My friends in Celtic, you and I have often said that losers get the chance to rip everything up and start again. Winners can be burdened with the belief that sticking with a successful plan is the best bet. As we gather in the afterglow of the most improbable title win of the modern era, it is our responsibility to acknowledge a few truths.
The Celtic team who won the SPFL title last season was the weakest side to take the trophy in the 21st century. I do not say that without appreciating that they found something when it mattered most. But we were eliminated from the Champions League by a side weaker than any of the several weak teams who have done so across the last 20 years. Our Europa League campaign fell short of the previous season’s results in the Champions League. And we were pushed to the last week of the campaign by a Newco side who were nine points behind and out of the race, having sacked their manager in October.
The transfer window of summer 2025 will go down in history as an abysmal wasted opportunity. Brendan Rodgers pursued Kasper Dolberg, then 27, for £10m. The player kept Celtic on the hook before opting for Ajax, where he scored three league goals in 22 league appearances since. Rodgers was unable to solicit a payoff and eventually walked in October. The club then made a remarkably wise decision to bring Martin O’Neill back after a 20-year absence. That wisdom was short-lived, as Martin was replaced by a man destined to be remembered as the worst manager in our history. So far.
I was slower than some to lose faith in Wilfried Nancy. I wanted the outside-the-box appointment to work. But even I could see after four games, the defeat at Dundee United, that he had to go. Celtic held on for another four games before deploying the hook. Martin returned again to produce a miracle, again.
The drama of those final weeks will live long. The 97th-minute Scottish Cup equaliser against Dundee came seven days before the 96th-minute league winner at Kilmarnock. Two goals down at Ibrox and playing truly terrible football, the players got off the canvas to secure a point in the 92nd minute. It felt like a win and proved to be crucial.
Late victories over Dundee and Hibs kept us on the coattails of those ahead. Then the final week of the season produced three unbelievable games. Behind against Newco, Motherwell and Hearts, Celtic rallied to score fantastic goals, win all three, and take the most dramatic title in world football last term. We gathered at Hampden a week later to decompress with some more silverware.
Paul Tisdale was escorted off the premises with his protégé Wilfried. He was not the worst Head of Football Operations Celtic have had, but he has a decent claim to the title. We currently do not have a Head of Football Operations. Recruitment is being done nonetheless, but this is a worrying sign.
Nor do we have a permanent chairman. Brian Wilson acts in an interim capacity, without the authority or knowledge to impose the oversight I would like. At least he stepped forward when no one else wanted the job. We are also short of non-executive directors. I am aware that approaches have been made, but the lack of appointment reflects how unattractive the role has become to anyone suitably qualified to be offered it.
Non-executives should be hands-off. They are there to decide strategy and hold executive directors to account. If the executives fail, or a significant event happens — and this includes the replacement of a manager — they step in. None should be involved in day-to-day operations or contract negotiations with coaching staff. Then there is the toxicity of being a Celtic director in recent years. We are never going to win more than we do. God knows how this sentiment changes, but it needs to, or we will fail to attract top talent.
Martin O’Neill is about to undertake an enormous physical and emotional challenge for a 74-year-old. He is more intelligent, experienced and probably fitter than you or me, but do not underestimate the enormity of what lies ahead. There were points dropped during his time last season, but all had mitigating factors apart from a single defeat at Tannadice. He never faced conflict among coaching staff, squad or supporters. It would be miraculous if that state continued for another 10 months.
He has also never recruited in the modern game. Martin watched players and bought them. The data model is not how he operated. He goes into a new way of working short of people whose job it is to prepare options for him. I hope we have signed well and continue to do so, but to paraphrase the old joke, if you want to have a great transfer window, I would not start from here.
My greatest concern about our board is their last two permanent managerial appointments, both of whom were disastrous. The Nancy appointment was (I believe) an attempt to find another Ange Postecoglou. Ange was a serial winner, Nancy won one Covid-era cup. The re-appointment of Brendan Rodgers defies belief. I know people at every level of the club who had to work with or deal with him during his first stay. It was unfathomable that he talked his way back into the job.
