It was Brugge who showed the way in our Champions League game in November last year. They pressed Celtic in the middle third which was enough to inhibit our ability to progress the ball into advanced areas. Other managers watched.
Five weeks later, Phillippe Clement copied these tactics in a 3-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox. Barry Ferguson followed this up in March, winning at Celtic Park, then again in a draw at Ibrox. Already-eliminated Young Boys came to Celtic Park, went man-for-man in the middle and lost to a late own-goal.
We watched the same show in the Scottish Cup Final in May: 120 minutes of midfield suffocation before a penalty loss to weaker opposition. It was no different over 210 painful minutes against Kairat. Yesterday’s failure to land a glove on the most nervous defenders in Scottish football follows a well-established pattern. Russell Martin changed every tactic he has used in Glasgow and reverted to the play we all know succeeds against Celtic.
Games with against lesser sides and without Kyogo, Jota and Kuhn have floundered in the middle of the park. We seem to be focussed on adding attacking options today. This is necessary but attacking players are blunt if you cannot break a soft press in the middle of the park.
We got draws at Ibrox, against Kairat and in the Cup Final because we can defend well – Liam Scales was well worth his Man of the Match accolade. That will probably be enough to win the league while Newco beat themselves and the Hearts project is too new. But we are at a tactical cul-de-sac. Chris Davies did more than put the cones out.
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The Battered Bunnet on 1st September 2025 12:18 pm
BR gives the impression of a coach who’s run out of ideas, working at a club that’s run out of patience with him.
The entire enterprise is a shambles; Board, Executive team, Football dept.
Each function is similarly dishevelled and defective. It’s quite the trick to pull off given the solid foundations.
============
I agree and think questions should be raised at the AGM using an official Celtic facility for doing so.
I have used it to pose a few in the belief that what is happening now is the manifestation of a much deeper issue which is the Purpose Celtic as an FC and PLC from a Board perspective.
I will just copy my comments on SCE that covers The facility and the questions I posed using it.
Any shareholder can pose their own questions or piggy back on mine if they agree, but the main thing is to use the facility or stop criticising Celtic’s poor communications record.
The facility was developed to provide an avenue to address the general perception that the AGM is just a talking shop for Resolutions that get voted down (or adjourned :) )
I am only using your comment to introduce what follows and do not expect you to answer but hope you do.
———————-
The following is about trying to establish what exactly is Celtic’s purpose at the AGM and the more who use the communication facility set out below the better the chance of attention being paid to our concerns, shareholder and non shareholders alike.
I have mentioned before the facility introduced in the 2022 AGM to raise questions to be answered at Board level either at or before the AGM question session. I decided to send the following to Celtic’s Company Secretary from which I have redacted personal details.
If you are a shareholder and think the questions worth raising then why not e mail the Company Secretary yourself and encourage other shareholding friends to do the same. Alternatively use the facility to raise your own issues but please use it.
If you are a member of The Celtic Supporter Trust or intend joining why not copy your email to them at trust@celtictrust.net to help in their quest to acquire shares.
The e mail that has been sent says—-
=========================
Dear Company Secretary
I would like the following questions to be put to the Celtic Board at the next Celtic PLC AGM in accordance with Note 8 in the 2024 AGM Notice of Annual General Meeting, repeated from the 2022 AGM notices in 2023 and 2024 viz:
Shareholders are reminded that they can contact the Company at any time during the year with questions or suggestions via investorrelations@celticfc.co.uk. Shareholders are welcome to submit questions in advance of the AGM via this email address, which the Board will endeavour to address at the AGM. We ask that all questions are submitted by no later than [A Date before the 2025 AGM ]. We ask that you include your full name and SRN in all communications with the Investor Relations Team
Questions for the Board – 2025 AGM
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,
Name
Share Reference Number CNNNNNNNNNN (essential and shown on Share Certificate)
Certificate Number CAnnnnnn if on Share Certificate
James Forrest. 1.48 pm.
Yes. There’s something of the Uriah Heep about it methinks.
Or maybe Sheep would be more apt.
Strelec moves to middlesboro from Bratislava for 6m , were we not interested once upon a time.
I am staggered that from Bayern Munich away with just a minute of added time to go, we now find ourselves without time to properly assess or conduct medical and fitness assessments on potential signings yet, with just two strikers (both of whom are no more than backups) we are still putting in low-ball offers for ever more regressive targets to try to fill the void.
As things stand we have one winger in the twilight of his career, one on his way out of the door (mentally, even if it doesn’t happen physically), one who is unavailable until next year, and one just in the door that none of us had heard of before last week and that no moderately decent European team had shown any interest in signing. And of course Maeda, who appears to have been drained of desire and motivation by what is going on around the club and the absence of the players with whom he so effectively dovetailed up until a year ago.
