If there is one thing that Celtic are world class at it is failing to read the room.
At the AGM last week Peter Lawwell told the audience that the club was admired across Europe and elsewhere with many aspects regarded as world class.
Those areas weren’t specified but it is unlikely to include supporter relations, scouting, player development, the Academy or matchday experience.
European clubs certainly enjoy a visit, whether it is Malmo or Maribor through to Real Madrid or Barcelona a trip to Glasgow is a guaranteed result with the long serving former CEO overseeing a steady downsizing in expectations.
In typical fashion the club’s in-house media department decided to share a podcast with Neil Lennon first thing on Monday morning.
The content is actually decent and entertaining, some tales about Lubo Moravcik and a look inside the Martin O’Neill years makes for a decent listen but timing is everything.
Early on the podcast centres in on winning home and away against Lazio is 2019- not quite the in-house build up that Brendan Rodgers requires as he tries to put together a side that will be missing Reo Hatate, Liel Abada, Daizen Maeda and Luis Palma, tomorrow’s bench is likely to offer very little options.
Over the last week Celtic fans have been served up a menu of slapstick jokes from the club executives about the double standards of Scottish referees, the manager having unswerving faith in the former CEO’s son leading recruitment and an eye-bleeding draw at home to Motherwell.
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Make sure you catch this episode of the Official #CelticFCPodcast 🎙️
🇮🇹 Inside story on Lazio win
💚 ‘Special’ Celtic fans
🇪🇺 Iconic European memories
😂 Hilarious stories
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— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 27, 2023
Seeing Lawwell back centre-stage at the AGM is a throwback to the disastrous 20/21 campaign that included Ajeti, Barkas, Bolingoli, Laxalt, Dubai and numerous other outright disasters completed behind closed doors.
Lennon fronted that up, repeatedly telling the media how bitterly disappointed he was while hanging on for a pay out rather than earning a scrap of respect from resigning.
Backed all the way by Lawwell, a Managerial Review was ordered in December, in February it concluded that Lennon was the best man to manage the club, before the month was out he got his pay off following a second defeat of the season to Ross County.
At the AGM Rodgers laid out an expectation of quality additions in January alongside trimming the squad.
If that doesn’t happen the shadow of Lennon remains in the sidelines, he knows the club and the city, most importantly he knows the Chairman very very well.
It’s Monday morning and my weeks already ruined
— ジェームズ ⚡️ (@MaedaMealOfThat) November 27, 2023
Read the room lads 😂
— H (@sayr88celt) November 27, 2023
Think the club need to be concentrating on getting good results and the January transfer before all this.
Putting this out Monday morning after a terrible result Saturday is so disrespectful to all the fans who keeps this club going 🍀
— celtic jaime 🍀 (@jaimelawson08) November 27, 2023
Could celtic be any more out of touch with their fans?
— cowabunga1.2 (@2Cowabunga1) November 27, 2023
Wouldn’t surprise me if the board are lining him up to be a future manager again to save money. Please leave our club and put people in charge who will use all profits to put the best quality players on the pitch instead of cheaper hopefuls.
— Tim Alloy (@steelyhoops) November 27, 2023
Well on the plus side, you didn’t interview him in the shower.
— Liam Reid (@ltreidy67) November 27, 2023
Trying to soften the blow for when he is appointed caretaker manager again when BR takes over at a midtable PL side.
— FPL Regret 🍋 🏴 (@FplRegret) November 27, 2023
This is how far away the folk that work within Celtic are from the support, get this in the bin 🗑
— Robbie (@rw47cfc) November 27, 2023
Good reaction so far Celtic x
— Georgios Stepharas (@chibchenko) November 27, 2023
I’d rather hammer a rusty nail through my nutsac
— 𝒞𝒶𝓇*𝒹 𝒷𝒽𝑜𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝒟𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃 (@Gee__7__) November 27, 2023
no even 10 on a monday morning and the weeks ruined cheers celtic
— JS🇵🇸 (@_JS1967) November 27, 2023