Chris Sutton’s Sharp Outburst Against The Celtic Board: Should They Listen To Him? | OneFootball

Chris Sutton has publicly questioned the Celtic board for failing to replace former head of football operations Paul Tisdale, whose position has remained vacant since January, with little visible movement on a successor. Sutton’s remarks, reported by the Daily Record, cut right to the heart of a club that have spent months lurching from one crisis to the next without any real structural certainty.

Celtic board silent on key appointment as pressure mounts

Tisdale departed Celtic in January alongside manager Wilfried Nancy, having been central to bringing the Frenchman to Glasgow. Since then, the board has offered supporters next to nothing in the way of transparency. Winning two trophies has strengthened the case for Martin O’Neill to remain as manager, yet the head of football operations post remains conspicuously unfilled. Sutton was blunt on the matter, arguing that clubs are already progressing their summer business while Celtic sit still.

Celtic’s transfer gap is already widening this summer

Sutton stated that if O’Neill is the chosen candidate for any role, the process should already be done, adding that the director of football position remains unresolved, with no visible replacement in sight to make transfer decisions. Meanwhile, recruitment has been awful, with mistakes from last summer not corrected in January, and fans have watched the erosion of a successful squad while money continues to leave the club. That is the backdrop against which Sutton’s latest criticism arrives.

Sutton commented: “Paul Tisdale is long gone. What’s happening with the job he vacated? Clubs are already making moves. Rangers have signed Lawrence Shankland.

“Deals are being made behind the scenes, and Celtic are losing ground already. That’s an unpalatable situation for fans after the goings-on of the past 12 to 18 months in the transfer market.”

Celtic return to pre-season on June 26 and face a vital Champions League qualification tie in August, making the current leadership vacuum especially costly given the enormous financial prizes at stake. Every day that passes without a head of football operations in place is a day where transfer targets are being courted by better-organised rivals.

What must Celtic do now?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 23: Arne Engels of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates Alistair Johnston and Benjamin Nygren during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Final match between Celtic and Dunfermline at Hampden Park on May 23, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

This is genuinely a moment to think for Celtic. The board must stop hiding behind a double-winning season as cover for their structural failures and move decisively on the Tisdale replacement before pre-season arrives.

A competent head of football operations needs to be in position immediately, with a clear mandate and the authority to act fast. There are strong indications of a boardroom clear-out, with questions surrounding CEO Michael Nicholson and three non-executive directors reportedly stepping down. That upheaval, however necessary, cannot become an excuse for further delay in football operations.

The fans deserve better. Celtic deserve better. Sutton is right, and the board know it.