Celtic FC Women finished the season 15 points behind title winners Hibs in the SWPL1, with the deposed Champions suffering a massive season-on-season 51 points swing against them with the surprise act from Easter Road…
In normal circumstances that would be enough for a Celtic coach to perhaps be under severe pressure, if not relieved of their duties entirely. Imagine if the men’s team went from Champions to finishing a distant fourth.
Despite this, so far this summer, there appears to be no movement in the head-coach role at Celtic and Elena Sadiku remains in post. However, according to Alison McConnell writing in the Herald, there may still be changes afoot.
The Herald confirms the story The Celtic Star reported that Chris Duffy, who was operating as a de facto CEO for the Celtic’s women’s team, has already stood down from the role. They stated that he is due to be replaced, perhaps as early as this week, by Stewart McGuire, previously of Hibs and Dunfermline.
The article also states Duffy’s decision to step back from his role may be due to ‘a difference in vision as to how the club should progress’. An interesting development, and certainly not one that instils confidence ahead of a new season. It may also be a worrying development for Elena Sadiku.
Meanwhile it has also been stated that Sadiku has intimated to her playing squad that she will oversee first team affairs at Celtic next season, which would indicate the former Everton coach feels strong enough in her position, despite a dreadful domestic league campaign to make plans for the season ahead, even in the absence of Chris Duffy.
In truth giving Sadiku until at least January to show a change in fortune for the women’s team probably is what she is due, after all the sale of Caitlin Hayes and not being able to get a lined up replacement over the line in January, seriously impacted Sadiku’s ability to maximise the potential in her squad.
Hayes was a big player for Celtic, a large presence in the changing room and a keenly felt loss in the second half of last season’s campaign. To not replace Hayes was a similar oversight as Kyogo not being replaced for the men’s team but arguably more impactful.
The alternative view however is that Sadiku’s clash with Hayes showed her inexperience and proved costly to say the least.
It won’t have gone unnoticed that there may be some within the squad itself who would prefer that Sadiku remaining in situ wasn’t the case, as some players inherited by the boss were criticised for not performing at their peak abilities, while the likes of Emma Lawton, Saoirse Noonan, Morgan Cross were all name-checked as having improved and been impactful on the team – all three were Sadiku signings.
If, and it is a big if, there is any split in the camp it can really only be solved in two ways. Sadiku is backed in the transfer market this summer, and any dissenters fall into line or are moved on, or the coach is the one moved aside, and the possibility of dressing room harmony could return, in theory at least, by a new and unifying presence in the boss’s chair.
It will be very interesting to see what happens as the summer progresses, and what changes Stewart McGuire may bring to his role that could support Sadiku, or otherwise.
However, if indeed Chris Duffy has chosen to step away, it may well be any hopes of an increase in Celtic’s transfer budget to compete at the top end of the table may not be forthcoming. And with a 15-point disadvantage last season, it would take a big upturn in form and consistency to bridge such a gap by simply trying again with the same manager, a similar set of players and only a new CEO to mix things up.
It was with a very heavy heart that The Celtic Star eventually called for Neil Lennon to resign during the COVID season, so it was a surprise to me to read that our Editor stated that Elena Sadiku should resign or be sacked.
But maybe the problem runs deeper and goes all the way up to the Celtic Boardroom, who have shown little or no ambition to push the side on from either winning the league or taking it to the last season for numerous years to embarrassing the Hoops in the second half of last season.
Celtic FC Women will have made around £400k from the UEFA Women’s Champions League after reaching the group stages – the one genuine gold star that could be awarded to the Swedish Head Coach.
The Celtic Star has also reported that Glasgow City have corporate backing from a merchant bank, based around their women-only approach to football, while theRangers have a rich supporter who pays the bills for their women’s team. Celtic’s approach has been to spend only the money that is brought in from commercial deals and that’s basically it.
Hopes were high that the Champions League money – a huge amount for the women’s game in Scotland – would have been used to transform the team. That clearly hasn’t happened and the entire situation is uncertain with it would appear all Celtic heads are in the sand.
To make matters worse the turmoil at Hamilton, where Celtic FC Women now play their home games, makes it uncertain whether the women’s team will have a stadium to play in next season.
From top to bottom it’s a complete shambles.
Niall J
Read Sandman’s assessment of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and everyone else in his Definitive Graphically Enhanced Review of Season 2024/25 which is available to enjoy on The Celtic Star now.
READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Graphically Enhanced Review of Season 2024/25
I can’t disagree with much of what’s been said, I would however argue that leaving New Douglas Park wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen, there was a definite downturn in the team after the move.
Elena should stand down and take almost all that team with her. They were absolutely dreadful and weren’t fit enough to compete for the whole season. Totally agree about Caitlin. She should’ve been skipper as she led from the front. The captain Clark is woeful along with another 6/7 others. The criteria for the manager should be the same for men and women’s teams. If you can’t beat Sevco the coach goes. End of.
I get the feeling the players we have are just not good enough. I agree about Caitlyn she was a huge influence in the dressing room. She has clashed with Sadiku on numerous occasions something had to give. Move Sadiku on bring back Caitlyn as captain and get someone in who knows what they are doing. A more older wiser experienced coach is what’s required.
Having read this article, confirms my own thoughts. The great crusade to give parity to competing professional
women’s teams in team sports is a Croc. The word Professional sums it up, I’m afraid you have to paddle your own canoe. Opposed to Amateur where funding is a plenty to allow individuals and teams to follow their pursuit. The whole venture not just in fair Caledonia but worldwide has been created by sporting bodies. Basically to facilitate the woke brigade and is a very expensive box ticking exercise for the clubs.
To be successful in any business you require a product that is sellable. Where the infrastructure does not rely upon other parts of the business. Obviously in the the real world what happens with a part of a business that is providing continual losses. That part of the business is disposed of as its financial burden can no longer be supported by the business. Not just at Celtic but all professional clubs would get rid of this side of the business in a heartbeat. If no impunity or disdain placed upon them from the governing bodies.
It’s up to national sporting affiliations if they wish to support this Marxist ideal. And make no mistake that is what it is share out your success with non viable concerns.
I am not opposed to women’s team sports in any way. But the women’s side of the game will not advance from the poor fair that is being served up. Until they begin supporting themselves and not relying on the handouts from the men’s side of the business.The BBC & Sky are trying to feed us this to tick the boxes. It is a money wasting exercise with freebie’s like tickets & still very few are encouraged to take up the offer. Can i ask you dear writer are you an avid attendee of women’s football.
As I understand it, Celtic FC Women spends the money that it earns and ironically enough last season they will have made a profit. Celtic do provide training facilities and marketing and sales support and invested in Barrowfield which will benefit the women’s team as they’ll be based there. Celtic has the fourth or fifth biggest budget in the league and finished fourth, almost fifth after being Champions.
Celtic should invest in the team and should build the team for many reasons, which we’ve written about on The Celtic Star many times.
The writer of the piece lives in England so watches the women’s games on BBC Alba, where the vast majority of the women’s team audience comes from. The two record breaking crowds at Celtic Park plus the numbers at the numbers at the three cup final victories at Firhill and Tynecastle (both against Glasgow City) and at Hampden against theRangers shows that there is a demand there but it’s early days and supporters will only come out in numbers if they believe in the manager and the team and that’s not the case at the moment.
A 51 points swing from Celtic to Hibs is shocking and since the season ended we’ve heard next to nothing other than players going on international duty, although the second of the Danish twins seems to have joined his sister in heading back home.