Celtic Board, Brendan Rodgers, our players – They’re all to blame

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The Celtic Star

·27 août 2025

Celtic Board, Brendan Rodgers, our players – They’re all to blame

Everyone’s to blame, from the board to the manager and his players…

Adam Idah of Celtic appears dejected after missing a penalty during the shootout Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 August 2025. Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

The morning after the night before and it’s still a terribly sore one to take. Exiting the Champions League to Kairat on penalties means of course that Celtic miss out on the prestige and financial gains that come with being involved in world football’s premier club competition.

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The Europa League is nothing but a second rate side show and the gap in quality and financial reward is widening all the time. In the cold light of day though Celtic are not a Champions League club, they don’t behave like one and frankly don’t deserve to be one.

READ THIS…Rinse and Repeat – Maribor, Malmo, AEK, Cluj, Ferencváros, Midtjylland – and now Kairat

Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic talks with their players before being substituted on Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

No disrespect to our opponents Kairat, but they were a side we should have easily brushed aside, although we can’t be sore losers and can only congratulate them as they wanted it more and it showed over the two legs. Brendan was very gracious in defeat in his post match media conference and earned a round of applause from the local journalist in the room. No-one of a Celtic persuasion was clapping him or his players after that performance, except of course the 400-500 supporters who travelled half way around the world to support the team.

READ THIS…That was an accident waiting to happen – Celtic down and out in Almaty

Peter Lawwell, Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay applaud during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Livingston at Celtic Park on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

If their commitment to the cause was mirrored in the Celtic Boardroom we’d not be talking about this today.

It was two games of football devoid of any real quality, and nowhere near Champions League quality, not even Europa league, conference maybe at a push, Celtic failed to turn up. Last night the pitch, the travelling, the altitude could be blamed but these were known factors and the real reason we’re out is because of that dreadful performance at Celtic Park last Wednesday night. Kairat will be whipping boys in the Champions League – as indeed that Celtic squad without strengthening would be.

The man on control of Celtic, Dermot Desmond, along with his executive manager team of Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay and the Chairman Peter Lawwell plus the rest of the Celtic board (who do what exactly?) are largely responsible due to their gross incompetence and negligence when it comes to the recruitment side of things. They were happy to have their hands out collecting £27m for the sale of Kyogo and Kuhn but spent nothing trying to replace them and ended up losing £40m as a result. That’s a £13m loss the way I and many other supporters see it.

READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic v Outer Jibrovia

Yang Hyun-Jun of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 August 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Brendan Rodgers although failed by his bosses when it comes to getting provided with the proper tools to do his job, also has to accept his share of the blame, as he after all is the man who is in charge of the team, and he failed over two legs against a bang average side. Brendan’s not covered himself in glory, and made a mockery of the term ‘elite’ manager. Those who have used the elite word would say look down the road and see what’s coming next in terms of the Celtic manager’s job.

The players of course also have to take a good long look in the mirror, as their performance over the two legs was underwhelming to say the least. Defensively we looked secure, but offensively we were a shambles, Daizen Maeda in particular who blew two gilt edge chances at vital moments in both legs. The penalties were a disgrace, just as bad as they were at Hampden and Kasper Schmeichel was nowhere near any of their spot kicks. Same as at Hampden back in May.

READ THIS…Arrogant assumptions cost Celtic a Treble and UCL progression

Kasper Schmeichel of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

We’re out and we deserve to be out. We’ll now go into the Europa League, and we can’t have any complaints about that having put ourselves in this position with no-one to blame but those running our club, managing the team and the players themselves. Major improvements are needed from top to bottom if we want to test ourselves at the highest level any time soon. Indeed those improvements are needed if we are to compete at Europa League level.

If there are – and most of us probably think this is the case – players in that team with an eye on the exit door, either before or after last night’s shambles, I’ll organise their taxis to the airport. Thanks for the memories but if you don’t want to be at Celtic please go before the window closes.

READ THIS…Brendan Rodgers’ deceptive smile hides the pain

Daizen Maeda of Celtic reacts to missing an opportunity Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 August 2025. Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Brendan Rodgers will stay until the end of the season due to his promise when he returned. The Board might be better lancing the boil and sacking him, just as the manager mentioned might happen last week. Then they can appoint who they probably have their eye on already as his replacement.

Any incoming players – and they are badly needed – must arrive and perhaps a resignation letter or three might be the honourable thing to do from those right at the top of this mess.

Celtic and Kairat Almaty line ups Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 August 2025. Photo Anikita Bassov Shutterstock

Next up is Ibrox as we look for our first win over theRangers in 2025. That’s a sign of falling standards domestically, as indeed was the Scottish Cup Final performance.

It’s time to press the re-set button. There are links above to what other writers on The Celtic Star have had to say about last’s night’s humiliating Champions League exit, all well worth a read.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.

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