Ex-Scotland Star Says Celtic Are Getting Too Comfortable at the Top

Don Hutchison believes Celtic’s lack of ambition in the summer transfer window stems from a sense of comfort at the top, largely due to the ongoing chaos at Rangers.

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Across the city, Dyche ruled himself out of the running for the job, Gerrard said the timing wasn’t right and Rohl said no. They completed the treble before Halloween. Impressive.

Hutchison, who Celtic once tried to sign during Martin O’Neill’s reign in 2001, has suggested that the Celtic board’s reluctance to spend big may come down to the perceived lack of genuine competition.

The former midfielder argues that this mindset could prove short-sighted, especially with the likes of Hearts showing real promise this season. He warned that the current Premiership leaders could be the ones to eventually capitalise on Celtic’s complacency.

“The board at Celtic will question why they spend big when they see what’s happening at Rangers and think they can win the league without too much hassle,” as quoted RecordSport

“They can see Rangers are nowhere near them. That can then have a snowball effect, because it can only go on for so long before another club springs up.

“Look at Hearts this season, they might catch Celtic up. They’re sitting top, so they might even overtake them in the league this season. It can be detrimental to Celtic that they go to European games and always get beaten.

“The whole state of Scottish football needs to get better.”

Celtic’s failure to qualify for the Champions League this season sparked outrage among fans, who have pointed the finger at the board’s failure to properly strengthen the squad over the summer. Hutchison’s comments will no doubt echo those frustrations.

You feel that January is a massive window for everyone involved at Celtic. It will give the opportunity to get much-needed strength and depth into the squad and allow the board to back the manager.