We are now in a process not just trying to recruit board members, but bring in new recruitment people to work on a shortlist for a permanent manager, to be appointed by largely the same people who brought you the Brendan and Wilfried Show.
The 21st century has been ours. We have enjoyed enormous privilege, watched our side win more trophies than anyone else in the world. This drove our oldest rivals into liquidation and has reset many facets of Scottish life. As a Celtic fan walking through the streets of Glasgow or Lanarkshire in the 1990s, you felt like you were living in a foreign land, we were so marginalised.
Never underestimate what has been achieved or fail to appreciate this privilege. We now have fans who did not walk those streets in the 90s, or did and no longer remember. The squad, which Martin got over the line in May with, requires a complete rebuild and we do not have a fully constituted recruitment team. I don’t want to bang on forever about the bringing Brendan back in 2023, but it was the most disturbing decision I have known Celtic to make this century. The bitterness of its ending was predicted on these pages and should have been predictable by all inside Celtic Park.
At halftime during the aforementioned draw at Ibrox I thought it was over. I expected Newco to win the league, income to fall, Celtic to respond by splurging ill-considered money on poorly-scouted players, our fans to turn inwards while Newco fans to unify behind the club. Celtic’s privileged position would have ended right there.
We have won five titles in a row, 14 out of 15, but all dominant empires fall for the same reason. A succession of poor decisions, are masked by times of plenty until it’s too late to stop the rot. I can see this happening in real time.
I think we will struggle to appoint the non-execs we need. Our recruitment reputation will take years to rebuild and will only happen through rare and exceptional performance. Fans will absolutely turn inwards at any and every trophy loss; it is counter-productive, but try telling people that! We will spent plenty this window, but the trading model that has supported our success for so long has to be established again.
I am very pleased that Newco took a manager and two players from Hearts. They weakened the side who finished second to us last term, but brought in players with no developmental roadmap and a manager who is no more than a good SPFL boss. This is not the data-first response I expected from US sports investors.
Had Danny Rohl left sooner, they would surely have gone for Jens Berthel Askou, the prospect of which would have concerned me. Why we did not move for him is an inexplicable worry.
So, I expect us to win the league this season and make it six-in-a-row. If we do, I will celebrate as much as any of you. But, I have enjoyed being a Celtic fan this century too much, and disliked aspects of living in Scotland during the 90s enough, to let the big picture slip. I want the next 26 years to look like the last. We have work to do.
Enjoy the season. Paul67.
648 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 18
- »
And away…🐟
Hi, i hope Sevco dont win the league tonight….
Scotrail App to be replaced immediately with A bus service
Good Afternoon Celts…
Thanks to Lionsroar pointing us an interview with Glen Driscoll, our erstwhile head of performance.
It is worth checking out but this is what he says but this is what he said about working with Brendan Rodgers – great to get a take from a football professional who knew him well…
“You later worked closely with Brendan Rodgers at Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester. Did you first meet him at Chelsea?
“Actually, we go back even further than that.
“When I first worked with Brendan at Reading, he was the Under 12s coach in the academy.
“Over the years we’ve worked together on and off, with periods apart as well. For example, I stayed at Chelsea when Brendan initially moved into management at Watford and then Reading.
“But overall, I’ve had the opportunity to watch him develop as both a coach and a manager. I’m very grateful for the relationship we’ve had, professionally and personally, and we’ve shared some fantastic environments together.
“Our time working together has been a big part of the success we’ve achieved.”
At Swansea, the style of play was a huge part of the club’s success, eventually leading to the move to Liverpool. How exciting was that moment when Liverpool came calling?
“One of Brendan’s key strengths has always been the clarity around his team’s identity and how they play.
“At Swansea that was obvious to everyone. When I first worked with Brendan, it was clear he was very progressive in his thinking. Football was still quite traditional in many ways at that time, but Brendan was open to new ideas.
“That openness has remained constant throughout his career.
“So, when Liverpool came in for him, it was an incredible opportunity. Brendan was still very young for a manager, around 39, and taking a job like Liverpool at that age was remarkable.
