Before diving into today’s topic, I want to pay tribute to the folks out at Celts Are Here for getting an excellent interview with Danny Simpson, the one that drives this story and which has sparked a wave of articles across the media today.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that I’ll be weighing in on it after Simpson revealed that back in 2019, he was on the brink of signing for Celtic. Neil Lennon wanted the deal done, but those above him overruled that decision.
There are two key points here, and both of them matter.
Neither point is about how things worked out well for us in the end because Danny Simpson went on to have an injury-ravaged season at the club he did sign for, while we brought in two players for the right-back position, including Jeremie Frimpong.
Many will argue that this is the only thing that matters—that the outcome was correct, so the process doesn’t count, and we should simply ignore it and forget about the implications of the actual story. But I disagree.
In terms of the players, Frimpong was a vastly better signing than Simpson would have been. He made us a lot of money and, thanks to a sell-on clause, could bring in even more in the future. But it’s not the issue Celts Are Here is trying to highlight.
The point is that people in the non-football side of the club over-ruled those who were running that side of it, and that is not new information, but it never gets less shocking.
First, it’s clear that those in charge did not trust the manager’s judgment—the very manager they hired without conducting a proper search for Brendan Rodgers’ replacement. That appointment never made the slightest bit of sense to me.
It was lazy. There were people far too comfortable believing they were the masters of the universe, convinced they could do whatever they wanted, no matter how reckless or foolish, because things would work out in the end given the mess across the city.
But there’s a deeper issue here. Because if fundamentally, the club did not trust the man they appointed—the man who was supposed to be running the entire football department at Celtic Park -what business did they have hiring him in the first place? Why hire someone you don’t trust? We know they over-ruled him on the assistant manager role too … again, why? If his judgement was seen as suspect he was entirely the wrong person for the job. Why refuse to back someone you brought in when there were vastly better-qualified people available?
Secondly, and more crucially, it means exactly what some of us have been saying on this site all summer, and certainly through last summer and January: there are people at Celtic who believe their judgment is superior to that of the football professionals. They think they know better than the manager and are prepared to overrule him when they think he’s wrong.
Now, if we were talking about football people like Martin O’Neill—people who have worked in the business, coached, managed, scouted, and signed players—we might not be so concerned. A person like that wouldn’t make decisions over the head of the manager anyway but would work in concert with him to close deals. O’Neill would never have had players forced upon him, nor would he have forced a player on a manager.
The real reason why this would be fine with someone like O’Neill at the helm is simple: he knows what he’s doing. He understands what a player brings to the team, how they fit into a system, and what they contribute to a formation. What’s absolutely clear about last summer’s transfer window is that it was orchestrated by someone who knew none of that, who arrogantly presumed they did, and who wasn’t willing to listen to the manager’s input.
That led to a scattershot signing policy and players being given to the manager who he immediately ruled out as being capable of making the sort of contribution he needed.
We know who most likely made the Danny Simpson decision. We don’t need to relitigate that. We know who was behind it—a person with zero qualifications in any of the disciplines necessary. It’s reckless and idiotic for a club the size of Celtic to let an unqualified person make such judgments over the head of the man they hired to run the football side.
And that’s the real story here, whether or not you think Simpson was a good player, or whether Frimpong was the better signing. And I agree—Frimpong was. But this is a classic example of the tail wagging the dog. It’s the sort of thing that shouldn’t happen at a properly run club, one with clear lines of demarcation that the bean counters and money men don’t dare cross.
We know Rodgers was forced to accept players he didn’t want, both the first time he was here and again last season, proving nothing really changed.
I genuinely believe that over the course of the summer that Rodgers blocked many transfer deals that people at the club wanted to push through against his better judgment. He’s had to draw those lines personally, and I hope he continues to hold firm and make sure they stay on their side.
Because if Rodgers had to accept players he didn’t want, and Lennon was overruled on at least one player he did want, how often has this happened?
