Before the 6-0 win over St Johnstone Brendan Rodgers stated that his squad was too large, implying that more players should have been moved on during the summer.
Supporters tend to focus on recruitment but getting rid of players past their usefulness is almost as important a function in ensuring that a motivated and manageable squad is on call.
At the end of this season a large number of Celtic players will be out of contract but they can be divided into a couple of different categories.
Quite clearly Dedryck Boyata won’t be around beyond the end of the season. Many of his international colleague are picking up £200,000 plus a week, as a free agent next summer and at the age of 28 he can expect to pick up a contract paying close to half that figure which is well out of Celtic’s reach.
Most of the other players will leave as natural wastage, their best Celtic days are in the past but currently no one is prepared to match the wages they are collecting while not playing first team football.
Last January’s transfer business turned out to be something of a non-event, no one coming in has made any real impact which had a knock on effect in the summer.
When the transfer window opens in ten weeks time the priority has to be bringing in first team starters, most certainly in defence. Any departures will be a bonus but the main shedding will come next summer as Rodgers really gets on top of the squad with his own stamp.