Chris Sutton has hit back at Neil Lennon and Kris Boyd after a heated on-air row about Celtic’s form, branding his fellow pundits “the Chuckle Brothers” in a post-match swipe that’s gone viral among supporters.
The clash unfolded live on Sky Sports before Celtic’s meeting with Hearts at Tynecastle. What began as a tactical chat quickly turned into a three-way argument over who’s really to blame for Celtic’s stuttering start to the season.
Neil Lennon sparked the debate by defending the Celtic board and questioning whether criticism of their transfer business was justified. The former Hoops boss said:
“Sometimes you can’t keep going on an upward trajectory. I have sympathy with the board. I’m sure behind the scenes they tried everything to get quality in.”
Kris Boyd then joined in, turning the spotlight on Brendan Rodgers and suggesting the manager was showing the same patterns as during his first spell in charge.
“It’s now coming up to that three-year period, usually when it drops off for Brendan Rodgers,” Boyd said. “When do we start looking at the way he wants to play?”
Sutton, visibly irritated, hit back at both pundits, insisting the real issue wasn’t Rodgers’ coaching or tactics but the club’s poor recruitment.
“It’s only you and Neil in the country who think Celtic have had a successful transfer window,” Sutton fired back. “You can’t replace £19 million players with £2 million punts and expect the same level.”
26th October 2025; Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Hearts versus Celtic; Alexandros Kytziridis of Heart of Midlothian shoots and scores in the 52nd minute to make it 2-1 to hearts
The exchange kept escalating, with Lennon later suggesting there was a “disconnect between the board, the manager, and the supporters.” Sutton wasn’t letting it slide. After the show, he took to social media to deliver a parting shot:
“Extraordinary from the Chuckle Brothers this… the recruitment is the primary reason why Celtic have been sluggish at the start of the season and why there is all the unrest right now.”
Sutton’s post summed up what many Celtic fans have been feeling, that the team’s dip comes from boardroom failings and lack of investment rather than the manager’s methods. His defence of Rodgers was also a reminder that the Irishman, despite his flaws, deserves proper backing.
Celtic lost the game 3-1 and sits eight points behind Hearts, who have shown their title credentials with a marquee win. Where do Celtic go from here?
