After a defeat like last night’s a generation ago, the English media would be limited to a handful of hacks destroying the reputation and social life of the national team manager. What they did to one of their own, like Graham Taylor and Bobby Robson was bad enough, what they would have done to a German coach is unimaginable.
Today, while Tuchel is getting the blame for England’s second half capitulation, there is a wider ecosystem in journalism and another theme has emerged. You can change the players, coaches and manager, but some teams are culturally compelled to win when things are tight, and some continually blow it. Argentina, Spain and France win, England and a host of gifted smaller nations don’t.
Last night was a carbon copy of Celtic’s final league game of the season against Hearts. Just like England when they needed to hold what they had, Hearts sat ever-deeper as the game went on, Celtic hit the post and relentlessly prodded for an opening.
We will wonder how we won that league for the rest of our lives. Martin O’Neill’s run-in saw us 2-0 down at Kilmarnock and Ibrox, going behind at home to Newco and then at Motherwell, and that finale against Hearts. 15 points won from losing positions across the last 13 games – 15 points! It was statistically unlikely, achieved by the weakest Celtic title winning squad this century, but they are winners.
Some teams in football have a winners’ mentality, while some are cursed to be losers, who can get results under no pressure but will bottle it when they come up against a genuine challenge.
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saint stivs
July 16, 2026 7:59 pm
Glasgow Fair
Saturday18 July 2026′
stupid day to have a home friendly.
Cloudy and 21 deg C forecast for Saturday – the boros will wilt in the CP heat.
53,000 green bottles sitting on a wall….
KINGLUBO on 16th July 2026 2:21 pm
^^
Yip! 100%
I watched a Middlesborough game towards the end of the season when they still had a chance of direct promotion. it was at Swansea and I mainly watched to see if Adam Idah played. He did for most of the second half. They had a midfielder who caught the eye, Aidan Morris (USA), he’s had a few caps, but didn’t make the cut for the World Cup. I thought he might do a job for us, had a tackle and moved the ball forward a lot. He was, also, distraught at the end when the drew 2-2. I suppose money could be a problem, but he might not fancy another season in the English Championship. Hopefully he plays on Saturday.
We’re gonna win the league
We’re gonna win the league
and now you’re gonna believe us……
nigh night y’all
From facebook
————–
Marcelo Saracchi wanted a Celtic return – but no offer ever arrived.
According to messages shared by The Celtic Way 67, Saracchi revealed:
“I would love to be back, but the reality is that they haven’t said anything for 3 weeks and there’s no offer either, so I think it’s difficult to return.”
It’s also claimed that:
• Celtic informed the player they didn’t have the budget to sign him permanently.
• Another European club matched Boca Juniors’ asking price.
• Celtic reportedly had the opportunity to do the same but chose not to pursue the deal.
If accurate, it’s another frustrating transfer saga for supporters, with a player keen on returning to Parkhead but no move materialising.
💬 Should Celtic have found the €1.5m to bring Saracchi back? Let us know your thoughts below.
Clunks
That’s very damming of the board if true!
clunks on 16th July 2026 9:12 pm
From facebook
*you do know that about 40% of FB is made up
bigrailroadblues on 16th July 2026 6:55 pm
Ziggydoc1
Think his name was Alves. Dixie scored twice in that game I think. 🤔
_____
👍I thought that was his name. 1975, Kenny, big Shuggie and Dixie. 3-1. First time we wore numbers on our shirts, from what I just read. I remember it.
Every CEO in Europe must be shitting themselves having to compete with the English championship.
A board full of nocandoos. Wtf, is it three lions, anyway. Never saw a lion in England nor Scotland. More like three seagulls or even doos😀. Lisbon is different, mind you.
bournesouprecipe on 16th July 2026 7:22 pm
GLENDALYS
How do the Celtic supporters know what is an intentional silence and what is our ordinary silence
==============================================
Perhaps Michael will tell us ………. oh, wait a minute …………
ziggydoc1 on 16th July 2026 9:31 pm
Why are they shopping in that market, overpriced and more so if you move up to their top league!
