Kris Boyd embarrassingly urged Ange to resign in July; Celtic boss has since shown him up

By David Walton

March 24, 2022

Kris Boyd, as we know, says things to genuinely try and wind up the Celtic support.

However, you have to say his July column in the Scottish Sun was perhaps the most outrageous yet. Indeed, just under 2 months after Ange was appointed, Boyd was laughably trying to claim that the Celtic boss should pack his bags.

Whilst we were all critical of the way Celtic operated in the summer, nobody was getting as carried away as Boyd. He stated that it was time for Ange to leave before a Premiership ball had even been kicked. He stated that he “may as well pack his bags” and that Celtic were “nowhere near” in a position to challenge Rangers for the title.

It was the biggest example of a pundit going way over the top after Ange’s arrival and slow start. You can read the full thing in the above link, but here’s a look at some of the most cracking parts of it than you can’t help but laugh at when reading back:

“Ange Postecoglou has no authority at Celtic, no backing, no support from the board — and virtually no chance of being successful. Right now, if I was him I’d pack my bags and go. Postecoglou might as well hand in his resignation and take himself back to Australia.

“Have Celtic not noticed? The league starts this weekend, but they are nowhere near ready to challenge Rangers for the title. It’s as if they think the Premiership doesn’t kick-off until September. They were so short-sighted for the last few seasons by their ten-in-a- row dream they completely took their eye off the ball. And now Celtic have become so stale.

“Celtic have brought in fortunes for players down the years, yet they find themselves miles behind Rangers. Celtic call themselves the biggest club in the country, but this whole debacle shows why Rangers can lay claim to that crown. Rangers have had their issues down the years, but they get their business done properly these days. But with Postecoglou, he’s got to be wondering if taking this job was worth the hassle.”

The danger of not seeing how things play out before jumping to conclusions

What’s so laughable about this column from Boyd was just how carried away he was getting. After all, we all had our doubts over the new man when he arrived and what our squad would look like. But what we didn’t do was urge him to pack it in and hand it over to someone else. We were willing to wait to see what work was done over the summer before jumping to wild conclusions.

Nowadays, we know the situation. We’re 3 points clear at the top of the table, with Ange playing the most attractive football in Scotland. He’s completed a huge overhaul when it comes to the playing squad, and the shadows of 2020/21 are no longer there.

You’ll do well to find a single Celtic fan who said it was time for Ange to quit. It would be good if Boyd actually had some decent reasons for his opinion at the time. Instead he just jumped to wild speculation. “Ange has no authority” for example. Where on earth did that get plucked out from?

Ange has since made it clear on many occasions that at no point has the board intervened in his management dealings [Scottish Sun]. It’s evident that he’s extremely satisfied, and no wonder. The board has backed him with 16 signings since he came in the door.

In addition to that, Ange has shown he has a deep understanding of the football club and a deep relationship with it. Another thing Boyd was keen to dismiss.

Even at the time this was being looked at with more than a few raised eyebrows. But now, 8 months down the line, we’re seeing the full scale of the ridiculousness that was on show. Just a case of Boyd getting far, far too excited it seems.

In other news, “There’s no secret”; Shane Duffy explains why his performances have improved since Celtic