A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS

A lot of Celtic fans thought that a 3-1 defeat at home to the rangers and a record of 2 wins out of 8 and only getting 6 points from a possible 18 would be enough for the Celtic board to admit to their failing and act now to try salvage something from the season and sack Wilfried Nancy and bring in a new manager to steady the ship.

It is an incredible fall from domestic dominance for Celtic who are still only 6 points behind league leaders Hearts, level on points with the rangers. While the chasing pack of Motherwell are 2 points  and Hibs are 4 points behind Celtic after the first game of the New Year. There is still time but someone has to have the balls to act on it now. Dermot Desmond was absent from one of our biggest games of the season yesterday which tells its own story of how big of a supporter he is of Celtic.

The atmosphere was lively yesterday before kick off but the Green Brigades absence was noticeable when things turned for the worst against Celtic in the second half and the only fans singing where those in away section. There was a minutes applause for the late John Robertson and you would wonder what the former Celtic assistant manager and 2 time European Cup winner would have thought of how far Celtic have fallen in such a short space of time since the departure of his great friend Martin O’Neill after picking up the November manager of the month award for his unbeaten record in Scotland and that great away win in Feyenoord.

 

Celtic dominated the first half and Yang scored a cracker to get everyone off their seats and excited but yet again Celtic failed to deliver in front of goal. This statistic has to lie at the door of the recruitment department at Celtic under Paul Tisdale who has failed to replace Kyogo and Idah upfront. He has brought in Shin but the fact that 3 Celtic managers have given him very little playing time tells another tale of the shambles our recruitment has become while the Celtic board stock pile the cheques in the bank while cashing their own very large ones.

At halftime over a Bovril there was plenty of positivity with the fans I spoke to. While we were chatting the rangers manager made one personal change and changed the formation and yet again Celtic were exposed at the back and humiliated by our biggest rivals. The anger in the main stand where I sit was there for all to see as Celtic fans turned their anger on the Celtic board members sitting in the directors box. Their seats might be comfortable but the atmosphere was anything but.

After the third goal Celtic fans started voting with their feet and the stadium was almost deserted of Green and White by full time. The Celtic players walked up the tunnel looking dejected and Luke McCowan’s comments after the game told its own story of where the players heads are. The rangers fans celebrated long after the final whistle and chants of keep the board only added to the insult of how we had just watched Celtic crumble again in the second half.

It a shambles lets call a spade a spade here. After the game there was an angry protest at the front of the stadium where Police lined up in front of the iconic Celtic statues. A sad sight and a sad state of affairs .

The Celtic Fan Collective released a statement shortly after the game. That was followed up by one from the the Association of Registered Celtic Supporters Clubs.

Nancy now has a week to work with the Celtic players ahead of the game against Dundee United who have already beaten Celtic under his watch when after dominating the first half in Tannadice the team fell apart in the second half in what has become a recurring nightmare.

The Celtic team will likely post up images ahead of the game of all laughs and smiles at training between the manager and the players but their body language on match day tells a tale. And what is going on when a coach is sent out of the dugout to warm up subs during the game. I am sure a veteran player like James Forest knows how to warm himself up. He must be thinking what’s going on here!

Even as bad as things are Celtic should beat Dundee United who sit mid table in the table. A win would once again paper over the cracks at the club as they did when we beat Aberdeen and bottom place Livingston over the festive period.

The Celtic team will likely post up images ahead of the game of all laughs and smiles at training between the manager and the players but their body language on match day tells a tale. And what is going on when a coach is sent out of the dugout to warm up subs during the game. I am sure a veteran player like James Forest knows how to warm himself up. He must be thinking what’s going on here!

Even as bad as things are Celtic should beat Dundee United who sit mid table in the table. A win would once again paper over the cracks at the club as they did when we beat Aberdeen and bottom place Livingston over the festive period.

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast