Koppen: A Controversial Promotion at Ibrox Club

Imagine the backlash if Celtic had extended Mark Lawwell’s role as Head of Recruitment to become Technical Director, covering every aspect of the club from Academy prospects upwards. See Nils Koppen!

This morning the Ibrox club announced that the guy that had blown £20m in fees and significant wages on Fabio Silva, Mohammed Diomande, Robin Propper, Connor Barron, Jefte, Hamza Igamane, Nedim Bajrami and Oscar Cortes had been promoted to an expanded role, cementing the Belgian Connection that most fans are screaming to get rid of.

The mistakes of Lawwell Mini are already the stuff of legend with the summer 2023 recruitment of Marco Tilio, Yang Hyun-Jun, Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Maik Nawrocki, Gus Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm and Luis Palma contributing virtually nothing beyond hugely expanding the wage bill. That came on top of Sead Haksabanovic, Alexandro Bernabei and Ben Siegrist who were all swiftly dismissed by Brendan Rodgers.

With the squad that Celtic had backed by a genuine elite level manager they were able to overcome the recruitment of Lawwell Mini while still winning the SPFL Premiership title.

Across the city a manager whose sanity has been in question since he announced a 3-3 draw as a moral victory has been trying to conjure up a title challenge from the misfits brought in by Koppen who arrived at Ibrox after five years in the shadows at PSV Eindhoven. Jan Veneffor of Hesselink quickly got over the loss.

With a goalscorer the obvious priority in January Koppen brought in Fabio Silva on loan and committed £4m to the summer signing of Mohamed Diomande from Nordsjaelland, the same price that Celtic spent acquiring Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.

Koppen as Head of Recruitment has only added one striker to Clement’s squad over the two transfer windows that he has masterminded, even at that it is a push to describe Igamane as a striker.

Reacting to Koppen’s promotion, Kris Boyd told The Sun:

I don’t know where to start. Who made the decision? There’s no CEO. I just don’t know – who’s making the decisions? There’s nobody above him.

Why would you give someone a promotion when you don’t have someone above them?

What happens if you appoint a CEO and there are problems with Koppen and the CEO? I’m not saying that’ll happen, but what if it does?”

They are important (bringing through more academy players and Scottish players). The other thing he touched on as well was getting more ex-players involved as well.

I’ve got to be honest, I just feel as if it’s what the fans are saying. I just feel it’s what the fans are saying and it seems the right thing to say for Koppen.

You only need to look on social media, this is not an appointment the fans are enamoured with. They’re not looking at it saying ‘we’re absolutely delighted.

You’ve got to earn the right to that promotion. There’s nothing to suggest that Nils Koppen has earned this.

For a change Boyd makes some valid points. The fear of Celtic #goingfor56 in August is one that haunts the former Kilmarnock striker.

Should the Ibrox Tribute Act get round to appointing a CEO that person will be in handcuffs, forced to work with Clement and Koppen, much like Craig Whyte inherited the Ally McCoist contract.

Throughout this year Koppen has toiled to grasp recruitment issues with £10m in fees and long term contracts committed on Diomande, Cortes and Bajrami.

Now he has to take on responsibility for the Academy, medical and conditioning plus a dozen other matters at a club where nothing functions normally. A year ago as a PSV Eindhoven scout life was far less complicated.

From Saturday’s visit by Dundee United there is four months of unrelenting fixtures for the squad assembled by Koppen and Clement.

The newly promoted Ibrox dream-team will be under more scrutiny than they’ve ever known with only the terms of their long term contracts to protect them from the angry bears who are accustomed to how this movie ends.