Envisaging a Celtic built not just for next season, but for the next decade

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The Celtic Star

·6 agosto 2025

Envisaging a Celtic built not just for next season, but for the next decade

As Celtic prepare for another pivotal European campaign, the mood among supporters is divided. A sense of cautious optimism persists in some quarters, while others remain gripped by frustration and concern…

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

The common denominator appears to be a deepening sense that, once again, the club may be moving too slowly in a footballing world that evolves at pace.

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The need for squad reinforcements is obvious — and urgent. But the deeper, more existential question extends beyond this transfer window. Is Celtic’s footballing operation built to grow — or simply to sustain?

From the outside, it’s easy to interpret the club’s approach as conservative — even complacent. But that reading risks oversimplifying a more complex reality.

Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates with teammates Callum McGregor & Johnny Kenny after scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 03 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace. IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Has Celtic built a structure that is excellent at maintaining — but incapable of meaningfully progressing?

Celtic’s boardroom is perhaps not filled with the kind of self-preserving figures that once held the club back during the White and Kelly era. This is not an incompetent leadership. On the contrary, the current custodians have delivered financial stability, structural order, and steady domestic success. But perhaps therein perhaps lies the problem. Has Celtic built a structure that is excellent at maintaining — but incapable of meaningfully progressing?

Brendan Rodgers, returning with a renewed sense of purpose on the back of European progression last season, made his philosophy clear last week. He is not a manager who maintains — he is one who builds. That ambition, very plainly communicated, now acts as a mirror to the boardroom. Can those guiding the club match that ambition — or have they quietly reached the edge of their capabilities?

Kieran Tierney of Celtic Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, , Celtic Park, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

This is not a criticism of character. It’s a question of capacity — a reality check rather than a personal rebuke. There is no shame in recognising when a model has reached its limits. The only shame would be in failing to act when it does.

In the early 1990s, Celtic were a club drifting toward irrelevance, both on the pitch and in the boardroom. Fergus McCann arrived not only with resources, but with clarity of purpose. He didn’t just save the club from financial collapse — he restructured it for sustainability and laid the groundwork for the modern Celtic, and we built on that.

Today, the context is very different. There is no crisis yet, no administration threat, no toxic boardroom politics – at least not on a level comparable to the 90’s. Celtic remain financially healthy, sitting on close to £100m reserves and with a dominant domestic standing. But the challenge is eerily familiar – to recognise stagnation early, and to act decisively to evolve.

Alistair Johnston of Celtic blocks a shot on the Celtic goal line. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, – 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

If this summer’s transfer window does not result in significant player investment, and let’s be honest it’s looking unlikely, then surely it is time to invest in the club’s footballing intelligence. Even a modest 10-15% of the club’s reserves — an estimated £10–15 million — could radically transform Celtic’s internal football structure. It’s not just about recruitment. It’s about the machinery that drives long-term success.

When we look across Europe, clubs like Porto, Benfica, Sporting, Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV and Club Brugge, have built competitive football operations while operating in smaller leagues with limited TV revenue. These are teams that consistently compete in Europe by having modernised systems behind the scenes.

So, why not Celtic?

The model is there. The talent exists. The resources are available. What’s needed is the vision and the humility to accept that outside expertise can elevate, rather than threaten.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor runs away from goal celebrating after scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead before it was disallowed by referee Don Robertson following a VAR check for handball by McGregor in the build up to the goal. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Football, Celtic Park, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace. IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Envisaging a Celtic built not just for next season, but for the next decade

This is about envisaging a Celtic built not just for next season, but for the next decade. A club that appoints a Director of Football with proven European pedigree. Commits to an annual football operations budget tied to performance and revenue. Develops a recruitment identity with a clear strategy. Establishes a youth development pathway aligned with first-team goals. Builds a global scouting operation scaled to the club’s stature and prioritises elite-level sports science and data infrastructure.

These aren’t fantasies, or at least they shouldn’t be. They’re frameworks already in place at clubs Celtic should see as both peers and benchmarks.

The urgency is arguably as real as it’s been for years. Around Scotland, rival clubs are evolving now, where previously they were not. Hearts and Hibs have welcomed external expertise and investment alongside structural change. Aberdeen, off the back of an independent review, have revamped their football operations and lifted silverware at Celtic’s expense. Even theRangers — despite their many missteps — continue to reinvest aggressively, and arguably more wisely, under fresh ownership.

The warning signs are clear, but so is the opportunity.

Celtic remain in a position of strength — but for how much longer? Modern football punishes stagnation. The days of relying on tradition, fanbase, and domestic dominance are fading. To thrive in Europe and maintain our edge at home, Celtic must think bigger, plan better, and act bolder.

The last time Celtic faced this kind of moment Fergus McCann had the answer. He saw the limitations of the old model and didn’t hesitate to reshape it, and he acted with foresight.

There is little to suggest that Celtic’s board lacks ambition or the desire to see the club compete with its European peers. The intent to strengthen and grow appears genuine. However, the consistent issue lies not in motivation, but in execution.

The club’s struggles in the transfer market reflect an ongoing inability to communicate, negotiate, and close deals efficiently — particularly when dealing with clubs operating in more agile, modern football structures.

It is not a question of willingness, but one of capability. And in today’s fast-moving landscape, that distinction is critical.

Now, the question falls to the current custodians. Can they take Celtic to the next level? And if not — will they be bold enough to employ people who can?

Niall J

So why have one brilliant David Potter book when you can enjoy two?

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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