Celtic’s interim financial results came at the supporters like a train this week as the club announced that revenue and profits has increased from 2022.
After the club failed to strengthen the team in the January transfer window, the fans will be fuming that just £3m was spent on Nicolas Kuhn and a loan signing in Adam Idah was made to help bolster the first-team for the title run in.
However, it wasn’t just that that Chris Sutton took aim at this week. The former Celtic hero was left utterly confused with Peter Lawwell’s comments regarding the club’s performances and standing in the Champions League this season.
In the interim statement Lawwell said [Celtic FC], “We achieved four points in the group stages and, whilst representing an improvement over last season’s two points, we finished fourth in the group stage.
“We took consolation from a number of good performances which will serve our squad well, but our objective is to keep improving and competing in Europe.”
Chris Sutton takes aim at the Celtic chairman
Yeah, those comments confused me as well. A number of good performances which, ultimately, still served up a bottom placed finish and a 6-0 thumping from Atletico Madrid.
And Sutton wasn’t having any of it.
Sutton said [Daily Record], “But, just like the transfer talk, the European comments baffled me. The chairman’s statement talked of taking consolation from a number of good performances which will serve our squad well.
“How does finishing bottom of a gentle group serve a squad well? Am I missing something? This season’s Champions League was a wasted opportunity and would have done more harm than good, I suspect.
“In terms of an exciting new format in European football, Celtic fans are looking at their club, with cash in the attic, having their automatic place in next season’s major competition put into jeopardy from a position of strength.
“I don’t feel there was enough in there to satisfy a support which is deeply unhappy at the events of the past few months.”
Yes, we played well against Atletico in the 2-2 draw and had it not been for a defensive mistake against Lazio at Celtic Park, we may well have taken a point off the Italian side as well.
A dead rubber win against Feyenoord meant that the only consolation we could take from that result was that we won our first Champions League group stage game since the 3-1 win over Anderlecht in 2017.
But ultimately, lack of quality purchased last summer meant that Celtic once again struggled in Europe’s top competition and couldn’t get out the group stage for the second season in row.
Like Sutton, I am totally bemused at how that can serve this squad well and our transfer policy moving forward.
Put it this way, if you were an aspiring footballer wanting to play in the Champions League, would you want to come to a club that continually fails in the tournament and regularly takes a resounding beating at least once per season in the group stages?
Yeah, me neither.
In other news, 3 changes, big Cameron Carter-Vickers call, Celtic team news and Predicted XI vs Motherwell
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