no doubt the Brendan haters will be out in force to blame him for all this In the summer Brendan asked for £20 million to buy 4 quality players what did he get 9 cheap projects at virtually the same cost just to undermine him as lawwell and his wee bhoy harboured a grudge against him it is a disgrace and proves that lawwell doesn’t care about this football club or the fans all he cares about is Celtic PLC
Fair enough James, but I tend to keep my main focus upon what is happening upon the field of play before turning towards the suits, and allowing them to have such a negative effect upon our well being and mental health over our club that means so much to ourselves within our daily lives?
I can only speak for myself but wouldn’t say I’m alone with such an outlook?
That’s why my main focus is upon Rodgers and his failings within the role, upon his return?
Now you could well be right James upon placing the focus upon the board and making a claim that Rodgers hasn’t received the backing he should have from the board?
Personally believe that the decision making from Rodgers is a bigger issue and got to a stage now where I don’t trust him whatsoever in the role and think he’s filled with nothing more than bullshit imo?
So again all that’s currently on offer within the club is the blame game and who’s responsible for it?
Think the resolution is for all those responsible have to go and fail to see how any other solution can be found when such non working relationships are having such a negative impact upon our support?
Even if this double is achieved, does that mean everything is rosie in the garden again, I don’t believe so, and failing to see how things that are broken will ever be able to work properly for ourselves again with all of the culprits still within there job’s?
Heads need to roll regardless of how this campaign ends, and far more than just 1 imo?
If our club has any intention of ambition upon the bigger picture of CL football, then those holding them positions are failing drastically within there positions, and have to be replaced, for the good of our support imo?
Actually thought Rodgers was indeed the manager to potentially take us forward, especially in CL, with trying to build a squad capable of competing, than just having to depend solely upon relying upon a decent team?
That approach within todays game has long passed, where the level of the squad takes preference, to be covered better for the unseen and unexpected situations that todays game brings?
Was patient during the summer and actually believed that we were in the process of doing so?
Now it’s been confirmed that nothing but a total mess has been created, to possibly one of the most insane windows I can ever recall?
Keeping players who have no future within the club, and letting go player’s who might have contributed to ourselves, even if very little, and leaving positions untouched and playing Russian roulette with the rest of this season also?
Chaos is to kind of a word to sum up the total shit show that’s been created and operating within our club now?
And in a season that was meant to mean so much, and got to depressing status so quickly is unforgivable situation to find ourselves in yet again, and the memories of the 10iar season haven’t been totally forgotten either?
Can’t see this season finishing well for ourselves now, even if success is achieved, and never felt in such a way whatsoever within my lifetime of following our club, and not a prospect of looking forward to trying to deal with it either, which is a shocking and totally unnecessary way to be feeling regarding our club presently imo?
Actually, it was Noah that built the ark.
Given that I no longer pay to see Celtic through the turnstiles, I don’t feel as bad as those that do clearly will – (it should be noted that I didn’t chuck it due to poor transfer windows either)…
But if we lose this league due to this incompetence then the substantial amount that I still spend on official club merchandise WILL take a bloody hit for them for sure as money is the only thing that they know –
I lived and paid to see Celtic in these awful 90’s when we went SIX agonising seasons without a trophy and it was hell on Earth and not just on the field of play but off it as well with the gloating of the Rangers club and the Rangers fans (as they actually were back then) –
I never ever thought that I’d ever see these days ever again…
But then Lawwell came back…
And….
I think it was Noah who built the ark.
Yours,
A Pedant
100% spot on.
The board are running the club as if it is theirs.
It’s not and the fans need to do something about it.
I bet Noah was delighted he didn’t have to get his hands all scratched up.
The manager and the team have been utterly failed. The fans have been trolled. I agree with every word in this article.
However… We are where we are, if the slow ponderous boring football continues that’s not on the board. The current squad is a disgraceful show of limited ambition, but it’s good enough to put the rest of the league to bed.
I’ll exempt Brenda Rodgers from the blame of the transfer fiasco, but if he can’t see that the style of play needs tweaking to accommodate the players we actually have for the rest of the season, he’s as much at fault should we fail.
What another shambles of a window. Time for Lawell 1 and Lawell 2 to exit the scene. Celtic have needed another left back for at least 3 years, a goalie for at least 2, and another striker and midfielder who could walk into the team this season. Correct, James, handing jobs to family members is against any professional standards. I now fear the worst for the league title, as for too many games lately the standard is not good enough
Think it was Noah who built the Ark but other than that, I can’t argue with anything else you say.