Kris Commons has put the blame for Celtic’s disastrous recruitments at the desk of Nicky Hammond.
After the departure of Lee Congerton in the summer of 2019 the former Reading goalkeeper came to Celtic on a short term basis before becoming Head of Football Operations.
That period ties in with Peter Lawwell’s claim that £35m has been spent on transfers but with the club 23 points adrift in the SPFL fans are asking questions and looking to apportion blame.
Despite being short of options in central defence and on the wings there has been no signings this month with the shadow of a managerial review still hovering over the club.
Hammond, Neil Lennon and Lawwell are all involved to some extent in the recruitment process but picking up on his Daily Mail column the Daily Record reports Commons lumping responsibility on the Head of Football Operations:
Whether or not Neil Lennon remains in charge is another matter. It seems that, in all likelihood, the board will allow him to see things through until the end of the season. But, in the bigger picture, and in terms of how the club move forward from here, it’s the lack of vision and direction coming from the boardroom which is most alarming.
Nick Hammond is the head of football operations at Celtic Park. He oversees the club’s scouting and recruitment department. Was it Hammond who sanctioned a combined £10million outlay on Vasilis Barkas and Albian Ajeti? Or a £2m loan fee plus a hefty wage packet for Shane Duffy?
The £3.5m wasted on Patryk Klimala is another case in point. Ultimately, Hammond is the man who must carry the can for this litany of woeful signings.
With Odsonne Edouard, Kris Ajer, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard out of contract in June 2022 this summer is expected to be one of change across the Celtic squad.