Michael Stewart delivered a blunt evaluation of Celtic’s underperforming start to the season, attributing the Hoops’ on-field difficulties to the club’s inability to strengthen the squad effectively during the summer transfer window…
He believes that although the abysmal summer window has undoubtedly played a significant part, several of Celtic’s experienced players have also fallen short of expectations.
During an appearance on the Premier Sports Scottish Football Social Club show, Stewart suggested that Celtic’s problems extend beyond individual displays, pointing to a dip in confidence and unity that began when key departures weren’t properly addressed.
Stewart said: “It’s a multitude of reasons and it all goes back to the summer window. When you’re in a changing room and you know you need strengthened, and you’ve got your bigger players moving on and not replaced, that creates negativity.”
“Then you have the civil war — the manager and the statements going back and forward — these things have clearly had an impact on the atmosphere and synergy. It’s not there off the park and it’s impacted on the park.”
The former Hibs and Hearts midfielder added: “Look at the team as a whole. Schmeichel is looking a year older, Alistair Johnston is out injured. Cameron Carter-Vickers has been okay. Liam Scales, you’re still thinking they need to strengthen there. Kieran Tierney is still working his way back in. Callum McGregor is needing some help in the middle of the park. Hatate looks like the edge is out of his game.”
“Nygren is a good signing, but he’s not intense — he has the quality. And then you come to the front line — the front line has been the major issue.”
“The players that were already there were looking like they needed a fresh injection of new blood to get them going again — and it’s not happened,” Stewart continued.
“The front line has been decimated, and Iheanacho looks like he’ll be a good signing but he’s still not fully fit and he’s really their only option.”
Stewart’s comments reflect most Celtic fans’ thoughts around the current situation on the pitch. A squad that has major problems from goalkeeper to forward line that was not addressed adequately in the summer.
Can the manager do better with the players at his disposal? Most definitely. However, he was not helped at all in the transfer market. Five of the 11 signings don’t make matchday squads, and the team is shockingly considerably weaker than what Celtic finished with at Hampden against Aberdeen last season.
Ultimately, the board not only undermined the manager but deliberately weakened the team as a result. They should be continually held to account, and going by the meeting on Monday night with supporters groups, they are not taking any responsibility for it.
Conor Spence
Danny McGrain has signed the remaining batch of David Potter’s outstanding final book Celtic in the Eighties so hurry to get your signed copy!
Ordering is simple, just place your order for Celtic in the Eighties at celticstarbooks.com/shop and we’ll do the rest, ensuring your copy is signed by Danny PLUS you’ll also receive a complimentary Willie Fernie book dispatched by the next working day, whilst stocks last.
Please note that stocks are now running very low indeed and the book will NOT be reprinted. Click on the image below to order. Also postage will only be charged on ONE book, not per item so if you are in Britain or the six counties you will pay £24.50 for both books – one side by Danny McGrain and that includes the postage costs for speedy delivery. As always the books are hardback and are of the highest quality.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO ORDER…
I find it ironic that Peter Lawwell and the rest of the board describe themselves as supporters, yet are apparently unable to see what’s plainly obvious to every other supporter. For reasons I cannot fathom, they are intent on taking the club backwards through a lack of ambition and ideas.
It’s not surprising that, when the board doesn’t change membership for a very long time, it becomes stagnant and unable to embrace change – that’s very much what’s happened here. I don’t doubt that, at some level, they believe they’re doing the best thing for the club. The problem is they’re no longer fit to make that judgement
Respectfully Alex, what I find unfathomable, is how you are confusing these two things and getting them backwards!
Lawwell and the rest of the board have a track record of enormous success as Celtic supporting board members! There is NOTHING you can deny about this! They are giolty of failing to build on recruitment in a timely manner. Of this, there’s no argument. But everything else they do, and have done, have us where we are and very secure financially! Like it or not, THIS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT!
Do you want to risk going into extinction like the old Rangers did?
Do you want the return of the barren years without titles, trophies, success of any kind? I don’t!
