Celtic could 'sacrifice' one of their senior figures to placate fans, according to a football insider. The Bhoys are in a real knot, with fans now furious and threatening to boycott games due to the way the club is being run.
Despite promised changes, Celtic's recruitment drive has brought more of the same this summer, with just one new signing managed so far. That's despite the expectation at least three important players will leave this summer, and Daizen Maeda will be the first of those, with a ÂŁ10million move to Ipswich Town about to be confirmed.
More than one Celtic fan group has come out to call for changes, and many fans are now putting together a plan to boycott games and avoid purchasing club merchandise in a bid to force the club's hand in making changes.
Many feel the current executive team is inept, and failure to prepare the squad for the new season, which starts a week on Monday, has highlighted that concern. Celtic face the real possibility of failing to qualify for the Champions League again, and it's already clear O'Neill fears that will be the case from his recent comments.
Something might have to give, and former Premier League CEO Keith Wyness believes a 'sacrifice' could be made.
Celtic could sack one of their chiefs
According to Wyness, Hoops CEO Michael Nicholson could be axed to try to spark some hope among fans.
“I think he's in real trouble right now. He's obviously been backed by the board, but he is becoming the figure that I think could be sacrificed to the fan base in some way,” he told Football Insider.
“To come out saying agents' fees, I'm afraid when you've got clubs like Bodo/Glimt, Bruges, Copenhagen, all shopping in the same sort of market as Celtic, if not lower than Celtic. Agent fees, I'm afraid, are part of the game, and that's just not an excuse.
“I've had to deal with them since the early 2000s, so there's no excuse right now. You just have to get on with it, and you have to make your contacts, and you have to work with agents.
“He is right in the crosshairs of the fan base, and you've got to hope he's got something up his sleeve in terms of some signings because, as I say, Celtic Park is not a happy place right now. Seeing the board spend some of the money they've got is what the fans have been asking for for ages.”
Barring the boycott movement really coming to life, it seems unlikely we will see too many empty seats come the league opener for Dundee, given the depth of league support the club has and the fact the opening game is always something that sparks excitement.
But it is interesting to see how many empty seats there are for the Saturday friendly with AC Milan, given even season ticket holders have to pay out of pocket for the game. Many may stay away in light of this summer's events.
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