In an ideal world, we would keep Kelechi Iheanacho until after the Champions League qualifiers, but options on the player were to keep him the season or let him go. His fitness levels made the choice easy. Despite the pivotal role he played in delivering the title, to retain a player who was not trusted to start games would be an admission of failure on the part of the recruitment and management staff.
He’ll be remembered fondly but the priority has the new in recruiting so well Kelechi plays no part in our conversations next season.
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Hmmmm.
BRRB @ 5:51 am,
“Chairbhoy
You slept in young fella?”
Twasn’t me, I specifically asked Brendan to set up my morning call…
Hail Hail
Aye.
Proof reading is overrated.
Not forgetting the fact that Kelechi simply had to go because of who recruited him .
I look forward to Kelechi’s upgrade being paraded at CP very soon …..
That last paragraph though?!
Bournesouprecipe
Still no sign of you sharing which of the stars that other SPL clubs have brought in would be a step up for us ?
Still no sign of anyone with suggestions who we can sign ?
Oh no wait ….. we can all say what we don’t like but we don’t have a clue what we really do like.
Kindergarten revisited.
SAINT STIVS on 1ST JULY 2026 8:24 PM
Responding to your question from the previous article.
Yes, I couldn’t see how any of the respective Celtic fan groups were going to accumulate a meaningful stockholder position during the 2025Q4 window that saw so much activity.
Honestly, I’m still attached to my theory as there remains too many signals to ignore. If anything, there are now more reasons to believe that we are in a “holding pattern” awaiting an outcome.
The failure to appoint Maloney and Fozzie is the only thing on my list that was resolved, and I can reconcile this very easily – their deals needed specific terms as they were being bought into the loop, and were about to become aware of privileged information.
The new items on my list include mostly player contracts, with the club deciding against options on Kelechi and AOC. I’m a little disappointed about the former, but if it is indicative of a need for getting a better player, then we were right to pass. Only a club out of options would have kept AOC – a good player, but we have no need for a 33-yo midfielder. It’s not that we didn’t secure either player, it’s how we “acted” in allowing the options to expire – we said and did nothing. There was no acknowledgment or words of appreciation, which even for our current administration, is just poor form but consistent with management having more important things to deal with.
With only 4-weeks until the season kicks off, we should have been further along with recruitment. The fact that we don’t even have the football operations function properly resourced, is clearly hampering the process, but it does not render us incapable of doing business. It does however suggest that we are unprepared/unwilling to act ahead of concluding more important business – either additional sing-offs are needed, or a certain milestone in the deal needs to be reached before the club is free to enter into new player agreements.
Lastly, I would add that my point regarding our execs is made greater every day that more water which passes beneath their bridge. They have completely disappeared. In a critical period for the club this is unfathomable. There is so much work to which they were committed by the interim chairman, yet they have not been seen or heard from since the cup final. I suspect that even when BW worked up his list of “homework” for MN and CM, he did so knowing that it might never see the light of day.
I continue to speculate that a transaction must be in the works, as it is the only thing that can make sense of the current state of affairs at Celtic Plc. The alternative is to accept that this is just how a publicly traded world class club like Celtic operate when “the owner” wants to remind all of the fans “who’s in charge around here”. We might have already passed the point where this constitutes some form of self-harm, but I cannot believe that DD would be that stubborn were there not a bigger project dictating terms.
@wakeupandsmellthecloverCSC
Paul67
We’re such a well run club we can’t even spell his name? 👍
Fat, slow, skillful players like ihenacho struggle in the modern game. Born in the wrong era – he might have been a superstar in the 70s….
Burnley78
Who would have thunked it, you being first in rope a dope 🤣
It seems even you have lost interest in your own blog Paul.
The guy was a game changer. We have few of them.
I’m sure the decision not to retain his services was grounded in medical science and professional opinion that said he is incapable of getting sufficiently fit to make a consistent contribution.
It’s very disappointing nonetheless. Based purely on his cameos he is up there with the best I’ve seen in a Celtic shirt e.g. the way he took in the ball, turned and shot (only to hit the post) in the final game against Hertz was exquisite. Harry Kane-esque.
Unfortunately I think it very unlikely we’ll sign someone with that level of ability (dare I say “quality”) who can last 70/80/90 minutes.
Gedinte
Did Keith Richards not get arrested for smelling the clover?🤔
Iheanacho ( a Brendan signing 🤣 ) is out of contract, he doesn’t fit the ‘good value Celtic club signing ‘ range and was cover for another failed board attempt at getting a long term ‘quality’ striker.
In fairness, a definite no from me we don’t pay £25,000 a week for someone likely to sit on the bench, his very pro-active agent will need to look elsewhere IMO
More good news Yamada ‘club signing’ is back at Lennoxtown
I get the fitness angle, let’s see who we recruit I guarantee they will be value I.e. punts
Johnny Kenny back training at Lennoxtown 👍
What Adi said at the top of the chat.
