Sack The Board – 'We need to improve the squad,' Brendan Rodgers

Sack the board? They’ll just continue to laugh and count your cash…

The morning after the night before, and despite still being in contention to qualify for the group stages it’s still a sore one to take after sitting through what can only be described as a turgid 100 minutes of football.

Celtic were well below par, and lacked the tempo, composure and commitment of a side who crave to play among Europes elite. Our final ball was woeful, and our goal threat was non-existent against a side who without being brilliant were well organised and had far more desire to succeed.

There was ten minutes extra added at the end of normal time, but we could have played until midnight and still failed to find the back of the net, yes we were really that bad.

Chants of ‘Sack the Board’ rang out in more than a few occasions as the supporters vented their frustration and anger at the lack of support for the manager in the transfer market, with the three main players behind the scenes Peter Lawwell, Michael Nicholson and Christopher McKay looking on.

They have ears like the rest of us and would have heard quite clearly, and like the rest of us they have eyes and would have witnessed the sub-standard product we see on the pitch. A 34 year-old winger playing because there was no-one else as they sold Nicolas Kuhn without replacing him. Adam Idah playing because they never replaced Kyogo.

They watched as Alistair Johnston done his hamstring so will miss much of whatever European campaign is to follow after next Tuesday, knowing that Anthony Ralston could be pitched in against the best wingers in European football if Brendan Rodgers pulls a rabbit out of the hat next Tuesday. Even in the Europa League this weakened Celtic side is likely to struggle but in the Champions League – after the promise of last season – it will be mauled.

The question is though, do they really care?

No would be the correct answer based on the evidence we have before us. They only care about themselves and will continue to count the mountains of cash we have in reserve whilst laughing at our gullibility. We need change and need it fast.

Peter Lawwell is a divisive figure, who was previously to boss of both the current CEO (Michael Nicholson) and the  current Financial Director (Christopher McKay), the latter two are supposedly running the show but there remains a lingering suspicion that the work of Lawwell is still having a major impact. It’s time up Peter, for the good of Celtic you must surely see that?

Michael Nicholson’s vow of silence is unacceptable. He is a lawyer and all he knows about signing players is working for the current Celtic Chairman as Celtic’s company secretary. The paperwork was always in order, but a world class football CEO Michael Nicholson is not. After this summer he has shown himself to be well short in what is needed.

Sack the Board was the chant, started in the North Curve but within seconds booming out around the stadium.

Enough is enough. Brendan Rodgers has not been backed. He has said he will not stay at Celtic if the club fails to show ambition. That was said on the day before the Flag Day win over St Mirren. No-one has been signed since them. Kuhn, Kyogo and Jota have not been replaced so we had a front three of Maeda, Idah and Forrest – one well past his best and the other two well short of their best.

The team ‘selection’ wasn’t down to Rodgers who didn’t have one hand tied behind his back, he had two. He’ll leave in the summer and the long term plan to put John Kennedy in the manager’s post will be implemented, with Shaun Maloney and Gavin Strachan as his wingmen.

The control will be theirs. Maybe even Peter’s boy Mark will come back?