Re Sarrachi good player going forward , defensively suspect and too injury prone to be a backup.
Greg would be a far better option in my opinion.
HH
24 Million watch BBC’s coverage of last night’s World Cup semi-final between Argentina & England…..
Ally McCoist was not involved……
Can someone with a background in accountancy tell me this.
Assume CL income is £30m
Assume EL income is £20m) it might be less but use £20M to clarify the point.
1.Celtic qualify for CL Ching £40M
2. Celtic don’t qualify for CL but Ching get £20M from EL qualification .
Have Celtic lost £40m or £20M by not qualifying for CL but getting EL money which is what has happened in the past.
Assume CL income is £40m not £30m typo
auldheid
The ‘opportunity cost’ of not qualifying for the CL is £40 million…..won’t show in Annual Report.
Income derived from EL qualification is £20 million, which will.
There are no losses.
Here is a possible scenario to explain no signing activity.
Celtic hold on to Maeda and Engles until after 27th August to to put out this team:
Sinisalo
A Johnson CCV Scales Tierney
Nygren Engles McGregor Oxey?
Forrest Maeda Yang.
with Tounekti, , Trusty Murray Bernardo, Donavan, Ralston, McCowan Hatate Balikwisha, Osmand all still under contract plus Iheanacho, but Engles and Maeda are lined up to leave qualify or not with an inducement to wait .
The transfer window closes on 3 Sept so 7 days to sell and recruit with deals already set up.
Is that an unreasonable approach to take or is shutting up uniformed Celtic social media click baiters more important?
As usual no fekkin Edit facilities so put Oxey on the bench.
AULDHEID on 16TH JULY 2026 7:27 PM
In respect of your observations on strategy, I don’t know anybody who believes the club have a credible strategy, published or otherwise. There is certainly little more than sporadic evidence that we are even executing against a plan, let alone a strategy.
I’m looking forward to BURNLEY78’s thoughts on the PE ownership scenario that I floated in an intentionally abstract manner, but in the interim should make clear that I’m not advocating for anything in particular. I am however using it as a way to examine what we could do better as a club.
It’s all very complicated at Celtic, and understandably so. A club built on values that are approaching 150-years old and steeped in history that will never be forgotten or allowed to diminish. At the same time, it now operates as a business in a modern football ecosystem that doesn’t easily accommodate nostalgia. There is no “hard reset” available to the club and its current stewards, or at least it may feel this way to them, so any course adjustments are always being made within the confines of what already exists.
IF a PE firm were to swoop in and acquire Celtic, then they would certainly go through a typical deal screening process, and a comprehensive due diligence encompassing financial, legal, and operational aspects of Celtic Plc. They WOULD have the opportunity for an operational reset, and that would include a full evaluation to uncover hidden inefficiencies, evaluate scalability, and validate post-acquisition value creation. Their gap analysis, between desired versus actual state, would allow them to prioritize changes, and they would move at whatever pace suited, essentially rewriting the operating manual.
My point being, if we considered this hypothetical PE process, then it provides us with a basis from which we can gauge the current performance of the business, as opposed to being forced to consume the board’s self-promoting diatribe about “unprecedented period of footballing and financial success”. Reality is, there is almost nothing said by the board, or more specifically executive team, which sounds like sophisticated business strategy or even remotely professional. To all intents and purposes, it would appear that they not only lack the “capacity to do any job and expertise to execute the plan”, they also lack the motivation and that is something that would not be in short supply with a PE firm at the helm.
For a simple but poignant moment of reflection, we can breakdown the minutes from the meeting between MON/MN/BW and AICSC. We learn from Nicholson about the alarmingly obvious challenges faced when competing to sign players, as contrasted with MON’s simply stated “major need of signings”. I cannot reconcile that these two are on the same page, in a way which likely delivers a good outcome.
I don’t know that there is a single correct answer, but we cannot continue as we are now.
#wakeupandsmellthecloverCSC
Celtic Mac on 16th July 2026 10:56 pm
Celtic Mac on 16th July 2026 10:56 pm
auldheid
The ‘opportunity cost’ of not qualifying for the CL is £40 million…..won’t show in Annual Report.
