This season has had disaster written all over it from outset, thanks to Celtic Board

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The Celtic Star

·16 December 2025

This season has had disaster written all over it from outset, thanks to Celtic Board

I wrote an article after the Premier Sports League Cup final defeat to St Mirren focusing on Wilfried Nancy and how his appointment has been an unmitigated disaster so far for Celtic…

Wilfried Nancy. Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

I bemoaned the timing of his arrival, throwing him into the fray ahead of three of the most important games this season. As we all know we have lost all three and somehow, after less than two weeks in the job, we are already questioning the manager’s position. It’s certainly hard to make a case for Nancy at this moment in time.

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Nancy hasn’t got off to the best of starts

It’s safe to say that our new boss hasn’t got off to the best of starts, and to be honest deserves a lot of the criticism thrown his way. However as time has passed since Sunday my sense of frustration has moved beyond Nancy and back to where it deserves to be, fully focused on our board. This season’s woes didn’t begin with the arrival of Wilfried Nancy. This season has had disaster written all over it from the outset, and most of it has emanated from decisions made at board level.

The Celtic Board. Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Rodgers stated time after time that his squad needed reinforcements

Firstly we had to endure a summer where our manager at the time, Brendan Rodgers, stated time after time that his squad needed reinforcements brought in. Every squad needs to freshen up between campaigns but when you have already failed to replace the teams number one striker in the previous transfer window then that needs becomes even more vital.

We then proceed to sell Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah, on top of failing to re-sign Greg Taylor at the end of his contract. Three players who were all vitally important components of a hugely successful team in the past season now gone.

Kieran Tierney. Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The amount of goals coming out of that team is incredible

So there we have four of our top players leaving the team. Not only that but the amount of goals coming out of that team is incredible. Kyogo, Idah and Kuhn were all prolific goalscorers. The majority of our goals came via this trio. We have made good money from these sales so surely they would replace quality with quality? Not quite. On paper we replaced Taylor with Kieran Tierney which seemed like an upgrade. Unfortunately Tierney has regressed alarmingly and is rarely able to see out 90 minutes. Surely Celtic did their due diligence before handing out that five year contract?

Then we have those three goalscoring attackers to replace. Exciting rumours appear daily but before we have the chance to imagine how they would perform in a Celtic top news would filter through that they had signed elsewhere.

Jota at the Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Paying over the odds for Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha

In the end we go and pay over the odds for Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Two wingers who incredibly play the same position. A position that is also favoured by the injured Jota, Daizen Maeda and Yang, leaving James Forrest as our only right winger. Well we actually thought we had brought in Benjamin Nygren to play that position but seemingly that’s a position he’s not comfortable in. The mind boggles.

Benjamin Nygren during the Premier League match between Hibernian and Celtic at Easter Road on November 30, 2025. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

At this point we still haven’t replaced our two strikers, until late in the window when we sign an out of form Japanese striker Shin Yamada and after the window has closed, an out of contract Kelechi Iheanacho. You couldn’t make it up.

The window was an absolute disaster

Things got even worse when we heard shortly afterwards that both Yang and Maeda wanted away but Celtic pulled the plug last minute. So two more unsettled, frustrated players who would rather be somewhere else thrown into the bargain. Rodgers was rightly furious and let it be known publicly that he was far from happy.

Brendan Rodgers talks to the media after the match. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

These events would ultimately see Brendan Rodgers at loggerheads with Dermot Desmond and the board and before long we would get the news the Rodgers had tendered his resignation. We then got that incredible statement attacking Rodgers sent out by Dermot Desmond via the official Celtic website and all hell broke loose. After this we quite rightly saw fan groups step forward and question what is going on at the club only to be ignored by the board and those who supposedly run the club. Nothing changes there then?

Shaun Maloney and Martin O’Neill at Celtic Park on October 28, 2025 (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

This then has seen the relationship between the board and the fans disintegrate even further, culminating in the board indefinitely banning the Green Brigade from games. The only thing the board have done all season that actually worked was bringing Martin O’Neill in. Even then they still managed to make a mess of it by releasing him and bringing in Wilfried Nancy right before three hugely important games, all of which we have now lost.

Honestly if this was a soap opera people would say it’s a bit far fetched.

This board absolutely despises scrutiny. They are the most opaque board in football. They treat the fan base with utter contempt. They have made error after error over the past year and refuse to face the consequences. Instead of being open and transparent with the millions of Celtic fans who loves the club, they do everything in their power to keep us in the dark. Even now their latest move is to stop all fan media attending press conferences. They would rather welcome in the Scottish mainstream media, the most of whom loathe our club, than give our fan media access.

The decline in Celtic started with the summer’s transfer window.

Ross Desmond at Celtic AGM. 21 November 2025.Screenshot social media

Since then the board have been shifting the club from one disaster to another. The situation regarding the departure of Rodgers was nothing short of an embarrassment. As was the AGM where Desmond Jr tried to outdo Daddy by showing his absolute detestation of the Celtic fans. Banning the Green Brigade, and in turn killing the atmosphere during home games at Celtic Park, was another self inflicted blow to an already wounded season.

The timing of it all reeked of total ineptitude

The whole episode surrounding installing the new manager and the timing of it all reeked of total ineptitude. These Charlatans are to blame for this current debacle much more than Wilfried Nancy. Yet still we hear nothing from them. I’m absolutely flabbergasted at some of the comments I read defending the board in the comments section of the many articles posted on The Celtic Star. Are these people watching the same film as the rest of us or are they just working for the PR firm reportedly brought to counter the Celtic Fans Collective. (One of the replies Conall is referring to came from a chap with a Santa Claus email address – Ed).

Celtic Fans Collective protest poster outside Celtic Park on 29 October 2025. Photo The Celtic Star

Yes, in years gone by the board has steadied the ship financially and made some good decisions. But we can’t live in the past. Currently they are making decisions that are harming Celtic. Their actions are widening the gap between the supporters and the club they, the fans, love.

If they were a football manager how would this play out?

Successful in the past but results now in steady decline? They would be sacked. Unfortunately in this scenario they are the masters of their own fate, and that’s the reason they are battening down the hatches. The Celtic Board know they are failing but won’t admit it.

I have heard people say it’s time we got rid of Nancy.

Callum McGregor with Wilfried Nancy. Premier Sports Cup Final. St Mirren v Celtic. Hampden Park, Sunday 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Do they really believe this board will sack him? That would be admitting they were wrong, and we know that is something they will never admit. Look at the covid season when the fans were crying out for Neil Lennon to be sacked.

The self preservation club

The Celtic Board at Tynecastle.. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Everyone could see his time was up, that if we changed manager we could still salvage the season. The board however dug its heels in. They would rather prove that they won’t be bullied by the Celtic fans demands than do what is right for the club. That right there is the crux of the story. They proclaim to love Celtic but their number one priority isn’t our club. It’s looking after themselves.

The evidence against the Celtic board couldn’t be clearer.

They are the main reason our club is in rapid decline. For years Celtic remained top of the pile in Scottish football DESPITE this board. It was only a matter of time until their ineptitude severely harmed us both on and off the pitch. That time unfortunately has finally arrived.

Conall McGinty

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