There were two main themes running through the reactions of Celtic supporters to the 0-0 draw with Hibs.
One was the failings of the summer transfer window with the other being the lack of squad depth highlighted by the identity of the substitutes.
Making just one enforced change to the side that started against Hearts and Atletico Madrid it isn’t too much of a leap to think that Brendan Rodgers agrees with the sentiments expressed. Tellingly there was barely any criticism of the manager over today’s dropped points.
All summer long Celtic fans waited on the anticipated game-changing arrivals. Instead they were fed obscure projects while Jota left for Al Ittihad leaving the squad further down on quality.
At the end of the transfer window Nat Phillips and Paulo Bernardo arrived while the club announced that they had £72m sitting in the bank.
Fortunately Rodgers put together a side and system to win at Ibrox- they imploded with Beale sacked within a month but Celtic’s problems and issues remain.
Only Luis Palma of the seven summer signings looks adequate, not even his agent would claim that he is at Jota levels.
Without Reo Hatate and Alistair Johnston for the majority of today’s game too much was expected of too few players, when they failed to deliver the substitutes were found wanting.
After starting the season with five wins away from home today’s dropped points are a big set-back, and reminder.
A serious transfer plan needs to be set out, absolutely no more projects are required any time soon with the £72m in the bank account needing reinvested in quality first team starters.
This is the kind of results you get when you don’t spend the cash on players that can be starters instead of “projects”. The players brought on are either not match winners or players that should have been moved on a while ago
— Des Brownlie (@Desb65) October 28, 2023
Only started playing with some intensity last 10 minutes. Lack of game changers on the bench evident when we’re bringing on Oh and Mikey Johnston (two players that aren’t Celtic class).
— MarkJN (@MarkJNicholas) October 28, 2023
It’s all good going toe to toe in the CL but when your bread n butter is relying on subs like johnston, Ralston & turnbull then it’s some buzz. That was like watching walking football. Fingers oot ?
— Paul Gallagher (@PaulGall67) October 28, 2023
Really dreadful performance. Poor all over the park. Pedestrian. Showing how threadbare the squad really is.
— ??????? Gary ScottishEagle ??????? (@garydg7) October 28, 2023
Shows just how dire the summer transfer window was.
— Ryan Porteous (@ryfonzo) October 28, 2023
Wake up call – today’s bench was incredibly weak. Every replacement was a major downgrade.
We need better attacking options on the bench!
— Ross Math ??????????? (@Joxxter67) October 28, 2023
It’s widely accepted that midweek Players ran out of energy in the last 20 minutes. Today’s starting 11 was those same 11 that played for almost 90 minutes less than 72 hrs ago. Today said a lot about our Squad depth and BR’s confidence in it. #Celtic
— Mo (@Notts52) October 28, 2023
Shows just how criminal that summer transfer window was. Disgraceful.
— Donzo (@Donzothetim) October 28, 2023
Fed up saying it but spending 20m on 9 players & still relying on JF & MJ is a shambles.
This ‘project signing’ pish needs to stop, players only improve playing games. So unless guys like Holm, Tilio, Kwon, Yang get reg gametime they are just going to be like Kobayashi etc.
— Ryan Carr (@ryan_carr3) October 28, 2023
Some of the worst football iv ever seen. Zero threat from set pieces, zero impact from the bench. You get games like this every year. Lets hope it is a one off.
— KJWM (@kev_bhoy1984) October 28, 2023
Want to creat chances in the last 10 minutes, what’s wrong with the other 80 mins?
Need midfielders that can feed the front line, too many happy tappy players offing sod all
— ¯\_(?)_/”,. ? (@Public_Intrest) October 28, 2023
Squad depth is abysmal, get the check book out in January and back the Brodge
— Jamie McDevitt (@jmcdevitt8) October 28, 2023
Forrest has repaid Celtic apart from the games against Sevco but to still being an option in 2023, highlights the paucity of the transfer business.
There is something badly wrong with the coaching staff at Celtic.
That idiot Lawwell had a chance to get some money from Spurs , I believe, for Kennedy and Strachan and knocked it back.
Taking a touch to steady the ball and then playing it is no way to play top class professional football.
The Succesful teams can play one touch because they are so well organised everbody and knows where every one else will be.
.
What is it with Taylor running 40 yards to insist on taking the throw-ins and then taking 30 seconds to decide what to do with it allowing the opposition to reorganise?
I feel incredibly sorry for Oh, he puts himself about and gets into great positions only for JF to go back the way. Oh needs more game time, he had shown he can score when given the chance, but only getting 5-15 mins isn’t helping. Somebody said Turnbull came on today!! Did he? Don’t remember seeing him. JF? Thanks for the service, but it’s time to go. Only clear cut chance today and he managed to hit the bar, it was easier to score. I see criticism of players we haven’t seen yet!!! Give them time and a chance.BIGGEST PRIORITY IS A KEEPER. Joe is a great guy, great in the dressing room, unfortunately not the goals. Goals lost to Feyenoord, Lazio and Atletico cost us. He is too slow.