Like it or not, Peter Lawwell and the rest of our Celtic Supporting Board go us all this!
We can be better, sure, but these guys bleed GREEN AND WHITE!
Clearly you aren’t aware of what’s considered best practice in corporate governance. Far too many of the board members are either on the cusp of what is recognised in organisations in all industries as maximum term of service, or have gone beyond it.
There’s a reason why best practice says 9 year maximum terms, because stagnation of ideas becomes deeply embedded into the organisation, as does a willingness to ignore inconvenient truths, like the fact that we annually subsidise HMRC to the tune of £11m in corporation tax because our board literally can’t think of anything better to do with the money.
Given the financial reward we could have reaped in the CL this year, the failure to recruit players to fill positions that were desperately needing covered in good time is nothing short of corporate negligence.
The one time we brought in new blood in Dom Mackay, he was hounded out the door because he wanted to make changes.
I’m not suggesting that we go out and put the club into financial difficulties, but common sense tells me that risking a minimum £40m payout because you aren’t willing to bring players in in a timely fashion is a dereliction of duty, full stop
By all means, you keep your rose tinted glasses on, and fortune to you. I prefer my vison to be clear and accepting of facts, not comforting fictions
What a lovely way to introduce new players into our club, when there getting classed as abysmal?
Is it any wonder players are holding back upon joining ourselves, when there getting written off, by the time the transfer window slams shut?
Would be terrible thing to do, with letting footballing facts and decision making, to cloud the constant summer window agenda?
We haven’t looked anywhere near a CL team for some time now, and looking nowhere near becoming one anytime soon either.
By all means totally ignore how come 12 players, without AJ and Trusty, can drop off so dramatically in performance levels, yet were part of what was promoted as a successful CL campaign, only 6 months ago?
So it’s the fault of the 6 new additions to the squad, now is it?
Bullshit, and totally disrespectful claims to our players, that even Scottish media standards, wouldn’t stoop so low, to be making, but OK for our so called supporters can do?
It’s the main job for any football manager, to try and get the best out of his squad of players available.
Doesn’t apply to ourselves however, with ready-made excuses to suit the forever ongoing agenda in play with ourselves.
Our main success last season, was built upon our home form, with results, which in general where very good overall.
Has that been anywhere near close, to being maintained this season?
Our away form, will possibly remain a mixed bag, with the one dimensional style of play in operation, that’s meant to be designed to suit all playing surfaces, and opposition.
Might help at this stage of a season, if we could get a functioning midfield?
So nygren is the reason then, because he’s the only abysmal addition, to the 5 who were in place last season?
Of course Tierney and Saracchi is totally downgrade upon Taylor and schulpp, who made our LB position such a strong feature of our team last season?
So we are missing our 9M substitute, and kuhn who had downed tools 6 months previously, so hugely now?
Strange really, when both had prolonged periods of not getting totally accepted within our support?
If Rodgers can’t get the performance levels from his squad of players available, then that’s on him.
Results are not quite at sacking levels yet, but moreso with credit levels earned from himself, moreso than what has been achieved within this calendar year to date?
In a Results business, this will be the deciding factor, for when the reset and change button, will eventually gets pressed.
It will happen, the unanswered question still remains as to when?
I’m a bit lost to how to support the team, with so many abysmal players are on show apparently?
A squad so weak now, despite having more options available, than struggling so badly last season with only 2 injuries in place for ourselves, and couldn’t use the 5 available subs, within the bigger matches?
The quickest and easiest change within any club, starts with the managerial role.
Don’t believe we are quite there just yet, but not totally convinced we could fall into that category, sooner rather than later either imo?
In the meantime, I hope Rodgers can start getting better performance levels, with results, even if not totally convinced any longer.
Will continue to support our newer players, despite getting labelled as abysmal.
Will hope to start seeing players who have provided so much success within there Celtic careers to date, can start to regain the form that provided that success in the first instance.
Would like to think that improvement, will be seen eventually after this international break, as getting closer to the stage of why not, growing louder imo?