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Celtic announcing Peter Lawwell's retirement has caused a split of opinion on how well he did in his time at the club, Celtic's record while Lawwell has been CEO on the face of it has has been exemplary, a look beyond domestic domination paints a different picture.
Domestic Dominance:
In the 18 seasons he's been CEO, Celtic have won 13 League Titles, 9 Scottish Cups and 7 League Cups, equalled the clubs own record of 9IAR and won an unprecedented quadruple treble, one of those year's going Invincible.
In the 18 seasons he's been CEO, Celtic have won 13 League Titles, 9 Scottish Cups and 7 League Cups, equalled the clubs own record of 9IAR and won an unprecedented quadruple treble, one of those year's going Invincible.
European Stage: 1/3
Celtic have made the UCL group stages nine times in Lawwell's 18 seasons, on the face of it a 50% hit rate looks very decent but 5/9 times came in his first six years, they've only made the UCL four times in the last 12 attempts despite the "Champions route"
Celtic have made the UCL group stages nine times in Lawwell's 18 seasons, on the face of it a 50% hit rate looks very decent but 5/9 times came in his first six years, they've only made the UCL four times in the last 12 attempts despite the "Champions route"
European Stage 2/3
No club in Europe played more games under the official UEFA banner between 2010-2020 than Celtic Football Club, despite Real Madrid winning the UCL four times in that period, however the club only made the knockout stages of UCL/UEL five times.
No club in Europe played more games under the official UEFA banner between 2010-2020 than Celtic Football Club, despite Real Madrid winning the UCL four times in that period, however the club only made the knockout stages of UCL/UEL five times.
European Stage: 3/3
Celtic have only won two European kick-out ties in Lawwell's time, both came in his first season, it's been 17 years since Celtic last won a post group stage Euro tie, last 7 times they qualified for Europe after Xmas they were eliminated the very next round.
Celtic have only won two European kick-out ties in Lawwell's time, both came in his first season, it's been 17 years since Celtic last won a post group stage Euro tie, last 7 times they qualified for Europe after Xmas they were eliminated the very next round.
Failure to prepare: 1/6
Lawwell (& Desmond) knew for a year Strachan was going at the end of 2008-09, Lawwell gambled not strengthening that January, it lost Celtic a title they were 7 points clear in (in Jan), they had no manager lined up & their top target became Owen Coyle
Lawwell (& Desmond) knew for a year Strachan was going at the end of 2008-09, Lawwell gambled not strengthening that January, it lost Celtic a title they were 7 points clear in (in Jan), they had no manager lined up & their top target became Owen Coyle
Failure to prepare: 2/6
After Coyle rejected the job, the search widened ~100 miles to someone they knew wouldn't say no, Tony Mowbray, his style of football captured the imagination but he was still a very public second choice in a net that didn't reach very far.
After Coyle rejected the job, the search widened ~100 miles to someone they knew wouldn't say no, Tony Mowbray, his style of football captured the imagination but he was still a very public second choice in a net that didn't reach very far.
Failure to prepare: 3/6
Mogga's reign was disastrous culminating in a humiliating & humbling defeat to St Mirren, out he went & in came Lennon, an understandable short term solution but Lawwell inexplicably decides the best way to overcome a dominant Rangers was a novice manager
Mogga's reign was disastrous culminating in a humiliating & humbling defeat to St Mirren, out he went & in came Lennon, an understandable short term solution but Lawwell inexplicably decides the best way to overcome a dominant Rangers was a novice manager
Failure to prepare 4/6
NL's managerial naivety came back to bite the club (& Lawwell) when he lost a League title he should've won & Celtic were eliminated from both UCL & UEL qualifiers, the next season was on course for a similar outcome until Sion got DQ'd & Rangers went bust
NL's managerial naivety came back to bite the club (& Lawwell) when he lost a League title he should've won & Celtic were eliminated from both UCL & UEL qualifiers, the next season was on course for a similar outcome until Sion got DQ'd & Rangers went bust
Failure to prepare: 5/6
After Lennon walked out on Celtic, Lawwell approached Ronny Deila to come in as Assistant Manager, when Roy Keane knocked Dermot Desmond back, the only guy Lawwell turned to and offered the job is a guy they had ear-marked as an assistant.
