The relationship between Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and the club’s non-executive director Peter Lawwell has come under scrutiny, with speculation about potential strains between the two during Rodgers’ previous tenure at the club.
Ewan Murray raised questions about Rodgers’ current interactions with Lawwell, noting a perceived lack of acknowledgement in public statements compared to other board members.
During Rodgers’ press conference comments, he frequently mentions Michael Nicholson, Celtic’s CEO, and Dermot Desmond, but notably omits Peter Lawwell.
This observation by Murray during the Press Box podcast has fueled speculation about the underlying dynamics within Celtic’s leadership.
“When Brendan speaks, he’s done it in recent weeks, he speaks about the board being brave and bringing him back. He always name-checks Michael Nicholson, who I saw exchange thumbs up with at the end of the game on Saturday, and he always name-checks Dermot Desmond. He never name-checks Peter Lawwell.
“This might be me saying something that does exist, but he does not name Peter when he mentions that. it strikes me as interesting”
In response to these observations, Stephen McGowan, another voice on the podcast, clarified the roles within Celtic’s management, emphasising that Peter Lawwell, as a non-executive chairman, is not involved in the daily operations of the club.
McGowan further suggested that if there were any past issues or power struggles, Rodgers appears to have emerged in a strong position.
He said: “Peter Lawwell is the non-executive chairman. People miss the non-executive part all the time. He’s not in the day-to-day running of the club. Michael Nicholson is running the show – he’s the chief executive. Celtic are a PLC board. I do think if there was a perceived power struggle, then Brendan Rodgers has won it.”
