5 hours ago
3
Celtic have been plunged into further turmoil after another turbulent day in which Peter Lawwell announced he is standing down as chairman due to "abuse and threats" from fans and the team later suffered a fourth defeat in a row under their new manager.
Fans protested against the board after the 2-1 defeat by Dundee United at Tannadice, where there were also calls for team boss Wilfried Nancy to be sacked.
The latest setback came days after they were beaten by St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final.
As you would expect, the BBC has received a flood of comments from Celtic supporters and football fans elsewhere about the Scottish champions' current troubles. Here is a selection of them.
Having already become the first Celtic manager to lose his first two games in charge, Nancy, who was previously head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, has now become the first since the legendary Jock Stein in 1978 to lose four games in a row.
It appears the majority of Celtic fans can see no way back for the Frenchman, with parallels being drawn with Russell Martin's ill-fated short spell in charge of rivals Rangers this season and unfavourable comparisons to interim manager Martin O'Neill.
George: Does Wilfred Nancy have any understanding of the Celtic fans and their expectations? They are not stupid, but saying there are improvements with the team performance is just condescending to say the least. I just hope the pain doesn't continue for too long for the fans.
George: Listening to Wilfred Nancy is depressing. How is this an improvement? Sad to see this happening to Celtic - embarrassing.
George: As a neutral, I've listened to Nancy's post-match interviews and all I can think about is Eric Cantona's seagulls and sardine trawlers speach. Absolutely nonsensical.
Hugh: Did the Celtic manager spout all these nonsense phrases at the recruitment interview and the board sat back saying this sounds amazing? Time for manager to go and recruitment and board to be cleared out.
Matt: He says we lost the game in three minutes? Must've been the three minutes it took someone to decide on his appointment. What a mess.
Toby: It wasn't "three minutes". It was a poor manager who doesn't know how to take responsibility for his team. He better be sacked!
Ross: This is lunacy of the highest order from the people in power at Celtic. What top team in Europe is playing 3-4-3, let alone any team in Scotland? Why do they think it would work? Only because one of their mates on the otherside of the world was having limited success with it.
Kevin: Wilfried, I hope you read this. You have a pool of players worth 10 times that of the majority of the rest of the Scottish Premiership. We don't need your madcap arrogant tactics of failure and promises of tomorrow. You are being shown up by managers who understand how to play tactically to their resource strengths. Go somewhere else if they will have you.
WottsamattaU: These fans saying these players aren't good enough. Just over 10 days ago, they'd won seen out of under under Martin O'Neill, including their first win away in Europe for 20 years. Nancy is a cheap option - manager from MLS - saving money yet again. He's worse than Russell Martin, but directors won't kick him out like Rangers did because that would confirm they were wrong. Celtic won't win anything under Nancy with his Connect 4 board game, but the directors know Celtic fans will turn up to watch the grass grow.
James: I'll stick up for MLS here, seeing as how it seems to be a fun topic to look down on it. That is a league miles above ours in terms of quality and finances. The Celtic job is to Nancy what the Rangers job was to Martin - too big for him.
Harry: What on earth were this club (not one that I support) doing appointing this man who is without top-league managerial experience? I know Martin O'Neill didn't want a longer-term commitment, but given his experience and managerial career, why didn't they try to keep him until the end of the current season?
John: Goodbye Lawwell. Now goodbye Nancy. He is destroying our club. I cannot take any more of this. This is breaking my heart to see my famous club in tatters. He's destroying my Christmas.
Dave: Sorry, the manager has to go. Never mind sticking with your man, you cannot give him transfer money to spend.
Sam: Oh dear, Nancy! I fear it's just a matter of time before the "obvious".
Rob: Nancy should do the honorable thing and walk.
Ian: He has to go before the damage gets any worse. That was diabolical.
Kevin: Nancy has lost the dressing-room. No way back. He must go now. Bring back O'Neill for the rest of the season and take stock. The board must accept they messed up and we move on.
Sndrew: Martin O'Neill won seven of eight. Nancy has lost every game. Is that the players? Or the coach?
Gary: Nancy is Celtic's Russell Martin. The similarities are incredible and the end is also gonna be similar.
Tim: Bring back Martin O'Neill - only solution. Yer man from USA is never gonna work. Three at the back didn't work at Manchester United and won't work at Celtic. Wise up.
Hugh: How can the players be blamed when they haven't a clue what the manager is trying to do? The same players won seven out of eight and would do so again with Martin O'Neill at the helm.
Dan: I think Celtic need to think about getting an interim manager in to steady the ship before matters get worse. Martin O'Neill anyone?
James: Nancy must go. Hasn't got a clue. Bring Martin O'Neill back before it's too late. Lost four games, 10 goals against, three for, says it all.
Mark: Why, oh why did the Celtic board not cancel the appointment of Nancy when they could see what an amazing job Martin O'Neill was doing? Only makes the situation worse when O'Neill disclosed on media he would have stayed. MLS is not the same and Nancy has no proven experience at this level. Simple answer - get O'Neill back and make it a permanent contract.