It seems that everyone who has left has been either replaced with a significant downgrade, or not replaced at all, and the club are stubbornly refusing to pay over the odds for anyone with any quality at a time when overpaying is the only way you’re going to get them. Likewise they won’t go in for players in the twilight of their careers (‘keepers notwithstanding) or players who have been at Celtic previously, even when they have no alternatives lined up and it looks like we will have to play the rest of 2025 with a woefully shallow squad lacking in quality beyond half a dozen or so first team regulars.
Surely Vardy on a one year contract, Miovski at £3-5M, Edouard at £4M, or Dolberg even at £10M would be better than going with just Kenny and Yamada, neither of who BR seems to think is ready (or perhaps even of the standard required) for the Celtic first team? Now bereft of quality creative wingers (when not long ago they were coming out of our ears!), we are desperately weighing up offers for underwhelming wide players from the never heard of them list to provide crosses for 12st 6lbs Kenny and 5’9″ Yamada to attack. The other SPL clubs’ defenders won’t be having sleepless nights at the prospect.
And latest reports today are linking us with the likes of Strasbourg striker Sekou Mara, who scored 3 goals in 27 appearances last season and can’t even get a game for them this season and Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who in 34 appearances on loan at Sheffield United last season registered just 7 goals and 2 assists, created a mere 3 “big chances” (all season) and made fewer than 1 “key pass” per game. I’m not sure these guys are anywhere near the level we need to replace Kyogo and Kuhn…
67ECW
On a day of emotional and often argumentative posts, including my own, your own thoughts at 2:03 are both valid and helpful.
More placemen rejoining the ranks of CQN…
!!Bada Bing!! @ 1:45 pm,
Yes, quite when MN came back from Spain gloating at the fact he’d secured Brendan as manager I said at the time it’s the naughty step for him…
“Nicholson said: ‘Chris McKay and I went for lunch in Majorca – that was the starting point. That was perhaps the worst kept secret in Scottish football. Perhaps Chris’ sombrero and beach ball gave us away at the airport!…
…‘You always have to be ready for change in football.
When Ange (Postecoglou) left we knew we had to replace him with a manager of top, top quality and in Brendan we know we’ve got that.
‘We have invested in the squad over the last couple of years.
‘We have a very young, hungry squad. So we profiled managers through the process that could take us on and Brendan was the stand-out candidate.
‘Our priority was to bring Brendan back to Celtic – and we are delighted to do so.’”
When Peter Lawwell came back from the UCL Cup final in Turkey, the vibe changed.
We’ve heard nothing from the CEO since then, the manager wasn’t back in the transfer market as promised and the clusterguano started.
The schism in our Boardroom won’t disappear until Nicholson goes and takes his boss with him.
Hail Hail
I’m no happier than anyone else with the state of play , or the state of our play , at the minute but as someone else pointed out here before “all those trebles are papering over the cracks”. I believe that was said somewhat tongue in cheek but as time goes on it seems worryingly accurate.
Not winning a treble last year and not beating rangers in the last 3 league games against them was and remains worrying but it hasn’t really damaged us to any material degree. Yesterday hasn’t either – let’s face it , we were poor but they still couldn’t beat us at their home ground.
Missing out on the Champions League however was a different story. Whoever was to blame for that omnishambles ( and I posted last week in detail that I think all aspects of the board and football operation had some of the blame on their shoulders), it was a failure which goes beyond the loss of money and prestige and a drop in interest for the fans.
Far worse , it has damaged our standing as image as an elite level outfit, on and off the pitch, with a huge impact on our ability to sign players. We’ll see that over the rest of today and going forward and that’s a huge issue. Worse yet still , it will impact our ability to sign anything approaching an elite level manager if, as expected , BR doesn’t renew his contract.
P67’s headline that “The Emperor has no tactics “ is pretty incendiary and , if as many on here believe, reflects P67 having a close relationship with PL, then we’re on a crash course.
If the board see BR as an Emperor with no tactics then his time is up and they will never authorise big spending in this or next window. In truth, his record with big money signings isn’t stellar.
Whatever happens , we should still have enough to win the league but it does feel that , if it hasn’t already happened , the Board need to have the cliched “full and frank exchange” of views with BR for long term planning and , in the short term , what BR’s explanation is for our failure to adapt in bigger games.
I fear that there’s an issue that our executive directors , specifically our CEO, just don’t have the cojones to do that.
In the land of the blind ma tactics are better than Brendan Rodgers’
If Dolberg prefers a move to Ajax then we are better off without him. I would prefer a player who gets excited and enthused about a potential move to Celtic….
…at least until Nicholson puts a dampener on it.
Glenowen on 1st September 2025 2:10 pm
Thank you – a couple of pints at lunch time helps !!
67ECW
What an embarrassment we truly are & that board should be relieved of it’s duties for this.
Are the happy clappers, board apologists still defending these low life’s?
Handing a title to them.
6PTS ahead and that’ll come down over the next few months, watch this space.
If I was Brendan Rodgers I’d walk and that’ll teach the board and the happy clappers who defend them a lesson.
Is it incompetence or a deliberate attempt to ‘smoke out’ the manager ?
What have I missed?
An Dún @ 2:30 pm,
It’s exactly a ‘smoke out’, the one many have been advocating from June 2023.
They are biting off their nose to spite their face, think they have underestimated the fanbase this time out.
Celtic40me @ 1:54 pm,
“Very dangerous game weaponizing buying and selling expensive footballers”
Agreed, the lack of preparation for the UCL-Q seems to have knocked the stuffing out of the Brendan Rodgers, his staff and the players.
Big Pedro has many an axe to grind with our manager and is up to his nonsensical gamesmanship again.
Of course, weaponising the recruitment process and selling players is both effective at undermining our manager and plays into our Chairman’s strengthen in the financials.
However, Brendan Rodgers has got lots of bounceback ability.
He will take this underwhelming group of players and win at least a domestic double and have a good run in the UEL.
The Chairman and his Board will not recover from this.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy @ 2.11
Then we’ll say “ we just couldn’t get players over the line “
Auldheid, good shout, but you’re likely to be scuppered by your prolixity. What’s the question you actually want an answer to? Ask that one, and pass on the rest for someone else.
Scrambling for a striker.
With 8 hours left in a 10 week transfer window.
Again.
Not Managers fault.
Heads should roll.
But they’re all in with the bricks.
Any comments on this Paul and Alec?
Liverpool gave an ageing , in the early stages of declining VVD and Mo Salah , gut busting record high , new deals , just weeks ago .
They have retained the services of both players , on expensive terms so as not to be held to ransom by the selling clubs , when they try to replace them .
Newcastle would have gotten more for Isak if they new that Liverpool had circa £70 m in the Bank from a Saudi club for Salah .
Isak’s agent would have asked for a higher wage knowing that Salah’s fabulous wage , was available.
Likewise with Liverpool now trying to sign the z English international centre back from Crystal Palace .
A team strengthening from a position of strength , with some common sense being applied to protecting and strengthening the playing squad .
Whilst ensuring they don’t pay far too much due to needing , instead of being desperate for replacements.
At worst , they will have VVD to the end of the season and get the CP defender on a free in the summer .
I know that Liverpool are on a different planet financially , but the strategy should be the same
Look ahead at who will need replaced , or is likely to be enticed away .
Get the replacement in the season before .
Bed them in for a season
Then sell .
We are an absolute shambles .
Dermot Desmond and his board are to blame .
They appoint the managers and recruitment teams .
If Rodger’s is failing , then they appointed them .
Same with Nicholson .
It starts from the very top .
TT
BSR @ 2:36 pm,
Exactly:)))
Hail Hail
TinyTim @ 2:43 pm,
Excellent post, spot-on
Hail Hail
The shambles that has been this transfer window is going to prove costly. Without the cutting edge up top we are likely to see a few draws this season.
We need options both to freshen starting line up but also the bench as this is a 16 man game now.
An Dún on 1st September 2025 2:30 pm
Is it incompetence or a deliberate attempt to ‘smoke out’ the manager ?
————————————————————————————————–
Almost certainly the latter. A scorched earth policy in an attempt to get him to quit.
BR won’t do it though, as he knows if he resigns the board have their excuse, blame Brendan.
Apologies if this is a daft question but I’ve read that Dolberg is available due to Anderlecht going out of Europe and needing funds.
Were we banking on this? What would have happened had Anderlecht NOT been knocked out of Europe?
Wonder how the manager will spin the no signings today after calling for them for weeks.
He really should have the balls to call it like it is but he won’t, another coward like the grey suited money grabbing wankers who run Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers (2)
“We are clear on where we need to improve, and for whatever reason we haven’t been able to. There’s only so many ways that I can dress up that we don’t have the players here. It was pretty clear.”
Ange Postecoglu:
“Maybe I wasn’t clear enough, I don’t know. I think I’ve been pretty consistent in saying we need more players in. Obviously I haven’t done a good enough job convincing people we need to bring people in. I’m not going to shy away from it. I’ve tried to be as forceful as I can”
Neil Lennon:
“There was a lot we wanted to do in the summer, but the financial reality and club strategy meant you can’t always act as quickly as you’d like. Sometimes it feels like the process is just too slow.”
Brendan Rodgers (1):
“We have a recruitment model here. I can only work within that. We identify the players we want, but there’s often a delay in negotiations. By the time a deal goes through, the market has moved on. That’s always frustrating.”
