Celtic have struggled to develop promising young players into first team mainstays for 40 years, but there was a time in 2017 when I thought we had cracked the code. With James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney already established in the side, Calvin Miller took an opportunity to deputise for Tierney at left back against Kilmarnock and delivered an impressive performance.
You and I discussed the player at the time; he was a great prospect and Celtic had figured out how to promote promise. Then after five appearances, he disappeared, last seen as a starter, also against Kilmarnock. Loans to Dundee and Ayr United and an injury which blocked out the final season of his contract ended his prospects at Celtic.
It was a puzzle why a player with so much promise bounced around as a free transfer in the lower reaches of English football before (just two years after leaving Celic) a period out of the game. Falkirk manager and former member of the Celtic backroom team, John McGlynn, saw Calvin when he had a short-term contract at Morton in 2023. Like the CQNers of 2017, John remembered the players potential and signed him to Falkirk, where he has been crucial to their subsequent rise.
I don’t mind Hearts getting good players and improving, it is good for Scottish football and good for Celtic. I’m delighted for Calvin that he has been picked up by a club operating with the benefit of a respected recruitment system.
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woof
The Robbie Keane thing. I don’t like Robbie Keane from what I hear of him as a person. I also consider him a shameless mercenary, which explains his willingness to work for such horrible clubs as Maccabi and Ferencnazi. He’s also done nothing remotely qualifying him for the Celtic job and he would leave the next day if a better option came up.
I also don’t like the Celtic Board. Their values,their incompetence, their contempt for the people who really encapsulate Celtic, the supporters. And i increasingly dislike Dermot Desmond for his capricious, high handed autocratic leadership.
However… I am increasingly conflicted about the mob mentality surrounding the club. The hysterical pile ons of the social media age disturb me.
I don’t want Robbie Keane as manager. I don’t want Dermot Desmond’s unaccountable cronyism. And I don’t want increasing mob rule. I think it would be a mistake to appoint Keane for the reasons above but I’d also be worried if they simply bowed to pressure. The club has to be governable.
HH.
Still no new manager.
Well, it’s only been since January for the board to come up with someone.
They’ve learned SFA!
“I don’t mind Hearts getting good players and improving, it is good for Scottish football and good for Celtic”
——————–
I’d prefer Celtic to get good players and improve, but it is how it is, I guess……
Calvin Miller is a good player and IMHO we missed a trick not signing him.
He wouldn’t have been a starter, but over a season he would notch up 20 + appearances.
One point that was glossed over in today’s article is the number of young players we have whose career either stalls or is ended because of non contact injuries – Murray, Mikey J, Montgomery or guys who move on like Lawall, Doak etc
There is clearly a problem somewhere
PeterLatchfordsBelly
What you say is fair comment. I agree.
However, the reason that everybody and their granny is concerned is that our board have shown no leadership or direction. They blindly follow a 75 year old dictator. They’re well compensated for doing so.
Hence the ‘mob’ mentality creeping up.
Manager.
Director of Football Operations.
Scouting and Recruitment.
Player Development.
And more.
That’s why we a ‘mob’.
Sorry, ‘have a mob.’
PLB
It would not surprise me if you get all your xmases at once.
If I was DD I would be cashing out and taking what profit I could.
You are right that we are ungovernable and increasingly unattractive as a place to achieve a claim or indeed build a career on or off the park.
Likewise football is about to hit the buffers commercially.
Time to open it up to the vc or PE guys. The ungovernable clowns will soon get what an owner ripping them off is all about. Likewise we will soon be back where we were re trailing the establishment lot domestically. Still we won’t have Robbie Keane or whoever the blogs don’t want.
Clashcitybhoy on 5th June 2026 12:50 pm
Calvin Miller is a good player and IMHO we missed a trick not signing him.
He wouldn’t have been a starter, but over a season he would notch up 20 + appearances.
One point that was glossed over in today’s article is the number of young players we have whose career either stalls or is ended because of non contact injuries – Murray, Mikey J, Montgomery or guys who move on like Lawall, Doak etc
There is clearly a problem somewhere
……
Is it something to do with signing long term contracts at a certain age ?
By the way you can now add Dara Jikiemi to the list.
Maolmuire O Muirgheasa on 4th June 2026 11:39 pm
Translation:
I am helpless. So I will pretend to be above it. I will ignore you. Starting now.
===
Troll troll troll troll troll…..
peterlatchfordsbelly@12.46pm
Wasn’t it you who, on more than one occasion on here who stated how much you “hated” DD, the Board etc?
Or was that some other hater? Apologies if I have got you mixed up…..
Either way it is good to see you on the London Road to Damascus…..
