I’ve been giving Chris Sutton stick for the past few weeks, because, to be frank, he’s been doing my nut in by constantly criticising the manager and the signings and never once pointing his finger where it belongs; at the people who run our club.
Today he’s had a go at the summer, the recruitment and the stuff that was in the published statement from the chairman earlier in the week. And yet still he continues to dance around the issue, asking vague questions rather than getting to the heart of it.
“I’ll be honest, I’m not sure there were enough satisfactory answers in there to key questions,” he says of the interim financial results and the much-mocked statement by Lawwell.
“Mainly, the disappointment of failing to further add to the squad. Collective responsibility was taken, but it doesn’t change anything and the big question is why were these mistakes made? Who is to blame? If funds were available, there’s a culpability somewhere and, although they’ll never actually say, that’s the point and it leaves Celtic wide open to criticism and speculation.”
First, don’t even get me started on “collective responsibility.” There was no taking of responsibility whatsoever in that statement. It was all expressions of disappointment, not acknowledgement of failure and the acceptance of blame. If this season ends and we don’t have the league title, or God forbid, we don’t have anything in the trophy cabinet at all do you reckon we’ll see “collective responsibility” then? No, they’ll sack the manager.
Not one single director will voluntarily relinquish his role at this club. The concept of “collective responsibility” is utterly alien to these people.
Secondly, he says it opens us up to speculation; speculation about what? Who is speculating here? Everyone knows exactly who is responsible for recruitment at Celtic Park. Even if you accept that the manager has to sign off on most of these guys, he can only pick from the options he’s given and the person who is responsible for presenting him with these options is Mark Lawwell.
We don’t have to speculate on that. That’s a fact. We all know it’s a fact. So, Sutton knows exactly who is responsible for this mess, and he has no problem pointing the finger of blame at Rodgers when he has gotten it wrong. So, what’s with this guy right now?
If Celtic is going to get past this current crisis, we are going to need everyone who is on our side of the line to name and shame those who caused it. We’re going to need to put on the pressure and turn the volume up to ten.
We cannot allow these people to take us into another summer of chaos from which we will only emerge with further disharmony and a whole new set of problems.
Sutton’s constant banging on about the manager whilst giving those in the boardroom a free pass is stupid because it was dangerous.
Get rid of Rodgers and then what? If you think that was a step backwards and a stupid appointment there are plenty who will agree with you. But at least see that argument through to its conclusion; do you trust the people who did it to get the next one right?
They’ve hired Rodgers twice. Lennon twice. Given the job to a guy they had originally lined up as an assistant. They won the lottery on Ange, but are we giving out credit for blind luck now? You might as well get The Big Book Of Managers, open it to a random page and stick a pin in it blindfolded. If it pays off, great. Give Lawwell his statue in the carpark.
If that’s not your idea of a winning strategy though, if you prefer not to be quite so cavalier with the future of this club, that’s what you have to consider when calling for the head of the manager. If his is the only one to roll, we’ll be back here again in no time.
Sutton still acts as if he doesn’t realise whose fault it is that we’re in this shambles. Yeah, he wants to lay it at the door of the manager, but it’s not just the manager’s responsibility to make sure that the various sections which make up the club are working in sync with one another. It’s as if he can’t get the real culprits in his gunsights.
IF BR was to piss off in the summer,
– which I think he probably will –
then our Boardroom will have a shortlist ready:
Scott Brown or Gordon Strachan.
No manager search or interview process necessary.
[I’m only half-joking. 🙁 ]
I know it mate, that’s what scares me most. That could well be it.
I don’t read his column so am dependent on your thoughts on what he says. I am trying to remember (and can’t) what he said about Rodgers first time round. I know he was a Lennon apologist but that’s understandable for obvious reasons. I can’t recall if he liked Brendan MK1 or not.
Big Chris is a great guy and very good at winding up the huns. It saddens me he is winding us up now. He surely would be the one guy in the media we would normally rely on to speak for us. As such, it’s down to us. 7-0 the morra and a big banner telling Lawwell to GTF.
I demand no less!!!!
There are lots of much smaller clubs than Celtic who have great domestic success as well as making inroads in Europe, East and West. We should check out their managers. Unforunately, Sevco got it right this time by picking a winner from the Belgian league.
We picked someone who was recently responsible for the relegation of Leicester.
I would appoint Kevin Muscat next as it would be personal and he would be out to prove Sevco wrong for overlooking him.
And yes I would take their cast off if he was good enough.
With the style of football I have watched under Rodgers up till the transfer window I would be reluctant to spend on Rodgers ‘better quality’ to watch more of the same. Is there anything to say the style would have changed?
Yes. Your players have to fit the style and ours don’t.
Big Sutty ain’t daft. He knows what the REAL problem is. Wonder why he’s pulling his punches?
This is fairly straightforward to read. Sutton works for the DR. The DR is used by Peter Lawwell to sell the Celtic fans are entitled BS and just this week how we were going to open the buscuit tin. The DR know that a functioning Celtic board blows Sevco out the water so the DR is very happy for the board to remain so the manager take the hit. Sutton is asked to stay on script with the agenda. So he dumbs down on the board criticism and raises it for the manager. Any Celtic fans falling for this are fools but their are plenty out there who are so easily led it’s frightening.
Yes. Your players have to fit the style and ours don’t.
So, our squad of players do not fit Rodgers style but more suited to the Ange style. Is Rodgers a one trick Pony who cannot change and must rely on players to do it for him?
For the money he is earning he should show a bit more flexibility with the squad rather than the Bank baling him out. I do agree that the current purchases were foisted on him and do not blame him for those but a so called elite manager should have the ability to change. IMO.
Lawwell statue in the car park, ha,ha, more use as a speed bump , at least that’s useful
Everyone is entitled to an opinion mate. You are totally wrong and should learn a new tune. I’m sure Sutton knows a lot more about football than you do.
I can see my hand in front of my face.
Do you need a weatherman to tell you when it’s raining?
The wole management team is to blame for where we are right now and it starts from the top down. Dermot Desmond is the guy with all the money and its now his job to sort this mess out now. Sutton is correct to point the finger at Rogers, this Celtic team is basically the same team as last year’s albeit we’ve had injuries but this season!?!? This Celtic team all season has done nothing but move the ball left to right and right back to left with no penitration and no goals and their horrible to watch. Celtic have some talented players in this team and they’ve lost their way, this is down to Rogers. Personally I don’t think this guy cares or wants to be at Celtic
It’s Dermot Desmond’s fault. Simple. All roads head back to him.