GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - FEBRUARY 19: Celtic Chief executive Officer Michael Nicholson (L) and Chief Financial Officer Chistopher McKay during a UEFA Europa League Play-Off First Leg match between Celtic and VFB Stuttgart at Celtic Park, on February 19, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Paul Devlin/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Shaun Maloney is apparently heading up the summer overhaul at Celtic, according to Stephen McGowan.
Years of neglect and horrific judgement from Michael Nicholson has left the club on its knees ahead of a summer of turmoil.
The last thing that any Celtic fan wants is for Nicholson to have any role in the rebuild.
Not the guy that was interested and impressed by Mark Lawwell, Paul Tisdale and Wilfried Nancy.
Nicholson’s judgement on footballing issues is horrific.
He might be a leading sports lawyer, battling for the Royal Caledonian Curlers but under any assessment he has performed a horrendous job as CEO of Celtic.
Apparently Nicholson expects Celtic to be world class in everything that they do.
Stripped of Ange Postecoglou, Frank Trimboli and Brendan Rodgers Celtic are down to bare bones in the dressing room while Nicholson builds the bank balance for a rainy day.
MCGOWAN POINTS TO THE SUMMER REBUILD
With an interim manager, interim Chairman and a lame duck CEO the buck falls on Shaun Maloney to add another role to his growing portfolio.
McGowan has recently lost his edge but still has better contacts than most inside the Celtic chain of command.
Ultimately all significant decisions have to be approved from a foreign golf course but work has to go on before reaching that stage.
Writing in the Herald McGowan explains:
Celtic are interested in Motherwell winger Elijah Just and Hibernian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa.
The Parkhead club are preparing for an overhaul of the first team squad after an unsettled season on and off the pitch.
Up to 18 players could be shipped out to clear the decks for a new permanent manager.
Players brought in on loan in January are likely to return to their parent clubs with the likes of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Kasper Schmeichel and Kelechi Iheancho also expected to move on.
While the identity of the next manager has yet to be established, Shaun Maloney has begun work with the recruitment staff on identifying potential targets ahead of a reconstruction of the first team.
Maloney was appointed as Player Development Manager last summer. Basically his task was to arrange load deals to avoid young players being wasted in the Lowland League.
Since then he has twice been assistant manager to Martin O’Neill. Taking on the senior role on the training ground.
More than four months after Rodgers resigned exposing all of the failings at Celtic there is no sign of any restructuring of the club.
Piling everything onto Maloney isn’t a strategy.
He is a highly talented coach, has an eye for players and develops a rapport with players on the training ground.
Employing a time served Director of Football with a budget and autonomy would be a huge step forward.
Finding that person to work under the current straight-jacket looks near impossible.
Maloney is a real asset but expecting him to solve every issue while also being first on the training ground is a recipe for disaster.
Maloney must have a better than 50% chance of getting the job based on the suits previous exploits.
Personally I don’t think it would be the worst move in the world to give MON & him another season to steady the ship.
No idea how that would affect transfers etc but it’s better than the club doing another Nancy, which is perfectly possible given their record, let’s just hope NL duzny sneak into the showers last game of the season eh?
They must be waiting for Maloney to get in the showers, did we not hear he was working on getting players in the january window yet look at the dross we got from that window we were no better off
As for the so called players he has identified then sounds like were downsizing at a level below the shitshow were at
“…Up to 18 players could be shipped out to clear the decks for a new permanent manager…”
The first of many, positive sounding SMSM articles to support the upcoming ST renewals?
As for “up to 18” ?
Bollox!
MN would have to – somehow – manage to sign/get loans of possibly up to 18 players too.
That’s never going to happen: he doesn’t work that quick.
Plus, when it comes to recruitment, the club’s stock is at an all time low amongst other clubs?
Whilst we undeniably need a full squad rebuild,
I’d bet that the majority of the squad today are still here come July. 🙁
Nobody in their right fu**in mind would wanna work under Lucan !
The best move for celtic would be not to lose martin O Neil from the governance of celtic FC.
Either make him Director of football or Celtic chairman.
We badly need him to stay at Celtic in the overall charge of football matters as it is obvious that no one presently at the club has anything like the football knowledge and fan support that he has.