CELTIC’S LOST DATA: THE RUMOR THAT WOULD EXPLAIN CELTIC TRANSFER CHAOS
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 17 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Watching Celtic fumble around trying desperately to find a striker over the past couple of weeks, has been something akin to watching a sad drunk trying desperately to find his way home.
In short, Celtic Transfer Chaos, as hyperbolic as it may sound, is a pretty accurate summation of how most of us feel.
But how did it get this way?
Well some online sources are speculating that they may know the answer. And as usual, the complete non-communication from Celtic’s media team in light of the rampant speculation only lends it further credence.
Is Celtic Transfer Chaos Down to a Total Lack of Data?
When our erstwhile “football doctor” Paul Tisdale unceremoniously left the club on the same day as former manager Wilfried Nancy, he left behind a legacy of disaster in the transfer market. Celtic seemingly tried, yet miserably failed, to get a number of high-profile players in the door last summer.
That incompetence ultimately cost us over £30 Million in lost Champions League revenue. It has also left a team that is “running on fumes” with reinforcements desperately needed if we are to have any chance of retaining the league title.
Much was made of the “football doctor’s” data-driven approach to player recruitment. However, data can be deceiving and data alone is not how you judge suitability of players. Both Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada had outstanding stats based on the 2024 J-League season. One has already returned to Japan, seemingly broken by his perceived failure at Celtic, the other couldn’t even get a start against a Junior team yesterday.
Here's the thing though, data is a solid means to identify potential players. But with Tisdale’s departure, the question is being asked: “What data are Celtic now using to source potential players, and what has happened to all the analysis our former head of footballing operations gathered during his all too lengthy spell at the club?”
Rumors persist, and have done so for the past couple of weeks that Celtic have, in essence, started completely from scratch since Wilfried Nancy and Tisdale departed.
If this is true, then it means that as Tisdale left, all the football intelligence he gathered seemingly went with him. I don’t want to believe that those in charges of contracts, disclosure agreements, data access etc., at Celtic would be foolish enough to let this happen. However, as I have said, this gossip is growing legs and the club have said nothing to counter it.
If it isn’t true then Celtic are doing themselves and their fans a disservice by refusing to clarify what exactly is going on with player recruitment.
If it is true then the positions of our CEO and CFO are even more untenable than they were already. It’s nothing short of extreme negligence.
As usual, all Celtic would have to do to put down these rumors is come out and talk to the fans. We don’t need to know all the ins and outs of your transfer plans and player sourcing strategies; we just need to know that you actually have some!