Celtic fans are running out of patience with a board that appears incapable of moving quickly on even the most straightforward decisions affecting the club’s future.
Martin O’Neill may have shaken hands on a deal to become the new manager, but Celtic have yet to finalise contracts with his backroom staff more than a week after those initial agreements.
The suggestion that Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham have been low-balled over wages is nothing short of shocking, given everything both men contributed last season.
Maloney spent the last six months effectively doing the work of at least three people, covering recruitment, scouting, coaching, and his original pathways role simultaneously.
He was brought back as pathways manager in a role that was supposed to offer long-term stability, yet he has been pulled in every direction since January without proper recognition.
Fotheringham also dropped everything twice in the space of weeks to answer Maloney’s call last season, and he deserves genuine security in return for that loyalty.
To offer either man less money than they earned previously is, as has been widely described, a major slap in the face for two people central to dragging Celtic through a turbulent campaign.
It has now been 19 days since Callum McGregor lifted the Scottish Cup, and there are just 15 days until part of the Parkhead squad reports back for pre-season duties.
The clock is ticking loudly, yet the communication coming out of Celtic Football Club remains virtually non-existent, frustrating supporters who expected swift action after the season ended.
Adding to the absurdity, O’Neill has three speaking engagements booked for this weekend, including a show in Dumfries on Saturday and two further appearances in Uddingston on Sunday.
He had accepted those bookings months ago because, as a sitting manager at the time, he genuinely believed there was no chance he would be back in charge heading into next season.
The very notion that a man now confirmed as Celtic manager could take the stage this weekend for Q&A sessions where he cannot openly discuss his new role should be deeply embarrassing for the board.
Beyond the backroom contract saga, there is a growing list of unanswered structural questions hanging over the club that nobody appears to be addressing with any urgency.
Who becomes permanent chairman, whether Brian Wilson returns to the board, who replaces Tom Allison in the boardroom, and where the head of football operations will come from all remain open questions.
The transfer situation is equally uncertain, with nobody clearly identified as responsible for buying or selling players during what should be a critical recruitment window.
Rangers have already secured Lawrence Shankland, and Hearts have brought in four new players ahead of the World Cup, while Celtic appear stuck in administrative fog.
Celtic have had since January 5 to prepare properly for this transition, yet they arrive at the start of pre-season with the management setup still unresolved and the squad needing several new signings.
If Celtic cannot finalise deals for people already inside the building, serious doubts must be raised about their ability to recruit the external talent needed for Champions League qualification.
The bumbling that followed the Double being delivered has erased much of the goodwill built up by that trophy success, replacing it with frustration and genuine concern among supporters.
If Celtic do not get their act together quickly, the heat generated by an increasingly angry fanbase may well be enough, as one observer noted, to melt the ice caps in a single day.
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