Chris Sutton fears that Celtic are heading foe a toxic flag day.
In nine days time Sky Sports will roll up for the SPFL opener against Dundee with the champions looking badly ill prepared.
Since the dramatic title clincher against Hearts on May 16 there has been little sign of progress from Celtic.
Kasper Schmeichel has retired, Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi won’t be returning.
Daizen Maeda is on the verge of joining Ipswich Town. Speculation suggests that Arne Engels, Reo Hatate and Alistair Johnston could also be on the move.
Incoming Celtic have signed Camilo Duran. Two goals in two part matches suggests that the Colombian has an eye for goal.
Beyond that there is no sign of a Celtic rebuild. And no sign of Michael Nicholson and Brian Wilson.
CELTIC FANS WAIT FOR THE BIG REBUILD
Fans are left to guess over what the club is planning to do, All other SPFL Premiership clubs have added significantly to their squads. Aberdeen and Hearts have each signed 10 players.
Celtic may need that number. Four or five in for pre-season would have been a start. As It Stands Duran could be the only new starter against Dundee.
In the Daily Record, Sutton voiced his concerns with:
Listen, they might go out and bring in four top-quality signings in the next few days, and everyone will be all smiles.
They might have to. Otherwise the atmosphere on Flag Day a week on Monday is going to beyond toxic.
I just don’t get it. All fans want to see is their club having the best possible chance of being successful.
They have the resources to properly bury their rivals on the home front and attempt to make an impact on the European stage.
Instead, they are struggling to even get back to the level they were at last season, which everyone knows wasn’t good enough and it could have turned out entirely differently.
The lack of clarity or even a plan coming from the boardroom leaves fans thinking the club’s chiefs are sitting back, believing they got it right all along and that fans should keep quiet and leave them to it.
Whether that is what they believe or not doesn’t matter – that is the perception.
Sutton added:
Standing still in sport is moving backwards. The board might be backslapping after a Double and they can point to the domestic dominance of the last 15 years.
But time waits for no man. It’s always about what is next. Right now it’s uncertainty.
It’s not even about dipping into the £70m rainy day fund. Fans would accept just reinvesting the money the club are banking from sales.
Celtic appear to be in talks to sign Kasper Hogh and Mika Baur.
Those negotiations and transfer fees are freely available across the media.
Celtic are wide open to getting hi-jacked.
Hogh is ready to play with seven goals and seven assists in 12 matches in the Norwegian League.
Bodo Glimt have a Third Round Champions League tie on August 4, selling Hogh at this stage would be a huge risk. And come at a premium.
Beyond flag day the clock is ticking for Celtic.
After Dundee the hoops are away to Kilmarnock then have a seeded League Cup tie before going into the Champions League Play Off.
The current squad is spread very thinly. Liam Scales will serve a two match SPFL suspension, one or two injuries will test Martin O’Neill’s squad to the maximum.
Sutton has been voicing his concern about Celtic’s transfer issues for over a year. Nothing has changed in that time.
F#ck them
With only Callum, Cameron and a few on decent wages, a fortune to us but in this crazy world, less than elsewhere down to a couple of hundred quid for up and comings, the board have it down to a T. Even now the selling of Daezen who is, or was, essential to our team will fund new recruits. Only rock bottom payments out where the board know will ensure a future profit with a promise to sell allowing a lower wage than elsewhere, the kids kept low as the board know the development payments from as we have seen from Liverpool etc. still a good profit there lies our pain. The board simply do not care. Great sides cost money. The 70 millions quoted are untouched and a comfortable fit for the board and until we are bought out, nothing will change except for the board giving in temporarily when the support gives off, Ange made changes the board backed, and they are already counting the profit made, simply to keep us quiet. Then the pattern will repeat, again and again. They have it planned. Enjoy Flag Day if you wish, but next season and perhaps beyond, the League Flag will be hosted across the road with our bank balance still sound. Yes, Chris, we should be out of sight, but it does no suit the suits.
I think we are just sick and tired of the insidious Desmond playbook promise everything and deliver zilch ,actually by the first game we could have lost Maeda Mcgregor and Engels also Johnston, that’s how bad it could be and the happy clappers must accept the responsibility of their reckless actions in supporting Desmond, so well done ,take abow ,stop giving them your money or you are complicit in the destruction of our club
Dunno if others have a similar issue but u type up a comment and don’t get a chance to post it cos the whole page resets and ur words are gone.
Never used to happen, whats changed?