Ronny Deila:
“We had players we wanted to bring in, but things take too long. Negotiations drag, and by the time we get them, the market has moved on. It makes it difficult to get the squad together quickly. That’s frustrating because it slows down preparation for the season.”
11 weeks to make signings and we’re scrambling at the last minute.
Get this board out now because this title is far from over especially with this squad we have.
GeeBee1978
Good question ,
We have no plan .
It’s all of the cuff.
Is my interpretation.
TT
onenightinlisbon:
Love the number of people who would just love to see Brendan bringing out the flamethrower to burn down the whole club. Would you say that if he did it?
I also love the number of people almost off-handly suggesting that he either walk out on his highly paid job or make them fire him. Those people would do that in his circumstances, right? Cause they’ve done it in their own day-to-day lives, yeah?
Principles are like money. They are great if what you are gambling with are someone else’s.
James Forrest on 1st September 2025 2:56 pm
onenightinlisbon:
Love the number of people who would just love to see Brendan bringing out the flamethrower to burn down the whole club. Would you say that if he did it?
What has he got to lose?
Surely working under the circumstances set by the arse holes on the board should be called out?
Sutton1888 on 1st September 2025 2:54 pm
Great Post
67ECW
Chairnhoy 2.26
Thank you.
TT
I don’t disagree mate, genuinely. I see why you would say that.
But Rodgers is the one person who is still trying to act like a professional here. Up until now anyway.
Hey, we might both get the shock of our lives tomorrow morning because if we haven’t made progress in the market, and we aren’t able to bring in some of the guys he wants then it’s not only a gross personal insult to him but it actually places him in jeopordy. If we don’t win this title there are plenty of people who will line up to hammer the nails into his coffin, with a smile on their faces.
Our host is one of them, and there are people on the board who consider it vindication.
But Rodgers is torn between perhaps wanting to walk and a promise he made to us. I wrote yesterday that if he no longer wants to manage Celtic in a meaningful way that he should consider that promise nulified. I just don’t see what good it would do us … if he scorches the earth and walks out what do you think happens next? Yeah, fans will get a clear picture of the chaos inside the club … but the board will just promote Maloney and at the end of the season we’ll get Shower Scene 2.
I want Rodgers in that role until they drag him out the door. Because I’m terrified of what we’ll do next, with no credible manager going to come near this place. Genuinely terrified.
Methinks the EL games will be played out in a half empty stadium judging by the amount of people cancelling the HCTS.
James Forrest on 1st September 2025 3:07 pm
Totally understand the points you make, all valid.
The whole thing is a disaster.
The AGM must surely be a point for some kind of mass demonstration against these wankers.
Ten Men Won The League:
It would honestly be the best thing that could happen in the current climate.
People said it only happened last time cause we didn’t have Them in the league; what’s the difference between not having them in the league and having a version of them in the league which is genuinely the worst I’ve ever watched over there?
Fans need to realise they have agency in this. It’s all well and good hearing how “we’ll never get rid of these people” but we’ll certainly never do it if we don’t make an attempt. I personally don’t think it’ll take boycotts, if we’re smart and strategic about it. I also think that requires a united front from fan media and supporter organisations but there’s no zero chance of that coming to pass and I know because some of us have tried.
It’s a non-starter. If we’re restricted to closing the top tier of the stand to send a message then so be it. It’ll be heard loud and clear.
Just for info
Assuming they get the guy from Everton for £8m – they will have spent £30m this window
(at the mo we have spent £7)
I’m not saying they have bought quality – but I am saying they will be better than last year
(IMHO we are not as good as last year)
Another interesting development is both clubs are looking to loan the Crystal Palace guy Rak-Sakyi
Imagine if he goes to them instead of us !!!!!
This league is not won because we are 6 points ahead of them
The next 8 hours is important to us
The pressure our Board have put themselves under is immense
67ECW
JAMES FORREST on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2025 2:56 PM
onenightinlisbon:
“ I also love the number of people almost off-handly suggesting that he either walk out on his highly paid job or make them fire him.”
———-
He’s covered it mate live on TV not doing walking away.
“ we’re not doing that one again – it didn’t go down too well with the fans.”
They’ve hung him out to dry and he’s hanging by the short and curlies working his notice. It’ll calm down when they fire out the Europa packages, and the window slams shut.
A look at his personal Celtic record, points to where the real issues are.👍 but then you already know that.
I’m sure it’s been said before but perhaps the board have elected not to spend significant money on new players because the current manager is for the off at the end of the season, and the money is being prioritised to bankroll the incoming manager.
It’s a crap strategy, but at least it has some logic to it. The alternative, that they’re simply crap at the job, is no less likely.