There are a lot of articles doing the rounds today about a New York fundraiser for the Celtic charities where Dermot Desmond was in attendance for once. Is that significant? Well two other things may very well make it significant. First, was the chairman present? His name is nowhere in the reports. But I’ll tell you who was there; Brendan Rodgers.
That’s second thing, and that may be important.
For a start, it all but seals the deal that Rodgers will be manager next season no matter what happens with the title race. He spent time during the Q&A talking about the plans for the team. I have no idea what he said and I’d enjoy reading his specific remarks … but that he was there with Desmond makes me wonder if we’re seeing the reveal of the new power nexus.
Desmond chose Rodgers. One of the questions we’ve been asking ourselves over and over again as this season has rolled out is why he has allowed his pick for the managerial post to be undermined and second guessed, and does he intend, at any point, to put a stop to that nonsense? Mark Lawwell has gone. Mutually consented.
That was obviously significant. But if Desmond is now fully backing the manager and determined to see him backed properly that might be even more so.
We know that Rodgers has been fighting for his players behind the scenes. We know that because he’s taken his displeasure and his frustrations public more than once. He has talked in clear terms about urging the claim to try to take that next step, and if there wasn’t at least someone inside Celtic willing to listen to him on that he’d have gone already.
You would think that person would have to be pretty high up in the structure to make him the sort of assurances that he would need. Desmond is the obvious candidate, because it’s only Desmond who could, if he chose to, over-rule Lawwell and his hand-picked yes men.
I don’t know if we’re reading too much into it, but I can’t imagine that those two men sat and talked about charitable endeavours all night long. Rodgers appears to have bumped Mark Lawwell out the door; if he’s now cemented his alliance with Desmond, and if Desmond is sending a coded message to people, that’s obviously all to the good.
Look, for a lot of people there’s not going to be any proper forward progress whilst Lawwell still sits in his chairman’s roles. That farce has to be brought to an end as swiftly as possible. But if this is now the Desmond-Rodgers show that’s clearly a change for the better.
It’s ridiculous It’s taken this long. It’ll be a very very interesting summer whether we win the title or not. It could well be the biggest squad overhaul we’ve ever had in one window especially when you consider ORiley will be sold for big money and I’d imagine Lagerbielke, Nawrocki, Kobayashi, Bernabei, Kwon, Siegrist, McCarthy (remember him?), Bernardo, Johnston, Oh and Idah will all be away unless we keep Idah, which I personally think we should. I’m excited to see what happens
Losing the title should be the final nail in Lawwell’s coffin as chairman of Celtic…
One could also argue the exact same of Brendan as well if The League is scandalously lost…
But if having to put up with both in their positions at Celtic if we are champions in this most critical of seasons…
Then I’ll take that all bloody day long…
Just as long as ma beloved Celtic FC are Scottish Premier League Champions 2023/24 !!!
At least we now know that Rodgers has Desmonds ear directly, no chance of a middle man putting the dampner on any prospective transfer moves.
James if this was the Desmond /Rodgers show why didn’t Rodgers get backing from his big mate desmond when liewell was running the show and his son bringing in project players.Rodgers stated that he needed at least 4 quality signings he got none ,why didn’t he complain to Desmond about liewell stifling his plans ,and why didn’t Desmond overule liewell and let Rodgers buy the players he wanted.im pretty sure liewell is still a major part of the plans for Celtic going forward,or with Liewell still there it will be Celtic going backwards.
Another interpretation is that there is a great deal of private equity investors in the US looking to get involved with football clubs in Europe, and DD’s grand plan of getting Celtic on board the EPL gravy train so he could sell his shareholding at vast profit has not come to fruition and looks like it never will, so he may be looking to offload at a more modest profit – ask any Man Utd fans you know how ‘investors’ from America worked out for them…..
The fans need to unite and have a vehicle to voice their opinions. No renewals until Lawwell leaves and a guarantee Celtic’s strategy changes. Together we have the power, as individuals they’ll continue to treat the fans like dirt.
DD brought back BR – and presumably, he also had PL made Chairman.
On the face of it: why should BR trust DD this summer?
ML aside: DD should have been on PL’s case last summer
to ensure BR got what he wanted – and needed – to make ‘progress in Europe’.
Didn’t happen.
Regardless of what transpires this season,
and as much as I do like BR,
the club could – and should – attract a better manager this summer.
And if PL is still there this summer, BR might just choose to walk anyway?
What does it mean ? It means that there aren’t many golf courses in Manhatten and the other 4 Burroughs there . Finding a caddy would be a nightmare ! PS Dermot …head Upstate …the courses there are magnificent !
Desmond was there because it was New York and not New Stevenson. Rodgers was there because it was Desmond`s way of telling the Celtic support that no matter what they think,
wish or hope for, that the same manager will be there next season and beyond. Dougie Vipond was there to play the drums and George McCluskey (who?) was there to mooch some free drinks.
Could mean anythin or nothin really. Strange how DD can manage a ‘fund raisin’ event and he cannae even attend supporters nights. Maybe a bit pessimistic, tho ah don’t care how many ‘fund raisers’ he attends, or with whom. Imo, things will never change unless we’re shot of lawwell and the other well paid dinosaurs up there. Start there, then ah’ll feel optimistic about our team-clubs future.
The whole scenario is head scratching, why when Rogers said there would be much needed re-enforcments there wasn’t any. Why has the chairman allowed the season to slip away when he obviously knew what Rogers wanted to do!?!? Who’s steering this ship if anyone. For a club of this size the whole thing is a shambles.
Why didn’t DD step in to support Dominic McKay?
Proper due diligence must have been done and recieved DD’s blessing, before appointing him?
Head scratching is a good way to put it. I’ve thought for a wee while something had to be going on between Brendan & Desmond for Brendan to be saying he was going to be here next year.
A minimum had to be more and better support from the board. The other was that he had promised the fans he wouldn’t walk away this time & unlike many I felt he was sincere, regretted the first time he was forced to walk & I believed him. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t blame him & want him to stay next season. He is a Celtic fan & he is committed. HH
The fact that Desmond was there means nothing. Trying to spin it any other way smacks of desperation. He’s only involved with Celtic to sell his shares at a profit.
Lawwell is his placeman at Celtic to look for any way out of Scottish football and to make sure the club under no circumstance runs at a loss.
Desmond re-instated Lawwell after the scandalous 10 in a row season, that should tell us that Lawwell’s here for the long haul, thinking anything else is just wishful thinking.
If the support want change they’re going to have to fight hard for it. Desmond won’t walk away from any potential profit, he’s too miserly for that. Anyway, as we know, he loves to show the entitled fans whose boss.
Nothing changes until the fans stop putting their money into the club, anything else is just enabling the current incarnation of the Kelly’s and the White’s.
Don’t renew until you know there’s some semblance of a plan for next season. Make the bastards on the board work for their money.
SACK THE BOARD.
@KC67. Well said.
Clearly many supporters are into the management and finances of the club rather than the football, with no knowledge whatsoever of what’s going on behind the scenes. These last seven League Games are so important, in my opinion all the speculation about boardroom manoeuvring should be shelved until the League is won or lost. This team needs all the support it can get from our fans at this time, rather than background noise from amatuer company directors.