How many players over the years have we missed out on because someone who had no business being involved decided to block the deal? You can think of countless nearly-signings over the past decade—players like Ivan Toney—and wonder if those deals would have been completed if left up to the manager’s judgment instead of being superseded by someone who thinks watching games from the stands makes them an expert.
Football Manager has a lot to answer for; it’s turned far too many people into wannabe experts, some of whom are in high positions not just at Celtic but at other clubs too. But let’s focus on our own house. I’m concerned because some of the people who likely overruled Lennon are still at the club today and still think they know better than the guy in the dugout.
That’s why we keep a close eye on what goes on within our walls, and why we remain concerned about certain things. Some of these people have already shown poor judgment. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this isn’t a clever strategy.
Overruling the manager and getting it right once in a blue moon isn’t smart. It’s like taking the mortgage payment and the kids’ college fund to Vegas and putting it all on red or black. We shouldn’t be applauding when they get lucky.
It’s like if during major surgery, whilst other people were focussed on preparing the next stage some orderly grabbed the scissors and made a couple of incisions. Even if they did a really good job, nobody would pat them on the back for it. In fact, that person would probably go to jail for it.
The whole strategy is flawed, and it needs to be replaced with one that unequivocally meets the needs of the manager, and backs his judgment.
Agree. A broken watch can be right twice a day, and that is about the same hit rate that our board has on gems and projects.
Clearly this is Brendan only ‘football related’ transfer window just gone by and it shows as well thankfully…
I wonder was (James) McCarthy a ‘present’ from The Chairman as well –
It’s not just Celtic it happens at as I’m sure a taxpayers thief of a Chairman at Liebrox once paid millions for the Captain of Scotland that I’m not sure their Dick of a manager wanted at the time…
Probably the reason Andre Flo was ‘purchased’ (with ultimately taxpayers cash and still a record purchase fee) was to egotistically get one over on Celtic for the said Chairman’s own fat and bloated ego…
Thank goodness from a Celtic point of view that the window just closed was ALL ON BRENDAN and Brendan only !!!
Ah remember when flo was bought by them, an once ah stopped laughing at the fee, that’s the day ah knew that it would end in tears fir them – didn’t realise how spectacularly though, what with them ceasing ti exist in just over a decade.
HH
I read your two posts today, then read Celtic news now post. After that I saw you had another post up (this one). Tell me James do you ever take a break? Please take it easy, I worry you will burn yourself out.
I think this board deserves every criticism we all throw at them. However Danny Simpson is a convicted women beater and whoever stopped this subhuman from signing deserves some praise. I wouldn’t use the failure of this signing to highlight the directors short comings Fletcher, McGinn and many others, show us how incompetent these people are.
I think you answered the 1st question. They hired Lennon because they knew he could be over ruled anytime they wanted to over rule him. That’s why they didn’t scour the universe looking for a top manager. A top manager would never have accepted working under those conditions. Brendan left because of that. I am quite the certain that the only reason he didn’t walk out on us during either of the last two windows, is that Brendan promised he would see out his contract. Yes he is a mercenary. Yes he has walked out on us before. But Brendan gets this club and feels that he wants to make up for the first time. The assurances he sought and got, re his level of control, didn’t quite pan out the way he envisaged. But he is no mug. He has found a way to get the board to give him most of the tools he wants / needs. I think / hope, he will be better prepared at the end of the year as we go into the January window. One of the reasons Brendan is a master is that he continues to be a perpetual student. He learns from his mistakes.
Lennon signed barkas, Jonjo Kenny, Duffy, some left back from ac Milan I forget his name, ajeti, boerichter and multiple other diddies, Simpson would have been another disaster. Well done the board.
Lenton never signed any of those players, the man whose name we don’t mention signed them.
And he is still trying to do it
Regarding, ‘relitigating’, we all, by now, know the Play and Cast of Players involved.
Things will not change until the (non) Producer leaves the scene and even then his understudy
has already immersed himself in the role and will stay on script.
We can only hope that somewhere down the line a Celtic Board evolves beyond the narrow strictures
laid down as ‘holy-writ’ by Lawwell.
