Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Celtic’s recruitment and scouting set up is in need of a major overhaul.
It seems that Peter Lawwell was the driver in most transfer activity but since stepping down at the end of June a lot of issues have come to the surface.
Dom McKay stepped in to the role of CEO for 72 days but acting CEO Michael Nicholson is now closing in on that mark with no obvious sign that the club is recruiting for a new CEO.
In addition to those issues the Head of Football Operations role has been vacant since Nick Hammond left in January with Postecoglou well aware that there are big gaps in the infrastructure behind him.
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We still have work to do in terms of the playing roster, particularly in terms of depth in certain areas and then in terms of the structure around here I still think we need some work around our recruiting, the whole scouting department, in that area.
That will be the next focus for me to make sure that we get the right people in that area. It is probably the one area where football is changing rapidly in terms of the information that is out there, get that information and how you use that information, particularly around scouting. That is kind of the next step for me in terms of January.
Since becoming Celtic manager in June there hasn’t been any appointments inside the club that could be termed ‘Ange men’.
The first official additions to the squad was Osaze Urhoghide who has yet to make a first team appearance. Similarly Leigh Griffiths was given a 12 month contract early in July then sent out on loan to Dundee at the end of August where he has managed just one goal.
Getting a joined-up recruitment/scouting operation should reduce the chances of time and money being wasted on players such as bringing in Lee O’Connor, Jonathan Afolabi and Luca Connell while last season’s loan signings of Diego Laxalt, Shane Duffy and Jonjo Kenny are hard to justify with Tony Ralston restricted to one appearance.
