Brendan Rodgers stated he would not leave Celtic unless he was “emptied”. Well, last night, Dermot Desmond well and truly emptied him…
Eric Knott 
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Yesterday afternoon, I published an article in which I asked the question, how much worse could it get at Celtic?
I asked what would rock bottom look like and what it would take to get there?
Yesterday evening, on the Trinity Tims podcast, I asked the same questions again.
What I didn’t expect was to have my answer within a couple of hours of having finished our podcast.
Today, we have hit rock bottom.
Celtic Football club has descended to an extremely dark and frightening place.
Because usually when you hit rock bottom, the only way after that, is up.
Unfortunately for Celtic, the people who have put the club at rock bottom are now intent on keeping their foot on it to serve their own greed infested, self interests.
The only way this club starts picking itself up off the canvas to fight again is when every one of these charlatans has left the building.
Until that day, Celtic will remain forever entrenched in darkness.
Under the control of men who are determined to reduce our club to an entity which serves their best interests and no one else’s.
When I first read the statement on Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, it didn’t come as a shock to me.
After all, when I was asked on the podcast last night who would go first, Nicholson or Rodgers, I did answer Rodgers.
I just didn’t expect it to be within a couple of hours of what I’d said, nor for it to happen the way it did.
However, I was in disbelief at the move to ask a 73 old pensioner to come out of retirement, and somehow rescue our football club from the current tail spin it’s in.
That very much started to answer my question of how much worse it can get.
We all knew Maloney was in the equation, but this combination?
That, I wouldn’t have expected in a million years!
You know what the ironic thing about this board is, though?
Everything you predict they will do, they do it.
But not only do they do it, they sell more crazy on top of what you already predicted, and then expect you to think they are making a call that’s in the best interests of the football club.
O’Neill’s interim appointment reeks of absolute desperation.
They knew they would never sell the Maloney appointment on it’s own, so they thought they could sweeten the deal with the return of a club “legend”.
But enticing a guy to put his old age pension on hold to come out of retirement for another payday at Celtic?
That’s just bonkers, it trumps any of the insanity you’ve seen emanating from Ibrox over the last few months.
It reeks of amateur hour.
Then last night, while I was trying to wrap my head around that batshit crazy announcement, Dermot Desmond’s statement filtered through.
At first, I thought it was a wind up, I genuinely could not believe what I was reading.
As I got further into Desmond’s statement, I met it with complete incredulity, if my eyebrows could have gone any higher on my forehead, they’d have receded into my hairline.
My immediate reaction was character assassination of Brendan Rodgers, followed by circling the wagons.
Basically, we’re here to stay whether you like it or not, followed by it’s all Brendan Rodgers’ fault and you’d better believe me because I’m a double billionaire.
The sad thing about it is there are people out there who actually believe what Desmond said.
When it completely flies in the face of all logic and rationality.
Why would Brendan Rodgers set out to personally destroy his own career as a football manager?
I’m going to set fire to everything at Celtic, do as much damage as I can, and then tender my resignation once I’m satisfied I’ve caused the requisite mayhem I wanted to.
Really?
I mean does Dermot Desmond think that the entire Celtic support is utterly braindead?
His ego has trumped all in that statement.
I’m a double billionaire, I call the shots, and what’s more, you’ll bloody like it.
Last night, with that statement, Dermot Desmond set fire to Celtic.
And you know what?
He’ll be quite content to fiddle while Rome burns in the aftermath of it all.
I feel sickened as a Celtic supporter today after what has happened in the last 15 hours or so.
It genuinely beggars belief.
If we thought the deluded half witted statement released last September was bad, it pales into insignificance in comparison to last night’s deranged rantings.
And if Desmond thought this was going to galvanise the support and get them to turn against the former manager, he can think again.
This has made the support more determined than ever to push for change at Celtic now.
We know that our club is under the control of a bunch of self-preserving, lying, ego-maniacs.
Whose refusal to be held self-accountable for anything that goes wrong at Celtic is reflected in everything that statement said last night.
Blame the man who has left the building.
Pin it all on him and we can save our own hides.
Well, it won’t fly.
It didn’t fly before now, and it sure as hell won’t from here on out.
Celtic is in a really dark place today.
The only way that darkness will lift is when every one of those charlatans has left the building.
