The Perfect Storm is brewing at Ibrox, and when it eventually releases it’s fury, Celtic will be the least of the new owner’s worries
Eric Knott 
(Photo by Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
If you ask the majority of Celtic fans what they think the biggest threat to their dominance is, they’ll give you a very short answer.
Celtic.
It comes from a place of PTSD really.
And that PTSD stems from the club’s self-implosion during the 10IAR season just over four years ago.
Many people saw it coming from a great distance on the run up to that season.
During the 2019/20 season, the GB unfurled a banner telling the board not to fall asleep at the wheel.
Despite the warnings, they did fall asleep at the wheel.
The end result was a collapse of spectacular proportions during the ill-fated Covid season of 2020/21.
There were plenty of factors which resulted in the collapse, but in reality, all Covid-19 did was expedite what most people knew was coming down the line anyway.
Complacency had crept into every facet of the club, and the board thought we could coast to 10IAR.
They thought we could do it with the cheapest option available to them, Neil Lennon.
After “an extensive managerial search”, the geniuses in charge of the club told us the answer was staring them in the face all along.
Cue the infamous in the shower appointment of Lennon after Celtic won the 2019 Scottish Cup final.
There’s no point in dragging over the coals of the descent into disaster after that.
But rest assured, it’s the main reason why street-smart Celtic fans out there today think that the only people who could hurt our club – and our dominance – are the people entrenched within Celtic Park.
Because make no mistake, they are entrenched.
It will be a long time before we see a changing of the guard at Celtic Park.
Therefore, the worry remains.
And every so often, the PTSD rears it’s ugly head and reminds us of what can happen when complacency takes root.
Which is why this summer – due to a changing of the guard at Ibrox – is such an important one for Celtic.
Regardless of what happens at Ibrox, we need to ensure that we are insulated against every possible threat that comes from there.
But at this moment in time, it’s hard to know how – or where – the threat for Celtic will materialise from.
On the surface, the media is painting a picture of a rosy future at Ibrox, one filled with sunshine and light.
Underneath the surface, though, there are rumbles of discontent already.
The Ibrox fanbase has not taken kindly to the appointment of Russell Martin as their new manager.
It wasn’t supposed to be like that.
The media had filled their heads with fantastical options like Jose Mourinho, Marco Rose, and Davide Ancelotti.
Russell Martin was an outside contender, and they didn’t in a million years expect him to get the job.
But he has the job now, and they just have to swallow that.
Martin, however, will be given no chance to prove himself in the job.
One loss, or one draw which loses them ground to Celtic, and the pressure will be on immediately.
I don’t need to go into detail on this, as I did an extensive article on it yesterday.
What Martin’s appointment does is sow the seeds of discontent.
And it’s clear it has done that.
Under the surface, the perfect storm is brewing.
Last week, we heard the onion bears were looking for funding to create better TIFOS.
You know?
Those really offensive works of art they create to portray the killing of Celtic supporters?
It is highly unlikely that the new owners will tolerate this sort of “art” going forward.
And while Patrick Stewart may be a fellow Scot, he will be little more than a mouthpiece for the men in America.
What they say, will go.
If they do not want offensive TIFOS at Ibrox, then Stewart will be told to get that message across.
By whatever means necessary.
So somewhere down the line, this is going to add to the building maelstrom.
September’s game against Celtic at Ibrox will be the litmus test here.
If they are asked to refrain from their expressions of artistry, in addition to a loss to Celtic, well, you can see where I’m going with this now, can’t you?
You can then be sure that the fact they are owned by “American-Catholic” owners will then be brought up on Follow Follow.
Then add the fact that it’s highly unlikely that Martin will be given a large transfer budget.
On top of that, add the fact that he’ll be asked to work with the majority of what he already has, with Captain Disappointed leading the charge once again.
You can clearly see the direction this is heading.
The storm will continue to build.
Once austerity and the implementation of same becomes apparent, anger levels will hit a crescendo.
After all, things may have to get worse before they get better according to the Americans.
When Andrew Cavenagh has full ownership of his shiny new football club, along with his consortium on June 23rd, he’ll just have to remember one thing.
When you purchase a football club, you inherit it’s fanbase as well.
I think he underestimates what he has inherited at Ibrox.
The angriest fanbase in football.
I don’t think Cavenagh knows it yet, but he’s headed for the perfect storm.
Celtic will be the least of his worries.
In a normal world, if there was actually a supportive fanbase over there, he’d only have us to contend with.
But so far, they’re supporting very little of the opening stages of this takeover.
It will either go downhill very fast, or it a minor miracle will happen.
I suspect it won’t be the latter.
As for us Celtic fans?
We’ll just sit back and enjoy the show.
As long as our board don’t intend making us an integral part of it, it should be good fun.
Watch this space…
The storm will eventually release it’s fury.
Lennon should never have been given the managers job the first time never mind a second chance.
We actually spent a lot of money that season,however we spent it poorly.Easy to say in hindsight but if we had sold Edouard,Christie and Ajer before the season started there would have been a riot.This doesn’t excuse the board as they were too slow to bin Lennon.
I won’t guess on what happens across the city.lets prepare ourselves properly as it should help us in Europe anyway.
Stevie Lennon was a successful manager who made a lot of good signings like Van Dyke wanyama etc won leagues and cups your talking pish mate
Bring back bankrupt Barry!!!!
