Celtic paid the price for the laziness of Michael Nicholson as they lost 3-2 at home today in the Glasgow Derby.

Brendan Rodgers and the players take a large share of the blame but the tone is set at the top of the club. From the moment that the final whistle blew against YB Bern on January 22 the club has been on the beach, season over and congratulating each other and calculating the bonuses for success.

The players had barely reached the dressing room after the match when credible reports emerged from France that Kyogo Furuhashi was on his way to join Rennes, all of the details had been agreed between the two clubs and the player.

What a message, what a risk to take with Kyogo the first choice striker for a pivotal Champions League tie, as he had been all season.

Rather than strengthening the first team squad Nicholson was cashing in, selling off assets. No doubt with the full support of the Chairman, the Board and the Non-Executive Director with the largest individual shareholding in the club.

A place in the Champions League Play Offs had been secured, there was a double digit lead in the SPFL with the League Cup already secured.

Rather than kick-on from that position Nicholson showed the same attitude as his mentor by effectively shutting up shop, cashing in the chips and getting out while ahead.

Kyogo was sold, two of Mark Lawwell’s disastrous summer 2023 signings were sent out on loan as was Stephen Welsh while Dane Murray was recalled from Queens Park to stew on the sidelines. Alexandro Bernabei was sold for a modest profit having fallen well short on expectations.

Incoming Celtic picked up Jota from the discussions with Rennes, a back up left back well into his thirties was secured with a pre-contract deal to sign Kieran Tierney completed.

During 2024 Celtic lost two competitive matches. In mid-March 2025 they have lost five, three in the SPFL and twice in the Champions League.

Complacency is the biggest fear of genuine football people. It has to be guarded against at all cost, when it sets in it is a virus that destroys all of the good work previously carried out.

Complacency is alive and well inside Celtic, it is thriving. The SPFL title is assured, the Scottish Cup looks likely but recent form has been patchy culminating in today’s defeat to a team managed by Barry Ferguson.

The sale of Kyogo and failure to sign an equivalent striker fell short of the manager’s expectations. Since then two SPFL matches have been lost, the performances, even while scoring five goals against Aberdeen and St Mirren raised concerns if your expectations are set slightly higher than the domestic backwater.

Players know about complacency. They know what went on with Kyogo, the real reasons that he was sold. Their agents have been given plenty of notice to work on summer moves, Celtic are likely to decline to a place where they are more comfortable. Edging things in Scotland while telling themselves that progress in Europe is a step too far, it involves some hard work and requires more than accountants and lawyers.

Any pretence of building a club competitive in Europe has been binned, this season is the high water mark. Followed by attempts to sell off as many players as they can get away with.

Retain enough to stay just ahead of their O** F*** rivals, the club that lost to Queens Park in the Scottish Cup and looking to cut 25-30% off their wage bill.

It is a risky ‘policy’ but one that Rodgers is familiar with.

When you switch from John McGinn to Youssuf Mulumbu it sends out a signal. Following that up by signing Emilio Izaguirre, Oli Burke, Marian Shved, Vako Bayo and Jeremy Toljan tells a story.

Season 2018/19 was very successful for the CEO who was rewarded with payments of £3,549,026 on a turnover of £83.4m.

Eliminating complacency when the same central figures remain in place is almost impossible, when the summer transfer window opens we will see clearly the lie of the land.

Thursday nights in the Europa League and a nip and tuck race for the SPFL Premiership title will certainly carry a lot of appeal for the Board of Directors that promoted the utterly underwhelming Nicholson into his current role.

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Bitter Boyd books holiday to miss Sky Sports celebrating Celtic’s 55 title celebration

Kris Boyd has booked the weekend of April 5 and 6 off from Sky Sports.

The fun loving Sky Sports pundit fears that will be when Celtic will again be crowned as SPFL Premiership champions.

Winning their next three matches will ensure a title party, win their next two and Barry Ferguson’s side will have to win at Dundee and at home to Hibs to delay the inevitable.

To the outside, sane world it will be just another title for Celtic but for folk like Boyd this one carries extra significance/misery.

Since 2012 the lies got bigger. Already this season The World’s Most Successful Club myth has been dismantled, less than six months after that blow the number 55 will be getting used much less frequently.

From their arrival in the SPFL Premiership for the 2015/16 season the Tribute Act were banging on about 55, a number of no significance anywhere in the sporting world.

50 is a landmark, 60 less so, 10 is notable but 55? No one cared or cares but if that lot want to make a song and dance over 55, if they want to trash Glasgow city centre, if they want to vandalise statues over that number then it is only right to throw it back in their faces with interest. Boyd’s face in particular.

Back in 2016 he was still double dunting, lumbering around the pitch trying to score his second career goal against Celtic while climbing the ladder at Sky Sports.

Explaining a 5-1 defeat at Celtic he clutched at the comfort blanket that if Barrie Mackay had scored it would have been very different.

Celtic fans laughed at Boyd, they’ve been laughing ever since with the exception of the Phantom Season when strange things went on with testing, when bears weren’t allowed in to Ibrox to hurl abuse at Captain Disappointed and the Serial Losers.

That season was the highlight of Boyd’s broadcasting career, the four years since have been one long, never ending nightmare of Celtic successes, there is a better than even money chance that this season will finish up with the hoops celebrating a sixth treble in nine seasons.

30 minutes 20 seconds

Boyd: If they both keep winning (Celtic winning Sunday’s Derby) it will be St Johnstone, I’ve already

Gordon Duncan: Are you taking that weekend off?

Boyd: I’ve already put in for that weekend off. Yeah, 5^th, 6^th of April, do you think that I want to listen to you (turning to Sutton), you might need that cardboard cut out again! Yes, 6^th of April I’m off, I’m off, I’ve already sorted it, I’m off.

Boyd should be in place at Celtic Park on Sunday, probably alongside any two from James McFadden, Stan Petrov and Neil Lennon who all know the buttons to press with their colleague.

After a Derby victory Boyd’s post match meltdown is always a highlight for Celtic fans, no matter how jovial he is in the build up losing at Celtic Park surrounded by gloating Celtic supporters and employees is just too much.

His voice gets higher and higher, the other pundits just need to drop in a comment or two and off he goes into classic Boyd mode demanding a complete turnover of everything at Ibrox, except his wee Monster Munch buddie, Barry.

Sunday’s Derby match is just a warm-up event for Sky Sports but if Celtic win the pain will continue for Boyd, it’ll be 13 days later before they return to action away to Dundee where Billy Dodds can expect a hot reception having voted against a CVA trying to force another of his former clubs into liquidation.

On Monday Boyd will be required by Sky Sports and The Sun for a video interview from his padded cell, the gags are unlikely to be flowing as that dreaded number of 55 comes into sight for Scotland’s Most Successful Club.