Keith Jackson has decided to highlight the role played by Peter Lawwell in last season’s Celtic turnaround.
In 2019 the former Chief Executive ignored all managerial applications to promote Neil Lennon from caretaker to permanent boss. Apparently the Irishman had an eye for a player and knew the city.
In his first transfer window Lennon added Hatem Abd Elhamed and Boli Bolingoli to the squad. Defeat at home to Cluj resulted in Moritz Bauer, Mohamed Elyounousi and Fraser Forster joining on loan followed in January with Ismaila Soro and Patryk Klimala. In the summer of 2020 Lennon and Lawwell splashed out £10m on Albian Ajeti and Vasilis Barkas.
By October 2020 it was clear that Lennon’s time was up. In December Lawwell ordered a Managerial Review and sanctioned a training trip to Dubai that had disastrous consequences.
In February last year chairman Ian Bankier revealed that Lennon retained the support of the board but within a fortnight the manager had resigned.
Following an embarrassing pursuit of Eddie Howe, that ended with a humiliating statement on the club website the club turned to Ange Postecoglou to end 106 days without a manager.
Justifying that horrendous period in charge of the club, Jackson explains to Daily Record readers:
There may be some curmudgeonly Celtic fans out there who find it impossible to give credit where it is due, but even they must give a grudging nod towards former chief executive Peter Lawwell for making this happen in the first place.
They may have chased him out of office not that long ago but, before he left, Lawwell had the creative thinking to identify Postecoglou as the perfect parting present.
And right now the Australian appears to be the gift that keeps on giving. But Postecoglou’s next trick is likely to be the most demanding yet. Somehow he has to find a way of tweaking his team– and perhaps revisiting his own philosophy – in order to make Celtic fit for purpose in the Champions League.
Postecoglou could probably have been brought to Celtic following the Champions League defeat from Ferencvaros, he was overlooked when Lawwell undertook a Managerial Review in December. When Lennon quit in February the Australian was available just as he was 106 days later when he accepted the job offer.
The current manager is still trying to shift Bolingoli, Ajeti and Soro out the door, fortunately Utrecht took Barkas on loan.
Lawwell’s handover left Postecoglou going into a Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland with only Liel Abada added to a decimated squad.
In his final transfer window the former CEO sold Elhamed and Jeremie Frimpong while bringing in Jonjoe Kenny on loan from Everton.
It is quite a stretch to portray Lawwell as kick-starting last season’s success. Postecoglou was 95% responsible for that with Callum McGregor, David Turnbull, Tony Ralston and Greg Taylor contributing far more than the former CEO.
In his last newspaper interview as CEO Lawwell told Jackson and the Record how he hoped to have fans inside Celtic Park for test matches in July 2020. No fans attended any matches at Celtic Park during the 20/21 season.
Jackson knows most Celtic fans couldn’t be bothered with lawwell. He’s trolling now. Must have exhausted bad news stories on Celts. HH
Jackson is right only in that Celtic being in rude financial health is down mostly to Lawell,that much is true.However Lawell had gotten way too big for his boots,was meddling way too much in football matters,and ultimately slowing the progress of the football dept.He had to go.
Editor: If Lawwell was remotely competent Celtic would have been in this position years ago. Repeated failings led to Malmo, Maribor, AEK, Cluj, Ferencvaros and Midtjylland, easily costing an average of £20m on turnover and boosting the value of the squad.
Signing Soro, Elhamed, Bolingoli, Klimala, Perez, Shved, Ajeti, Barkas left Ange inheriting a shambles. Turnover barely moved over Lawwell’s 17 years of damage, no UEFA knock out wins since 2004 but the pay and bonuses of the CEO went through the roof. His love for the blue pound clouded everything.
If ever there’s any evidence required that Lawwell was a fud it’s a ringing endorsement from Keef Jackson. Is this a pre-emptive attempt to soften supporter attitudes in anticipation of a return to CP? He can piss right off if he’s thinking that.
WE DON’T WANT OR NEED YOU AT CELTIC ANYMORE PETER, PLEASE SOD OFF AND GIE’S PEACE YA BAWBAG!!!
Lawwell appointed Lennon in the showers, and apparently bragged that he hadn’t bothered to look at other CV’s.
For Lawwell to then to do his due diligence – and unearth an unknown manager from the other side of the world – is both inconsistent and nonsense.
Lawwell simply got incredibly lucky with Ange. That’s it.