Totally agree. They need to play through the middle more and Oh could start alongside Kyogo as he is really keen to do well when he comes on. They need a midfielder who will run into their box with the ball as opposed to papping it out to the wing. They also should give Joe a coaching job as he probably knows his stuff having played for England about 70 times but he can’t cut it on the field now.
He was also in goals when Griffiths scored those two free kicks against them!
Jamesy and Mikey Johnston should simply not be getting game time these days.
It’s a long season and we will have wobbles along the way.
Despite the underwhelming, summer transfer business,
I do expect us to secure that 3rd place in the CL group,
because that would be tangible proof of ‘progress in Europe’,
And we were led to believe that ‘progress in Europe’ was – now – the Board’s
underpinning rationale for bringing back BR.
Why is anyone surprised? The Celtic board has been taking the support for granted while treating them like mugs for years.
If you are happy to keep these people in the luxury to which they have become accustomed, then fine, but don’t expect anything to change anytime soon.
We are nearly as deluded as the huns.
Pish game , pish result , always hurts dropping points
If you looked at the fixtures we’ve had at the start and someone said we’d be 5 ( probably by tomorrow night ) clear you’d have taken that any day
HH
We went from hero on Wednesday to zero today…..with virtually the same team…How does that work…??..If the players were exceptional in the CL…what happened today..??…It was like watching paint dry…Got me beat.
We are still in a far better place than The Sevco Huns for sure but what a chance was blown to really put them under pressure for their game tomorrow in front of their rabid fans…
And we didn’t even take it –
We have no divine right to win every game that we play but that was disappointing today and we cannot afford too much more of it…
I heard ‘political experts’ in the pub today yapping about World War 3 and all the hoo haa caper in The Middle East…
I’ll tell you what’ll be World War 3 – And that’ll be when and if Lawwell and his cohorts and his dud of a son don’t play ball with Brendan in The January transfer window !
Because ACTION IS NEEDED and there is a £72 million war chest there for it…
But no it’ll be Projects, Projects, Projects, Projects and Fcukin more Projects !
When Lawwell said the club had to keep money aside if we didn’t reach the champions league, did he mean next season?
The summer transfer window now looks wreckless, only one player from 9 signed (Palma) looks like a first team starter. The performance today shows how poor the squad is outwith the first 11.
The 2 Lawwell clowns had better get their act together before they kill the golden goose with their version of punt roulette. That pair are pissing off the manager and the fans.
After that performance today it would be foolish to think the league this year is a gimme, especially now that the huns appear to have a manager that’s way better than Beale.
That is indeed the problem KC67 – Lawwell (Senior) thinks that he is really good at punt roulette and purchase poker…
But he is ABSOLUTELY FCUKIN NOT !
I can guarantee you Lawwell has only one thought in his mind, and it isn’t how he can improve the first team. It’ll be how much he can sell Matt O’Riley for.
As far as he’s concerned he’s given the manager the tools to do the job – no matter how poor they are.
He’ll have a difficult time this time around blaming Rodgers when the shit hits the fan, although he’ll do his best.
If we continue to regress and a Hoops fan clobbered Lawwell then it’d be the first time that “The fan hit the shit” !!!
Think Palma has makings of a good Celt but he needs to get the right attitude.hes no great at chasing back..was the same against Atletico M.thought James Forrest showed more urgency than anyone in last 20mins.turnbull and johnson offer very little.
Point gained, mic ? drop
How can sevco take 4 off them last week and we couldn’t get near their penalty box.
A nickel&dime performance with BENNY FERGUSON style of football spreading the ball across the middle of the park like training session.
Advantage now goes to sevco we blew it yesterday as the pressure was on us to go 10 clear and we couldn’t handle it.
The 2-2 draw midweek was a lucky game for ,and at the moment we are going back the way,not forward.
That performance was a disgrace and the players and manager should be ashamed of themselves.
That lead will be down to 5 points after today and just watch that dwindle away as it get to Christmas time and sevco will be top.
If we’re going to blame the “project signings” as the root cause of our problems…then BR is as much to blame as Lawwell Junior and his faither.
I’ve said it before…
If I was told that the job entailed me taking on players signed by the Chairman’s son and it was up to me to improve them…I’d have told them to stick it.
Surely a Manager has to have an input to new signings..??
It’s perfectly obvious that numerous signings are not rated by BR…but he took the job on…So get it sorted !!
Yesterday wasn’t good…but BR’s squad, substitutions and lack of clear instruction were strange to say the least.