Our scepticism about Celtic being favourites to progress before last night’s Champions League qualifier was well founded. As in the first leg, the team lacked urgency throughout the first 45 minutes. During that period, Kairat allowing Celtic possession in their own half, but as soon as we crossed the halfway line, the visitors were easily dispossessed; outnumbered and without a pragmatic plan of attack.
It was only when Arne Engels and Adam Idah arrived on 70 minutes that Celtic were able to hold the ball in opposition territory with any reliability, but the problem from the first leg persisted: how to breakdown a well-organised defence. We went down to The Philippe Clement failure.
Since that heroic performance in Munich, we have lost Nicolas Kuhn and Greg Taylor, and signed Benjamin Nygren and Kieran Tierney (with Jota injured). It does not sound like the downgrade it is often portrayed as; the difference in performance levels does not match the change in roster. Something else is missing.
Yesterday I hoped for “no excuses”. Brendan Rodgers may well have every justification (will come onto this in a moment) for again leaning on the lack of big money signings this summer as a reason for our exit, but that is not sufficient to excuse a loss to a team who are likely to break all the wrong records in the Champions League this season. It was an embarrassment and he shares blame.
Add to the fact that none of his £32m signings last summer were deemed good enough to start the game last night, and he should conclude that he carries significant responsibility.
A point for Michael Nicholson and Dermot Desmond. Two years ago you appointed a manager who, every time he has spoken this month, has put you in the dock for this one. Brendan’s is the only voice representing the club right now and it is not flattering. The gloves are off, his future intentions are crystal clear and he will have one target in mind after every dropped point.
This theme will only grow as the season progresses; players are being asked about a lack of signings and echo what the manager says. It will get worse.
There is no media conspiracy against Celtic; they report based on information put in front of them. Supporters judge what you do with their money largely based on what they hear from the club (only the manager/players) and from opinion influencers in the media.
I know running a football club is not as easy as it looks from the outside. Transfers are seldom as straightforward as we believe. But the lack of a constructive narrative is self-defeating and leaves fans wondering: What’s going on?
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Grabs popcorn.
Bring on the Hearts, the Hibs the Rangers, bring on the Kazaks by the score . . .
boooo
Is this a “BRENDAN OUT” post ?.
Not feeling any better since last night…..worse if anything but like others the hurt is actually turning to anger and just how badly we are run as a football club.
Our short and long term planning is non existent and our executives iron grip on the football department is absolute – two examples. Jota – not withstanding a normal recruitment drive in summer window an additional loan would have been sensible to cover him. Either an established performer wanting guaranteed game time at CL club (ha) or a real top prospect whose parent club want him playing big boy football. Sensible actionable and with a team of scout and recruitment professionals in situ not difficult
Secondly Calums replacement should be in the building – he will not last forever and TBH think he maybe already on the downslope especially if last night was a window on what we can expect. Not only as a player but also as a captain – where is the guy that steps up?
The “club” chuck players at the coach and hope for the best – Shin, Inamura, Kenny, Osmond – honestly is beyond a joke and this nonsense about a well run club is just that – we have a very effective financial dept but thats where it ends.
So off we go into Sunday- Thursday football so crowds will be down in fact I expect huge gaps in the stands from here on in as many including myself are disillusioned and like some others I will not be buying a EL package. The damage to the club financially and our reputation will take a very long time to get over…
What larks Paul – what larks.
the problem with the ‘europa league is our level anyway’ opinion is that the PLC will still try to rake income in from season ticket prices and matchday ticket prices like we are a champions league club, but only have a player spending policy like an average europa league club.
this is all to keep guys like nicholson ringfencing his 850 grand a year pay packet, an utterly ridiculous wage for that position at an organisation like celtic.
we have become one of the worst examples of rampant greed-driven PLCism
Well Paul, while I disagree fundamentally with where the major blame lies here, I’ll at least give you credit for calling on the hide and seek champion CEO to open his mouth.
Is Nicholson following the old adage of being thought of as a fool rather than confirming it ?
