The January transfer window isn’t going to plan for Celtic.
The Celtic supporters are annoyed and angry, none more so than former player Frank McAvennie.
Following Celtic’s draw at Hearts at the weekend, McAvennie threw some verbal pelters at the man at the top of the house, Dermot Desmond.
Even though Desmond doesn’t own Celtic outright, he does call the shots, as he did with Martin O’Neill’s return, and Simon Houston and McAvennie had some interesting words to say about the Irishman.
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People at Celtic are ‘scared’ of Dermot Desmond
Celtic have signed two players in January – Julian Araujo, who was signed under Wilfried Nancy, and striker Tomas Cvancara, who made his debut at Tynecastle.
Speaking on the Let Me Be Frank Podcast, Houston suggested that there are people at Celtic who are ‘scared’ of Desmond.
This came after McAvennie was perplexed as to why Desmond is the one running the shots when he isn’t the sole owner of the club.
But McAvennie then suggested that, given the Celtic fans’ protest against the board this season, Desmond might now be sticking two fingers at everyone by not strengthening the squad via the transfer market.
Simon Houston: “I think the outcome of this year’s league title is in the hands of one man, and that’s Dermot Desmond.”
McAvennie: “Listen, I don’t know why it’s coming down to Dermot, because he isn’t the owner. I don’t understand.”
Houston: “That’s irrelevant. Whether he is the owner or not, the people who are in charge of the purse strings at Celtic Park are scared of him. Scared of him.”
McAvennie: “Jesus.”
Houston: “And they ask his permission before they do anything.”
McAvennie: “I am going to be honest with you, it’s getting to a stage now where I am thinking, it’s the end of January, we only have a few days left before the window, and it seems to me, because there has been a backlash against him and his boy (Ross Desmond).
“It’s as if he is saying, ‘b___x to you.'”
Houston: “Cantankerous, a man in his 70s, who is cantankerous. He has basically taken the view that ‘nobody tells me what to do.’ It’s self-sabotage.”
With a week to go, rate Celtic’s transfer window so far out of 10…
Celtic should be ‘so far ahead of everyone’
For years and years, Celtic have dominated on the domestic scene. Winning more Trebles in the last decade than others have titles.
But that hasn’t been replicated in Europe. Very little progression on the European stage, and now going backwards on the domestic scene.
McAvennie did express his frustration as to how Celtic should be further ahead, but they simply aren’t, as Scotland prepares for a three-way title tussle.
“Celtic should be so far ahead of everyone,” said McAvennie. “Fair play to Hearts. I’ve got to say that, and fair play to Rangers for getting the right man in.
“Now we are third. I know we aren’t going to get anybody else in. You write Hearts off at your peril. They have a good squad.”
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