“As we had done at Swansea, we tried to make an immediate impact at Liverpool.”
What was it like day to day at a club with the attention Liverpool receives?
“I think our time at Chelsea prepared us for that environment.
“Liverpool had a fantastic aura about it when we arrived, but the team had finished eighth the previous season, so there was still a lot of work to be done.
“From my perspective, there were areas within the medical and performance departments that could be improved. That’s quite typical when you join a new club.
“Brendan’s standards are extremely high, and that quickly becomes obvious to players. Those standards tend to extract an extra 10 to 30 percent from individuals.”
When you went to Celtic, many players have said the standards immediately rose to another level. Was the goal essentially to bring Premier League performance standards into that environment?
“Yes, that’s a fair way to describe it.
“When we arrived at Celtic it was clear there was a significant gap between where the club was and what you’d consider an elite performance environment, both on and off the pitch.
“Coming from Chelsea and Liverpool, that gap was quite noticeable. But it was also a huge opportunity.
“We were able to quickly improve structures around performance, operations, staffing and processes. My focus was always not just on short-term performance but on creating systems that would sustain success over time.
“When we returned to the club years later, many of those structures were still in place. The performance processes, staffing models and even elements of the training methodology were still being used.
“I could even recognise training drills that I’d run three years earlier!
“That’s very satisfying because it means what you built became embedded in the club culture. It creates stability and allows managers and staff to operate more effectively.”
Your first spell at Celtic produced the famous Invincible Treble and then another treble the following season. What made that group so special?
“I remember my first visit to Celtic Park before Brendan had even been officially announced.
“It was just Brendan, Chris Davies and myself walking around the pitch. I remember the conversation going something like, we can’t just win here, we need to do something special.
“We didn’t know exactly what that meant yet, but in hindsight we were probably plotting the Invincible Treble without realising it.
“When we arrived it was clear there had been issues within the medical, sports science and nutrition areas the season before. That meant there were some relatively quick wins available.
“Brendan also had a very good first couple of transfer windows. Players like Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembélé came in.
“We also had excellent staff already at the club. John Kennedy was incredibly impressive.
“The players bought into the intensity of the training straight away. You could see they were hungry for that level of work.
“Once that momentum built, the season just unfolded in an incredible way.”
At Leicester you achieved another historic moment by winning the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history. What was that experience like?
“When we arrived, Leicester had finished mid-table the previous season.
“But again we were able to make a strong impact quickly. We had back-to-back top five finishes and came very close to Champions League qualification.
“Winning the FA Cup was obviously a huge moment.
“There seemed to be a pattern emerging. When we joined clubs, there were often operational and structural areas where improvements could be made fairly quickly.
“But the biggest difference often came from the intensity of training and the methodology that Brendan implemented.
“Players consistently bought into that.
“Looking back, Brendan must be one of the best impact managers in football. In his first couple of years at almost every club, we had a dramatic positive effect.”
People often see a public version of high-profile managers. What is Brendan like as a person behind the scenes?
“Brendan is obviously an elite manager with extremely high standards.
“Like all human beings, there are natural fluctuations depending on pressure and results. But when I think about our relationship, what stands out is his personal qualities.
“In one-to-one conversations, he’s incredibly genuine. I’ve been fortunate to have that relationship with him. He’s been very loyal to me. There’s a strong trust between us.
“To the outside world he might just appear as Brendan Rodgers the manager. But when I’m speaking to him, it’s just Brendan from Ballymena.
“He’s a really good man.”
https://worldfootballindex.com/2026/07/exclusive-glen-driscoll-on-leading-elite-performance-celtic-leicester-and-success-alongside-brendan-rodgers/
Hail Hail
That’s a fair an assessment of where we are just now , I remember the 90s too well and it gives me my own perspective on how amazing the last 25 years have been . Yes work to do but let’s get behind Martin and have a wonderful season .
the Bada Bing on 31st July 2026 11:06 am
Premier Cup
Dundee United v Celtic
Saturday 15 August 5.45ko
bigrailroadblues on 31st July 2026 11:20 am
Bada
They really are taking the piss.
