Opinion: If Celtic Want to Grow, They Must Fix Their Broken Recruitment Model — Before Stability Becomes StagnationBy [Your Name]When former Celtic director and long-time supporter Willie Haughey spoke on the Go Radio Football Show earlier this week, he wasn’t just sharing a personal opinion — he was expressing something millions of Celtic supporters already feel in their bones.Frustration. Disappointment. A deep sense of unfulfilled potential.Despite being a club with domestic dominance, a global fanbase, financial security, and a manager of Brendan Rodgers’ calibre at the helm, Celtic continue to operate like a club that’s afraid of its own ambition when it comes to the transfer market. And for many, including Haughey, this isn’t just a seasonal frustration — it’s a structural failure that is slowly but surely undermining everything Celtic have built.> “When you’ve got stability in a club, you’ve got to value it. We’re lucky to have the manager we do — probably the best we could get at this time. Add to that an owner who’s put his money in, and it’s clear the real issue isn’t there. The reason we’re all angry is recruitment.”– Willie HaugheyThis isn’t noise from outside. This is a man who’s sat in the boardroom, watched the inner workings of the club, and who still speaks as a fan. And what he’s saying — what all of us are saying — is simple:> Celtic can’t afford to keep getting transfer windows wrong.Not now. Not in this moment. Not when the stakes are so high.—The Celtic Paradox: Strong Foundations, Weak DecisionsLet’s start with the good news.Celtic are, by most definitions, in a good place.Financially, the club is stable. Revenues remain strong, season ticket sales are consistently high, and commercial partnerships continue to grow.Domestically, Celtic are either top of the table or firmly in the title race every season.Managerially, the club has one of the most respected British managers available in Brendan Rodgers — a man who knows how to win and who understands the demands of Paradise.In terms of facilities, support base, and stature, Celtic remain the biggest club in Scotland, and a massive name in European football.But this is where the paradox lies.Because despite all that strength — recruitment has been the club’s Achilles heel for years. And while it hasn’t always cost Celtic the league, it has consistently cost them something much more important:> Progress.—A Pattern of Failure: Windows That Come Too Late, or Not At AllIf you rewind over the past five or six transfer windows, a pattern emerges. One that every fan can recite by heart:Promising early rumours.A long summer of speculation.Priority targets missed.Cheap or unknown signings made late.A sense of patchwork rather than planning.It’s become almost a meme at this point. And yet, the implications are serious.This summer, once again, Celtic failed to land key targets before the season began. The result? Early European disappointment and a place in the Europa League. Again. The squad, despite having depth in numbers, lacked the quality and readiness required for the Champions League. And the fans saw it coming — because they’ve seen it before.> “Without action, every transfer window feels the same, and frustration only grows.”– Willie HaugheyThis isn’t a one-off. It’s a cycle. And it’s one Celtic must break if they want to turn domestic dominance into European relevance.—The Missing Link Between Ambition and ActionWhen Rodgers returned to Celtic in 2023, it was seen as a major coup. Here was a manager with Premier League pedigree, who’d previously delivered an Invincible treble, agreeing to come back — but only on the condition that he’d be properly backed.And while the club did make signings, many of them were development projects — players brought in for the future, not the now.The question isn’t whether Celtic are spending. They are. The real question is:> Are they spending smartly, decisively, and early enough to make a difference?Time and again, the answer is no.Too often, the signings feel like compromises rather than first-choice targets. By the time the window closes, we’re left wondering what could have been — not celebrating what has been done.And as Haughey rightly pointed out, this comes back to the structure of recruitment itself.—So What’s Going Wrong?It’s difficult to know for certain what the internal issues are without being in the room. But let’s examine the likely culprits:🧩 1. Disconnected Football StructureCeltic have operated without a clearly defined Director of Football or long-term recruitment model for years. Managerial changes have led to shifts in recruitment strategy, but there’s no visible long-term footballing vision.🕰️ 2. Late or Reactive DealsToo many signings are made in the final week of the window, leaving little time to integrate players before key matches — especially in Europe. Other clubs plan months ahead. Celtic? We’re still reactive.💰 3. Over-Reliance on Value BuysThe club often looks for bargain signings with future sell-on potential, rather than players who can make an immediate impact. While financially smart on paper, it’s not always what a club in Celtic’s position needs.🎯 4. Failure to Secure First-Choice TargetsWhether due to budget restrictions, indecision, or slow negotiations, Celtic have developed a reputation for losing out on top targets to more decisive competitors.—Haughey’s Warning: Don’t Waste This MomentWhat makes Haughey’s comments so powerful is that they come from a place of both experience and passion. He’s not looking to criticise for the sake of it. He’s calling for accountability and honesty — two things Celtic fans have been demanding for some time.> “Even a small sign from the club that they recognise the problem would help. Just an indication that recruitment is being looked at properly…”He’s not asking for £100 million. He’s asking for clarity, direction, and leadership — the kind Celtic fans deserve.Because here’s the hard truth:> Stability without progress is just standing still.And in modern football, if you’re standing still, you’re already falling behind.—The January Window: Celtic’s Moment of TruthAs we look ahead to January, the pressure is mounting.If Celtic are top of the league by then, it’s a chance to kick on, open up a gap, and move toward another title. If they’re not, it becomes a battle — and the club will need to show ambition just to stay in the fight.Either way, there’s no room for hesitation. No margin for another slow, confused window.Rodgers must be backed. Properly. And early.The board must show they’ve listened — not just to Haughey, but to the entire support.Because fans are not unreasonable. They don’t expect Celtic to go toe-to-toe financially with Europe’s elite. But they do expect the club to act with intent, clarity, and urgency. To build like a club with vision. To recruit like a club that wants to grow — not just sustain.—Final Thought: The Road AheadCeltic are at a crossroads.They have the stadium. The fans. The revenue. The manager. The platform.But all of that is wasted if the club continues to limp through transfer windows with the same lack of ambition and foresight. Because eventually, even the most loyal fans will begin to wonder:> “What exactly are we trying to be?”Will we be a club that settles for domestic dominance and sells its best players?Or will we be a club that builds something real — something that competes in Europe, that excites its fans, and that respects its own identity?The answer lies in recruitment.And the clock is ticking.—As Willie Haughey said best:> “Fix the recruitment. Back the manager. Respect the supporters. And turn Celtic’s position of strength into something lasting — something worthy of the badge.”