Before I start, let me say that I fundamentally disagree with the very idea that Dermot Desmond should be able to run Celtic from Ireland through proxies and placemen. Shame on the shareholders of this club for allowing someone who does not have a majority percentage to do things in this manner. Every one of them is asleep at the wheel here.
But for better or worse – definitely worse in my view – this is how Celtic is run; in part by an absentee landlord who was hitting a ball around a golf course as this farcical transfer window was coming to a close. Desmond is a world class businessman who hires only the best and allegedly keeps a close watch on his corporate crown jewels.
So how in God’s name has that man allowed Celtic to be run in this slapdash amateurish manner for as long as he has? Internal appointments? Nepotism and cronyism being the order of business? It’s shameful, and he permits it somehow. Not one other business in his stable would be run like this. If they were, he would not be nearly so wealthy.
It is tempting to suggest that his remove from the day-to-day operations here has made him a stranger to the way it runs under his flag. Certainly he has delegated authority to certain people, and those people are the ones who actually run things. But even if he was miles from the centre of the action, how can he think it appropriate for the chairman’s son to be head of recruitment? For us to have so many Strachan’s on the books? To have allowed certain people to keep on rising within the coaching side of the club for well over a decade?
What sort of serious company under his wing would allow so many non-executive directors to hang on in there for as long as the likes of Brian Wilson and others have sitting there nodding through major decisions like the hiring of Mark Lawwell?
Who exactly is accountable on that board, and who are they accountable to? Is this the only part of the Desmond operation which runs like a family-owned corner shop? Why does he think that this is appropriate for us and not the rest of his companies?
I want to know how he faces his fellow club big-shots when he travels to European games and see us roundly humiliated? Does he boast about the balance sheet? Does he allow others to do it? Is he proud of being one of the only football clubs in Europe that hoards cash like this? Is it good enough for him that for years we’ve subsisted on being only one step ahead of a rival which has lurched from shambles to shambles and disaster to disaster?
What’s more, there are very few genuine “football men” in positions of responsibility at Parkhead. Where are the elder statement? Martin O’Neill should have been offered a place on the board years ago. Gordon Strachan would probably suit most of the folks at Celtic, but his hold on the club is part of the problem. Too many Strachan’s already work in the place.
Nevertheless, an O’Neill would bring a realism to the place that doesn’t presently exist. Who better than a former manager to sit in at strategy meetings and steer the conversation away from a random scattering of project players to something more coherent and focussed on the manager’s needs? The problem with having Lawwell junior now doing the job Lawwell senior used to do is that neither of them is remotely qualified for it nor knows how to construct a squad.
We have had one season – one – of coherent squad building in my living memory, where when we needed a centre back that’s what we brought in, or when we needed a striker that’s what we went out and got. That’s because certain people at Celtic have convinced themselves that they know this stuff back to front when they don’t, and the moment they had their hands back on the controls they went right back to doing it their way. It is no coincidence that the first time the process served the manager that it was a runaway success.
If Desmond was building a banking department, he would hire the best people he could find from that industry. He would not bring in some stock controller somewhere and give him the whole thing to run. Peter Lawwell is a former accountant. He should never had spent years at the helm of a huge footballing operation. He should not be at the summit of it now.
In no other Desmond company would failure be rewarded. He and Lawwell wanted Lennon to spearhead ten in a row, although he should not have been near the place. That should have been the moment those two realised they shouldn’t be near another managerial hiring process. At no other one of his companies would a major job offer have come in the back of a shower room.
That stunk of amateurishness. So did Lawwell’s crass comments about putting all the other applications in a bin without looking at them.
Lawwell should have been fired for that.
As the CEO he was the public face of that disgraceful backward step, which cost us our ten in a row ambition. Yet Lawwell was allowed to resign and then to step back into the limelight when another mistake – the failure to nail down Eddie Howe – somehow handed us an unforeseen and stunning victory, which he wanted to horn in on.
When you reward failure like that don’t be surprised when more failure follows.
What does Desmond think this club looks like from the outside right now?
Do you think other managers are looking at Rodgers with envy?
Do you think the project signings and the insistence that John Kennedy can’t be removed from the setup or the rank incoherence of the recruitment strategy makes this look like an attractive gig? These pitiful self-imposed limits we’ve put on our ambition?
Nobody credible would want to work under that, and that leaves what? The desperados hanging onto the fag end of their careers or the managerial equivalent of the project.
We are lucky Rodgers was available and willing to come here.
Because without him those two ghastly choices would have been our roll of the dice, and that’s all that’s going to be left to us at the end of this season if Rodgers gets fired for the mess other people have made of things.
In what other Desmond business would he allow these pygmies to cost him the services of a genuine elite operator?
That’s what we’re headed for and you can see it a mile away; to a place where we’ll struggle to appoint anyone half decent, whilst those who caused the problems remain in post and even play the critical role in the hiring process, which none of them should ever have another opportunity to do.
Is he really happy with this?
Can he possibly really be happy with this?
