Dereliction of duty

I can't work out if it's complacency, incompetence or arrogance from the board but it's mind-boggling how Rodgers and club are in this position

- >>> CHRIS SUTTON

THE Celtic board can’t say they weren't warned.

The supporters let their feelings be known in midweek after a dismal performance against Kairat Almaty.

And it was blatantly obvious the chickens have come home to roost.

Michael Nicholson and Peter Lawwell found themselves in the firing line... but they could have avoided all the abuse if they had been reading this column in Record Sport.

I've been saying for weeks this shambles of a transfer window could seriously come back to bite them on the backsides.

And yet here we are.

Don't mind me, I'm just sitting here wearing my I Told You So T-shirt.

Believe me, it doesn't give me any pleasure.

In fact, I can't actually get my head around how Celtic got themselves in this position.

There are people who claim the Parkhead board are too cautious. I don't see it that way. Not when they are taking the biggest gamble of all by refusing to give Brendan Rodgers the proper tools going into this Champions League playoff.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

That's the phrase that came to mind on Wednesday night.

It was always going to be a tricky tie, no matter who they got at this stage.

But failing to replace Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Nicolas Kuhn was a self-inflicted own goal that has now left them facing a huge task of getting away with it in Kazakhstan in three days’ time.

Celtic might still get through. Even with the lack of attacking signings, they could still find a way of squeezing past Kairat. Yet the job has been made far tougher than it needed to be.

It's mind-boggling how they got here.

I can't work out if it is complacency or incompetence... or maybe even arrogance.