Celtic’s boardroom malaise reaches through to strangle the playing staff

After 99 tiresome minutes the Celtic team was booed off the pitch following a 0-0 draw at home to St Johnstone.

When they went around the stadium at the final whistle there was barely a few hundred fans left to recognise the efforts of the players with Brendan Rodgers tagging along at the back.

Just like last week at Kilmarnock there was barely a threat from the hoops, this time they forced 19 corners that hardly troubled the Saint Johnstone defence with their time-wasting keeper picking most crosses out of the air unchallenged.

The last two matches have been painful, with the same group of players and ‘tactics’ Celtic head to Ibrox with the home side knowing that a win sends them into the international break ahead of the champions.

Since springtime there has been a malaise through the squad, a home draw with Motherwell in the league was the first sign that standards were slipping, that things weren’t quite right.

A Hampden victory in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup set up the treble with the side and the management team switching off.

Four months on the repercussions are starting to be felt. When run of the mill dross like Kilmarnock and St Johnstone can cancel out your attacking threat there is something badly wrong.

Like last week at Kilmarnock Celtic could have played all day without scoring. Today rookie Saints boss Steven MacLean gave three players their debut, in St Johnstone’s three previous matches they had lost to Ross County, Hearts and at home to Stirling Albion.

Concentrating on the project market and the almighty Balance Sheet during the transfer window has had grim consequences on the pitch, the part of the business that actually matters.

At their peak in the first three months of the year Jota and Aaron Mooy were match-winners, without them and one injury to Reo Hatate later there is no creativity, no imagination and no cutting edge.

Rodgers held extensive talks before agreeing to return as manager, between the lines having the opportunity to push higher in Europe was the carrot as well as picking up on his domestic domination.

The returning manager has praised the club’s new look recruitment process, is happy to coach the players delivered to the training ground and is now fully integrated and aligned.

Last time around, in season 2018/19 there were clear difference between the management team and the suits, the inevitable happened in February.

With five days left in the transfer window Rodgers needs to be thrown a few double-sixes by Mark Lawwell’s Recruitment Team. Statements to the Stock Market don’t find ways through defences like Kilmarnock and St Johnstone.

Rodgers first miracle has to happen at Ibrox on Sunday- using today’s players or hoping for an incredible debut or two. If things don’t go well it is on the manager.

On Thursday Celtic go into the draw for the Champions League group stage, the club would be well advised to take it low key as they ask Season Ticket holders to donate another £120 plus to this season’s turnover.

When you can’t get past St Johnstone or Kilmarnock the prospect of trying to stop Manchester City, Bayern Munich or PSG isn’t one to look forward to mever mind run of the mill clubs like Napoli, Borussia Dortmund or Athletico Madrid.