Sky Sports pundit Davie Provan has claimed that under-fire supremo Peter Lawwell has been “firefighting” behind the scenes at Celtic this week.
The former Hoops midfielder explained his information is that the chief executive has been playing down growing concern that his relationship with manager Brendan Rodgers has disintegrated following the club’s fallow transfer window.
Rodgers has gone public with his dismay at Celtic bringing in only one senior recruit this summer in striker Odsonne Edouard, who converted his 2017-18 loan into a permanent move.
“I hear Lawwell has been firefighting this week,” Provan told the Scottish Sun. “The Hoops supremo is attempting to dampen the incendiary comments of Brendan Rodgers after he held his feet to the fire.
“The chief executive insists there’s no problem between the pair. If you believe that, you probably had breakfast with a leprechaun this morning.
“I’m surprised it’s taken Rodgers so long to cut loose. He’s done well to keep a lid on his frustration. But the board’s complacency in allowing John McGinn to slip through their fingers was the final straw.”
OPINION
Provan is right in saying Celtic fans will turn their fire on Lawwell and the board – and not Rodgers – if the team fail to reach the Champions League group stages. With the team stuttering to a defeat to Hearts on Saturday and the Dedryck Boyata row casting a cloud over preparations for the AEK Athens clash , Celtic are under mounting pressure to secure a passage to the lucrative group stages of the Champions League. Rodgers has made it clear he wants squad reinforcements, with the tipping point for his decision to go public with his frustration likely to have been McGinn’s move to Aston Villa earlier in the week. Celtic pursued the midfielder long and hard, but baulked at Hearts’ £2million asking price and lost out for what appear to be relatively inexpensive amounts. Taking into accounts the glowing Celtic finances and the £30million they would clear if they reached the Champions League proper for a third consecutive campaign, the spotlight is on Lawwell as supporters question why the club’s best manager since Martin O’Neill is not being backed in the transfer market.