Dermot Desmond is making all the wrong headlines at the moment.
The Celtic majority shareholder, who has some of the shares but all of the say, has been accused of failing to back Brendan Rodgers in the recent transfer window.
Desmond has been mentioned in fan statements, meetings and an open letter sent to the club, with discontent being clearly expressed.
CEO Michael Nicholson has also come under scrutiny, with fans staging an in-stadium protest at Sunday’s match at Rugby Park.
Many fans would like Desmond to sell his shares, but that looks highly unlikely. So what should the Irish billionaire do now, with fans desperate for communication? Hugh Keevins has had his say.
Hugh Keevins on Dermot Desmond Celtic situation
Desmond’s role at Celtic has been criticised as unjustified. Rodgers himself has alluded to the fact that he is involved in the day-to-day running of the club.
But a lack of visibility and communication makes this difficult for some fans to stomach.
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Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Keevins said: “Dermot is always referred to as an absentee landlord, and he doesn’t come here very often. It was normally on Champions League nights, and there are none of those to come.
“You can’t have this situation where the manager is being briefed against in a newspaper, where the manager comes out and says it was a cowardly act and whoever did it should resign, and supporters are arranging demonstrations at Rugby Park.
“Dermot Desmond has been wonderful for Celtic, for 13 years he put money into the club and been wildly successful. But there are a lot of things going on at the moment that are deeply unsatisfactory.
“And I don’t think it would be beyond imagination for Dermot Desmond to come here and take a lead and speak to the fans.”
Many Celtic fans would disagree with that final sentence – time will tell who is right.
Will Dermot Desmond push to keep Brendan Rodgers at Celtic?
Despite frustrations that Desmond hasn’t done enough for Rodgers, the Hoops boss has maintained that he has a positive personal relationship with the 75-year-old.
He has also said that he is open to staying at Celtic under the right conditions – so Desmond will likely be a decisive factor.
Given the struggles of the recent transfer window as well as others during his second spell, change in the club’s transfer setup is likely to be on Rodgers’ agenda.
Fans are unlikely to show any patience towards Desmond should he fail to give Rodgers what he wants.
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