Because if he thinks this is alright then I’m amazed he’s succeeded in business at all. What we’re watching here is a club going backwards, on his watch, when he has all the power.
But it’s not having it that matters. It’s how you use it. Even if Celtic is nothing but a vanity project for this guy, where can he swagger and hold his head up high, the cock-of-the-walk and the king of castle? The boardrooms of the SPFL? Nowhere in Europe, where other chairmen must be laughing at the mess of our club whenever it gets to that stage.
He and Lawwell boast of wanting a world class operation.
Then why is it filled to the rafters with raging mediocrities content for us to be mediocre? All that holds it together is success right here in Scotland, and Lawwell & Sons have managed to imperil that. So how much longer will he watch this and allow it to go on?
Until Ibrox’s directors are also openly mocking him?
And they will, and unless we’re very fortunate it will not be too far in the future.
Report the board to LSEG, there is a code of conduct the board must adhere to. Present your grievances from a group of unsatisfied shareholders, time consuming but it will be registered.
Only one set of people can do something about this.
If we really care about this club, we need organised. There is a cancer in the club and it needs to be removed before it kills the club.
Strachans and the Lawwells need cleared out. If this is not done, the Desmond’s need cleared out as well. This disease will not end well unless the cure is taken early.
We, the fans, need to be organised now in order to bring professionalisms back to this club. For this is what it lacks. If you allow a cancer to grow, death is the result. Inaction from the fans results in the neglect that allows the disease which encompasses our club (OUR CLUB not theirs) to grow. I really fear for the future unless something is done soon.
Good parents know the value of tough love. We really need to be tough to help our club, much the same way as Fergus and Brian did in the nineties.
Pan ,we need to start now it’s too late for STs but stop buying merchandise and organise a walk out during a sky televised game regardless of the score because make no mistake we have already lost this league to sevco so a walkout would make no difference to the team but would shame up this board and get shot of the bastards especially liewells and and desmonds who are vultures put nothing into our club but suck us dry when it’s share dividend time ,we as fans only have ourselves to blame for this shambles because of our gullible ” faithful through and through.
A walkout and signed petitions from all CSC and fans delivered the msm, who hate us, and will go to town on this. The more the board are confronted in public the better. They, eventually, have to address the unrest.
As someone who supported Celtic during the Kelly and White era, this unfortunately has a very firmilar feel to it. This board is treating the support with the same distain and contempt as the previous regime. There is no connection between the support and the board. The supporters and season ticket holders and now only viewed as a source of income. Nothing more than that. We are witnessing the decline of a successful squad, with the only additions being project or loan players. This has to have been one of the most disastrous transfer windows on record. With the appointment of the former chief executive as chairman, it is now apparent that a successful balance sheet is far more important than a successful team.
I think Rodgers is every bit to blame for where we find ourselves,he knew how liewell and desmond work and still put himself up for this shambles,elite manager my arse , unless a £3 million pound job makes you ELITE?
Did you hear Rodgers today!!! Sounded like a broken man, with a broken team, broken board of fat cat business men who quite frankly don’t give a hoot
Let’s not forget Desmond is a man that says he is as much a Celtic fan as we are! And that the fans are spoiled and privileged. Your answer is right there. Move on mr. Desmond.
Hi James been waiting for your take on the current situation.
100% agree ….
I get what you are saying, I agree with you in-pary, but BR must instruct what he has as a squad; and for the SPL he should have enough. Is it his style? No one knows. BR instructs the coaches, players and support, he is the manager, he tells them and us what he wants… I want success for him and Celtic, but it is not going very well. In my life 2 managers made me feel confident, O’Neil and Ange. Last year playing sevco, 10 mins to go, I believed Celtic would score. When they did, I wasn’t surprised, we got the goal, Deservedly. I don’t have that feeling anymore. Maybe BR needs time, but is he strong enough to tell the board what’s happening, not the otherway-around. I just don’t see that happening, he left the club the last time when he knew he was banging his head against the wall. He comes across as a good man, but maybe being a good manager is not enough at Celtic. I think a new manager who will tell the board what’s happening like O’Neil or Big Ange is required, being a good manager is not enough. The board are going no-where until the bank starts demanding money and that is clearly not going to happen. The board are going no-where, sometimes it’s better to try to control what you can, not what you cannot. It’s a sad state of affairs.
Then again big Ange left the club, probably because of the powers that be.
As long as season tickets and merchandise are bringin in the multi millions, he’ll be content tae let all the well paid, greedy, profiteerin, useless bastards on that board run things. Only ones who can really act tae force his hand are the support and that’s tae cut off the cash inflow. He’ll notice then.
