The Paul Tisdale appointment takes Celtic in a radical, and exciting, new direction.

Today, Celtic has appointed Paul Tisdale as our head of football operations.

In essence, he’s a director of football in all but name. I’ve already written at length about why I’m excited about this appointment.

For one thing, he’s a football man—not just a pen pusher or bean counter. He knows the business side of the game, but he’s also sat in the dugout.

He’s managed teams, built squads, and understands when to defer to the head coach in certain areas. I believe both he and Rodgers will work well together.

It’s rare in business for a senior executive to have a say in choosing their boss, but it’s inconceivable that Rodgers wasn’t consulted on this and given input. We all know Celtic needs a more professional structure and higher-calibre leadership. The stench of mediocrity from certain parts of the football operation—and how it’s overseen by the board—has become unbearable.

If they have any sense, this is the first stage of a major overhaul.

Tisdale should come in with a mandate to clean house and be allowed to do so on his own terms. Nothing should be off the table. If he feels key positions in the academy or youth teams are held by the wrong people, it should be his job to present that case to the board and be given the authority to make the necessary changes.

It’s high time we removed the old guard, the ‘Friends of The Man.’

Our commercial department, on the other hand, is excellent. It far surpasses anything across the city—professional, modern, and forward-thinking, getting the big decisions right. We’re about to sign a major new deal with Adidas, elevating us into their top tier, bringing more revenue and prestige. That’s the commercial department working at full capacity.

I’ve also become a huge fan of Celtic’s social media operations in recent years, which is outstanding. The changes to Celtic TV have brought in talented and creative individuals, given a wide remit to transform the club’s digital presence. I’ve heard even more top-tier hires are in the pipeline, and that’s fantastic.

Fan outreach, though, could be a lot better. The club’s communication on certain issues remains woefully lacking. And let’s not even start on how abysmal the hiring practices have been for senior executives. I hope this is an end to the cronyism once and for all.

Rodgers has had some input on the backroom staff changes, which is good, but this entire operation has needed a shake-up for years. Bringing in a football man with such a sharp mind and deep knowledge of the game can only be to our benefit.

This doesn’t negate the need for top-quality management in the dugout. There’s a misguided notion among some that a good system can carry a team regardless of the manager. That’s utter nonsense. Anyone who thinks that having a tactician, a motivator, and a strategist isn’t crucial is simply ignorant of how professional sports work.

It reminds me of Jerry Krause, the head of the Chicago Bulls, who famously said that organisations, not teams and coaches, win championships—then promptly set about disproving his own theory by dismantling the Bulls’ title-winning team. The organisation has never won a championship since.

So, it’s crucial that the football department acts in line with Rodgers’ wishes, and that the man in the dugout remains of the highest calibre.

Tisdale’s first task should be sitting down with Rodgers and negotiating a new deal. That would reassure many of us and signal that Rodgers fully supports these changes, while showing that Tisdale supports Rodgers 100%. This should be the start of a perfect partnership.

Many of us have been calling for a more sophisticated and integrated football operation for a long time. On the surface, this appointment seems to be a sweeping one, and I hope it’s backed by a significant mandate. I also hope Tisdale is bringing a big broom with him.

Behind-the-scenes changes need to be radical and dramatic, and we should start seeing tangible benefits from them as early as January.

If the people in our scouting team are even semi-competent, Rodgers will already know which positions need strengthening, with a list of players lined up to fill those roles. It will be up to Tisdale and his team to move swiftly to get those players signed.

We’ll see how quickly that happens.

The last two summer windows were disasters of dysfunction. While we came out of the last one slightly stronger, the deals took far too long and the process looked disorganised. That can’t continue. Previous windows under Ange showed it can be done much faster and with much better results. That’s the model we need to follow moving forward.

Tisdale would be stepping into big shoes—if there were big shoes to fill. This isn’t a direct replacement for Mark Lawwell; Tisdale will have far more power and a broader range of responsibilities. This is a fairly unique role, making it the most radical change to Celtic’s executive structure since the hiring of Dom McKay.

I just hope it lasts longer and they listen to him more.

Tisdale is building on a solid foundation at a stable, professionally run club. This appointment represents a major step forward in our thinking and attitudes, and I cannot see it as anything but a very positive development.

So welcome to Celtic, Paul Tisdale. I’m delighted with this appointment and what it signifies about the club’s direction. This isn’t a minor advisory role but a significant one—the role we’ve all been calling for. We’ve needed a technical director, or head of football operations, for a long time, and I hope Tisdale is here for the long haul. I’m looking forward to seeing him get started.

Although I suspect he’ll spend weeks, perhaps even months, reviewing the entire operation, I’m eager to see the changes he’ll implement. I hope he’ll communicate his plans to the supporters as soon as they’re clear in his mind, as transparency will be key to the success of those changes.

But for now, I’m just happy we’ve made an excellent appointment in a position that sorely needed one. Well done, Celtic.