Income derived from EL qualification is £20 million, which will.
There are no losses.
==========
But but but the narrative is we lose £40m every time we do not qualify.
To me if it is £40M we do not get but £20M we do get then only £20m is lost not £40m.
Now if the return on investment is £20m then what is the cost of a playing squad to get £20m back or £40m back?
Is the lower more dependable EL return not a reason why Celtic budget on EL income? It is carries much less risk than not qualifying for EL.
ekbhoy
g taylor was shown the exit door because he was very suspect defensively (as much as i thought we should have kept him)
auldheid
and that is our close season/euro ambition in a nutshell since Lawell arrived (and left)…
Gedinte on 16th July 2026 11:23 pm
This is what I put to The Board for answer at last AGM
I did it because i saw no indication of any such process when dealing with Celtic during Res12 . The abandonment of AGM meant no answer although I was assured the words in the Annual Report provided to shareholders before AGM under “Purpose” will be reviewed.
Dear Board,
As a shareholder, I respectfully submit the following questions in advance of the 2025 Annual General Meeting.
Celtic was founded with a clear ethos and purpose rooted in community, charity, and identity. To ensure alignment between this founding purpose, the responsibilities of the Board, and the expectations of shareholders and supporters, I would be grateful if you could address the following:
1. Purpose – What does the Board consider to be the fundamental Purpose of Celtic Football Club?
2. Vision – What is the Vision of the Board for Celtic’s future?
3. Strategy – What Strategy has the Board adopted to achieve this Purpose and Vision?
4. Policies – What Policies are in place to support and deliver the Strategy?
5. Indicators – What Indicators or measures does the Board use to assess whether the Purpose, Vision, Strategy, and Policies are being achieved in practice?
I would respectfully ask that the Board’s responses provide clarity, substance, and measurable indicators, so that shareholders can understand how governance decisions align with the ethos and long-term direction of Celtic Football Club.
Yours faithfully,
On your other point about a takeover what would worry me is that the annual dividend now is not exactly onerous and unless the new folk can find a way to increase income within the current restraints, they might go the way of 49ers and get rid of highest earners and replace them with less experienced players on lower wages.
And a fat mess that would be.
However the need for dynamism is stark.
auldheid
Loss of potential income not actual income. Missed opportunities. More than a few of them
CL income, plus match income for 4-5 home matches is a prize worth winning.
That opportunity is there again this season, no guarantees, but no need to sign the Spanish WC squad either.
We have money in the bank, will probably pocket big numbers re the sale of Maeda & Engels, maybe others, and as you know better than most lot of leeway in terms of who we might bring in before the CL kicks in. Could easily top £150 mill 2025 -2026 if we get the right results…….at the right time. Your scenario could work, but so could others….
spikeysauldman on 17th July 2026 12:02 am
auldheid
and that is our close season/euro ambition in a nutshell since Lawell arrived (and left)…
============
Yup. That’s reality, that is how he executed the policy. Safely and built in a safety cushion against not qualifying, which does enable recovery the following season.
NO NO NO to Greg Taylor coming back – not tall enough and not physical enough as a defender. We need more athletes , more presence on the pitch , more physicality! Please stop with these wee guys easily nudged off the ball (mcowan, yang, tounekti, hatate, bernardo, trusty etc.._
time to build solid, at the back and midfield – otherwise we will get walloped next season.
Sick of the nonsense coming from the celtic board – if they dont deliver for Mon , #1 I hope we walks out , #2 im off it until the board are overhauled.
The need to restructure our payment and salary strategy
Celtic Mac on 17th July 2026 12:20 am
There is a long term cost to qualify and a risk of not qualifying consistently for the CL and I am wondering just what that cost is under the price Celtic would have to pay to qualify to get a £40m return compared to cost to get a £20m return with no risks.
Straight spreadsheet business case that Celtic may possibly be guided by.
It really would help if their thinking was known rather than us/me speculating.
