The worst possible Celtic nightmare for Dermot Desmond has just become a reality.
A manager completely out his depth, appointed by a Head of Football Operations who somehow managed to charm the principal shareholder into trusting him.
And not just trust him to make the small decisions at the club that Michael Nicholson still needs permission for.
No, Paul Tisdale has been handed full control over the first team, including hiring a manager and recruiting players.
The results of the Tisdale Takeover are there for all to see.
When this current farce comes to an end is anyone’s guess.
DESMOND DUPED BY TISSERS
Because firing Tisdale and the manager he appointed would involve Dermot Desmond conceding he has made a massive error.
And it will make him look entirely foolish.
As Celtic fans we have discovered to our cost that if there is one thing the thin skinned Irish principle shareholder does not like to do, it is admit he has made a mistake.
And what a horrendous mistake it was.
Somewhere between Kyogo leaving last January and the summer transfer window, the Tisdale takeover was completed.
Brendan Rodgers was offered Shin Yamada to replace Kyogo last January – but he wasn’t convinced the 24-year-old Japanese striker was of the required standard.
At that stage Rodgers was still able to veto such a move.
Fast forward to the summer of 2025 and who should arrive for a Brendan Rodgers training session but the one and only Shin Yamada.
TISDALE TAKEOVER
By that stage Tisdale was calling the shots. And Rodgers was left to deal with the players he was given.
To their credit Rodgers and John Kennedy soldiered on and made a good start to the season under the circumstances.
Rodgers was determined to see out the three years that he hoped would restore his reputation with the support.
Kennedy, as a diehard Celtic fan and well respected coach went along with Rodgers.
But the writing was on the wall from the summer.
The big question is just how on earth Tisdale managed to charm Desmond to the point that he trusted Tisdale more than Rodgers and Kennedy to build a winning Celtic team.
When Rodgers and Kennedy finally gave up, Desmond went on the attack.
He was horrified that a manager who had won every title he had competed for with Celtic would dare to question the wisdom of Tisdale being allowed to call the shots.
THE EXETER CITY NETWORK
Tisdale then hired Wilfried Nancy to implement his footballing vision and we can all see the results. Based on a mutual friend that was Exeter’s youth coach 15 years ago. The outstanding candidate according to spokesman Nicholson.
It truly is astonishing that a club like Celtic is being run entirely on the whim of one man who prefers playing golf to attending Celtic Park.
For Desmond to now fire Nancy would be akin to him admitting he has been played like a fiddle.
And Billionaires don’t like to recognise their own failings.
Nobody else at Celtic Park comes into the equation.
CEO Nicholson has no say in any of this, puppets don’t perform unless their master chooses to operate them.
The board are as powerless as us Celtic fans have been saying for years now.
Desmond gave Tisdale the keys to the kingdom and the self proclaimed Doctor Football signed the players, chased away a winning manager who didn’t share his “vision” and chose his replacement.
LESSER OF TWO EVILS
The nightmare only comes to an end when Desmond’s ego allows him to admit failure.
The transfer window is now open, the first team is falling apart in front of our eyes and the supporters can see it all as clear as day.
Desmond, Tisdale and Nicholson don’t communicate with us fans. We’re just left to deal with whatever they serve up to us.
Dermot Desmond can stick his head in the sand and leave his puppets in the padded seats to take the flack on his behalf.
Or he can sack Nancy, and in so doing make Nicholson and Tisdale’s positions untenable.
Either way Celtic’s principle shareholder is going to be made to look extremely foolish.
And the structure of the club is going to shown for the utter shambles that it is.