—–
Are they though? Feast of the Assumption. Time for morning Mass before train to Dundee. Who then can withstand?
A good time to say thanks to Paul67 for giving us this place for another season.
“We are never going to win more than we do. God knows how this sentiment changes, but it needs to, or we will fail to attract top talent”
——————–
And yet the manager who won more than any was a disaster!??? Odd way of thinking.
What will fail to attract top talent is lack of ambition. An inability to have any vision beyond your own city won’t appeal to many.
Any idea why Ange left, Paul?
CHAIRBHOY on 31ST JULY 2026 12:12 PM
A lot has changed over the last ten years
philcool on 31st July 2026 12:04 pm
Hi, i hope Sevco dont win the league tonight….
==========================================
Have you not been keeping up with the media? They won it weeks ago ,-)))
Chairbhoy…He’s gone. He’s history. He did very well for us and for that we are thankful. However, he was not a man of the people, he was no Jock Stein, not even of the calibre of Martin O’Neill. He was a Brendan man first and foremost. I loved having him but I don’t grieve for him.
It’s progress without the ’ club signings ‘ or the HFO daisy chain of punts. Martin O’Neill is only speaking
Brendan Rodger’s language, the word is ‘quality’ and this summer at least, we’re sticking with it .
We’re clearing the decks and specific positions are being filled , and on the face of it a new strike force for Flag day. A GK, LB and CM should see us safely in the CL, albeit after year out of proper recruitment.
Well done, every single Celtic supporter especially those that strive for modernisation, and pay up front year in year out. JPT is another ‘great guy’ and will bring much from his SLO years, the backdrop to his appointment was brought about by Celtic supporters all included in the 53,000 that have renewed. The first acknowledgment of the need for changes in communication was started by Michael Nicholson, then sanctioned by Brian Wilson, who has at least attempted reconciliation.
No hostages in Paradise, suitors for our players Engels, AJ, Nygren? et all, should be asked for market value prices because we have to pay top dollar for replacements.
It’s MON’s unique year in the Celtic story following his miracle season, his European elan is now at stake, and only a fool would bet against him (if he’s backed in August)
Back the team, back the manager, even when it’s just for 33 days.
Hail Hail
I don’t want to bang on forever about the bringing Brendan back in 2023, but it was the most disturbing decision I have known Celtic to make this century.
———————–
seriously ?
a cup final penalties loss from a treble,
credibility in the euopean competition.
the biggest goal difference ever for a league season.
gies peace.
Paul
“bringing Brendan back in 2023, but it was the most disturbing decision I have known Celtic to make this century. “…
Tell us why, you obviously have the full story. Share it with us.
So nobody will take a senior role at Celtic, as they don’t want to work under Desmond’s dictatorship….
Weebobbycollins @ 12:23 pm,
Chairbhoy… He did very well for us and for that we are thankful.
Yes, totally agree – there should be no grieving, just a deep appreciation of what he and his staff brought to Celtic.
We move on, a transition season but a season that could get us right back on track…
Duran and Hogh are signs that Martin still has an eye for a player…
It’sSpeltDaizenMaedaCSC
Hail Hail
I don’t believe last seasons team were the worst winners of the league
For me the team that lost to 2nd Div ( championship) Rangers in cup semi was the worst by a fair distance….
Rangers and especially Hearts were far stronger than their respective teams then
No other manager apart from Rodgers would have won the 23/24 league….we were on our knees after ange left he was such a character and top boss ….Desmond got that right and recognised it
Unfortunately that transfer window was garbage and a death knell for nepotism!!!
Me thinks Paul listening to PL has skewed his mind
I prefer Wilson to Bankier any day of the week !
So nobody will take a senior role at Celtic,
I personally do not believe it.
There are hundreds of non-execs Linkedin that are easily suitable for the roles.
But for some reason we dont cast the net wide enough , or even do a proper recruitment.
Advertise the roles, they would be flooded with applications.