They will go down as the most hated regime ever to control our club.
This is their legacy.
Created by them, and enforced by them.
In the end, they will only be remembered for this.
Any good they ever did is long forgotten now.
Desmond’s closing paragraph in that statement is the ultimate contradiction of what he and his board stand for:
Celtic is greater than anyone person (but not me).
Our focus is on restoring harmony (with a statement like that, you’ve sown nothing but chaos).
Strengthening the squad (don’t make me laugh).
And continuing to build a club worthy of it’s values, traditions and supporters?
You’ll need to rebuild it now, since it’s been torn down.
As for values and traditions?
You lost sight of them a long, long time ago.
Brendan Rodgers stated back in 2023 that he would be at Celtic for 3 years, guaranteed.
He said he would see out his contracted period unless he was “emptied”.
Well, last night Dermot Desmond well and truly emptied him.
Not only did he empty him, he attempted to drain him of every last vestige of success he delivered at Celtic Football Club.
Shame on him.
What a sad and sorry state of affairs….
Key Takeaways
- Celtic has hit rock bottom, with leadership prioritising self-interests over the club’s future.
- Brendan Rodgers’ resignation shocked many, but the appointment of a 73-year-old was unexpected and desperate.
- Dermot Desmond’s statement following Rodgers’ exit sparked outrage and disbelief among supporters.
- The current regime at Celtic is seen as self-preserving and detrimental to the club’s legacy.
- Supporters are now more determined than ever to push for change at Celtic, rejecting Desmond’s blame-shifting tactics.
I thought it was either the CEO or chairman that was allowed to come out with a statement like that not a shareholder, John Kennedy has been there longer than any of that rat board apart from Desmond I hope that lad moves on possibly with Brendan to his next honest team and board members not liars hiding behind a delusional liar.
Certainly cannot disagree with this article.! I wouldn’t believe half of what Desmond says, as rightly said, what claptrash was issued couple of months ago is only made worse with what trash Desmond has spouted yesterday. Him and his traitorous cronies MUST go and NOW!!!
So it’s all Brendan’s fault why does DD not come out in front of the fans & say what he has too???? But he’s up I hishigh castle not giving a shit while our club falls apart. He has to go with rest of board they are taking us backwards. Why would Ange want to come back to this mess even John Kennedy has left that tells us theclub is in a mess.
Why doesn’t Desmond and his entourage do the decent thing and fcuk off to a far away golf course in another Galaxy…
I’ll answer my own question(which is more of a hope, really).
Because DD thinks he’s a God and decency has been sadly lacking in this board for sometime.
They’re a disgrace to this club and the legions of fans all over the world.
Karma comes to us all.
It’s just that occasionally it’s not quite quick enough!
Was it DD that put out the statement about Brendan Rodgers? The stuff he threw about him last night Omg wouldn’t surprise me and is that why the one that did go to that paper hasn’t been found yet . Shrug of Shoulders from MN . Get right behind the Celtic Collection now 🍀💚
I have to say that I am actually still trying to wrap my head around these statements especially from DD or should we now refer to him as GOD. I left a comment on Joe’s website in the early hours of today while still stunned about what was getting thrown out there by cfc. I believe in there world of corporate greed that by blaming BR for everything they now want to sit back and watch FANS V FANS. In the white corner we have those that do believe BR was the problem. In the green corner we have the collective who can see the bigger picture. What a mess. I thought these scenarios were behind us but looking back those in the white corner were there booing Fergus who had just literally saved our club. Interesting times ahead. I hope BR does sue them let’s be honest paying £12million to the taxman wasn’t a problem for the board and if anyone deserves justice after being totally shredded he does. However, I am more interested in what we’ll find out about what actually was happening behind the scenes. That in it’s self is worth millions. Let’s be honest we all thought Lawless, Nicholson etc were the main perpetrators and then the wrath of god (DD) himself showed face. Let the battle commence.
The Celtic Collective sorry
So,let me get this straight.
It was Rodgers who was low balling clubs across Europe for their players and not Nicholson, who by all accounts,didn’t sleep a wink for the duration of the transfer window in his quest to achieve a “world class” summer of transfer activity.
Previously, it was Rodgers who stalled and low balled Norwich and Augsburg so that in the end we paid near on double their market values.
