Callum McGregor’s subtle warning to the Celtic board about matching his ambition should worry us all…

This morning, we are witnessing the first serious warning to the Celtic board from a member of the playing squad. That member is the team captain and leader, Callum McGregor.

It has been clear for a long time now that there has been a disconnect between the board and the playing squad.

You don’t have to be a genius to have seen that certain members of the team have not been happy throughout this season of calamity.

The board also must have been in cloud cuckoo land if they imagined sterling professionals like Callum McGregor would be interested in hanging around at the club if it continues on it’s current trajectory.

McGregor hasn’t said in so many words that he wants to leave.

But he has inferred that if the board doesn’t match his ambition, he doesn’t want to be a guy who’s not winning trophies.

Here is some of what he had to say, and there are plenty of subtle hints to the board in his words:

I’ve always been the same, I want to be at Celtic.

So as long as the club want me there and as long as the club’s ambition matches my own, in terms of playing any the highest level.

For probably half the time I’ve been here, we’ve been playing in the Champions League or been in the Europa League which is a really good standard of football as well.

So we have to continue to push and be as good as we can possibly be. I don’t want to sit here and be a Celtic captain who’s not winning anything.

And I’ve been honest with everyone in that conversation. The people inside the club know it.

So if we’re not going to be the best version of Celtic then I don’t want to be the guy who’s not winning any trophies.

That’s not me and not who I am. But, also, if you are going to push, I don’t think there are many more people who would put themselves in the firing line more than me, in terms what they deliver for the club, what they do, and what they’re willing to do to bring success.

When I read that, it sent a shiver down my spine.

Because the message is clear in it.

It is open, honest and straight to the point.

Match my ambition, or I’ll find a club that does.

A few weeks back on The trinity Tims, Joe, James and I discussed the possibility of Callum McGregor leaving the club to join Brendan Rodgers in Saudi Arabia.

We all believed that there was a distinct possibility this could happen.

You would have to be extremely naive to think the idea has not crossed his mind, or Brendan Rodgers’ mind.

Callum McGregor’s comments should worry us all.

The reason I say this is because if the board is unwilling to match the ambition of the club captain, then we’ve got serious problems.

Don’t get me wrong, I know we’ve got plenty of problems at the club.

But when the players start to speak out, no matter how subtle it is, then you know its clear that even they see how poorly run the club has been of late.

There is no doubting that at times, this has filtered down to the players.

Their performances have reflected it on many occasions this season, and Callum McGregor is no exception.

McGregor more than anyone, knows what it takes to be successful at Celtic.

He opens up on that here:

I don’t ever, ever question that because I know how hard it is and I know what you have to do to be successful here as a leader and player.

But you need all the other components to match up with that as well. So, for me, I want to be here. That’s obvious.

But it has to match up with the club, 100 percent. They need to be the same, just as I need to be too.

The minute Celtic don’t want me here then I’ll be moved on, it’s as simple as that.

But my stance on it – and I’ve told everyone this – is that I want to be here. That’s where I am.

So let’s try and find a solution to that first.

If the club don’t want me to be here then I won’t be here, it’s as simple as that.

They need to be the same.

That short sentence there speaks volumes.

Because nobody can question Callum McGregor’s commitment to professionalism and being the best he can be.

He knows the Celtic board are not matching that ambition right now.

His commitment has never been in question, but the board’s consistently is of late.

McGregor has admitted he’s already spoken to the club about the plans for a new manager, and also the off-field structure.

But does he really trust the board’s word?

In the short term, his immediate goal is to win the double.

But I think McGregor knows better than anyone how hard that has been made for him and the team by the asset stripping the board has done over the last year and a half.

Here are his thoughts on the manager role:

The manager is the leader of the football club. That’s obvious so if you get a good manager and a strong leader then it’s great, everyone follows that and it’s dead easy.

But, like I said, I want to be having positive conversations and be having a positive impact.

I want to sit here and tell you the team are doing everything it can to be winning this Double. Then the conversation that happens in the summer, will happen. But I want it to be a positive one. I want the club to push, I want to push.

I want to be here so let’s do it together.

But if it’s not going to be the case then I’m sure you’ll be the first to know.

We’ve already had that conversation.

I’ve made my feeling known that I want to be here so it’s kinda on the club.

I would say that Callum McGregor is being overly optimistic if he feels that this board is going to change any time soon.

So that leaves just one question.

Is he willing to hang around if we remain on a course destined for mediocrity?

Or is Saudi Arabia and the riches that will come with that going to entice him away?

Celtic is part of McGregor’s DNA, but he is now giving the club an ultimatum.

Things change for the better or I’m gone.

That is ominous for us, the fans, because when someone like Callum McGregor, who has Celtic in his blood is saying he’s had enough, it shows us how far we’ve plummeted professionally.

McGregor is the consummate professional, and he admits he can’t see himself anywhere else but at Celtic:

Exactly. It becomes part of your DNA. You see football a certain way and it’s hard to unsee it when you have been here for so long.

There’s a million different ways to play football but when you are in a club like this that plays a certain way, you become accustomed to it as it’s the only thing you know.

Yeah, it’s stuff like playing in another strip…

It’s something to be proud of as well because it is such a demanding football club.

As soon as you have a bad game, or you come off after 70 minutes, people wonder what’s happening, what’s going on, the world’s about to end.

To do that for 10 years, it’s a tough environment, but you can’t let it bother you. It’s football, people have short memories.

McGregor wears his heart on his sleeve, but subtly or not, he’s making his feelings clear on the direction he expects this club to head in.

His expectations are aligned with the fans, which is good.

But the difference between Callum McGregor and us is that he can walk away from the club if he wants to.

We can’t.

And as much as people are critical of McGregor this season, who I feel is a victim of the circumstances he finds himself in, he is still a very important figure at the club.

His voice and opinions are still hopefully respected by the board.

They certainly don’t listen to the fans.

But you’d expect they’d listen to someone like Callum McGregor, whose opinion carries a lot of weight at the club.

If they don’t listen to him, and he leaves?

Then we can expect an abysmal summer ahead.

What follows that doesn’t bear thinking about.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

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