Davie Provan has warned Peter Lawwell that his own credibility is on the line if he retains Ronny Deila.
Over the last week the focus of supporters anger has turned increasingly to the Celtic chief executive with Deila unconvincing as he explains set backs to the media.
Lawwell hasn’t commented in public about his manager since Celtic’s AGM but after recent results Provan believes that it’s time for the club to make a big decision.
“Where his loyalty to Deila was once commendable, it’s now farcical,” Provan said about Lawwell in the Scottish Sun.
“The Deila project is crumbling in front of our eyes and Lawwell is an accomplice. If he’s to retain his own credibility, he needs to get the finger out.
“Put it this way, if he allows Deila to come up short again in this autumn’s Champions League qualifiers, he might find himself strung up.
“Changed days for a man who could have fallen into the Clyde and emerged with a salmon not so long ago.
“Lawwell had the Midas touch all right but the days of Neil Lennon’s Bhoys sending Barcelona home empty-handed are long gone.
“Under Deila, Celtic are quickly becoming an irrelevance in Europe and that is the only place to judge the club right now.”
Turning the focus on the boardroom Provan added: “Remember, this board gave up home advantage for a Champions League qualifier in favour of a wedge from Commonwealth Games organisers. Can you see Jock Stein or Martin O’Neill wearing that nonsense?
“At the time, you could see the attraction in Ronny for Lawwell and Dermot Desmond. Here was a guy who’d succeeded at Stromsgodset on a shoestring budget.
“He was cheap, thrilled to get the job and wasn’t going to rock the boat. After the double Champions League failure to Legia Warsaw and Maribor, he asked to be judged on this season’s European results.
“Knocked out of the Champions League by Malmo and consigned to the Europa League, Deila’s team couldn’t win a game in a bang-average section.
“Currently, what should have been a canter to the league title is no longer a given.
“Michael O’Neill is reported to be in the frame should Lawwell call time on Deila. Alan Stubbs is another name which should be in the frame. The status quo is no longer an option.”