Kyogo, Kuhn, Jota, O’Riley all lost within 12 months and we’ve done little to replace them. We were warned constantly by the football professionals that we needed attackers and we did nothing.
It doesn’t come as a surprise to me that the players are siding with BR. They’re aware of what they’re seeing and who they’re playing with.
Nicholson should be chased.
We must rid our club of the cancer that is Desmond and Lawwell.
“If Dermot Desmond wants to ‘phone me up we’ll have a whip round and I’ll tell him to fck off”.
Not my words. Harry Brady’s.
Isn’t it telling that the team performed better when the ‘ big money signings ‘ arrived …paul conveniently forgets AJ missing as well from Munich……why didn’t the board spend even some of the riches in the bank topped off by the sales of khun , lagerbeilke, and Tilio as well as the Frimpong bounty …..then paul really could have blamed BR !!!!
We were screaming for front players ….it was so obvious during the game but hey what do fans know ….we’re only really a cash cow
No Paul, I think we fans know what’s going on.
Celtic had SIX changes from the team that started in Munich!!!!!…..never let the truth get in the way of a story !!
What’s going on??? Seriously?????
Can only say that this summer has played out exactly as I expected. Team strengthening in direct inverse to lead over partner club. Protect the old firm whatever the cost. Par for the course, you might say.
Not to worry – we’ll probably win on Sunday and all will be forgotten. Laughing stock of Europe maybe, but Kings of the old firm. Whoopee doodle doo!
We are extremely quick to sell highly performing players, far less so to replace them.
As a result, we leave our manager with a hotch potch of recent signings, youth and under performers
Interestingly, Yang has now made more appearances for Celtic than Kùhn did.
To paraphrase, ‘a receding tide lowers all boats’
Celtic havent won a meaningful football game for some time.
We hired manager, reporfely at £4m a year. His job is to win meaningful football games . In every one of these encounters he has went in with the better squad to choose from.
Time he earned his corn and stopped with the passive aggressive nonsense
The article that P67 has been itching to write ever since BR returned.
The overwhelming majority of the support however really know who is to blame. The board can thank their lucky stars there isn’t a home game for a few weeks, allowing them to purchase a few more cheap n’ cheerful signings to try and take the heat off. I doubt this will work. Protests and chants against the board will be a regular occurrence throughout the season, followed by a probable boycott of the EL package by a significant amount of the support (myself included).
Anyhow, only another 9 months and then P67 & the board apologists will get their wish and a board lackey will be appointed.
Celtic in the slow lane here we come……
A tim friend described Sunday ‘s game as the battle to be least shite !
Sit on calmac: end of
When you’re in the weeds you will take any small comfort that comes along.
So to read Paul calling out the dead silence from the club is interesting and overdue.
For the last couple of days, a few of us in the blogosphere have been calling for the CEO to finally get in front of the media – not fan media, not in-house media but the people who are actually paid to give him a grilling and ask questions – and articulate a vision.
Look, whatever people think our failings are, whoever they believe is responsible for them, we all want what is best for this club, period. If this board can demonstrate that is actually thinking about the next five years to ten years then let’s see the blueprint. There’s no reason to keep it a secret.
I’m not interesting in raking people over the coals for nothing, but Nicholson has been in this job as the actual CEO – not acting, we’re not judging him on that – for 1343 days. That’s a long time to be hiding under the bed. No CEO that I’m aware of has ever spent so long hiding from the scrutiny and the responsibilities to lead that come with that job.
I know a bit about Nicholson. This is not a mug. He’s a debating society guy. So not only does he have a brain in his head but he DOES know how to communicate. So what are we to conclude from his failure to do so? Is he a puppet on a string – which in any language makes him gutless – or are these people making this up as they go along? So much of what we see suggests that they are.
It is not wrong for fans to want to know what direction their club is moving in. It’s not wrong to want to know that when the chairman – who claims to do nothing and draws a huge salary for it – says that “you get what you pay for” that we ask exactly what it is that we ARE paying for and should expect an answer.
