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)
Soon after the final whistle in Linz Callum McGregor delivered a devastating criticism of Celtic.
The club captain first voiced his concerns about the direction that the club was moving in back in April.
Since then the club has been very careful over McGregor’s media time.
Following the signing of Kasper Hogh Sky Sports were allowed a short interview. Previewing the start of the SPFL season Sky Sports were never going to rock the boat.
Before both legs of the Champions League Play Off Celtic kept their captain out of the spotlight.
On Monday Mika Baur was presented to the media to discuss the second leg match against LASK.
Baur has been a Celtic player for less than a fortnight. He has yet to play a full match. He came off the bench away to Dundee United and lasted 65 in the home leg against Linz.
McGregor has shared the highs under Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou.
He also knows that the Celtic board hasn’t the first idea about building a club, squad and team capable of punching their weight in Europe.
Last night the second best team in Norway reached the group stage of the Champions League.
As did the champions of Azerbaijan.
MCGREGOR LEFT TO CARRY THE BURDEN AND ACT AS CLUB SPOKESMAN
McGregor was left to try and nurse through a makeshift Celtic side that has been constantly weakened by Michael Nicholson.
It was shown up again in Linz.
When the stakes were at their highest Celtic wilted.
McGregor knows the movie. This time he didn’t go with the traditional hard luck script.
https://youtu.be/U5CEiVjsCqU
We got what we deserved, we were passive all night. We actually looked scared to go and win the game.
When you are 3-0 up in the tie it’s psychological.
To be honest, I didn’t think we were that good in the first leg either. We scored at good times and got away with it.
We have to suck it up. We apologise to our supporters and the club because there’s no way we should lose that game, we can’t have any excuse and that’s on us.
In a message that could easily be aimed at the empty suits in the boardroom McGregor added:
We’ll now see what people are made of. We have to realise we’re playing at a big club and we have to bounce back.
Some fans will criticise McGregor for speaking out. They entirely miss the point.
McGregor is doing every fan a service.
He won’t be put up for media duty again in a long time.
Celtic can control the message but not after Europa League matches.
TNT Sport can ask to speak to the club captain after each match.
In the meantime Celtic’s Communications Manager Iain Jamieson is facing a nightmare. One way beyond his Lowland League ability.
Martin O’Neill can flannel around McGregor’s comments with a variety of tactics and gags.
The players in the dressing room know that McGregor spoke honestly about the state that Celtic are in.
The obvious question at every media conference is for thoughts on the scared and passive comments from the club captain.
In the summer of 2024 McGregor stepped down from international duty, missing out on a likely World Cup appearance.
Since then Celtic have sold Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels.
LASK can be added to Maribor, Malmo, AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros, Midtjylland and Kairat Almaty.
Alistair Johnston missed the LASK games through injury, Cameron Carter-Vickers appears to be playing at 70%of his capabilities.
It ain’t gonna change a fckn thing.
A different style of manager was required. MON done all he could last year and we are grateful for that but a new modern style coach was required. Subs last night was the proof.
Editor: No competent coach/manager will go near a Celtic set up driven by Nicholson and Desmond.
Both spot on with your comments.
As always, good article Joe.
Last night was the worst Joe……never seen a starting 11 and our substitutions so piss poor, manager has questions to answer on his tactics why he didn’t shut up shop at 4 nil…..board should pack their bags this morn and piss off
We all know that we need a player that is going to win balls and tackle in the midfield. Last night was more proof as they controlled the middle of the pitch. Letting Arne go we should have had a replacement we were supposed to be getting 2 midfield players in but that all disappeared once we one the first leg. We don’t have enough quality players to well in the competition with a shortage of players. Know we are out I can’t see the board spending any more money
After reading about the abuse Luke McCowan has received, I am certainly not proud to be a Celtic fan this morning.
Relevance?.
Why?? He’s pish
Anyone who thinks this is on MON is mental.
He fielded a team last week that won 3-0, no matter how much luck they carried.
He fielded a team last night that went 4-0 up with basically one half of football to play.
The team imploded.
Been saying for months CCV is next to useless at spl level never mind euro, a big paceless lump, just cannot fathom how some thought his return was vital, and the new boys last night were literally no shows to a man.
McGregor has been some servant, and for 45 mins was the usual selfless linchpin he is, but his legs went, simple as.
Reo is a bombscare, just as McCowan is, there like most of the young drivers on the roads these days, ok going forward but don’t use their mirrors, the number of times they had their pockets picked and we ended up defended an attack is just mind blowing.
As for Nygren, I like him but unfortunately he chose the biggest game of the season to bring a deck chair to the game, it totally passed him by.
Finally, if you read back any of my quotes the last god knows how many years, the defence has always been my beef, the back line has been honking for years, with the occasional stand out who has been quickly punted.
Why oh why, season after season is the defence just basically ignored while winger midfielder and striker one after the other is brought in?
Last night was simply a collective not good enough bottle job, thats not on MON, he played the hand he was dealt.
Sometimes it really is the players at fault, and those responsible for who those players are.
But I say again…we should have been good enough to hold a 4 goal lead with one half of a game to go, especially when they have to open up to get back into it.
For me thats our worst euro result ever, nothing comes close to this capitulation, and all from one single slack back pass that gave them hope and instilled utter fear into us, who at the time I thought had switched off thinking it was done.