Ambition, Disappointment and a Broken Connection – The Celtic Board Created This Mess
Aodhán Ó Conchobhair 
LINZ, AUSTRIA - AUGUST 25: (L-R) Celtic interim chairman Brian Wilson, majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Michael Nicholson during a UEFA Champions League Play-Off Round Second Leg match between LASK and Celtic at Oberosterreich Arena, on August 25, 2026, in Linz, Austria. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
There are defeats that hurt.
There are defeats that make you angry.
And then there are defeats that leave you staring at the ceiling at two o’clock in the morning wondering how on earth your football club managed to throw away a four-goal aggregate lead against LASK.
That is where we find ourselves as supporters this morning.
One minute, we were talking about Champions League football, new signings and whether Martin O’Neill could finally build a squad capable of taking Celtic to another level.
The next, we are heading into the Europa League after losing 5-1 in Linz and surrendering a 4-0 advantage.
And perhaps the hardest part isn’t even the result.
It is what the result says about the relationship between Celtic and its supporters.
This feels like the culmination of months of frustration, mixed messages, questionable decisions and an absence of clear direction.
This Was Supposed to Be Different
That is what makes it hurt.
We as supporters allowed ourselves to believe again.
Camilo Durán arrived and immediately looked like a proper striker.
Kasper Høgh arrived and started scoring.
Mika Baur gave the midfield some much-needed energy.
Haissem Hassan arrived for £7 Million.
The 3-0 first-leg victory against LASK felt like the reward for finally doing some sensible business.
There was excitement again.
People were talking about the Champions League rather than worrying about the same old problems.
Then came last night.
And we didn’t simply lose.
We collapsed.
Martin O’Neill described it as one of the most painful nights of his career and accepted responsibility for what happened.
But responsibility cannot stop with the manager.
Because the problems exposed in Austria didn’t suddenly appea.
We created them.
The Transfer Window Suddenly Looks Very Different
This is where the Arne Engels situation becomes particularly difficult to swallow.
We knew he was leaving.
West Ham wanted him available for the start of their season and the transfer eventually went through for a reported £22 million.
Selling Engels isn’t the problem.
Players leave.
The problem is selling an important midfielder shortly before a Champions League play-off without having his replacement.
That was the risk everyone could see coming.
Then Look at Iheanacho and Saracchi
This is where supporters are entitled to ask questions.
Kelechi Iheanacho wanted to stay.
Martin O’Neill wanted him.
The player had already experienced Celtic.
He knew the manager, dressing room and the league.
And yet the deal collapsed before he eventually joined Bursaspor. Reports indicated that an agreement was initially reached before wage demands changed dramatically.
Marcelo Saracchi was even more straightforward.
He publicly said he was gutted to leave and that he and his agent had done everything possible to make a return happen.
Celtic didn’t make it happen.
He eventually joined Houston Dynamo.
Again, maybe there are legitimate reasons behind both decisions.
But supporters don’t see the conversations inside the boardroom.
They see the outcome.
And the outcome is that two players who knew Celtic, wanted Celtic and had already contributed to Celtic’s success were allowed to walk away.
And Then We Are Still Watching Ralston and McCowan
This is not about personally attacking either player.
It isn’t their fault Celtic continue to select them.
But supporters are allowed to ask whether they are good enough to be regular Celtic players… which they aren’t.
Because if we’re serious about Champions League football, the standards have to rise.
Anthony Ralston was introduced late in extra time.
Luke McCowan came on as Celtic desperately tried to regain control.
Both were absolutely appalling.
That is what makes it so frustrating.
We have spent months being told about ambition.
But when the biggest game of the season arrived, we were still relying on players who supporters have spent months stating aren’t Celtic quality.
The Tounekti Moment Says Everything
Perhaps the most revealing thing was the fear when substitutions started, and Tounekti came on.
Where are Hassan and Forrest?
Tounekti is not a bad player.
He has shown flashes of quality.
But a Celtic squad chasing Champions League football shouldn’t be down to a player with one goal and one assist last season.
The bench should make you feel stronger.
Instead, it felt like every change weakened us.
And that is a squad-building problem.
The Board Have Created This Mood
This is where criticism of the board is entirely justified.
We have the resources.
We have the fanbase.
We have the commercial power.
We have sold players for significant money season on season.
We have the stadium.
We have the history.
We have Champions League revenue sitting in front of us every single summer.
Yet somehow, we repeatedly arrive at the most important moments asking whether the squad is actually ready.
The frustrating thing is it felt like Celtic had been doing things differently this summer.
Durán.
Høgh.
Baur.
Hassan.
There was genuine excitement.
But good recruitment doesn’t excuse leaving obvious holes.
And This Is Where the Fans Matter
This is the part that perhaps gets lost when we talk about results like this.
It is easy to say:
“It’s only football.”
And technically, it is.
But football isn’t experienced in isolation.
People work all week and save money to travel to Europe.
People take annual leave.
People spend thousands of pounds following Celtic.
People arrange their lives around matches.
People watch games with their families.
They go to the pub.
They travel across countries.
And sometimes football genuinely becomes an important escape from everything else happening in someone’s life.
That doesn’t mean a defeat should ruin your life.
And sometimes you need to step back and process that emotion rather than allow it to consume you.
Be angry.
Be disappointed.
Have a rant.
Then go to work.
See your family.
Walk the dog.
Have a coffee.
Get on with life.
Because Celtic will still be there tomorrow.
We did this to ourselves.
LASK didn’t perform some miracle against an unbeatable Celtic.
They exposed weaknesses that were already there.
They kept believing.