PLB,
Its not “Mob rule”. Its the vast majority of fans telling the club,everything about this,goes against our ethos as a club.If Desmond,a Billionaire forgets it,why should the fans,who are the lifeblood of the club forget. It.
I am really surprised at your comments.Into the bargain,Keane does not have the crews,for Desmond to cause such a schism in the club.Sheer bloody minded lunacy.
Creds.
I don’t think the majority of ST holders agree with some of the Collective’s aims or tactics.
They know we are a well run ‘organisation’ or ‘brand’.
However, the reason we support Celtic is an emotional tie and we want a football team of whom we are proud,
DD and the current board have let the football operation slip, instead concentrating only on profit. (I know we need that.) Much of that comes from fleecing those fans with that emotional tie. Fans who now want better from that same board.
Continuing to ignore fans cannot be tolerated. That doesn’t mean bowing down to the mob.
We all deserve some respect from our board. We put our money where our mouths are.
How many of that board could say the same.
On here, and other forums, intelligent, experienced, business savvy supporters have warned us of the dangers of new owners who see only $ signs. We know we don’t want to go down that road but, we want a professional, specialist board who know what running a football team/club takes.
Nicholson, MacKay, Wilson etc are not those people.
Not all fans are part of a mob. But, most fans want to see direction with communication.
Is it too much to ask?
Rumours on the main Liverpool blog,Arne Slot to Celtic.
Now there is a guy with a CV.
Burnley
You’ve been predicting Doomsday for a while now. I don’t agree that Celtic can only succeed under the current leadership. Witness how abysmal they were last season and still squeaked a double. Which isn’t to ignore the risk that there is always even worse out there.
Celtic Mac
I have no time for the Celtic Board for the reasons I set out. Lawwell was the worst but is thankfully now gone, Nicholson is weak and Desmond is unaccountable. The rest are irrelevant.
Vale Bhoy
I agree the Board has created the conditions for collective discontent and can change those conditions if minded to. My fear is the discontent becomes non-selective and the default reaction to everything. That will soon bring everything to a stasis in the end-
As long as it’s not somebody who will take us too far in front of our friends across the city. We’ve had that before and it doesn’t usually end well…..
Couple of threads to this one perhaps, Paul?
16-18 year olds don’t have a pathway that is clear to me.
(Could be my ignorance but I’m struggling to get this Lowland league thing)
As a result we get a mere trickle of 19-21 year olds who could hit the fringes of the first team squad (Kieran, James) OR get sent out on loan to develop (Callum, Tony, Kris, Ryan).
And we don’t seem to have timed contracts for prospects well enough … losing some young players to England (and anonymity) in recent years.
Before anyone notices them – get them on incentivised contracts until they are 24 years old.
As for Calvin – good luck.
Good move to a bigger club.
And Hearts?
They’ve signed a Scottish guy (they don’t have many) aged 28 years old who is playing pretty well.
Nothing more.
I thought Brendan Rodgers was to blame for not developing promising young players into first team mainstays?
Your vow of silence didn’t last long Auldman.
Paul67 There is a hullabaloo going on within our supporter groups regarding the potential hiring of our next manager. Apparently he worked in Israel and a lot of people seem to oppose him It’s been in all the papers Seems to be a big issue
67ECW
Burnley,
Instead of coming on and having a go at the majority of fans,who do not think like you do,tell us all what this Board you so admire,did last season to help MON win the double.What has Desmond ever done to make you go weak at the knees?He has been an absent landlord for far too long.Ruling the roost over slack jawed,terrified Board members, who obey his every order from whatever part of the world he is golfing.
You speak of new owners as if Desmond is doing a good job,he is not.Maybe new owners would see the potential Celtic has to be a force in Europe,which we should be.We have access to the CL every season.Under Desmond,and his lackeys
have never funded this opportunity.New owners,would see the benefits.
Maybe if you and your cronies on here could get your head out of your ass,and stop kissing the Boards you might see this.
PLB @ 12:46pm – good points.
Respect.
The “mob” exists.
It is small but emboldened.
It hides behind the conscientious, principled groups and individuals who aspire to something different in the way our club operates …
… and risks diminishing them by association in the eyes of the (true) majority.
Whats a CV? Is it an old Citroen car?
Actually I,d prefer a Honda Civic !
Or better still a Ferarri!!
He was never a left back.
That was a major issue.,
Desmond has many redeeming facets as well as being a sadist. He will appoint Keane to spite us, the fans he loves to hate
End of
KINGlUbO
Turkeybhoy 1.47
MON said it himself .
He would not have been at Celtic if it wasn’t for Dermot Desmond .
Dermot made the critical decisions to employ MON .
No Dernmot ,no Mon ,No trophies .
