Michael Stewart in Celtic board claim over Paul Tisdale role amid alarming January transfer issue
The outspoken pundit has been giving his reaction to a dramatic week at Celtic.
Michael Stewart reckons the Celtic board have paid a costly price for handing Paul Tisdale major responsibilities - as he names the Hoops issue that must be addressed in January.
The head of football operations has been sacked following head coach Wilfried Nancy and his coaching staff being binned after just eight games, six of which were losses. Nancy’s assistant coach, Kwame Ampadu, was connected to Tisdale through a professional relationship at Exeter City where the former managed the senior side and the latter coached at U18s level. Martin O’Neill has returned until the end of the season and will help oversee the January transfer window, following the former Columbus Crew boss’ exit.
Former midfielder Stewart reckons the board handed Tisdale plenty of power that was used to detrimental affect for the club as a whole. He also feels that a struggle could continue if they don’t find a striker this month, having sold Kyogo and Adam Idah in 2025.
Michael Stewart on Celtic January transfer window
The ex-Hearts and Hibs man said on Sportsound: “How much damage has been done and how does that impact and affect what's going to happen for the rest of the season? Because as has been touched on, Martin O'Neill coming in is a huge, huge confidence booster to the players. To the coaching staff, to everybody that's still there, because all of a sudden it's going to feel like there's a weight lifted off their shoulders.
“The same issues remain with regards to this January transfer window. If whoever is involved at the club in regards to recruiting is not capable of finding a striker, and it's been over a year or it's been pretty much a year since Kyogo was sold and they've not found one, then they're going to be in a situation and a struggle to get themselves in a position where the supporters would expect them to be. I've mentioned this before.
“Brendan Rodgers at the start of the season, and we're not going to go over the whole dynamics that were there. He's a top-class manager. Top-class manager that clearly, the dynamic and the issues between him and the board were causing problems, and it was filtering through into the players. That is obviously not a situation or a problem anymore.
What was Paul Tisdale given at Celtic?
“Martin O'Neill's coming in, so there's a better atmosphere there, but the fundamentals of the squad are still imbalanced. I don't think there has been that level of conversation with regards to what's happened previously and what are we going to do now that's going to be better? I just think, and I may well be wrong here, but I think that Paul Tisdale was given the keys to the castle.
“The board were basically at his mercy with regards to what did he suggest. What did he see as best? Through the connections, we won't ever know because nobody really talks about it, but you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out a couple of the connections that were there with regards to Paul Tisdale connecting to Wilfried Nancy.
“I just think that they had the wool pulled over their eyes with regards to believing that Wilfrid Nancy was the guy that was going to be revolutionary here. There's been a lot of chat about the MLS and Scottish football and everything like that. MLS is not a bad league, let's get that clear. There's a lot of quality there but there is a difference. There's no relegation. There's not the same intensity, especially with a club like Celtic.”