After Lennon walked out on Celtic, Lawwell approached Ronny Deila to come in as Assistant Manager, when Roy Keane knocked Dermot Desmond back, the only guy Lawwell turned to and offered the job is a guy they had ear-marked as an assistant.
Failure to prepare: 6/6
Lennon returned when Rodgers did a midnight flit, initially we were told it'll be as interim manager until the season's end. Immediately after completetion of the Treble Lawwell offered Lennon the job in the showers, a major downgrade from Rodgers.
Lennon returned when Rodgers did a midnight flit, initially we were told it'll be as interim manager until the season's end. Immediately after completetion of the Treble Lawwell offered Lennon the job in the showers, a major downgrade from Rodgers.
Player sales:
Celtic have did alright in this department in the last decade...
2010 - McGeady £10m
2012 - Wanyama £12m
2014 - Forster £10m
2015 - Van Dijk £13m (rose to £19.5m)
2018 - Dembèlè £20m
2019 - Tierney £25m
They also sold Ki, Hooper & Armstrong for decent profit.
Celtic have did alright in this department in the last decade...
2010 - McGeady £10m
2012 - Wanyama £12m
2014 - Forster £10m
2015 - Van Dijk £13m (rose to £19.5m)
2018 - Dembèlè £20m
2019 - Tierney £25m
They also sold Ki, Hooper & Armstrong for decent profit.
Player recruitment: 1/2
Success stories speak for themselves & are highlighted in the tweet above however it's a department I've felt Celtic have struggled massively with since Lawwell took a more active role in recruitment considering their budget & the markets they operate in.
Success stories speak for themselves & are highlighted in the tweet above however it's a department I've felt Celtic have struggled massively with since Lawwell took a more active role in recruitment considering their budget & the markets they operate in.
Player recruitment: 2/2
Juarez
Bangura
Brozek
Balde
Boerrigter
Pukki
Scepovic
Ciftçi
Allan
Cole
Kazim-Richards
Gamboa
Kouassi
Compper
Hendry
Malumbu
Bayo
Shved
Bolingoli
Klimala
Duffy
10s of millions £ wasted on fees and wages, for every success there's 3 or 4 failures.
Juarez
Bangura
Brozek
Balde
Boerrigter
Pukki
Scepovic
Ciftçi
Allan
Cole
Kazim-Richards
Gamboa
Kouassi
Compper
Hendry
Malumbu
Bayo
Shved
Bolingoli
Klimala
Duffy
10s of millions £ wasted on fees and wages, for every success there's 3 or 4 failures.
Wage cap: 1/2
I understood Lawwell's blueprint to re-shape how Celtic operated and after the influx of loanees left in 2010 it took effect, it worked to a point but he refused to build on it, he was still trying to operate the same budgets in 2016 that he put in place in 2010
I understood Lawwell's blueprint to re-shape how Celtic operated and after the influx of loanees left in 2010 it took effect, it worked to a point but he refused to build on it, he was still trying to operate the same budgets in 2016 that he put in place in 2010
Wage cap: 2/2
Wage caps within a football club have a short lifespan, particularly one with UCL ambitions, I don't disagree with them but once you hit targets you then have to up the standards, six years was far too long and the club stagnated big time between 2013-2016.
Wage caps within a football club have a short lifespan, particularly one with UCL ambitions, I don't disagree with them but once you hit targets you then have to up the standards, six years was far too long and the club stagnated big time between 2013-2016.
Domestic success will ensure Lawwell can believe his time as CEO was a success however IMO he (and the rest of the Celtic board) have only ever had their finger on the pulse once since around 2007 & that was in 2016, all the success since then came from that Rodgers appointment.
