With three losses in a week and the manager publicly stating he would consider his own future, you would have been forgiven for thinking the club should be communicating with the fans directly. However again we heard nothing from the Celtic hierarchy all throughout the international break until they decided to hastily condemn the protest against Dermot Desmond at St Andrew’s earlier that day. We don’t know who wrote or confirmed the statement but it seemed to have the same tone as the one released a year ago when Brendan Rodgers left the football club.
We hear nothing from the club after exiting the Champions League. Nothing from the club after a terrible week of three big losses in a row. Yet the club quickly releases late night waffle about a peaceful protest against the majority shareholder of the club.
We seem to find ourselves back to the same position as last season. With another difficult AGM on the horizon it looks like we are in for another year of division and conflict which won’t help the manager turn things around on the pitch. In terms of football, things are looking rather dire. Four big games this season and Celtic have lost all four. Not only lost them but they’ve looked miles off it, especially in the middle of the park. We are all now hoping that the likes of Jota and Johnston returning will give us a lift the way that Maeda and Engels did during the run in last season. It’s hard to see how things improve after another underwhelming window. Players look like they don’t know what they are supposed to be doing and that’s concerning.
For the club to start building confidence again we need unity in the stands. It’s hard to see where that comes from with the current leadership team still in place. Unless they change the way they conduct themselves with the fans. It’s surely time for some fresh investment and ideas. Personally, I don’t mind Desmond keeping his shares at the club if he takes a backseat and Celtic begins to run properly as the PLC it was designed to be. The club is owned by no one individual and it’s time the board got back to basics with that reality. A management structure needs to be put in place that is capable of being trusted to run the club to our maximum potential.
A lot of Celtic’s problems come down to a lack of communication in my opinion. They say nothing when they should speak up and they release crazy statements when it’s time for calm. The fans want to know that the club are doing everything to be the very best football club they can be. That’s all. They want to know their concerns are being heard and worked on. Instead they give the impression that they feel they don’t need to keep the fans updated at all, except when season books are due to be renewed of course. The Celtic fans are the lifeblood of this football club. Not the people being protected by late night statements. By releasing that statement on Saturday they made it perfectly clear who the club is currently set up to serve, and it isn’t the Celtic support. Ultimately, the club is not serving the people who put the money in. It’s time for some real accountability and humility at the football club. Tell the fans what the future plans for the club are and they’ll decide whether it’s up to scratch.
My gut feeling is the club keeps quiet on matters because they know the fanbase won’t like the answers. There is no exciting long term vision for the football club. Only more of the same. As a football club we are at a crossroads. It’s time for the club to take responsibility and show some humility. Or we might be facing real turmoil before major changes are forced one way or another for the good of the club. Let’s hope that those currently in power wake up to their obligation and remember who they are working on behalf of. The Celtic support. The fans deserve better Celtic. Time for a complete rethink of how you engage with the fanbase moving forward.