We stopped believing.
And once that happened, the tie became psychological as much as tactical.
Where Do We Go From Here?
that’s the question nobody can seem to answer.
And perhaps that is why the relationship between the board and its supporters feels so broken.
We as fans don’t necessarily expect perfection.
We don’t expect Celtic to win every European game.
We don’t expect every signing to work.
We don’t even expect Champions League qualification every year.
What we want is direction.
Tell us what the plan is.
Tell us what the squad is supposed to become.
Tell us why certain players are leaving.
Tell us why others are staying.
Show us that the club understands where the weaknesses are.
Most importantly, act before those weaknesses become.
What I struggle to accept is a club that appears to be reacting to problems it should have anticipated.
World Class In Everything We Do
Ambition cannot simply be words.
It has to exist in the recruitment.
In the squad.
In the preparation.
In the infrastructure.
In the communication.
In the decisions made when nobody is watching.
Last night wasn’t just a footballing collapse.
It was a reminder that Celtic cannot continue telling supporters one thing while showing them another.
The mood around the club this morning is poisonous.
People are furious.
People are hurt.
Some are questioning the manager.
Some are questioning the players.
Others are questioning the board.
Most are questioning everything.
But perhaps the biggest lesson is that Celtic created this environment themselves.
The club had an opportunity to reconnect with its supporters this summer.
For a brief period, it looked like that was happening.
Then we threw away a four-goal lead against LASK.
Now the board has to decide what happens next.
Not with another statement.
Not with another promise.
Not with another excuse.
With action.
Because Celtic supporters will forgive a lot.
But they need to believe there is a direction we’re actually going.
Right now, nobody seems to know where that is.
Key Takeaways
- Celtic faced a devastating defeat against LASK, losing a four-goal aggregate lead, leading to frustration among supporters.
- Fans had hope after recent signings and a positive start, but the collapse exposed deeper issues within the club.
- The failure to secure replacements for key players like Arne Engels before crucial matches raised concerns about decision-making.
- Supporters question the quality of current players and the lack of ambition and strategic direction from the board.
- Ultimately, Celtic must reconnect with its fanbase by providing clear plans and taking decisive actions to restore trust.
There can’t be too many clubs in world football who is winning a CL qualifying tie 4-0 on aggregate with 60 minutes of the entire 2 matches left to play yet get beat overall and dumped out of the CL with it’s £40 million + pounds of rewards ? I suspect there shall be a ‘token ‘ gesture of blame from the board for all of this to appease the masses ? Someone who receives a massive pay off for his job loss …just to cushion the blow ! Then it’ll be a one out ..one in situation . Another bunker nut who could not hammer a nail into a dumpling but is qualified for the job !
It’s not months of frustration, it’s been since Liewell put the brakes on when the dead club went 6 foot under . We’ve had access to Championship league funds since then , that’s when out European ambitions should have taken off . It has greatly impacted the Scottish game in general, as if we were competing at a higher level in Europe, Scottish clubs ( in theory ) would have to up their game at home , creating a more competitive league/ domestic game . Sick to death of Liewell and the money he fraudulently took over the years , under the knowing watchful eyes of Desmond .
This club will never reach its potential with Desmond involved, that’s the biggest problem.
Celtic have used 2012 and death of Rangers to exploit us fans, they have become risk adverse to an incredible level, with the mantra of ” look what happened in 2012″.
They plan season to season, have no long term strategies and everything they do is to maximise profits over football success, they would sell their granny if there was a tenner profi
I had to check that tounekti hadn’t been taken off again while watching that shite..why do all our players constantly go backwards to the keeper and put us in trouble instead of going forward. I don’t know of any other team that plays football like that. Who the fuck coaches that??? To put tounekti on before Osmand or Hassan beggars belief – we know what tounekti can do- 95% of the time its stop and go backwards. What happened to getting to the line and whipping the ball over. Why do we persist with right fosters on the left wing and vice versa. It doesn’t work.
The players were shite last night and we should never be letting a lead like that go. But the fucking board waiting every time to see if we qualify before spending money does my absolute tits in. Buy the players and we will do well. Don’t buy and we do fuck all. Yes we have spent however many millions on 4 Decent players but we haven’t even spent what we have taken in… I’ve been raging all day also feel like an old friend somewhere across the world had died after watching that utter shite last night
There are likely hundreds of thousands of us sharing your pain, disbelief, shock and utter frustration at that capitulation last night. It was one catastrophe after another. MON’s teams of yesteryear had men who stood up and imposed themselves because they were capable and wouldn’t be knocked off the ball with a feather. We once had Balde and Mjallby. Could you see any CFs doing to them what Lask’s did to Trusty and CCV. We also had Lenny protecting the defence. Somebody who would lose a night’s sleep if he misplaced a pass. You’re spot on about Tounetki. Someone with such weak will and lack of intent or a backbone should be nowhere near Celtic park never mind a subs bench. Hogh and Duran were anonymous. Our conundrum is well documented and until someone comes up with a cunning plan to ensure nobody would replace a season ticket-holders seat, if they don’t renew, ensuring it stays their seat if they want it at some point in the future under a new board, then it’ll be rinse and repeat every year, just like the last one. I don’t have the answer to that one but there’ll be smarter people out there that might come up with it. A short-term option might be to refuse to take up seats for the Europa league games. Some empty stands might have some impact on the suits and their balance sheets. It’s a shambles that just didn’t have to be that way. Good luck to all our season-ticket holders this year, I hope there are better times ahead for you guys. I gave mine up years ago because the suits just don’t give a toss. They never have and they never will.