Kevin,spot on mate it’s the only choice
I have read this and every word this guy has written is true we had the chance to buy a forward if LAWWELL and his pals but are afraid to spend a £1-00 more £10-00 for a player ,Mr Rogers was taken on in the summer and he must have been promised he had the say on players that were needed to improve and help us to do something in Europe well we did do something in Europe we made our club a laughing stock ,by not investing in players who can walk into our team and improve and help us win games.Now January has came and went what did sign a winger and a loan player who has scored 17 goals 115 games now this is not these 2 players fault that they have been taken on again projects DD has made his wealth by been a business man well unfortunately CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB IS A BUSINESS so its about time he sees this as one i have already said the same thing this man as written about hitting a goal ball about a field that does not win us titles .Now lets speak about the lawwells we have a old guy who retired and given a send off he did not deserve and a son comes on board who would not recognise a good player if he hit him on the head with a ball ,we as fans looking in from the outside understood (no told us anything but we did think with Mr Rogers coming back )that he would and only him and his team would recommend players and the board would go and get them for him and the team what is coming out of parkhead is that both chuckle brothers are making the decisions about players and saying we can do with what we have well today happened and we can,t wee kyogo looks like he is lost on the park ect ect the list goes on Now if the board want the fans to put their money next year if we lose this league MR Desmond better do something about this season fast because football is about fans no fans NO MONEY the way we are playing we are making the gers look good and handing them the £ 60 million what on earth are this board doing apart from fu#king this football club about ,I think is about time that someone from Celtic I/E Mr Rogers Mr DD comes out and tell us the truth about what is going on because all this board of guys who not football men just guys playing with a club that has been there since 1888 and these guys who are running it at the moment get rid we need people who are fans and don’t bulk at paying a fair price for players people who know how to run a club .We don’t want to lose Mr Rogers but his body language is telling us something is not right but at the moment he is carrying on the party line with his mouth that has to change fast because if he walks the next manager is a nobody were we will get crap players and a manager who will only be a yes man and not rocking the boat .
Celticanne,he’s not Mr Rodgers he bought into all this shit that walked away from last time ,he is in golf heed desmonds back pocket,to the tune of£ 3 million the man is a mercenary he doesn’t give a toss all that woeful shit he tells reporters do you think he really cares about Celtic nah,does he fuck he is as much to blame for this shambles as the board is,he’s not even that good as a football coach , McInnes and fucking Naismith out thought him ,never mind the skelpiings he got us in Europe the last time he took us there,as for Liverpool he only got there because he had really good players looking out for him , Leicester anyone,??
Rodgers is complete utter mince, that’s as nice as I can be.
He has ruined a winning team, his style is slow and boring.
We would have been far luckier if he had stayed away.
The evidence is on the playing field.
Directors all need to go but so does DD.
I am getting seriously bad Deja Vu.
Rodgers ran away and left a declining team previously.
He then destroyed Leicester.
The evidence is in the playing style, it is rank rotten and boring.
He has no plan B to change matches.
The players starting should be able to win.
They are set up to fail.
Rodgers couldn’t run a bath.
Yes I am completely scunnered with boring Rodgers.
Hail Hail the players
Davie you’re right about Rodgers, we’re back to this slow side to side back pass football,it’s turgid,ok Brendan I know how to break down a low block let’s charge forward and get our midfielders forward,nah I’m Brendan let’s play a slow ball out from the back that way our opposition will have time to set up their low block ie ten men behind the ball ,trust me Rodgers will have daizen maida looking like he’s on prosaic,not just the manager though our board are disgraceful penny pinching biscuit tin bastards but what annoys me about our manager he comes back under these present terms that he fucked of the last time for, anyway well done sevco you’ve won the league or rather liewell and desmond and his sycophant manager lost it.
Dermot Desmond has proved on many an occasion he doesn’t give a shit about Celtic it’s something he can boast to his rich pals about.The only way we’ll ever get rid of this leech is boycott, stop buying STs and merchandise because remember his son is now taking over the reins as biggest absent owner and liewell has now planted his son into the succulent business that is ripping off gullible faithful through and through Celtic fans.If we want change there’s only one way to do it harsh as it may be ,we will lose the title this year if we have concerted walk out in televised games ,but I fear we’ve lost the title this year anyway,all part of liewells plans and Brendan the patsy will carry the can, because big Pete makes Pontius Pilate look like a reasonable guy .
That Dermot Desmond said “Rangers are a great football club” –
‘Nuff Said’
Desmond’s “interest” in Celtic extends solely in getting them into the EPL then selling his shares at a huge profit. He purchases something at a low price in anticipation of a change in its profitability then sells at a high price. That is his business model. It’s exactly what he done with London City Airport. If his proxies and placemen tell him that the best chance of Celtic entering the EPL is as a joint package with Sevco, it explains almost everything.
Totally agree. We need to rid the club of the cancer of nepotism. Desmonds , Lawells, Strachans and McStays out now and take their whole recruitment team with them. Big club acting like a wee club. SHAME ON THEM ALL.
Having ruined this club Do Lawwell & co still think they can make it in any English league or even in a European league we will still be everybody’s whipping boys Get Rid of this shower now before it to late.
If you want a walk out, do it in a game against Sevco at Celtic park on skysevco TV. I assume they are going to try to get supporters back to avoid this. Maybe an empty ground on TV would make a difference.