Is Elena Sadiku the right fit for a struggling Celtic? | OneFootball

With three losses in a row, Celtic FC Women manager Elena Sadiku is the topic of discussion when it comes to the SWPL. She has been at the helm for over a year now, having joined in January 2024, but what has her time with the club looked like thus far?

Sadiku’s first game in charge came against city rivals Rangers in the Sky Sports Cup. Coming off the back of a 9-0 win at home to Montrose, spirits were high and everyone was hoping that the Ghirls could pull off a result that would see them secure their place in the final.

Unfortunately, the visiting side were awarded a penalty towards the end of the game when it was all square, and Rio Hardy made no mistake in converting from the spot.

It was a tough second game as well as Glasgow City scored what proved to be the only goal of the game within 15 seconds. But Celtic finally got their first taste of victory under the new manager a couple of days later, as a 6-0 victory against Hibernian in the Women’s Scottish Cup saw the Ghirls progress to the quarter-finals.

Celtic went on to secure a historic first SWPL title at the end of last season, edging Rangers out on goal difference on the final day. But skip forward to today and the statistics paint a story that fans may find interesting.

Record against Glasgow sides - is it good enough?

Sadiku’s side has only been able to win against Rangers once in all competitions, having played each other eight times. Three of those matches have ended in draws, while four have been losses for the Ghirls.

In the eight times that Celtic have faced Glasgow City, three have resulted in wins for the Hoops, with two draws and three losses.

These are statistics that some fans are bringing to the table when discussing how much time Sadiku should be given in the top job, but there’s a lot to consider within the women’s side of the club.

It has been a known fact for years that Celtic’s budget is far behind that of Rangers and Glasgow City, and rumour has it that the Parkhead side may be falling even further down the list. With Sadiku indicating throughout the season that she would have ideally liked more funding for her title-winning squad, it begs the question of whether the problem lies higher than the dugout.

With Celtic as a whole announcing a pre-tax profit of £43.9m last month, there is some debate over whether more funds should be given to the women's team. There is the argument that if Sadiku was handed a bigger budget to spend in the summer, we may have seen success earlier.

Sadiku's future at Celtic

Although some people may be bringing her position into question, there’s no doubt that Sadiku’s time in Glasgow has been nothing short of successful. She brought UEFA Women’s Champions League Group Stage football to Celtic Park for the first time, and her squad managed to match the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid, even if they were unable to secure what would have been historic results.

She has certainly made sure that her name will forever be associated with the club. Amy Gallacher’s last-minute winner to bring the league title to Paradise last season was nothing short of glorious, and some credit has to go to Sadiku for keeping the motivation high despite a mid-season managerial change, which is never easy.

With eight games left to play and with Celtic sitting in fourth place, nine points from the top, some supporters may be writing off Sadiku and her squad, but there’s still a chance for them to retain their title. With the final game of the season having been moved to Celtic Park, the fans could be in for yet another historic day if the manager can turn things around.

Three losses in a row are never something that anyone wants to see but, it’s time for Sadiku to prove why she has been trusted to manage the Scottish champions.