And it was also Rodgers who wasted over £20m on dross,who have either been sent out on loan or jettisoned completely and not son of Lawwell who had fuck all experience or qualifications to be in the job daddy got for him.
As you said,Eric,these parasitic bastards need driven out of our club once and for all because if the fans collective lose this battle we will be consigning future generations of hoops supporters to the same,shit treatment we have had to endure for the past two decades.
While we are at it,we can also put their beloved Old Firm Franchise to the sword in the same moment.
Hell is too good a place for these bastards to have for their final destination !
DD will never sell his shares that is a fact.
If as we believe he has been setting a 3 million limit on player acquisition then BR has been calling him out directly in the media.
That was only going to end one way.
I have seen rumours today of a new Chairman and CEO to be appointed.
The best we can hope for is that DD slinks back to the golf course and lets the new guys get on with it with less interference.
I don’t think Maloney will sell many season tickets.
It is, and has been, a fact that Dermot Desmond is a complete waste of time. His majority share is his only interest, and his supporting crew are equally useless as Celtic supporters. Rodgers needs to come out and state the facts of his disagreements with the Board, and in particular with whom; name and shame. There is too much beating about the bush.
What impression can the Celtic Trust make now – at the critical moment? Martin O’Neill is a diplomat. Appeasement is not a solution. Where are we going to find someone capable of taking us back to winning ways, despite the corruptness of the Board’s policy.
I’ll leave it to others, to air their views on the rights and wrongs of this debacle…as we await BR’s response…For me its beating Falkirk…then Sevco…and to do that we need unity more than ever…There’ll be time enough for inquests and outcomes later..Let’s get the next week sorted first.
BRENDAN RODGERS HAS TO COME BACK AT THIS BOARD WITH BOTH GUNS BLAZING AND A FEW GREENADES THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE, HIS REPUTATION IS ON THE LINE AFTER IT GOT ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED BY THESE SCANDALOUS PARASITES, HOPEFULLY HE REVEALS ALL WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON BEHIND HIS BACK AND SUES EVERY 1 OF THESE PARASITES THAT ARE SLANDERING HIM .
Rodgers lost the dressing room a while back and it’s good it’s been dealt with as ‘quick’ as it has rather than fester too long, like it did across the way. The season is salvageable with the right guy in charge. Can we tap up the Hungarians please and get Robbie Keane in; please not Ange. He walked away as well.
This Desmond guy is going to dig his heels in regardless how bad things go this season prepared to teach us a lesson like we are naughty children Mr no one is bigger than the club . We can get rid of lawell all we want but if that guy is in charge there’s no point . How did we get here with one man dictating our limits . Fergus was supposed to have changed it so that a lot of shares were not in the hands of a power wielding man .
Which golf course from some far flung sunny country do you think Dermot Desmond made his statement from ? He certainly was not in the building at any time when the breakdown in trust was happening between Brendan Rodgers and The board . He was being spoon fed by Peter Lawwell about all of the omnishambles behind closed doors and no doubt painting himself as an angel with big thick wings in Celtic’s time of need . The spring in the f*ck pigs scoops’ steps has been manna from heaven ..they are in their glory … absolutely loving it and enjoying it to the full .
After the club’s official statement about Rodgers resignation, thanking him and wishing him all the best, a supposed non-executive member of the Board, who rarely if ever attends games, takes over the club’s official communication site to vent his personal attack on the manager?
Not only is that unprofessional but it’s an absolute disgrace and shows that club is being run as a personal fiefdom by Desmond and his so-called non-executive Chairman, Lawwell. The CEO, Nicholson, who obviously didn’t/couldn’t prevent it, is obviously a toothless & gutless puppet.
Desmond’s rant is riddled with holes in any case and for me, also stinks of Lawwell’s MO – how else would Desmond be kept informed since he’s normally too busy playing golf to attend games – so I suspect he had more than a hand in it.
It was plain to see that Lawwell undermined Rodgers last time around with his manipulating and controlling of things behind the scenes so, suspiciously for me, it would seem he’s at it again.
He’s the first one I’d like to see kicked out of the club and if he is jointly responsible for Desmond’s toxic rant, he’s done more damage than anything Rodgers could possibly have said or done.
@Legs in Reading…
….Heid in YirArse
Go try CQN for an audition…