Veteran journalist Bernard Ponsonby has launched a scathing attack on Celtic's leadership, particularly targeting major shareholder Dermot Desmond, over the club's communication failings.
A steadfast supporter of the club, Ponsonby acknowledged the dominance Celtic has exerted over the Scottish game due to being well-managed.
However, he expressed concern over the club's European performance and attributed it to insufficient spending.
Ponsonby also criticised the lack of communication from the club's hierarchy, particularly from Desmond.
Speaking to PLZ Soccer, Ponsonby said: "You would have to be just the most unreasonable individual and the most unreasonable supporter if you simply didn't accept that the utter dominance that the club has had over a quarter of a century has been delivered on the basis of the club being well run.
"Because if you don't get it right off the park you're going to make bad decisions which will filter through on the park.
"So it is only right and proper to say we have been well run and to say that a lot of the people who have been driving the management of the club deserve a lot of credit."
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Yet, he expressed concern about the club's lack of progress in Europe.
Ponsonby said: "The issue on the debit side of the ledger which the supporters are concerned about is an inability to make any meaningful progress in Europe which, they believe and which I believe is because they haven't spent properly."
He also criticised the lack of communication from Desmond, saying: "The only things what we've heard from the Desmond family in recent times is that incenduary statement on the night that Brendan Rogers resigned, which may well all be true.
"It may well be true, but it has no credibility because there is no communication with the support.
"I don't know what Desmond's vision for the club is because he doesn't say anything."
In over 50 years of supporting Celtic, Ponsonby said he has never witnessed such a disconnect between the fans and the club hierarchy, and even among the fanbase itself.
He said: "The last season has been, if we take out the the magic of the the last couple of weeks, it was in part horrible.
"And one of the reasons why it was horrible is that I've never known in all of my years as a Celtic supporter, and I've been going to see Celtic for over 50 years, supporters actually falling out with one another and a and a toxic atmosphere.
"It's not what I was brought up in, and a complete disconnect between the mainstream and the board.
"You can only change that if you yourself are prepared to change and engage.
"I hope he does because if he doesn't, the chances are we will be back here again."
He also expressed reservations about the permanent appointment of Martin O'Neill as manager, despite his successful interim spell.
While Ponsonby acknowledged that O'Neill deserved the chance, he questioned whether the decision reflected effective forward planning that would address the club's issues.
He said: "He'd earned the right to decide whether or not he he wanted it.
"But all of the issues around Martin's age, the individual that had raised these issues were Martin himself.
"Everybody knows though of course that what drives the concern with the supporters, the inability to make it in Europe.
"From that point of view we need a a change in terms of the financial model at the club.
"We need better communication at the club and we probably need a manager who is a two to five year project over several transfer windows that can take you forward.
"Clearly Martin in that sense is not your two to five year project.
"So I mean the key thing is to keep us ahead and at the end of the day all managers will live or die by their signings and there's a complete rebuild needed at Celtic."
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