Will get stronger- Brendan Rodgers makes pledge over Celtic squad

Transfer

Brendan Rodgers expects his squad to get stronger.

Against Hibs yesterday the hoops boss made one enforced change through injury otherwise it would have been the same squad for the third match running.

By the 65th minute Rodgers had made all five substitutions but Plan B struggled just as much as his first choice XI to break down the Hibs defence.

Two weeks after Ange Postecoglou departed Rodgers returned to Celtic with an expectation of building a squad capable of progressing in Europe.

During the summer transfer window seven players were signed with two more brought in on loan in the final week of the transfer window.

Tellingly only Luis Palma of the summer signings started yesterday, Yang Hyun-jun remained on the bench while Mikey Johnston and James Forrest were thrown into action ahead of the £2m Korean.

There was no sign of Gus Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm or Hyeok-Kyu Kwon in the squad.

Rodgers has made it clear that his job doesn’t cover recruitment but is to work with the players provided by the club with Mark Lawwell in charge of recruitment since July 2022.

Speaking to The Scotsman the Celtic boss said:

Over time every coach or manager would like to strengthen their squad. We’ve got what we’ve got and the players have shown their qualities in this opening period of the season.

We’re not entitled to win every game we want to. Today is not a day to point the finger at the bench or anyone else. The squad will get stronger, hopefully, in the time I’m here but today we just didn’t do enough.

Work on January signings should be happening now, under Ange Postecoglou the last minute dash to sign leftovers became a thing of the past.



5 minutes in, recruitment explained.

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