The Staggering Ineptitude At Ibrox Is Still This Celtic Board’s Most Critical Advantage.

There is a school of thought within some elements of our support that our directors must be working to an agenda designed to throw this title race Ibrox’s way. I don’t understand how anyone can believe it. This alleged unwillingness to “bury them” is brought up every now and again and I have to remind people that burying them is not in our gift.

We couldn’t put them in a permanent hole even if we wanted to. Some version of them would always rise again. But we can put our boot on their back if we chose to and decide which form they exist in. I do agree we’ve been somewhat lax on that front.

But there is one major hole in the theory, and it came to a head again during the month of January. Even if our board were trying to throw them a title, and creating the perfect conditions to allow them to do it, they would have to reckon with a very large X factor; Ibrox’s own ability to shoot itself in the foot, and their incomprehensible stupidity.

They went into the window looking for exactly the same thing as we did; a proven goal-scorer. They, like Celtic, brought in a forward on loan. A bigger name some will say, but actually just a more hyped one. They were looking for cover in other positions. They didn’t sign the centre back they were screaming out for. Left back remains a problem position.

They scrambled around madly trying to sell players. Madly because the price tags they put on their junk were crazy. £4.5 million for the Turkish full back? £3 million for Matondo? Who in God’s name was going to pay that kind of money for them? Nobody sane anyway. Had they been more sensible with their demands they may have raised a few quid.

With that money, they could have done the game changing piece of business all of us expected them to do; the signing of Lawrence Shankland, the deal which, in light of our failure, would have seen a very clearer winner and a very clear loser emerge from the window. But the reason the media is being very subdued in calling that is that their window was as poor in its own way as ours was, the only difference being their fans are loathe to face up to that.

Yet it remains true nonetheless, because the Shankland deal was definitely there to be done. His own manager was openly preparing their fans for his departure. Elements in the media were getting ready to put the pressure on the moment the first bid was rejected. It was all moving in a very clear direction; the only problem was that Ibrox couldn’t raise the cash.

Our board’s failure would have been compounded had they managed to sign him. He would score goals for any club in this league; he’s proved it by doing it at two of them, Hearts and Dundee Utd. As bad as the blow to their team is the one their fans have taken. They had been anticipating it all through January, from the minute the window opened until it closed. That it didn’t happen on the final day was a seismic shock for a lot of them, and for some in the media.

We failed to sign a left back, but that was nowhere near as pressing for us as the need for a centre back and a penalty box finisher was for them, and so I think that we’ve emerged from the window with a few outstanding issues on the back of a massive and un-necessary gamble.

But they didn’t produce a game-changer. They didn’t make any signing which fills me with concern. They have let go one striker and brought in another. Roofe and Danilo are out long term. Their midfield player is there in case Dowell doesn’t return any time soon and as a possible replacement for Jack or Lundstram now in the closing stages of their deals … the real disaster is losing Sima for an extended spell, and his replacement is being hyped but has barely kicked a ball in months.

They failed to put real pressure on us by pulling a rabbit out of the hat. It’s worse for them that there was such an obvious one and they couldn’t even get that done.

Even if our board was trying to give them one step forward, they excel at taking one step back all on their own.

There is nothing Lawwell or Desmond could do to change that. They are their own worst enemies, and as a result the biggest advantage our directors have in staying that one step ahead.