The Club must at some point create a proper Football Departmental structure with a Director of Football answerable to the Board but with the full authority to organise, Scouting and Recruitment, Sport Science infrastructure, Medical Staff, Specialist Coaches and Manager Recruitment. The Board would be responsible for providing the D.O.F. with an annual Budget for the Department plus an allocation for player purchases. There should be a medium to long term plan to handle the evolution of the Squad.
A Professional Structure. No Nepotism, Cronyism of Football Manager addicts.
If the European Football Landscape continues to undergo its evolutionary course then our future must be in a European context.
Scottish Football is not big enough for Celtic to continue with some of its Marketing and Commercial Partners. Giants like Adidas won’t continue multimillion contracts for limited exposure in the Scottish Market. Celtic needs to be in Europe consistently and competitively to justify it’s Commercial Operations. Bean – counter hunches or Director’s dabbling in that arena doesn’t cut it.
Your article has come just after a tweet I read this afternoon. It’s 30 years since Fergus McCann saved our club. The tweet was him talking about what he was doing and why. The greatest thing he said, and I’m paraphrasing here, is that the stadium was built for the fans to see their team in “domestic and importantly European games”. Our first European home game takes place next week. I couldn’t agree with you more James in how the usual suspects are unable to help the manager improve the squad to compete at the highest level, which the Lisbon Lions achieved. McCann’s vision should be embedded in our club, 30 years down the line, but instead the bean counters have completely disrespected him as well as
us. As you said leave the football decisions to the manager and the admin and finance to the board. HH
I agree to a point. Chelsea are still feeling the ramifications of Antonio conte and his autonomy on the football structure. He had every team down to u12 playing 3-4-3 built for longevity in his image, got himself booted out the door now their squad and every player that comes through the academy hasn’t fitted in since (I know there are more bonkers issues at that club than just this). There needs to be a structure built that can outlast brendan Rodgers, let him set the blueprint and get somebody in that can facilitate the long term vision, then let brendan cherrypick a few experienced heads to supplement the first team every year… its not a hard fix! After his acsom appearance my first call would be to jackie mcnamara, 2 year contract then bring on a European operator to work alongside him
Spot on James. This story is important because, when we were told ‘Neil Lennon knows how to spend your money*’, it appears to be a smokescreen for ‘Peter Lawell knows how to spend your money.’.
James
In every club in the world these days, the desires of the football men get approved or over-ruled by the finance guys. The idea of leaving it all to a guy who has no training or skill set in negotiations or finance is as mad as letting the finance guys identify who is a good player. Every club has a triangle between Scouts, Coach/Manager, & Finance side.
Those days are long gone and I’m surprised you find it “shocking”
Perhaps it was just the case that better prospects became available and this was the way that it was explained to Simpson. Those that are not directly involved in these matters do not know all the circumstances and the two plus two equals 20 conclusion may not be accurate.
So almost signing for Celtic is Danny Murphy’s claim to fame. Big deal, I’m sure there are plenty of players out there who were knocked back by the Celtic board, and since someone mentioned him, during Fergus’s reign also, when he quite rightly at that time continually refused to overspend. Danny thingummy is history and let him remain there.
Am living now out here in oz and am telling you a bigger picture is being missed as well as a scoop. We could have ange for at least 3 more years along with dom. The full intention was to build a team TO WIN cl. Lawell et al scuppered that and you have to dig real deep to ask why.
Who benifits. And it never was those across the city as proof positive today
Again you’ve got it right! If the wrong people accidentally get it right on the odd occasion, it doesn’t mean the system works.
The whole board should be overhauled, and replaced.
When they appoint a manager of Rogers calibre, (again I agree, Lennon was a poor choice. It cost us 10 in a row! ?) he should be picking who he thinks is a great addition to the team, unequivocally! Not some arsehole suit, that thinks they have the expertise, and pulling strings in the background, hidden like some sleazy stalker!
Openness and transparency is required at our great club, at all levels, not some Machiavellian lurking in the background, with more power than brain cells!