“Questions Have to Be Asked” – Stephen McGowan Destroys Celtic Board’s Lack Of Ambition

Celtic fans have known for a long time now that the Celtic boards ambitions do not match theirs.

The supporters long for the return of the European nights where AC Milan, Manchester United and Juventus all came to Celtic Park in hope, rather than expectation.

There was a time that the cream of Europe where the only teams that managed to escape Parkhead with any kind of result but now? Anyone can roll up at the gates of Paradise and walk away with Celtic’s scalp in their boot bags.

Stephen McGowan lays the blame fairly and squarely at the Celtic powerbrokers and cites major boardroom mismanagement and lack of foresight and ambition that has led the Hoops to become European “also rans” in his column in todays Daily Mail.

From the coup of appointing Brendan Rodgers, to the amateurish actions in appointing Neil Lennon in the showers and the 105 day courtship and eventual knock back of Eddie Howe, the club has not only become a joke on the field, but off it also.

McGowan also says that a decade of dominance as Celtic swept all before them allowed the board to miss an opportunity to become a European powerhouse and he is not wrong. Unchallenged access to the Champions League was something Celtic enjoyed above every other club in Europe.

But instead of going for the jugular and reaping the financial rewards open to them, the board stuttered and stammered from the Deila appointment in 2014, the failure to back Rodgers throughout his tenure as manager to the eventual disaster that was Neil Lennon’s second term as Celtic boss after Rodgers saw through the board and jumped ship the the English Premier League.

Celtic’s consistently ridiculous way they went, and still are, boing about transfer business is a source of frustration amongst the Celtic fans and has been for the last decade. But nothing has changed. Not one iota.

The “Banter Years” (although McGowan never named it but clearly references it) also saw the fans take their eye off the ball. McGowan writes, “It was more fun to peer into a set of binoculars and mock the idea of Rangers coming over the hill than it was to raise the goggles a little higher and study the bigger picture.

And he was 100% correct. Because I was also one of those fans. Pointing and laughing as *Rangers went from shouty managers in bushes to ridiculing appointing an u18 manager from Liverpool. And look where we are now.

A board not fit for purpose with a team not fit for the Premiership with a manager not deserving of all that lies in front of him, the board are in serious danger of Postecoglou walking before Christmas rather being pushed.

Ange is already a frustrated figure having served just under 50 days in the hot seat and two competitive games. Things need to change and change quicker. And that starts with Dom McKay, who, like Peter Lawwell before him, is posted missing at a time when fans need clarity.

2 thoughts on ““Questions Have to Be Asked” – Stephen McGowan Destroys Celtic Board’s Lack Of Ambition

  1. ‘The banter years’ are endless following the end of RFC and their history. 100 years from now the banter years will still be alive and kicking, so I do not understand the relevance of using that term in this context. Celtic are 50 titles ahead of RIFC and if anyone out there sees them catching Celtic then I would love some of what they’re snorting. As for Celtic’s current condition there is a level of complicity due to be aimed at the PLC board, however, they are the experts at domestic sovereignty so I see no reason the club won’t push on in the fullness of time; and with 52/ 1 to aim for this coming season we have to say things aren’t as bad as some writers out there would have us believe. Mind The Gap Sevco. HOORA.

  2. Does’nt the board relise we could be big in the league again & europe give the manager the tools to do what needs 2 be done. Celtic will be great come on dermott have some ambition some guts celtic could be a force again teams will be scared to come 2 celtic again c’mon the hoops. Show guts & pride 2 this fantastic club.

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