Sul: Don't think Martin O'Neill has unpacked yet. Good job, as he may be needed soon again.
Gus: I would normally say give a new manager time. But Martin O'Neill managed to give an average squad an edge. It's hubris from Nancy to change everything that O'Neill achieved in his first games and expect success. Sack Nancy and beg O'Neill to come back for the rest of the season. It's the only way forward.
Billy: We have went from being in a fairly comfortable position to a salvage job. This is not the time to bring in an idealist who looks completely out of his depth. How long will the board leave it before they act? Maybe they will wait until we are in third place and too far behind. Tough decisions have to be made before it's too late.
Hugh: I just hope Martin O'Neill is on a plane from London to Glasgow just now.
Oliver: Imagine if Celtic lose to Auchinleck Talbot in the Scottish Cup?
Andy: What is Russell Martin doing these days? Might be worth a call.
Matt: I'm really hoping for a "Sacked In The Morning" episode on BBC with Wilfried Nancy. It'd be box office stuff.
While there are few sticking up for Nancy's tactics or ability as a manager, plenty of fans are suggesting that Celtic's problems lie deeper - with major shareholder Dermot Desmond, the board, recruitment, the current players and previous manager Brendan Rodgers taking stick.
Stefan: Sack the board. Can't believe what is happening with both Celtic and Rangers. Hearts can fully capitalise this season for sure now.
Andrew: Should have had the game finished in the first half. Celtic are full of gutless players. They are a disgrace to themselves and the support. I'm 71 years of age and I would have scored with the two chances [Johnny Kenny] had in the first half. No leader on the park either. I just hope the manager doesn't get the full blame. Directors are to blame 98% along with the players. Celtic need a full clear-out. This has put Celtic back about six years at least. They will be lucky to finish fourth this season.
James: The glaring issue Celtic have is we don't have a quality striker. If we had one, we probably beat Hearts, we would be up at half-time against St Mirren and out of sight against United. That issue is all on the board.
Aln-F: I'm not a Celtic or any team supporter. I'm a football supporter. What I see is the fall of an empire. The Celtic board, recruitment, structure at the club has failed, season after season, for the last few years. Not buying quality players to get into Europe in case they don't get through and paying big wages just for the league.
Bringing in a relatively unknown manager to manage a once giant of Scottish, even European, football when he has no concept of European football. If the owners have no interest other than cash, sell. Give the Celtic supporters hope for the future.
Tom: Hard to blame Nancy as the main issue. What was the board thinking, bringing in a man who's barely landed in Scotland before facing league leaders, a top Serie A team and then a cup final? It's laughable. Let him settle a week or two in Scotland. He's been poor, but it's impossible to claim this to be his fault alone. Laughable situation.
James: It's not the new man's fault Celtic are not up to it. Let's be honest, who is this fella?
Derek: Not a great 10 days. But Brendan Rodgers is to blame for this. Poor signings. If we are going to bounce back, we need to follow Motherwell's refreshing strategy. Nancy needs to go to Fir Park to see how it's done.
Tim: This team is desperately poor. In decline for two years. Arrogant and lazy board. Deserve all that is coming their way. Shocking dereliction of duty to the fans who saw this coming.
Jonathan: Dermot Desmonds' revenge. He's been watching Ted Lasso without realising it isn't real. Poor player and manager recruitment.
Thomas: Some of the Celtic players look as if the don't want to be there and some of them shouldn't be.
Kenster: The board are hanging this guy out to dry from day one - clueless and leaderless. We are a shambles. Total disgrace. We'll be lucky to come third.
Roy: The players are letting the manager down. Passing, ball control and decision-making were at an amateur level in that game. Couldn't even score open goals.
Dominic: It's got to the point where it's painful to see Nancy in the dugout. This has been coming, which many of us have seen. Little confidence in those running the club who seem more intent on creating division between the fans to cover their own shortcomings.
Owen: Dire. Even last year we were sliding backwards. Horrendous signings have hurt us. Desmond's reign must be coming to an end.
Not everyone is so disappointed at Celtic's troubles, with some suggesting it is a positive for Scottish football to see Hearts leading the table ahead of the two Old Firm clubs.
Tim: The more I see modern football managers struggle at top Scottish teams, the more I think the whole system and its values, ideas and leaders haven't moved past the mid-90s. Scottish football at large is stuck in the past, miles off the level of Europe's third-tier competition.
VimtoMUFC: There's a lot of Rangers fans who agree with Nancy. Celtic are 100% heading in the right direction.
John: I am a United supporter living in Canada. I knew at half-time we were going to win. Something is wrong at Celtic.
Soapy: Amazing result and look at the table. I'm wondering what it's going to look like in January.
Tam: Maybe all the teams in the league should start getting some credit for how good they've been instead of just writing these types of games off as Celtic and Rangers being poor this season. From what I've seen, the teams that have come up against them and got results have more than deserved it with some really outstanding performances.
Joe: The rest of Scotland is rejoicing and this is healthy for Scottish football.
