GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 17: Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell, Majority Shareholder Dermot Desmond, and Chief Executive Officer Michael Nicholson (L-R) during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic Park, on May 17, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Chris Sutton has cut to the chase of a few issues at Celtic by calling the team out as boring.
Fans have sat through matches against Hibs and Braga without the joy of seeing a goal scored.
Sure the hoops were the victims of a ridiculous VAR decision in their Europa League defeat to the Portuguese side but that doesn’t mask the overall feeling and evidence being served up game by game.
Over the last 14 months Michael Nicholson has sold Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah, the state of mind of Daizen Maeda can only be guessed at after Celtic pulled out of his summer move.
Since the Champions League defeat to Kairat Almaty Celtic have signed Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Sebastian Touekti and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Rather than working with new signings in pre-season Rodgers is being forced to try out new formations during competitive matches which is far from ideal.
A year ago the goals were flowing with Celtic flying, writing in the Daily Record Sutton spells out exactly how far backwards his old club has moved:
There are a zillion issues with Celtic right now but I can’t get away from the most damning thing about the side right now.
They are BORING. That’s not something I say lightly or for effect.
Celtic are just dull right now. The performance the other night against Braga was just so flat yet again – and there are serious problems to be addressed.
Yes, the disallowed goal was shocking. It might be the worst VAR decision I’ve ever seen and Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal should have stood.
Would it have changed the game? Quite possibly.
Celtic were on top at that stage and going level would have built on the momentum and they could have gone on to win the game.
But they didn’t. They eventually lost to a Braga team that has been having a shocker in Portugal and look no more than decent at European level.
And the manner of the defeat was just so demoralising.
Celtic have won three of their last nine games and not scored in five of them. You can see why. I just don’t know where the goals are going to come from.
It’s remarkable the extent of the drop off in such a short space of time.
Motherwell on Sunday will be difficult opponents, they know how Celtic are struggling and go into the match unbeaten this season.
Another blank in front of goal would see the storm clouds gather ahead of a first ever meeting with the newly formed Celtic Fans Collective on Monday.
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the situation Rodgers has to try and deliver results until the January transfer window opens.
On 31 December 2021 Celtic announced the signings of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi, showing exactly how to deal with the January transfer window.
Nicholson was the CEO that completed those deals- all eyes are on the Celtic CEO to match that for the January 2026 transfer window.
CLICK HERE for Chris McKay laughs out loud as Celtic lose to Braga.
Forgot to mention the absence of a certain Mr Greig Taylor? His driving into the middle has been sorely missed.
Board get criticised for selling Kyoto et al and not replacing them. Fair enough but what would have happened if they had sold Maeda likewise? It seems you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. Maeda signed a contract and should be earning his pay no matter how disappointed he is.
Editor: A properly run club like Brugge expect players to leave and have replacements lined up or in place before the big sales. Since Celtic have a Lucky Bag approach to recruitment (Tilio, Yang, Palma for Jota) they hang on to players too long. Brugge have a player trading model, Celtic have a selling model.
Correct Owen, its all about maximising revenue. Forget the Team, the Manager/ Coach will just have to make do with what he has.
When Dudley Moore, as a uniped, tried for the part of Tarzan, the director, Peter Cook said he had nothing against his left leg but unfortunately neither did it.
In that tortured example. the problem with Celtic is the midfield …they don’t have one.
Blame whomever you wish.
Editor: Ultimately the £1m a year ‘top sports lawyer’ pretending that he is a CEO or do you prefer blaming the manager?
Why can’t we blame both?
Seeming we are twice as rich as Braga so why don’t we have as good a squad as them. I will give you that.
Boring can be coped with if we are winning…
But we are outta The Champions League and behind in The League !