Incompetence or sabotage? The question Celtic can’t escape from

After another horrific transfer window Celtic fans are left with two thoughts. Is it incompetence of sabotage?

To be fair there are strong cases for each conclusion.

The squad of December 2024 was miles superior to the current one.

Back then the club had an elite manager in his prime half way through his contract. Today they are entirely reliant on a manager approaching his 74th birthday, back for a second stint as manager- 12 years on from his last full season in club management.

CELTIC- A HOLOGRAM CEO AND LACK OF LEADERSHIP

All the while the CEO remains in hiding. Last seen wondering the streets of Bologna after a boozy night out when he should have been working on transfer business.

There is a legitimate case for claiming that the current season is worse than 20/21.

Back then a global pandemic sent Celtic into meltdown. Other clubs were similarly effected but none as badly as Celtic.

No other club didn’t notice when one of their players took an overnight trip to Spain and returned to training as if nothing had happened.

No other club opted to go on a week long jolly to Dubai while more severe lockdown restrictions were imposed.

For good measure Celtic delayed rescheduling a postponed match to allow the manager to work his magic in Dubai. When the party flew home the manager, assistant manager and 15 players were forced to isolate, missing two SPFL matches.

The current season has many parallels to season 20/21. The same Non Executive Directors are applying checks and balances to ensure best practice is in place.

Clearly the current demise started with the decision not to replace Kyogo in January 2025.

After finishing in 21st place in the 2024/25 Champions League with 12 points this season Celtic finished in the same position in the 25/26 Europa League with 11 points.

Failure to reach the Champions League meant a direct drop of around £25m from UEFA. Ticket money is significantly down, there is unlikely to be a Nicolas Kuhn or Adam Idah type sale in the summer.

Playing in UEFA’s secondary competition does nothing for the value of players.

None of the Celtic Non Executive Directors have raised concerns about the downturn in every area of the club.

CELTIC FANS COLLECTIVE

Having milked the fans for years with a mix of contempt and platitudes the sticky stuff has stuck on the fans.

Enough was enough. The Celtic Fans Collective was formed. Not Another Penny has sent every income graph downwards.

Under CEO Nicholson there has been no attempt to communicate with fans. To take on board or answer concerns. To get the relationship back on track.

Nicholson shrugged his shoulders at a meeting on October 6 when he was asked what the manager meant when he referred to club signings.

The box ticking exercise which is the ‘quarterly fans forum’ hasn’t met since May 2025.

In November the Chairman aborted the AGM after less than an hour. It hasn’t been rescheduled. The written questions sent in in advance of the AGM remain unanswered.

Nicholson thinks that he can ride this out. Just as his mentor did whenever troubles cropped up.

The Celtic support of 2026 is more better informed that ever. They know the reasons why Qarabag, Club Brugge and Bodo Glimt are playing Champions League matches this month.

Every aspect of the club is being dissected by those pesky Internet Bampots.

No longer can you bump a transfer tale off to pals at the Record or Daily Mail to distract the anti-establishment fans from multiple corporate failings.

Whether the answer is incompetence or sabotage there is only one conclusion. The club executives need wiped out.

If Nicholson doesn’t yet realise it the reaction to the Season Ticket Renewal campaign to the #celticfamily will come as a shock.

The clock is ticking away for the second worst CEO is Celtic’s history.

Only the timing of his undignified departure remains to be decided.