THPT
Dermot not Dernmot
Just passed Celtic park…….. what are they big circular shaped bits of grass blowing around in front of the building ?
Grass-tacular joints.
Eratic at 2.21 –
Crop circles? 🤪
Alien conspiracy CSC
Same hypocrites who said he haw when 4 FOUR operatives???? from stolen Palestine played in Celtic’s first team.
One of them played for over 10 years and wasn’t out the door a week until he was bleating in the media about how relieved he was to have ended his ‘anti sem it ic hell’ at Parkhead!
https://thecelticstar.com/celtic-fan-groups-oppose-robbie-keane-manager/
Virtue signalers are not the answer to any question that Celtic faces.
Paying circa of 1,000 quid for a season ticket KNOWING that Robbie Keane was being hotly tipped to replace MO’N when the Legendary MO’N decides to leave, and then bleating about RK – AFTER – you have purchased your ST means that Celtic FC are hostages to a bunch of yapping poodle hypocrites!
What’ll be next?
Huns throwing tennis balls onto the pitch getting Celtic points deducted?
What a time to be alive!
Celtic’s next manager getting polished up? Hopefully Imho.
https://celtsarehere.com/celtic-fc-coach-yaya-toure/
I have seen some reference on here (and on News Now Celtic) about Arnie Slot
I believe that this should be a target for our Board we should have that level of ambition
BUT the reality is – no chance
Do you think Arnie Slot would be impressed with the people that Manage our Club
No chance
67ECW
The new Celtic manager should be Martin O’Neill. If he doesn’t want it then ex-player Robbie Keane deserves to be in with a shout.
Since when did football fans know more about politics than other mortals?
It´s a British problem actually, pure anglicisation, this attitude of a minority, of moral superiority towards others around the globe and hate for everything that is not in their comfort zone ; anti Israel, anti USA, anti Lazio, anti Orban, anti Putin, anti Bolsonaro, anti Tories…..the socialist bots say they support the underdogs and that is who Celtic are……..Some underdogs Celtic!!
Howevaaah, as our old friend Kojo used to say, the left-wing mantra has blossomed at Celtic because the Board offers nothing to the support. A limited company can look after its customers but the aloofness of the directing class, another trait of anglicisation, drives the passionate fans into the arms of the aggressive socialists who can easily say ” We told you capitalism doesn´t care about you”
All of this is not unique to Celtic. In football in 2026, fan power has overtaken player power which in its day
overtook manager power. Those three always have the same opponent, Director power. If the Board can´t become more pro active at Celtic, which is difficult in net zero Scotland, then conflict will continue.
Only 53% voted in the recent Scottish elections so we should not be on our democratic high horses.
Macaroon bars, and Spearmint Chewing gum, and A.I. Vaccines. lol
People pushed by the lying media were wheeled out to laugh their erchies off, and point their big long fingers at Jeremy Corbyn’s brother, Piers, 6 years ago.
Then the savvy dugs started noticing that it was the virtue signaling Humans who believed the media man behind the curtain, who were dumb, not the Humans who believed in Piers Corbyn, David Ike, yes him etc, who were smeared as trolls by media brainwashed fools.
https://nitter.catsarch.com/Piers_Corbyn/status/2062820502578626687#m
Vaxxeens created by A.I. lol
We’re living inside an episode of the X-Files.
I’d rather be a troll than a krankie statistic any day of the week!
Auntie May O’Kay….
RIMTIMTIM on 5TH JUNE 2026 3:19 PM
(Also PLB and B2B)
Lots agree with there but I don’t think you can ignore the importance of the rise of populism that plays an increasing part in everyday life
Celtic face the same problems every institution does at the moment – were quickly becoming ungovernable
The owners dont escape criticism, they shoujd have seen it coming and had plans to at least mitigate against what’s happening in society abd which therefore will alwsys come Celtic.
TheHopefulPessimisticTim on 5th June 2026 2:15 pm
Turkeybhoy 1.47
MON said it himself . He would not have been at Celtic if it wasn’t for Dermot Desmond . Dermot made the critical decisions to employ MON .
*Correct as the Boards choice via CEO Allan Mcdonald was Guus Hiddink, the deal was done and dusted as soon as he severed ties to Seville only for DD to step in and push for MON, BTW GH praised Celtic for the negotiations and the professional way they were carried out but respected their decision and wished the club well
No Dernmot ,no Mon ,No trophies .
*now that’s debatable as I often wonder IF.
But the lack of reflection in Whay brought us close to disaster last season, and the revertíon to old ways so soon after the huge relief of getting away with it suggests we’re past the point of stopping the damage
It’s infuriating but it’s best we reconcile ourselves to it quickly.
Apologies for the poor typing, im struggling today