It’s not just that the club does not communicate. If you’re on the merchandise mailing list you’ll get a lot of communication from the club, it’s that we appear stagnant, stale, backward, reactionary rather than progressive, in so, so, so many areas from the stadium to the academy to Barrowfield to scouting … the football operation has been sustained by brilliant managers who could elevate players.
We’re approaching the end of the brilliant manager’s phase. No-one credible will work under people who have been so clearly, visibly, undermining a successful manager. Their conduct this summer has toxified this club … but still, we’re not demanding heads to roll here (people should fall on their swords though) … we’re asking “where’s the strategy?”
We’re asking where the CEO is? Where’s the leadership? Where’s the vision?
Not a revolution. A renewal. My generation of fans might be content with staying one step ahead of the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, but the next generation wants a modern club and we don’t have that and they know the difference and anyone who thinks that generation will sit around whist Michael Nicholson carves himself out a wee job for life working with the sons of Desmond and Lawwell … that ain’t gonna happen. Renewal is necessary. It’s the right thing … and if it happens the right way everyone involved can leave with dignity and something like gratitude from a lot of the fans.
Otherwise it’s going to be ugly. It shouldn’t have to be. If they can demonstrate that there’s actually some thinking gone into this stuff and that there’s something at the end of it we can all look at and say “well now we know” – we may not like it but it’ll be a step forward either way – then we may just progress.
We’re going backwards right now, and I don’t think they know how to change that.
An Dún
Is Nicholson following the old adage of being thought of as a fool rather than confirming it ?
Bang on.
I’ve been saying for weeks that this guy should be forced in front of the cameras.
But, he refuses to engage with fans- refuses (unlike Lawwell) and hides in nis bunker wallowing in his bonuses.
In recent years, 7 out of 9 catastrophic failures, to qualify for the CL, against teams with a fraction of our budget
But, Lawwell and now Nicholson survive and prosper. Outrageous!
We’re amateur from development up. We can’t even keep our best young talent which should be at the top of the priorities as we cannot compete with the top five leagues. I see another one goes today.
RC on 27th August 2025 11:43 am
agree re KT , who sanctioned that move, hasn’t work for us so far big disappointment , but not to worry he is fit to play for his country
——————————–
Jesus Christ give KT a break. It’s 2 CL, 1 LC and 3 League games into the season in a team that are playing shit and some have written him off already. He set up Nygren goal at Pittodrie, put in a good few crosses v St Mirren and is still finding feet in team.
Give him a chance to get more games under his belt and then we can make a better judgement on the merits or otherwise of his transfer.
“They (the Board) have created a climate of toxicity. They are 100% responsible for it”.
Andrew H Smith
We are scunnered supporters faithful through and through,
Champions league failure shouldn’t surprise CQN readers ‘Brendan bad’ , warning signs have been published here periodically since he returned over two years ago. We must sign development players almost became a war cry, as they jet in via YouTube.
‘The Invisibles’ seem to have already decided on three years, and you’re emptied, doesn’t matter now getting gubbed in the Europa Group will have to do, trudging back along the Gallowgate in November.’ Suddenly’ ahem overnight we have the squad for it at least. Supporters save a few pounds, EL packages in 30,000 inbox’s – tout suite. what use another £40M CL money when it’s only going to be a line on a spreadsheet and for somebody to gape at ,and scratch their head.
Some neck expecting BR to carry on regardless, no doubt he will this time, he’s no option. What power the invisible men wield, where they can decide what players the Celtic manager gets via the recruitment team and the players he doesn’t? Does it work like this at other big clubs, or one as solvent as Celtic?
Of course, now with the club nudged to the edge of a cliff, it could unravel much more quickly and fall over. Given they seem to know everything about anything, including football expertise, maybe they thought that the ‘club signings’ would be fine and dandy for the Europa and IBrokes?
Lucky Brendan, could yet leave Celtic unbeaten in a title race, meantime he should just consider himself blessed to have worked with such modern ambitious men of reverie. Ironic, that TV pundit countryman MON came and went out from the same slow lane, all those years ago when Paul67 decided to start a Celtic Blog.