A very thought-provoking article. I am one of those who remains in two minds about Brendan. I liked his charisma and he brought real professionalism to the role. But in the end, running the players down was very poor. Paul hints at his behaviour when first here, but we get no detail. I am not looking for dirt on BR, but without specifics it is hard to evaluate the antipathy we read hear constantly.
The editorial is however very balanced. It is critical of the board and by implication of DD who has allowed our executive to diminish and our recruitment process to be badly weakened. We have time to build up both but it will need work and commitment from DD, both of which seem to be missing.
A lot is being asked of the fans. Of course many will still protest but we do need to try to pull together to support the players on the park. If we don’t, even a limited manager like McInnes can build momentum as we saw last season.
I am hopeful for this season. CL qualification is crucial or protest will fester again. That ultimately is what sparked it last year.
Endlessly debating about Brendan misses the point entirely. His appointment was part of a bigger problem.
It’s the most critical article on CQN ever, by far.
We’re facing a corporate challenge that we seemed to be able to deal with with apparent ease not long ago.
But it is never easy being Celtic.
Celtic40me @ 12:21 pm,
“A lot has changed over the last ten years”
Well, that’s very true but not with Brendan Rodgers it seems…
“Rodgers Revolution: Why Al Qadsiah will continue to rise with top tactician
01 Jun 2026
After emerging for a debut campaign in the Roshn Saudi League ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Al Khobar club have transformed, both off the pitch and on it, into a domestic powerhouse.
That remodelling went into overdrive last December with the arrival of Brendan Rodgers; a signal of intent from the Eastern Province outfit.
That’s right: Al Qadsiah weren’t here merely to make up the numbers. And it paid off, as Rodgers ensured his new side concluded the 2025-26 RSL as one of the most in-form teams in the Saudi Arabian top flight.
Al Qadsiah rounded off their season with a huge win at Al Ittihad
Rightfully, Al Qadsiah can now look ahead to next season, with a fresh three-year contract for 2025-26 RSL golden boot winner Julian Quinones and a move into the brand new, state-of-the-art Aramco Stadium, as one in which they can really make their presence felt.
It also marks the first full season in charge for Rodgers and, if how they ended last term under the Northern Irishman is any indication, the rest of the competition has been put on notice.
Rodgers was installed after nine RSL games last season, when he promptly promised to bring with him his trademark brand of high-intensity attacking football.
“We want to finish the season as high as we possibly can,” the former Celtic and Liverpool manager said upon his arrival in the Kingdom. “But also playing our football. The attacking football is obviously very important for us. But we want to win and we want to win in a really attacking style.”
While, on paper, Al Qadsiah improved only in one position on the table, finishing fourth after sitting fifth when Rodgers landed on the east coast, consider that mission accomplished.
In 25 RSL matches in charge, Rodgers experienced a solitary defeat – a 3-2 loss in the Eastern Derby to Al Ettifaq. Before that came an unbeaten run of 17 games, including wins against Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.
There was also the 2-2 draw with Al Hilal, when Al Qadsiah were robbed of victory once Simone Inzaghi’s side equalised in the dying minutes.
As well, no team scored more than Al Qadsiah since the new manager’s arrival (67 goals), while two other metrics illustrate how successful the “Rodgers revolution” was.
No club earned a greater percentage of their overall points after Rodgers’ appointment, at 78 percent. By comparison, in the same period, Al Nassr gleaned 69% of their 2025-26 tally and Al Hilal 73%. Ultimately, they represented the top two teams in the country.
Secondly, no club saw a greater improvement in their points-per-game average during that time. Before Rodgers, Al Qadsiah were averaging 1.89 points per game, by far the lowest of the top five. By season’s end, that had risen to 2.40 – an improvement of 0.51.
Of the top five in that spell, only Al Ahli (+0.37) and Al Hilal (+0.33) also improved their points-per-game ratio.
Now take into consideration that Quinones locked away on a new deal through to 2029 – a major piece of business when a fine 2026 FIFA World Cup with hosts Mexico could pique interest – and that fresh extensions were agreed last week announced for supreme Saudi defenders Jehad Thikri and Mohammed Abu Al Shamat.
