Celtic's board of directors took a new "Mystery Machine" on the road to a supporters' club in Greenock on Monday night, but the messaging remained as predictable as ever, according to Keith Jackson. The visit did little to reassure fans that the club can escape the mess that majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has created.
The interim chairman Brian Wilson, chief executive Michael Nicholson and chief financial officer Christopher McKay met around 120 supporters, fronted by manager Martin O'Neill. The board repeated familiar promises of listening and change, but critics argue the club has been in steady decline by following the whims of an absentee landlord who owns just over a third of its shares.
A small-time approach to big problems
The road trip was described as a desperate and small-time approach to addressing enormous structural issues at the club. These issues could blow up on Thursday night when big-spending Besiktas visit, potentially handing Celtic a fourth successive Europa League defeat.
Fans are struggling to understand how the club has come to this, watching their team being humiliated in a competition they felt they should be above. The club's most recent financial figures suggest more than £66m is sitting in the vault while the team struggles on the pitch.
O'Neill's extra duties raise questions
O'Neill spent around two and a half hours at Monday's fan meeting, attempting to placate supporters while protecting his superiors. At 74, his energy must be drained by his Thursday-to-Sunday duties, and no manager should be forced into such extracurriculars when the schedule is packed.
O'Neill stated he "asked" to be there and wants to meet fans as much as possible, but the timing came just 24 hours after a bruising defeat at Falkirk. The team has won just three of 10 games, with Rangers, Ferencvaros, Benfica, Celta Vigo and Dundee United all exploiting midfield frailties.
Midfield issues remain unsolved
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the latest experiment in midfield, but his presence made no discernible difference. Captain Callum McGregor is crying out for help, but no formula O'Neill tries seems to fill the holes that opposition teams exploit.
With Besiktas arriving next, few expect the numbers to improve, and the flames of anger could engulf O'Neill and threaten his fairytale return. No amount of road trips and lip service will make the cracks in the Desmond dynasty go away.
