It is very evident that there are two managerial candidates that interest Dermot Desmond.
Not the CEO but an elderly golfer, a Non Executive Director since 1995. Someone that didn’t attend a Celtic match between December 11 and May 10. Desmond left the Roma match after 72 minutes.
Desmond is no longer the smoothie with access to anyone in football through his friends with ownership of Manchester United.
The last attempted newspaper interview saw the phone call ended when the journalist was unable to name the number of trophies won by Celtic since Desmond first invested in 1995.
It would be interesting to find out how many current EPL managers that Desmond could name. After reaching Keith Andrews at Brentford the Irish businessman may start to struggle.
Yet this is the man leading Celtic’s negotiations for a new manager and apparently a new modern set up and approach. Jobs for everyone from Broony to Fozzie as they are shoe horned into place.
THE CELTIC FANS BACKLASH TO KEANE RUNS DEEPER THAN APPOINTING A MANAGER
Reports from credible sources point to Robbie Keane or Martin O’Neill. Craig Bellamy is reported as a distant option.
Although aloof and detached Keane will be well aware that there is a very large percentage of the Celtic support hostile to his possible appointment. Some of football grounds, many on morals and ethics.
O’Neill has been mucked around again. Dumped in December for Wilfried Nancy. He returned 33 days later then had a job-lot of misfits presented to him in the January transfer window.
There is a world where Keane could say ‘no thanks, I don’t need the hassle and hostility’. And where O’Neill thinks that he has been undervalued and undermined. He might opt to return to the media world with an enhanced reputation.
Then what for Celtic?
Ange Postecoglou wasn’t fussed that Celtic had publicly courted then been rejected by Eddie Howe.
There aren’t many Ange’s out there in the managerial market.
Friday will mark five months since Nancy and Paul Tisdale were sacked.
This weekend Celtic could be back to square one if O’Neill and Keane decide that it’s not in their best interests to manage such a dysfunctional club.
WHAT NEXT IF KEANE AND O’NEILL DECIDE THEY DON’T NEED THE HASSLE
One where the CEO plays no role in your appointment. Where the guy that did appoint you prefers golf courses to watching the team in action.
Where Desmond sends his son over to slaughter fans at the AGM. Soon after trying to trash the character of the most successful manager this century. The guy that delivered 11 trophies out of 13 and12 Champions League points in one season before his first choice striker was sold off with no replacement lined up.
And where 10 minutes after the club announces the resignation of a highly successful manager his reputation is trashed by Desmond. The guy negotiating to appoint the next manager.
Celtic are staring at exactly that scenario.
One of their own creation. Clapping themselves on the back for paying record figures to HMRC while starving the club of investment.
Relying on huge characters in the dug out to cover up the failings in every area of the club. The club that aspires to be world class in everything that it does.
Michael Nicholson uttered those words in June 2023. He was too afraid to show face when Nancy was presented to a media back that was already scenting a complete dud in charge of Celtic. In the dug out as well as the CEO office.
CELTIC- THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF LEADERSHIP
Footballers like to talk directly to a manager before committing to a transfer.
Signing after talks with a Director of Football or Head of Recruitment isn’t a wise course of action.
Whoever is to manage Celtic will want to speak to the ultimate decision maker.
Is that Nicholson or Desmond.
One is utterly anonymous, the other is barely interested, it is almost 20 years since he attended an AGM. Six to 10 matches a season maximum. Attending the midweek home match in October wasn’t in Desmond’s autumn plans. There were two matches played around the Dunhill Cup schedule. Desmond didn’t bother making the journey from St Andrews to watch.
Two weeks have been wasted since the Scottish Cup has been won. The squad hasn’t been added to, the new season is less than two months away.
Last season losing to Kairat Almaty created an incredible backlash from supporters.
The events that followed are hard to summarise. But Rodgers, Desmond, Fans Collective, Nicholson, Mark Hargreaves and O’Neill were all central.
Advertising that you are unable to appoint an obvious choice manager would be a horrendous look for the club.
The longer the current set up continues the more desperate the search for a manager becomes. The more desperate candidates emerge.
Celtic fans are critically watching every development. Even O’Neill might be unable to dig the board out of the next crater that they are creating.
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1 Comment
by Stevie Bhoy
What a f**kin joke of a club we are. Not the club. Not our club. The fu**in idiots who are running our club into the ground. Whether by fault or design. F**kin amateur bowling club springs to mind