Celtic legend Scott Brown has given his verdict on this season and had some strong words for those who 'think they know how to run the club better'.
Brown left Ayr United two weeks ago by mutual agreement after his side dropped to eighth place in the Scottish Premiership. He has featured regularly in the media since his departure, and he has taken a look back at the Hoops' difficult campaign.
Under three different managers, Brendan Rodgers, Wilfried Nancy and Martin O'Neill, Celtic have struggled to stand their ground as they looked to defend the Scottish Premiership title. Currently sitting in third place going into the split, it is going to be a tough time, but there is still hope that the team can pull it back.
Speaking to RecordSport, Brown said: "It’s not been a perfect season, far from it, but the manager and the players have found a way to keep winning games of football. So it’s about keeping the faith.
"If they go and win this league after all the pressure and all of the criticism of the board, the players and managers coming in and leaving, it will be the best league win ever."
There has been a lot of debate on social media about the board this season and their capability to carry out their role. The consensus is that they are not fit for purpose, but Brown disagrees with some of the criticism.
He said: "There are a lot of vultures out there on social media and podcasts who think they know how to run the club better. It’s as if people think Celtic can just go out and spend £20m on a player because the money is in the bank.
"But if you do that and then you don’t make the Champions League, then what happens? The club starts going into the red.
"So everyone has to come together because that’s one of the biggest things in football - togetherness. The fans, the players and the board need to come together for what’s left of the season, and then some big decisions can be made in the summer on what direction they go in from there."
Brown also revealed that he would like O'Neill to stay for another season: "I would love Martin to stay for another season. Look, it’s obviously hard for Martin - he’s no spring chicken anymore!
"But he still has great enthusiasm for the club and, to be honest, that’s half the battle."
Is Brown right about the criticism?
Strong words from Brown about financial criticism of Celtic and the board, but the critics aren't exactly wrong. While it is true the club can't go out and spend massive fees with the risk of not being able to pull something off in Europe, people have every right to be upset.
At many points this season, the board have not only shown that they aren't willing to spend even the smallest amount of money to back the manager, but that some members have a genuine disdain for the fans. When you're running a football club, this is a massive problem.
If Brown can't see that, then he should take a harder look. Hopefully, he backs some sort of change. We can't keep living in the past.
Add us as a preferred source on Google