Michael Nicholson can’t escape scrutiny forever. The hopeless Celtic CEO already has the names of Mark Lawwell, Paul Tisdale and Wilfried Nancy dominating his CV.
For four and a half years Nicholson has avoided responsibility.
Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers delivered success on the park. During times of trouble Peter Lawwell was the main target for angry supporters. Nicholson has lurched in the shadows, doing nothing visible which draining £17,000 a month out of the club.
CELTIC- A CLUB LIKE ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER
It is highly likely that Nicholson has only a marginal role in appointing Lawwell Mini, Tisdale and Nancy. But as CEO they were on his watch.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost. The double whammy of Tisdale and Nancy can’t be avoided.
Nicholson might look towards Dermot Desmond as the driving force in those decisions but that won’t wash.
The Celtic CEO isn’t the brightest but he knows that he can’t blame a billionaire for his own failings. There are consequences that come with his bloated salary.
So this windows excuse will be the sacking of Paul Tisdale when the real question should be who hired him, what qualified him for the job & who is being fired over their gross negligence
They decided in summer they weren’t going to compete financially with Bloom & Cavanagh pic.twitter.com/tXz6h0WKum
— Robbie (@Robbie_Bhoy1888) January 14, 2026
Who hired him? Technically Nicholson.
What qualified him for the job? Car salesman patter, cheap analytics and big promises.
Who is being fired over their gross negligence? It is easier to sack a useless CEO than buy out a 34.5% shareholder.
13 minutes 15 seconds
NICHOLSON AND HIS 2025 AGM SPEECH
It has been more challenging, but we go into it with the same ambition. We want to be the best we can be.
Going into the summer, we had clear objectives. We wanted to qualify for the Champions League and we wanted to improve the team. We were all bitterly disappointed not to qualify and although we achieved some of our objectives in the window, we didn’t achieve all of them.
We’ve made some mistakes along the way. We’re not happy with where we are. It’s not where we want to be but we understand the frustrations and anger because we share them and we accept the responsibility for that.
After lucking out for his first few years Nicholson’s laziness and lack of ability caught up with him during 2025. It was self inflicted.
His desire to undermine Brendan Rodgers overtook everything.
THE UNMANAGED DECLINE
During the 2018/19 season Lawwell pulled of a managed decline, Nicholson hasn’t had the same luck.
His determination to sell Kyogo Furuhashi was the turning point.
There were signs in the month before that transfer that Celtic needed strengthened and refreshed. Nicholson did the opposite.
From the highs of a 3-2 aggregate defeat from Bayern Munich the CEO has taken Celtic to six points behind Hearts in the SPFL Premiership.
That decline would warrant a sacking at most clubs, doing it with £77m sitting in the bank after paying £11.5m in Corporation Tax is beyond negligent.
The sheer force of personality from Postecoglu and Rodgers covered a multitude of sins.
Effectively Celtic have no structure or strategy. Caused by having no football person in the boardroom.
Instead it is populated by accountants, lawyers and one politician.
No one thought through the consequences of undermining Rodgers. Nicholson thought that it would only impact on European performances. It hasn’t. Under pressure Celtic have buckled domestically.
Led a merry dance by Tisdale, the club CEO spoke twice to Celtic TV about the brilliance of Nancy and his complete faith in the Frenchman.
Ten days after Nancy and Tisdale were sacked Nicholson is screwing up the transfer window for the interim manager.
TIME UP FOR SILENT MIKE
Most folk in those circumstances would be working flat out to help O’Neill which would help cover up the failings of the CEO. Not Nicholson.
Halfway through the transfer window and Celtic have signed a full-back on loan.
The media is awash with speculation over all sorts of project signings and punts.
Nicholson needs to roll a double six before Celtic face Hearts on January 25.
In the unlikely event that the hoops maintain their hold on the title Nicholson should be sacked the following day to ensure that the club is never at the mercy of a Del Boy figure like Tisdale ever again.
