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
- ...
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- »
3: 3
LAXALT on 2ND AUGUST 2026 3:27 PM
We need to be careful we’re not pricing players who want to leave out of moves, it doesnt work.
The huns did it with fatty and Kent and lost them for nothing.
4-3 now, JackieMac.
Have you been watching it (I’ve just tuned in)?
St Johnstone tried to play football before they were relegated, are they trying to play?
Thankfully Killie have a new pitch according to the commentator.
St Johnstone played the better football, by far
4:3 saints FT
I heard that comment about the new pitch, too – thankfully.
Saint Johnstone confounding all the radio pundits from the last few days who tipped them for relegation before a ball was kicked. Just put 4 goals past new BBC Scotland faves (??) Kilmarnock.
Who was the French left back
GDT
My views on the defence are broadly similar to yours.
However I have yet to be convinced by Auston Trusty. Seems to have problems with “over enthusiastic “ SPFL centre forwards such as Murray from Dundee.
I would like to see st least one other centre half brought in. Dane Murray gives me the fear.
● Lions in charge●
Two Lisbon Lions were in charge of Hibernian.One for 2 year and other in caretaker capacity?
Completely different player I’m thinking of
Auld
Bertie and Tam
I’d have thought Killie were favourites for relegation now the home plastic pitch has gone.
HH
DESSYBHOY
Yes Bertie.
EKBHOY..Yes Bertie…not Tam.
Digne was the French left back, plays for Villa
EKBhoy on 2nd August 2026 4:29 pm
I’d have thought Killie were favourites for relegation now the home plastic pitch has gone.
HH
—-
I never saw it, but on the radio, they were saying the grass looked like it was cut at different lengths 🤔 . Falkirk still have a plastic pitch. They had an extra year’s grace. I think St Johnstone is grass.
BHOYJOEBELFAST on 2ND AUGUST 2026 4:25 PM
● Lions in charge●
Two Lisbon Lions were in charge of Hibernian.One for 2 year and other in caretaker capacity?
—————-
Bertie Auld
Billy McNeill
ehbhoy
You,re forgetting who are in charge of the Killie team @ the mo….absolute legends….
No way Beeb Scotland pundits or former players are going to tip them for relegation
C40ME
Yip…I totally agree but I DO think AJ would be worth Everton etc buying for £18m.
The comparison with Kent etc is valid and also topical in that the sevs genuinely believe they will get £15m+ for Raskin.
They won’t…..hes a good wee cog in a team with quality players but any team that Raskin would get a game for don’t buy players at that price.
He wouldn’t get in our team for example.
Too wee…too slow….his passing is too weak….he rarely scores or assists for a team who finished 3rd in the Scottish league.
2 years left ( I think there’s a good chance the 2nd year is an option btw ) on his contract with a sh#te attitude etc and you’ll find they’ll be lucky to get £5m.
AJ has an almost unique temperament and confidence as a player and a person and that’s why I think his exit price will be nearer 25m thsn 10m.
£10 million for AJ
Assume our dear Michael’s response was… “ does that include Jordan Pickford “ !!!
BSR
Yes Bertie and Billy.Well remembered.
Our squad is too big and needs trimmed. We have seen 14 players leave the building so far but only 2 of note. Key players AJ, AE and RH are likely to follow and a few lessor lights thereafter. The squad cull is needed but the season kicks off tomorrow and we have only added 2 players albeit they look luke they add the quality.
Celtic get yiur finger out
Sumdi upset at a sending off
https://x.com/i/status/2083914116675027045
HH
Easy to forget but Celtic won the last nine games of last season.
As it stands I think we’ve improved the starting 11 with Hogh and Duran.
Work needs doing to replace some of the loans who were backup players. If we lose some starters, more work needed to replace them. I’d like to see some more starters signed even without replacing the outgoings.
But as we stand, with a month of the transfer window to go we’re in a decent place
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 2nd August 2026 1:40 pm
“I’d love to know how the transfer market sets a price.”
___________________________________
The selling club asks for more than the player is worth and the prospective buyers offer less than the player is worth. The eventual price is somewhere in the middle.
When Celtic are involved as sellers, they seem to be duty bound to accept the initial lowball offer, and when they are buyers they have to meet the inflated asking price. Either way we seem to draw the short straw!
Regarding AJ, Celtic should say £20M or no deal, full stop. If there is interest from more than one club, it potentially goes higher.
Motherwell looking as assured as last season less Elijah Just.
Big Chips….I disagree in that I think we usually get the right price for players.
Maeda
Palma
Nairobi
Inamura…just this last few weeks.
I think we’re good at that particular aspect.
We knocked back West Hams 1st offer for Arne for eg.
Nawrocki (sp?) of course
liking that motherwell keeper
Cheers Bigchips.
I’m not being funny or awkward, but how do you come up with £20m?
Why is it not £18m or £25m?
Here’s a list of right backs transferred to EPL clubs over the past 3 years and the fees paid:
Jurriën Timber,Summer 2023,Ajax to Arsenal,£34.3m (€40m)
Pedro Porro,Summer 2023,Sporting CP to Tottenham Hotspur,£39m (€45m)
Tino Livramento,Summer 2023,Southampton to Newcastle United,£32m (rising to £40m)
Malo Gusto,January 2023,Lyon to Chelsea,£26.3m (€30m)
Noussair Mazraoui,Summer 2024,Bayern Munich to Manchester United,£12.8m (+ £4.3m add-ons)
Aaron Wan-Bissaka,Summer 2024,Manchester United to West Ham United,£15m
Julián Araujo,Summer 2024,Barcelona,AFC to Bournemouth,£8.5m (€10m)
Archie Gray,Summer 2024,Leeds United to Tottenham Hotspur,£30m
Kosta Nedeljković,January 2024,Red Star Belgrade to Aston Villa,£6.5m
Michael Kayode,Summer 2025,Fiorentina to Brentford,£14m.
I’m not familiar with any of them, but would you know if any are comparable to AJ?
that was a fine goal by a really good player.
been a really good game.
motherwell will cause a few teams problems this season.
Lovely Motherwell counterattack and goal after Hibs had been well on top.
David Gray ,shaky nail time
Motherwell setting the standard for the rest and where we need to be higher.
Hibs not too bad but Well fast on the break.
1 2 Well at the end.
Yes Digne
Motherwell don’t look to have lost too much with the departure of Askou and Just. The new manager not changing too much and players seem comfortable in what they’re doing . Hibs strong comeback in the second half but they’ve clearly not lost the knack of Hibsing it .