The international break has fallen fortuitously for the decision makers at Celtic Park but for us - or me personally - it seemed like a nice time to dial down the mania that goes hand in hand with supporting Celtic. Good luck with that though. A summer of discontent, became a strange existential misery of sorts, before descending into utter disaster. The manager is completely disenfranchised from the ownership; the support are not just fulminating but frothing at the mouth.
The positives, well, the transfer window has closed - it’s only slightly ajar for us at the best of times - but unfortunately closed does not equate to closure, far from it.
The wounds are still being licked, the fall out is monumental and well, the damage has been done. Football has became a sidenote, as attention and discussion remains firmly focused on the complete shambles of a summer. This will not pass quickly with a few arbitrary wins throughout September; talk of boycotts often seem radical or far fetched but fans are mobilising swiftly - by Wednesday night 40k had completed a fan survey - and there is a real intent for change.
The realisation has now dawned, upon the majority, that Celtic are ascendant, despite those in charge. The defiance, sheer ignorance and disdain with which Celtic addressed the support’s concerns - at 9pm on a Saturday - was jaw droppingly dismissive and self-incriminating into the bargain.
This time - I say this time because we’ve been here many a time before - the anger is heightened by, the heights almost reached at the Allianz in Febuary. That night in Munich, was the most accomplished iteration of Celtic we’ve seen in two decades. The next step was obvious, the strategy simple.
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me 10,000 times …. Well, you know the rest.
What has gone on at Celtic, in the last couple of months, is worthy of commissioned investigation, one that would probably be similar in length to the Warren Report and maybe just as scandalous.
Not signing players is one thing but to increase season ticket prices with the intention to hoard cash is tantamount to theft. Only 1 premier league team in England has more cash in the bank than Celtic. It is an obscene amount of money to hold and not something to be proud of. It’s not a strategy problem, it’s not a scouting issue, it’s the will of one man and a massive departure from the fabled beginnings and ethos of Celtic.
“A football club will be formed to exploit it’s support, even in the toughest of times. £80million pounds in cash reserves is not enough. No stone will be left unturned in our quest to be as detestable as possible” was not the blueprint.
Incompetence, corporate negligence, conservatism, ego and ultimately failure. From the “Credibility restored” in Munich to what was possibly, the most embarrassing result, in our contemporary European history; all of this, while the biscuit tin buckles under the weight of cash stuffed inside.
The internecine warfare between Desmond’s ensemble of lapdogs/bloodhounds and the manager has took it’s toll, and the only thing that could keep Brendan Rodgers at Celtic now is if he develops a bad dose of Stockholm syndrome.
“I’m not sure how many different ways I can say it.” Was the coded plea for the journalists - and fans - post 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty.
It’s been an uphill struggle for Rodgers, a hill he looks willing to let his Celtic career die on. Who can really blame him? The similarities in questions and tone of reply, are eerily similar to 2019.
In this particular soap opera, the writers are about to snuff out the lead character.
A lighter note.
I didn’t even get to see the derby, thank god. Packing up a van and driving home to Glasgow was my priority for that particular day. Four years of living and working in London, has come to end and so I return to the homeland. I had my first run out at indoor 5s in the Donald Dewar centre(Drumchapel) on Tuesday night and much like Kieran Tierney i’m not quite what I was. Anyhow.
Next up Kilmarnock(A). People will have breezed through a stretch for murder, with more patience than I handle international fortnight. As poor as it’s been, I’m looking forward to Sunday.
Excuse the lack of writing over the last couple of weeks. It’s been a hectic time and like many of you, i’m in a massive huff with Celtic. I do however, seem to have benefitted from the journalistic equivalent of Darren O’Dea syndrome - where a player gets better with every game they don’t play, due to inadequate alternatives - and picked up loads of new subscribers. Silver linings etc etc.
In Zaire, you’ll find us there.
Mark