CELTIC MAC on 17TH JULY 2026 12:20 AM
That opportunity is there again this season, no guarantees, but no need to sign the Spanish WC squad either.
_________________________________
Most of us would be happy with the Capo Verde World Cup squad!
just to add….Sarachi is the only full-back we have had in the past few years who actually makes a concerted effort to stop the opposition putting crosses into the box – the rest drift inside covering feck knows whit (including KT) or move out and attempt to stop the cross by just sticking their legs out and even sometimes turning away from the ball….
Gedinte
but defo not the Scottish World Cup Squad….
AULDHEID on 17TH JULY 2026 12:16 AM
Thanks for sharing these points again.
My concern is less to do with a PE firm and their circa 20% vig, and more to do with the lack of ambition actually being detrimental to the financial health of the business. We are watching the board manage the club in to a corner through caution and inaction.
I’d rather we “give it a go” than continue as we are. I’m obviously not saying how caution to the wind, but I don’t think that is what a PE would do anyway.
I’lll resurface one of my own phrases as a way to test what kind of investor fits. We should be seeking to find a way where “the ambition of the fans is harmonized with the expectations of investors”.
AH: ‘Celtic hold on to Maeda and Engles until after 27th August to to put out this team… ‘
With a handsome resource surplus, why is there the need to wait to Euro cup-tie two wantaway players, who would be unable to play in their new club Euro games (if applicable) in order to give ourselves a frantic last week of the transfer window?
A window where (despite prior plans and promises) we could be gazumped by another club in a more attractive league or offering better packages ?
It’s strategic, but it’s a strategic gamble with a very small aperture for success.
We have the money NOW to boost the squad in advance of Euro ties but we – what – we’re terrified of signing rivals like Preston NE ?
Still and all, this is where we are !
IRL CSC
Gedinte
I’ll resurface one of my own phrases as a way to test what kind of investor fits. We should be seeking to find a way where “the ambition of the fans is harmonized with the expectations of investors”
===========
I like that, if only both sides would enter into a meaningful dialogue.
THIRD COMMANDMENT of Dialogue: Each participant must come to the dialogue with complete honesty and sincerity. It should be made clear in what direction the major and minor thrusts of their needs and wants are, what future shifts might be, and, if necessary, where each participant has difficulties with specifying or articulating their needs and wants. No false fronts have any place in dialogue.
Conversely–each participant must assume a similar complete honesty and sincerity in the other partners. Not only will the absence of sincerity prevent dialogue from happening, but the absence of the assumption of the partner’s sincerity will do so as well. In brief: NO TRUST, no dialogue
quadrophenian on 17th July 2026 1:35 am
AH: ‘Celtic hold on to Maeda and Engles until after 27th August to to put out this team… ‘
With a handsome resource surplus, why is there the need to wait to Euro cup-tie two wantaway players, who would be unable to play in their new club Euro games (if applicable) in order to give ourselves a frantic last week of the transfer window?
===============
If the deals are with the likes of Middlesborough or West Ham then no worries to players of being ineligible for UEFA but being cup tied is a point that might prevent players agreeing to hold off.
However keeping them until after the 27th August is more likely to get a result than a punt on an unknown and if there is an agreement with all parties to hold off with oven ready contracts then 8 days should be enough to sell and buy replacements.
That does not mean not getting in a player like Just asap but even if we did I would not let Engles or Maeda go before 27th August.
I take your point about integrating new players afore a Euro qually.
But say I’m Daizen (or Arne) and a ‘big club’ wants to buy me.
As Daizen, I’m already resentful you blocked the Wolfsburg deal last year. For Arne, I was fuming over Forest.
But you’ll again hold me to ransom to suit your ends, yet I could get crocked in the Euro quallies, cup-tie masel’ and miss out on new riches of pastures greener?
To me, I’d be bringing new guys in NOW so they can integrate properly for the season start AND Euro ties, and maybe be as good as Arne or Daizen were prior.
We’ve see the ‘wait and see how we get on in the quallies’ movie more times than we watched the Great Escape at Xmas time !