The chickens well and truly came home to roost for Peter Lawwell last night.
The Celtic Chief Executive likes to swan around Europe talking the club up among the power-brokers of the game, focusing on those magical European nights which now take place under his Disco Lights. One home victory in the group stage of the Champions League in the last six years means that memories of the glory nights are starting to fade.
UEFA politics was apparently pushing giant clubs like Celtic on to the periphery but unfortunately Ajax debunked that theory last season.
The Dutch upstarts had been in the same bunker as Celtic as they were squeezed to the margins when suddenly they got competitive against Bayern Munich, knocked out Juventus and Real Madrid are were within two minutes of reaching the Champions League Final.
In contrast Celtic lost out in the third qualifying round with only a stunning Balance Sheet to cheer fans up through the winter months that saw Moussa Dembele sold off towards the end of the transfer window with no sign of even a token replacement.
Despite the warning signs a year ago it seems no lessons were learned. No new signings played during the the three pre-season friendlies in Austria and Switzerland, Neil Lennon tried to introduce a new defence during the critical Champions League qualifiers then benched them last night.
For six weeks negotiations continued to sell Kieran Tierney, as soon as it was completed the club pointed the finger at the player then boasted about bringing in a record transfer fee.
Leadership is badly required, we’ll see over the coming days if the highly remunerated Chief Executive shows face or opts for deflection from the nerve centre of the club.
We appoint a cheap option manager, chase our better players out the door, replace them with unproven cheap ones, then lose a #ChampionsLeague qualifier … all while having tens of millions in the bank… did I pass out and wake up in 2014? #CELCLU #CelticFC #LawwellOut
— Karen Thornton (@thenamewehave) August 13, 2019
No excuse. Millions in the bank, known Tierney’s been leaving for months but no new left back. Backward step with the manager as well #lawwellout
— Tony (@tonynoir) August 13, 2019
There is not a soul alive that can convince me johnston and morgan should be ahead of sinclair. Johnston has potential but lack a mental fortitude when things are against us. To me it seems once again we want the cheap option forcing the big wages out the door. #lawwellout
— Stevie (@StephenGordon32) August 13, 2019
Aye, but we’ve won the balance sheet trophy. Yaaaaaaas.#lawwellout
— Karen Thornton (@thenamewehave) August 13, 2019
@CelticFC Until Lawwell is shown the door Never will I part with a ha penny on Celtic nothing nada zilch. i’d rather spend elsewhere than have that fat wage thief who never has done anything to warrant his job. other than see Rangers go bust. #LawwellOut #WageThief
— David F (@David_Lilley15) August 13, 2019
Another victory for lawwell & the boards Balance Sheet Bhoys. #lawwellout #celtic #celticfc #celticfamily
— @CelticBhoy1888 (@Celt_Bhoy1888) August 13, 2019
“Our priority in every window is to come out stronger than we go in, and improve”. How is that priority coming along #lawwellout
— Kenny (@Kenco5088) August 13, 2019
It’s the board’s fault because they penny pinch, it’s the board’s fault that Lennon is there to make bizarre team and tactical choices, because they penny pinch.#lawwellout
— paul moody (@swordofreason) August 13, 2019
Lawwell juggling as per usual and eejit think oh let’s keep it in the bank. How about run the club as a football club as in players on the park and players the manager wants. It was an exciting game with some great play. #LawwellOut
— TheMayanCSC2012 (@BridgeNowhere) August 13, 2019