Quite good should only be replaced by better
Outcomes dear chap. Outcomes.
Barely fit guy with brains and class delivered a small but significant chunk of these.
If, as expected, Daizen also leaves?
Pressure on new strikers to hit their stride quickly becomes more acute.
Unfair perhaps but who said life was fair.
After losing to Jimmy Connors in 16 consecutive matches, Vitas Gerulaitis finally defeated him at the Masters tournament in Madison Square Garden on January 12, 1980. Following the victory, Gerulaitis famously quipped to the press: “And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row.”
Wimbledon CSC
iheanacho has brilliant first touch and great feet. They’re like magnets, the ball just sticks to him. He just doesn’t seem capable physically of starting many games and being reliable over the course of a season. Depends who we bring in as to whether it’s the right call not to take the option for another season.
Daizen is absolutely certain to leave. Scoring in consecutive world cups and have a pretty good tournament. His value has surely increased due to this. Would be ideal in a team that counter attack. Not that I know the epl but I expect there will be interest from there. Good luck to him as he’s truly cemented his legacy with us.
We cannot afford to let our best players go and replace them with punts, see if diazan will accept the best offer we can afford, if not he can go but make the best effort we can to keep him and others in the same boat.
This new season is shaping up exactly as I thought it would. A football club without elements essential to it being the best it can be and nobody relevant seems bothered other than some on blogs.
Our experienced ghuys from last season Ox and Ieanacho did a job but it was pretty clear that another season was a non starter.
Think it was a home game against St Mirren where the Ox was brushed off the ball high up the park to be fair to the Ox he ran back and eventually blocked a cross for a corner.
But always thought from that point , fitness and strength were just not there.
Huns getting shot of all the high earners , Tav , Butland , Diga , Cornelius to be replaced by dumplings. Not worried by them , plenty of time to get worried about ourselves
HH
Bursaspor have joined Vasco De Gama in expressing interest in Kelechi Iheanacho after Celtic failed to trigger a 12-month contract extension for the 29-year-old striker. (Record, external)
Marcelo Saracchi was told he does not feature in head coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s plans on his first day of pre-season at Boca Juniors following the 28-year-old left-back’s loan to Celtic. (Herald – subscription required, external)
Celtic have placed 27-year-old Las Palmas goalkeeper Dinko Horkas on their transfer shortlist. (Josh McCafferty on X, external)
Horkas will not be signing for Celtic after Las Palmas president Miguel Angel Ramirez said they intend to retain the keeper. (Record, external)
Celtic, Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart are bidding for 21-year-old Rayo Vallecano defender Nobel Mendy. (Michael Shearer on X, external)
Good afternoon all from the Orchard Park, leafy Giffnock. Price of beer is scandalous. Buddy can you spare a score?🤔
B78
You should be the last one on this blog to criticise anyone for not answering a question.
BRRB
I mostly drink Guinness zero and there’s hardly any difference to the full fat version
Back to painting the kitchen 🥵
Kelechi not an option.
Fair enough for obvious fitness reasons.
However, until las season, I would have thought Celtic not having at least 2, possibly 3, fit centre forwards was not only an option but absolutely necessity.
Nicholson and the ‘recruitment infrastructure’ put paid to that notion.
Not to worry, soon the board cheer leaders will explain how everything is being fixed.
Gene
I’ve got 2 cans of said Guinness in the hoose. My Polish neighbour mistook me for a sober person. He has since learned the error of his ways. 😁
“ There’s a can of beer in the fridge with my name on it “
– Alec Guinness
Big Jimmy jokes
A bold move by our recruiters
He who dares wins, he who hesitates don’t, in the words of the great Delboy Trotter
“He who dares gins” in the words of the even greater Rik Mayall
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Gedinte on 2nd July 2026 12:14 pm
SAINT STIVS on 1ST JULY 2026 8:24 PM
Based on what I was told last September DD had no intention of selling up.
However based on what has happened as well as what has not happened since, I think that experience i.e two manager appoints by him that failed, I certainly would not rule out your theory.
Apart from DD getting on a bit and I know how that changes thinking.
I know no more than any of us but wouldnt DD be more likely to do what hes said he’ll do all along and pass everything on to his Son rather than selling up?
A more sensible strategy, and one that would have far better consequences for Celtic in the short term instead of agitating for a sale that won’t come would be to start working on what happens when he does hand over.
DD has relationships with other large shareholders, not his Son.
Gene on 2nd July 2026 1:43 pm
B78
You should be the last one on this blog to criticise anyone for not answering a question.
A belter 👍👏👏👏