The news, as yet unconfirmed, that Peter Lawwell finished up at Celtic Park last Friday, is perhaps a watershed moment that can allow the healing to begin and give the new CEO Dominic McKay the chance to outline his own vision for the club for the days, weeks, months and years ahead.
The new manager Ange Postecoglou will arrive in Scotland shortly and will oversee the rebuild of a Celtic squad, decimated as it is by those already away and the want-aways who will surely all get their wish this summer.
McKay needs to be straight with the support. Tell us what we’ve looking at in terms of players leaving and the plans for recruitment. Outline the structure that the club plans to operate in the football department. Re-assure the fans that he is not going to stray into areas out with his own remit and area of expertise to bring in a few players himself. And offer a hand of friendship to the support, maybe with a hint of an apology for what has gone on over the past twelve months and how poorly the club has treated the support who uniquely in world football, paid 60,000 x full price season tickets to back the club through the pandemic.
Not only that but that is something McKay is going to need us all to do again and without a clear vision being communicated then the support is unlikely to come together and back the club. Neil Lennon’s ‘new breed of fans’ remarks last week, just after the club’s ‘real supporters’ campaign was launched were about as helpful to the much needed reconciliation as the Green Brigade pitching up with their 100, 101 and 102 banners outside Celtic Park.
“You’re talking a top manager here.”
“Everyone is overreacting as usual. The league this year will be as strong as ever.”
Gordon Strachan backs Ange Postecoglou and says #CelticFC aren’t that far behind. pic.twitter.com/3qdsyrR3Ln
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) June 7, 2021
We need to know who is going to be the Director of Football, and Gordon Strachan’s wee intervention yesterday, issuing a rallying cry to the support, may have been part of the plan. Strachan is clearly able to ‘sell’ the club back to the supporters and may well be the man that McKay has pencilled in for that job.
His son Gavin together with John Kennedy will have to impress Ange Postecoglou but if you look at it from the Australian’s point of view, those two (especially Kennedy) have the local knowledge that he lacks and he’s likely to give them the chance to impress while he finds his feet in Scottish football.
Yesterday Kevin ‘EBT’ Muscat gaslighting, quickly followed by Celtic sources shooting down the story, certainly makes the retention of these two coaches slightly more palatable does it not? Clever that one, and has the hallmark of the outgoing CEO all over it, some might suggest!
Whatever the plan is Dominic McKay should simply tell us what it is and that honesty, that openness, that communication, might even allow the healing to begin. This Celtic infighting is tiresome, it’s self destructive and it helps only our foes.
It’s time to talk Dom, but you already know that, right?
The silence from the CFC ticket Office, Celtic Shop, Hospitality Bookings and Merchandising Department must be deafening……..which is why Lawell has been told to clear his desk early. presumably?
The slightest whiff of Lawell in the building and the trust will collapse (again).
As Strachan Snr alluded to, Postecoglou is not an unknown in global terms and he did take Australia to a World Cup Finals, an Asian Cup winners trophy and he won the the J League which gave CFC a player of the calibre of Nakamura no less.
Its fair to say he has much more in his locker than NFL ever had and that Eddie Who? will never witness the glamour, glitter and lights of a Wednesday night in the Champions league either with CFC or anyone else for that matter…………..Postecoglou may yet get there though.
However the retention of Kennedy & Strachan Jnr will be the kiss of death for Postecoglou for sure.
CFC could do much worse than this guy for the assistant and he is actually a CFC employee as we speak;
https://thecelticstar.com/our-approach-is-always-aggressive-brave-and-attacking-minded-celtic-manager-fran-alonso/
Persuade Shaun Maloney to return as the DoF on a 5 year deal and at least the dug out is covered.
The rest of the board can be restructured and dispensed with and replaced with younger, more dynamic and forward thinkers through attrition/natural wastage.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD LAWELL BE ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING IN ANY EXECUTIVE CAPACITY.
The apology – already overdue — should be from the Chairman on behalf of the board, who seem to comprise a self-styled “principal shareholder” and a few nodding dogs. They run the company. The CEO is a paid executive, whether or not Peter Lawwell ended up with too much power is a moot point now that he is gone. His replacement should set out the plan (if there is one in place, which I doubt) but the chairman is the man who should speak on behalf of Celtic to the supporters. They owe supporters, season tickets holders and ordinary shareholders a sincere apology; I doubt it will come, sadly.