There are obviously going to be widespread repercussions on the back of the news today that Mark Lawwell has left his role at Celtic.
Although he’s on “gardening leave” at the moment, our scouting department is effectively without a central figure. That needs to be resolved, and it needs to be resolved soon with us bringing in a quality replacement.
What else might be happening behind the scenes at Celtic?
Well, that this has happened now and not at the end of the season suggests that a lot of people are circling the wagons, but it also suggests that there are major changes on the way.
We all know that Lawwell Jnr had virtually no chance of surviving the calamities of the summer and the January windows if the club expected to sell season tickets, but the swiftness of this has surprised most of us, and it seems obvious there’s a bit more going on.
Whilst there’s no definitive information on what else may be underway, I think it’s safe to say that Rodgers has claimed back some of the power he gave up during the summer, and which this site and others warned him against conceding.
If Brendan Rodgers has put down his foot and insisted on more control over transfers. that’s all to the good. That makes Lawwell and Sons the unhappy victims of what amounts to a coup.
If there’s been a power struggle here then obviously the manager has won it.
Now, it has to be said that this is not without risks.
If Rodgers has been ceded some control over the strategy the board has taken a brave decision because if the manager cannot deliver this title, then a lot of people are going to insist that he be fired for that, and it would not take much to convince those on the fence about it.
That shakes things up further.
But they would have needed shaken up anyway.
Lawwell’s failures are so egregious that it’s impossible to imagine any other manager working with the system he put in place. Anybody who we tried to convince to come here and run the team in the summer would have balked at the idea of letting this guy run the transfer policy with such a dismal record behind him.
Still, giving Rodgers a say means that he will have to work with others to put at least some of the summer plans together, and if fate dictates that he’s not going to have a job by then we’re essentially at square one in terms of what those plans will be.
News of internal bickering is never good news, but that stuff has stalked us the whole of this season so far and now we’ve got a change which on the surface of it is wholly positive and removes some of the taint of nepotism around the club.
It must only be the start of the changes.
Think of the arrogance it took from some people at Celtic to think an appointment like this would ever fly in the first place. Right from the start, it hamstrung the whole club. It was a triumph not only of nepotism but egotism because they really did believe they could brass neck this out and rely on the manager to fix whatever went wrong.
That egotism has brought us to the brink of disaster this season, and people had to pay for that. The man hired now has. Those who hired him may not be far behind him in heading out the door. If the manager has triumphed here, they’ve been cut off at the knees.
It’s important now Lawwell Snr departs as soon as possible.
He’s got nothing left to offer us but division and further strife.
The manager must be allowed a say in how this club is restructured around not only a new head of recruitment but an entirely new football department … the trouble is, we’re in a situation where that might not be possible in the midst of this title race.
But nor should anyone think that Rodgers can be entirely excluded from that process whilst there is a chance that he’ll be the manager who has to work with whatever they build.
The next thing this club needs to do is hire a director of football, someone with deep roots in the game, and give that person the authority to re-structure scouting, medical, coaching and analytics with the input of the manager the first and foremost consideration.
Another internal appointment won’t wash. Another page out of the City Group contacts book will not suffice. This time we have to get this right, because to be frank the job is too important to get wrong, and we see the dire consequences of doing so when we look at the league table.
This doesn’t solve every problem.
It doesn’t fix everything that’s gotten broken.
But if Rodgers has flexed his muscle and gotten his way this is a major event in our recent history and the effects of it will still be felt way down the line whoever is in the manager’s chair, or whoever is in the chairman’s job for that matter.
Because this whole thing is a consequence of what happens when the senior people at a club are working at cross purposes … and that can’t be allowed to happen again, and so lessons had better be learned and some checks and balances installed to make sure that it doesn’t.
Yip it all seemed to be all about Me, me, me, me me, me, and me, and to fcuk with Celtic…
Well that’s the first bottle fallen – accidentally or otherwise and hopefully more are to follow (follow) seeing as some of these on the board have Hun political anyway leanings !
Totally missing the point ,Nepotism untill Strachans ,lawell, Kennedy ect then we will remain the big fish in the small pond ,me ..I would rather see the bhoys win and progress in Europe than win the title every season ,it does get boring
We certainly ain’t been the big fish in the small pond this season so far Adam…
And we might not be the big fish in the small pond should Sevco prevail in the title race –
I’d rather be bored of being champions than being bored of being not champions…
I suffered enough of being bored of being not champions in The bloody 90’s !
How many of oor elders are ‘on the board’?
@ Adam Thomas Naw it never gets boring ya fcukin clown.
Dermid Desmond is a tuff cookie and will not be forced to do anything he thinks will affect Celtic FC stewardship angi brought in lawell not his father denim put his son on the board and his only allegiance to his father if anybody goes if not there own then it’s dermit he has a strong attachment to Rodgers to bring him back after they way he left Green brigade has done a lot of damage to Celtic FC Scottish media must love there antics flying a flag Palestinian forcing one our best players out and no way an Israei player will ever play for us you are distancing your self’s from the supporting your team by political statements abda was a Celtic player who was proud to wear our crest on there chest but cause of wannae be spoke people get rid of this anarchists from your Green brigade
You need to get your carer to adjust your meds PRONTO!
Any chance of putting together a narrative that makes sense with decent grammar and coherent/credible analysis
No need to have a go at the guys grammar for having a point, and his point is valid with regards to the green brigade, whether you disagree with it. A catholic club like hibs, want to cut Celtics allocation, you would never have imagined this, that’s all down to the green brigade, and they’re antagonizing views. Let the guy have his point, if you disagree that’s fine, but no need to be rude.
You should’ve gone to school Jack.
Punkchewashun
Your post is very bard tonread and understand.
This is typical of Celtic making moves that should have happened before the season started. As for that clown Lawwell Jnr head of recruitement, if it was anywhere else it would be comical. Romour has it Dermot Desmond has had enough but weve been here before, look at the Lennon saga. We have watched and waited till Celtic blew an 8 pt lead before anything happens. This would only happen at Celtic, nothing changes
Jacks on the crack
Despite what the statement said, the CEO was responsible for hiring the recruitment team and the failure is down to him, so he should be resigned as well.
Jack makes many valid points. Fair play to him.
Hail Hail
If recuitment is handed over to Rogers that’s fine but why was he not in control from the start. We maybe wouldn’t be in the predicament were in now.