Really daft thought, but has anyone considered that these ‘entrepreneurial investors’ at Ibrox are actually a bunch of rich Celtic supporters intent on finally laying waste to that lot?
Pish, I know, but it would be funny as feck 🤣🤣🤣🤣
As long as that bastard lawwell is at our club we will never progress
Lennies best mate
He beat no one to win those trophies the same as Ronnie.
According to public opinion the board signed all the players in that era.so why does lenny get the credit for couple of gems?
Does he get the credit for all the dross that was signed as well.
It’s not me talking pish.
Your name speaks volumes ya nugget.
@PlungeNcNugget, Neil Lennon wasn’t a good manager he should never have been near the job the first time much less get a second chance. Stevie is 100% correct that Lenny was a great Celtic player but as a manager he left a lot to be desired, especially in his second tenure. The night Ferencvaros put us out of the CL at the 2nd qualifying round he threw the players under a bus saying that there was players who didn’t want to be at the club and then recanted that statement the next day, that made him look weak, but aside from that that result should’ve cost him his job. Then having survived that we go into the EL group stages and lose against Milan at home, which granted can happen draw against Lille over there but then lose 4-1 home and away to Sparta Prague. A real Celtic man would’ve walked after that and let someone come in and try and save the ten in a row but his ego and narcissistic tendencies made him think he could save our season. The guy was deluded and although I consider him a great Celtic player he went down in my estimation by not stepping aside, he’s not alone though the board are at serious fault for giving him a second chance, one he should never have had and he’d lost the dressing room so the players were never going to play for him after that which shows their lack of professionalism too. It’s taken me a while to get any respect for Lenny back again but it’s slowly creeping back in, what he did as a player and the shit that he’s been put through because he played for our club is abhorrent and should never have happened and I’ll always defend him over that but not his managerial career. When he went to Bolton they were in administration so he didn’t stand a chance there and he did ok at Hibs but he’s been sacked from his other jobs since in months not years, that’s an indictment of how poor he is as a manager and I suggest that his Dunfermline gig could have another short term outcome, time will tell I guess but his record’s very telling in my opinion.
Totally support the NL should never have been appointed,on either occasion.The performance against Hearts to steal the SC was dreadful.The abuse Lennon took on the lap of honour l had ever seen.The dejection when we heard shortly after that NL had been given and appointed as manager in the shower was horrendous.We should have been celebrating and not one Celtic fan was happy.We have dominated Scottish football in spite of PL.We never go out on a limp and very our income expenditure in the transfer window usually only breaks even.We should be miles ahead of that lot but there are always the ‘’penalty to Rangers mob there’’ that MN and PL pander to.l too wish PL would just PO to retirement.Our ST price would be the 4th highest in the EPL and the gratitude the board showed after the support financed the team during COVID by awarding a £50 voucher for the club shop just showed what PL and the board thought of us as ‘’cash cows’’.We will never be at the latter stages in CL or EL football because of PL and his cronies.
Very well said Plunge.
Lets get it right; Gerrard didnt stop 10 in a row Lennon did, he lost the dressing room and the players reacted by deciding to ‘down tools’. You cant/wont make players play if you treat them like ‘shite’ and once he lost their respect, he lost the 10.
Over at Ibrokes the huns will be making wax models and sticking pins in them (pope,jesus,mary and the catholic owners of 49rs) maybe they will be hanging stuffed dummies by the neck (shit no they will need them on the park) anyway im looking forward to blessing myself at the turnstiles next time I go over there. HH
you cant blame lennon, covid hit , we had players from around the globe watching people dying, players wanted home to be with families, we had the shut down and they went home , scottish football would have gone burst if the shut down continued , so when the olayers were told to come back some didnt want to, now rangers and all other clubs were in the same boat, rangers players just handled the situation better, now no celtic supporter has ever been through what neil lennins been through, beat up in the street , serioys death threats , bullets through the post etc etc , yet he answered the call because hes celtic through and through, he loves the club, i wonder how many of our supporters would have stayed loyal if they and thier families had been through all the threats he had , he was successful he started that run and may well have finished it , if it wasnt for covid , as i said rangers players just handled it better , could you imagine playing in a foreign land worrying about family members when seeing on the news thousands dying every day, it just wasnt to be , so for me its stop looking for blame and start supoorting our team , ive followed celtic from the early 60s they have given me more highs than lows, but id be there even if we never won another cup, would you ??
We lost the league by 25 points FFS, and that was straight after a treble season, to blame covid, especially now that we know the “vaccine” caused more harm, is ridiculous. Blame Lawwel and Lennon, because they were the ones in control; don’t you think it was all just too convenient too? Lawwel-5 way agreement, Lawwels interference, stonewalling and meddling and frustrating rogers in the lead up to his moonlight flit? Lennon was a great player, love him and it was a pleasure to watch him in the hoops, but he should never have been appointed manager for a second time. That Sevco team were absolute sh*te, Celtic were undermined from within. Blame the old firm brotherhood, ten in a row is not allowed, Lenny? He was ideal for the purpose, cheap and available.
The only person talking sense here is John Moody.
@Frankie, Really? He’s the one talking sense, he’s talking shit. Lennon wasn’t the man for the job it’s that simple, loved him as a player but never a manager in a million years and just because he’s had death threats and plenty of other shit happen because of his association to Celtic doesn’t alter that fact.
Even if pl left the club do you think the next man would just let us spend spend no chance better the devil you no