GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 11: : Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell, Majority Shareholder Dermot Desmond and Chief Executive Michael Nicholson during a UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Celtic and AS Roma at Celtic Park, on December 11, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Since Dermot Desmond launched his personal attack on Brendan Rodgers the judgement of the Irish businessman has been getting trashed on an almost weekly basis.
What sort of fool would replace a serial winner with a mid table coach from the MLS that struggled to speak English and wanted to impose his own 4-3-3 soccer-ball system in mid-season ahead of three pivotal fixtures.
Mr Desmond, as the grovelling apologists call him, take a bow.
THE WORST DECISIONS IN THE HISTORY OF CELTIC
In the history of Celtic there has rarely been a more ridiculous decision.
Up there with appointing Paul Tisdale as Head of Football Operations or whatever went on in the Hampden showers after the 2019 Scottish Cup Final.
Every line of the Desmond statement on October 27Â can be taken apart and ridiculed. One comment in particular stands out loud and clear.
What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.
Desmond wouldn’t back Rodgers last Summer because he felt Celtic overspent the previous summer, now he needs to reject an offer to double his money on one of those ‘overpriced signings’ because he’s decimated the squad of all it’s quality, the club is run by footballing morons.
— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) February 2, 2026
It is no great surprise that Nottingham Forest were biding heavily for Engels. Even with the campaign waged against him by Celtic’s favoured messengers.
Adam Idah won a domestic double and scored three Champions League goals. Auston Trusty is holding the Celtic defence together. Celtic could have doubled their money on Engels inside 18 months.
There was no January interest in signing Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma or Odin Thiago Holm. Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Marco Tilio have sunk without trace post Celtic.
Three different managers have rejected Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura.
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ENGELS
There aren’t many 22-year-olds around that have played in three countries, a full internationalist and with one very solid season in the Champions League to their credit.
Engels managed correctly could easily go on to a real top club within three years. For a fee in or around £50m.
Despite the gross mis-management of Celtic this season at executive level Forest were willing to pay £25m for the midfielder.
Who would have been interested in him and what would the fee have been had Celtic replaced Kyogo Furuhashi last summer and reinvested the fee received for Nicolas Kuhn in July.
A competent Celtic would have been Kairat Almaty. It’s not ridiculous to suggest that Rodgers could have emulated Qarabag, Club Brugge and Bodo Glimt in this season’s Champions League.
The “Brendan” Blueprint: 10/10 ??#AlKhaleejAlQadsiah | #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/v4Y0IlwArg
— AlQadsiah Saudi Club (@AlQadsiahEN) February 3, 2026
The decision taken last January to downsize was horrific. Starting with the decision not to replaceKyogo.
Undermining Rodgers and driving him out the door was a massive misjudgement.
That’s before you get around to appointing Tisdale and Nancy in successive years.
Desmond’s statement on 27 October 2025 says everything about his judgement.
The Irish businessman has generally been very good when it comes to appointing managers.
That legacy hasn’t been tarnished, it’s been trashed.
Celtic’s current plight is indeed down to ‘one individual’s desire for self-preservation’.
Unfortunately that individual isn’t Brendan Rodgers. It is an elderly Irish businessman, more likely to be found on the golf course than inside Celtic Park.
Celtic turn down £25m Nottingham Forest transfer bid for Arne Engels
— stephen.mcgowan (@mcgowan_stephen) February 2, 2026
How do you rate Celtic's January transfer window?
OUTSTANDING- exactly what we needed
DECENT- it is notoriously difficult
HORRIFIC- typically Nicholson
A spiteful old rat whose competence is failing. He needs removed before he kills our club.
Sack the board.
Watching us is like watching a slow motion action scene in a disaster movie.
Corporate greed and Desmond go together so we’ll =billionaire absentee landlord and the destruction of celtic stop giving them your money
I have read and listened to a lot of comments about the Engels transfer saga. No-one has actually said what I personally think is that the board had real fear what would happen if they did what they normally do. The pressure is getting there. Hard times to come but if we stick together there will ònly be one outcome
“What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.” Maybe that’s a line out of Desmond’s exit speech about his own impact on the club? ?
Exactly what Joe said in the article above Redmond.
“Unfortunately that individual isn’t Brendan Rodgers. It is an elderly Irish businessman, more likely to be found on the golf course than inside Celtic Park.”
Can’t disagree with your opinion on Desmond but for me Engles is a bang average midfielder how many goals has he scored from open play think we should have bitten Notts Forests hand off for that money
Editor: Not many bang average players start nine out of 10 Champions League matches in one season. If you want bang average look no further than Alexandro Bernabei, Sead Haksobanovic, Yuki Kobayashi, Holm, Tilio, Yang, Kwon, Nawrocki, Lagerbielke, Palma, Yamada, Tounekti, Inamura, Balikwisha.
Or you can go back to Soro, Klimala, Bayo, Shved, Ajeti, Barkas and many many many more. Bangura or Baldeanyone? No £25m offers incoming for them.
Good point Joe.
The coward made the balls and and dermy des threw them after all the negative briefing against BRs , we know dd was not at Celtic park to oversee the daily running of things and the rat was giving his side of the story , like he was running his mouth off to the sun undermining the manager what else would we expect to see from him regarding his destruction of BRs , be in no doubt it his legacy that is keeping the GB from Celtic park and those who are still loyal to him , although he left dd with a big load of egg dripping from his chin and being laughed at , take a bow BRs
Desmond is clueless about football.
Sooner he and his lackeys are away the better.
He’s also apparently mentioned in the Epstein Files.
What a legacy to leave – failure and public opprobrium.
Mibbie he shoulda asked epstien in that email exchange for some advice.
.
Too soon ?
“Desmond wouldn’t back Rodgers last Summer because he felt Celtic overspent the previous summer,” But hang on is it HIS MONEY that the club would be spending? Have I missed that notice where he is ploughing in millions every season? Yeah I know he bought shares and underwrote a share issue back in the day … but the current state of accounts? Season Ticket income and Merch (FANS money) Competition Prizes and Player Trading are the other sources of income … again not using Desmond´s money … so HOW and WHY does HE decide on WHAT the club spends ITS money on ??
Celtic paid more in corporation tax this year than they paid for Engles
Great point Kendo…
Tragically as well to a Butchers Apron tramp of a Labour chancellor instead of an independent Scotland one !
This season has been a shambles from the outset, only the introduction of MON has prevented it becoming a truly horrendous one. Win this title or not, next season is going to be even tougher as Despot won’t be able to sweet talk MON into yet another rescue mission.
Whoever takes the hot seat better hit the ground running, ensure they have a guaranteed Transfer Budget, that all incoming sales are added to the preset budget and NO limits or agreements required from above.