And then that recently anointed 2025-26 Saudi Player of the Season Musab Al Juwayr should only get better working with Rodgers. So it’s little wonder the talented tactician is so bullish about his side’s prospects.
“The last five months have been so enjoyable,” Rodgers reflected after Al Qadisah’s 5-1 triumph on the final day at Al Ittihad. When I look at the scoreline tonight on 79 minutes, we’re still pressing, still running, trying to score goals and playing with all the principles that we have tried to bring to this team.
“So, the energy and the support that this team has given me since I’ve come in… to come to a club like Al Ittihad and make that scoreline, it gives us a great foundation and base for next season.
“So, [I’m] proud for every player, proud for all our staff and clearly our supporters, and I’m already looking forward to next season and to challenge for trophies.”
The Al Qadsiah fans have really taken to manager Brendan Rodgers
For sure, Rodgers and Al Qadsiah appear a perfect match.
“I can only look back since I’ve been here,” Rodgers continued. “Obviously, my job was to convince the players how we want to play and they deserve a huge amount of credit, because I ask a lot of them.
“They have an obligation to run and to work, and they have done that in every game. The only game we lost we had a red card, and we still should’ve got something from the game.
Al Qadsiah manager Brendan Rodgers has proved a superb appointment
“But we can still improve and we’ll look to do that in the summer. And, hopefully, we can challenge and have a full season in [all] the competitions to have even more success next year.”
With the Rodgers revamp well and truly in motion, Al Qadsiah are clearly a club on the up.
Hail Hail
Good summary Paul67 and well balanced – pretty much sums up how many of us feel wrt the hole Celtic have dug ourselves into.
I can understand that exec and non-exec positions will be hard to fill – and that until we have a successor to Martin O’Neill, recruiting back room staff might be a problem. Let’s hope the next managerial appointment is well researched.
Oops GDT
Forgot about that……anyway theres always the pre Xmas trophy!
●Who was the only Scots born player to score for Celtic in their 2003 Road to Seville campaign?
RIP Franco Baresi, the king of defending.
maybe
lambert v sudova ?
PhilCool – you’re also forgetting the 80 minute league title.
I spoke recently with a senior business leader who had been approached to discuss the vacant role of chairman of Celtic.
After a couple of rounds of discussions, s/he elected to withdraw from the process. S/he gave two reasons:
1) Given the discussions, it became apparent that it was unlikely that the role could be undertaken independently, given the influence of the principal shareholder on decision making.
2) S/he was strongly disinclined to put themselves – and moreover their family – through the inevitable crap that would be thrown at them from inside and out. Why would anyone?
That gives a measure of where we are. It’s been seven months since we fired the manager and the head of football operations, eight months since the resignation of the the chairman and the senior independent director. There have been no permanent appointments since.
We can only hope that MON can put a winning team on the park long enough that the organisation can be reset, if it can be reset at all.
I thought that the ‘recruitment infrastructure was and remains in place’.
No?
The Battered Bunnet @ 12:47 pm,
Good insight, thanks… I think…
Hail Hail
He’s just Brenny from the block
No criticism for Brendan signing Shin Yamada? I wonder why that might be……..
Chairbhoy…👍
And now that he’s gone you will spell Meada’s name correctly? :-)
CHAIRBHOY on 31ST JULY 2026 12:35 PM
Celtic40me @ 12:21 pm,
“A lot has changed over the last ten years”
Well, that’s very true but not with Brendan Rodgers it seems…
Nobody cares about Brendan in Saudi.
Weebobbycollins @ 12:53 pm,
Truth…
See what you did there :))
Hail Hail
Bada Bing @ 12.30
“So nobody will take a senior role at Celtic, as they don’t want to work under Desmond’s dictatorship….”
More than likely the reason. I don’t know the man but I get the feeling he is not an easy man to get along with. I suppose I have a general mistrust of billionaires. I tend not to mix with them. :-)
Great article Paul.
Insightful
Informative
Thought provoking
Occasionally uncomfortable
Respect
celtic40me on 31st July 2026 12:18 pm
A good time to say thanks to Paul67 for giving us this place for another season.
Yes!