Ange Postecoglou has dropped the strongest hint that Michael Nicholson is in the role of Celtic CEO for the long term.
After 72 days at the club Dom McKay was ousted with Nicholson taken on the job on an acting basis, according to Ian Bankier the club would be working with a real team player.
Nicholson has been in the job for 35 days with Postecoglou speaking confidently about the January transfer plans that he is working on.
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Asked how the relationship with Michael Nicholson was building, the Celtic boss said:
The relationship is working well. Obviously, it helps that Michael has been here and I’ve known Michael, sort of, he was one of the first people that I met through the whole process of being appointed. He was involved in a lot of our transfer dealings anyway so I’ve already established a relationship which makes it easier in terms of the transition.
Yeah, we’re working well. He understands because he’s been here the job that is ahead of us in short, medium and long term. Yeah, we are very much working together to put the pillars in place that we need to.
We have some immediate concerns, obviously, that’s around the football department looking to January but you want to build something, I’m of a similar mould, you want to build something that is not just for medium success but for sustainable success.
Getting towards more strategic thinking I’m working alongside Michael hand in hand with that. As I say, for me it’s been helpful that he’s been already been part of the organisation here and he has a long history with the organisation. He knows what success looks like and that we’re building something sustainable for the future.
Postecoglou’s appointment was made while Peter Lawwell was still in place, on inheriting the deal McKay went out of his way to endorse the new manager.
With Nicholson running through both of those regimes and now ‘acting’ CEO it seems highly unlikely that another change will be made to bring in a fourth CEO in a year following 17 years under Lawwell.
In March Nick Hammond quit as Head of Football Operations with no sign of a replacement or redefined role to take his place.
Ange endorses the appointment?
Are you kidding? Ange has zero clout at the club! He has been instilled as a yes man who will clearly do what the board tells him to do!
Look around him! No staff to call his own, only Kyogo as the token signing suggested by Ange!
We still have non-football guys pulling the strings, deciding who we will sell, who we will bid for, and how much or how little we ask or offer!
From the day the announcement was first made about his hire, Ange was, is and always will be a terrible choice. To his credit he has said the right things to fool many fans. His tactical nous is non-existent! “We will attack” really? What if we lose the ball? What then Ange? “Um, we will attack”.
He is on a level with John Barnes and Ronny Deila for tactic ability. One dimensional blindness. Ronny got lucky. We won the league despite him, never because of him.
Ange is not much different except we won’t win anything with him. Not even despite him. The fact is we are the worst Celtic side in over fifty years.
Last season was important. But this season is equally important because champions go straight into the group stages of the Champions League, a financial boost our consistency actually created! How ironic that a nine year old club comes along and is the favourite to take our gold from right under our noses! How do we approach the season? We employ a yes man as manager and allow ourselves to be swept aside with ease.
Ange endorses? Give your heads a shake!