Davie Provan has called for a clear out of the Celtic board led by the departure of Peter Lawwell.
Now in his 18th year in the job Lawwell has presided over a spectacular collapse since the summer of 2018 when he failed to secure the signings of John McGinn with Youssouf Mulumbu signed instead.
While domestic success has continued until the last few months Celtic’s stock in Europe has plummeted on the back of a series of horrendous decisions leading up to the exit of Brendan Rodgers and the ‘recruitment process’ that appointed Neil Lennon on a permanent basis.
The initiative has been handed on a plate across the city to a competent team with 2020 highlighting the lack of vision from inside Celtic. A year that contained four successive home defeats and hosted parties in the away dressing room for Copenhagen, Ferenvaros and Sparta Prague.
In The Sun Provan writes:
If Lenny is to be the fall guy, Hoops fans should see the bigger picture. The club needs a complete clearout. That applies to the boardroom as well as the dressing room.
Eight years ago Rangers were on their knees. The liquidation of the Ibrox club was a lottery win for Lawwell. In Gers’ absence, Celts could play Monopoly with the league title, and get a free run at Champions League cash every year.
It was their chance to build a dynasty, for as long as they wanted. No other Hoops board has enjoyed that type of financial advantage over their bitter rivals. But instead of building from a position of strength, they have blown it.
Instead of keeping Gers in the rear-view mirror they have allowed them back into the game. In just eight years Rangers have emerged from the ashes of liquidation to become the best team in the country. You couldn’t make it up.
I’d take nothing from Steven Gerrard and his players. Having bottled it last winter they have been relentless this time.
Later on he added
A self-satisfied Celtic board has allowed the club to become European cannon fodder. Where Celtic Park once saw Barcelona, Manchester United and Juventus leave empty handed, it’s now plundered by Cluj, Ferencvaros and Sparta Prague.
Supporters don’t expect to see a Hoops’ Champions League win. But they are entitled to see the team make the groups more often than not. Missing out in five of the last seven years is just embarrassing.
Celts reached a European final in Seville because they had a bit of ambition. They beat two Premier League clubs on that journey because they spent top dollar on wages and transfer fees.
That’s what big clubs do, they spend as much as they can afford on the best team they can put together. These days Hoops’ money men couldn’t even get John McGinn’s signing over the line for the sake of a few quid. Think about it. The boy’s grandad was Celtic chairman, he was a fan desperate to sign. How did they screw that up?
In a December statement Lawwell told supporters that the management position would be reviewed in the new year.