Atrás
Let me talk about something that, in my opinion, has become one of the biggest problems at Celtic: leadership. Or, perhaps more accurately, the complete lack of it.
Because honestly, what on earth is going on at Celtic Park? We are watching a club that seems increasingly incapable of taking responsibility, making decisive decisions or, heaven forbid, admitting that something is seriously wrong.
Everybody appears to be tiptoeing around the problems, speaking in diplomatic language, keeping things nice and comfortable and hoping that somehow everything will magically fall into place.
Well, I have news for you: it won’t. And I am getting rather fed up with it.
As a Celtic supporter, I expect much more from my club. I expect standards, accountability, ambition and, above all, leadership. Not another round of carefully worded interviews, not another collection of reassuring statements and certainly not another attempt to sweep uncomfortable questions under the carpet.
We are Celtic Football Club, not some Sunday afternoon committee trying to avoid upsetting anybody. Sometimes, somebody needs to stand up, bang the table and say enough is enough. And that time is now.
When a football club finds itself in difficulty, when performances are inconsistent, when results are disappointing and when supporters are becoming increasingly frustrated, this is precisely the moment when leadership should become visible.
Not hidden. Not quiet. Not conveniently absent. Someone needs to take responsibility for what is happening. Someone needs to grab this club by the scruff of the neck, look at the problems directly and start doing something about them.
Instead, what do we get?
A rather uncomfortable atmosphere in which everybody seems determined to keep things low-key. Martin O’Neill appears to be trying to calm everything down, the people above him are hardly providing the sort of visible direction supporters want to see, and the entire situation feels as though we are waiting for somebody else to solve it.
I respect Martin O’Neill. I always have. His contribution to Celtic’s history cannot simply be erased because of a difficult period.
However, respect for a manager does not mean I have to agree with everything happening under his watch. Nor does it mean that criticism should suddenly become forbidden. I want O’Neill to succeed. I want him to get this team playing football worthy of Celtic.
But I also want him to recognise that reassuring everybody is not the same as addressing the problems. Calmness has its place, but there comes a point when calmness without decisive action starts looking remarkably like complacency.
And that is something Celtic cannot afford. What frustrates me most is that Celtic seem to have developed an unhealthy relationship with uncomfortable conversations.
Why are we so reluctant to confront things directly?
If the tactics are not working, examine them. If players are being used outside their natural positions, explain why. If recruitment has been inadequate, address it. If there are problems within the coaching structure, investigate them.
If the board is failing to provide the football department with the direction and resources it needs, then somebody must answer for that too.
It is not rocket science.
I like clarity. I like arguments supported by evidence, conclusions that follow logically and people who are prepared to stand behind what they say. I certainly do not appreciate beautifully constructed sentences that ultimately say absolutely nothing.
And sometimes, listening to the way Celtic communicate, I wonder whether we are witnessing an exercise in diplomatic English rather than actual football leadership.
Words are easy. Actions are considerably more difficult.
Supporters do not need another performance in front of the microphones. We need to see that somebody understands the seriousness of the situation and is prepared to take responsibility for changing it.
And let us not pretend that everything begins and ends with Martin O’Neill. Celtic’s leadership problem is much bigger than the dugout.
Where is the visible direction from the board? Where is the person responsible for ensuring that the football operation works properly?
Where is the clear strategy that connects recruitment, coaching, player development and the ambitions of this football club?
We cannot continually expect managers to arrive, work with the circumstances presented to them and somehow produce miracles.
A football club of Celtic’s stature needs a functioning structure. It needs people who understand modern football, people who can identify weaknesses before they become disasters and people who are prepared to make difficult decisions.
And, crucially, it needs accountability.
I am tired of seeing responsibility become something everybody seems happy to discuss but nobody appears particularly keen to accept.
If things go well, there are plenty of people willing to stand in front of the cameras. If things go wrong, suddenly everything becomes complicated, explanations become lengthy and decisive action seems to disappear.
Well, Celtic supporters deserve better.
We deserve leadership that is visible not only when trophies are being lifted but, more importantly, when the club is struggling.
That is when you discover who is actually prepared to lead.
Someone needs to grab Celtic by the fucking neck.
Let me make one thing absolutely clear. I am not writing this because I have stopped believing in Celtic. Quite the opposite.
I am writing because I care deeply about this club, because I want to see the Boys in Green and White playing football that makes us proud, and because I refuse to accept that the current situation should simply become our new normal.
Celtic has a history, an identity and a responsibility to its supporters. We have witnessed magnificent teams, extraordinary European nights and moments that have stayed with generations of supporters.
We know what this club can be when everything comes together.
So why are we behaving as though expecting proper standards is somehow unreasonable?
I do not want panic. I do not want decisions made simply to satisfy the immediate anger of supporters. And I certainly do not want another round of managerial musical chairs without addressing the underlying structural problems.
What I want is leadership. Real leadership.
Someone who is prepared to say: this is not good enough, this is what needs to change, these are the people responsible and this is how we are going to put things right. No hiding. No excuses. No pretending that everything will sort itself out.
Because it won’t.
And I am sorry, but somebody at Celtic needs to wake up.
For fuck’s sake, step up. Grab this club by its neck and start taking responsibility. Stop the nonsense, stop the diplomatic dance and start acting like the people entrusted with running one of Scotland’s biggest football institutions.
I want Martin O’Neill to succeed. I want the players to rediscover their confidence, I want Celtic Park to become a fortress again and I want the green and white lion to roar with the authority we all know it possesses.
But none of that will happen through wishful thinking and Celtic does not need another person telling supporters to remain calm. It needs somebody with the courage, authority and determination to take control.
And until somebody does, we will continue going around in circles, wondering why the same problems keep returning.
Leadership is not about occupying a position. It is about having the courage to do something when doing nothing is the easiest option.
Come on, Celtic. Enough is enough. Someone, please, take charge.
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