There’s a common denominator in Celtic’s regular CL qualification failure, see if the supporters spot what it is.
Omnia Perturbāta Europa Specialis CSC
Apols RC, have re-read your post and picked up on the “thus far”, but, that aside, I do think many are rushing to condemn the signing before he has had a chance.
I’m reliably informed that a recruitment department could be financed on Lawell’s last pay cheque alone.
No structure, no clue at boardroom how a modern club is run.
Idah and Engels transfers could have paid for six or so decent dignon
So Nygren is equivalent to Kuhn?
“Nygren is shit”.
Harry Brady
It sure is a Brendan out post as per.
Apparently all the executive have got wrong is poor communication – hilarious………so if they had told us to feck off were not investing in team that would have been OK – you couldn’t make it up.
Dear Paul the reason we struggled to break them down is in my view simple – we do not have enough players with the extra bit if skill and vision required. We did have but we sold two of them without replacement and one is a long term injury which again we took no steps to replace even on a temp loan basis. In these types of games against these type of tactics you need game changers and difference makers and we didn’t have them.
Attitude? You could taste the apathy in the stadium last week and you could see it last night – the team looked a little lost a little demotivated and my view is that many of them are as scunnered as most fans are that their employer has not invested (despite being loaded) in improving their prospects and bringing in team mates to help shoulder the workload.
If you cannot see the absolute folly of failing to replace loses never mind invest in positive outcomes you have lost the room and cannot be trusted to provide a balanced view and that is a shame.
Your bestie B78 regularly asks us, regular Celtic fans, to provide details of the players we should buy and provide scouting reports etc as to why they would come to us so let me turn that on you. Who would you have benched to play Engels, Idah and Bernardo last night? Last season Engels, Idah and Trusty all contributed significantly to our best CL campaign for decades – how have they become so bad since then or is it a helpful stick with which to beat your pantomime villain?
Honestly the lack of balance is ruining this site – very sad.
The omission of Kyogo is tellingly selective. Why no say Yamada is the replacement for Kyogo? Because he is.
Just back from the Ticket Office, cancelled Home Ticket Cup Scheme and Europa League tickets,and I’ve been in it since it started,I will buy tickets as and when,instead of blindly giving this Club money,while these clowns and parasites are running it,only a small gesture I know…….
But they won’t get my Season Ticket, which I have had for the last 40 seasons, hopefully I will still be going to Celtic Park, long after these conmen have moved on
There is a solution to this. Well actually there are two, but one requires a billionaire so let’s leave that one aside.
We need to get in better players to improve in Europe, but the higher quality will take us too far ahead domestically and damage the old firm. Why not give half of our money to our dear friends across the city, then we can improve but without pulling too far ahead of them?
Signings oops.
Brendan is the best paid manager in our history…. elite wages for sub std management.
A shit storm on every conceivable metric.
If Ange was in charge we’d have got through that tie no bother. We’d have overwhelmed Kairat with quick movement. As it is, we had to suffer the usual sluggish side to side garbage, the designated thrower nonsense every time we got a throw in, which allows the opposition to mark, corners where nobody actually attacks the ball.
Our season will be like this from now on unless Rodgers completely changes how he attacks a low block. He won’t tho.
https://x.com/williemaleycsc/status/1960452706696618405?s=48&t=pLERKYVBy2vfK2Cym_B3Tw
Pot 2
Forget about a coherent Communication & Engagement Strategy for a sec.
Basic top-down one-way comms is a dawdle.
And it doesn’t happen.
Why?
Nobody is writing KT off, but until he plays 90mins consistently we need a competent replacement.
This scinerio was envisaged
HH.
We’re not in it together, we never were.
We’re their marks.
Believe it.
“They (the Board) have created a climate of toxicity. They are 100% responsible for it”.
Andrew H Smith
Aka “Ernie Lynch” on cqn….ah bless
HH