Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he is absolutely on the same page as the Celtic hierarchy when it comes to recruitment.
The manager has been in the frontline of transfer speculation as his side face a fierce race for the SPFL title following back to back title wins.
In September Celtic’s accounts revealed that at the end of June there was £72m sitting in the bank account but for whatever reasons those funds haven’t been reinvested on the park.
Very few fans are expecting to lay out £10m or more on a single player but in the summer of 2022 deals in the region of £6m were completed to sign Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
With less than a week to go in the January window the only signing has been Nicholas Kuhn, another winger despite the summer signings of Marco Tilio, Yang Hyun-jun and Luis Palma.
Online there has been plenty of criticism about the failure to spend money that is sitting in the bank but speaking to the Daily Record Rodgers firmly backed the way Celtic go about their business:
Supporters are right to ask that. If you promote as a club you have the money in the bank, then they know the money is there.
But we’re all the same, we want what is the best for Celtic. We want quality players in but we know there has to be a balance between young up and coming players and players that are ready made. We are very aligned on that.
Yeah, I speak and communicate with them really well, particularly with Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay. We have regular communication, regular meetings, as much as people want to promote this, we’re absolutely on the same page.
I know what we need to do to improve the team and the squad. If I could click my fingers and do it that would be great but football doesn’t work like that.
So, it takes a bit of time but our relationship is very strong. I will always demand we have the best players we can possibly have here, and if that means pushing the limits then I will always do that.
But I will always respect where we’re at as a club, and it was one of the things for coming back here. For me it’s not about the numbers or the number of players. It’s about having a squad that is competitive and you can take one player out and put another of quality in.
The board guys run the club and the finances and run it very well. My demand will always be to get the very best players that we possibly can. And if there are ones who aren’t better than we already have, I don’t see the point in bringing them in.
It seems that some harsh lessons have been learned from the summer window when of seven new signings only Luis Palma and at a push Maik Nawrocki could be described as better than the players that Celtic already have.
Kwon Hyeok-kyu has already gone out to St Mirren on loan with Marco Tilio and Gus Lagerbielke linked to loan moves. Kwon hasn’t played a minute of competitive football with Tilio restricted to 27 minutes across two substitute appearances.
The transfer window closes at midnight on February 1 and is quickly followed by away matches at Aberdeen, Hibs and St Mirren over nine days.
? LISTEN: “I felt when I came in the summer that we probably needed four quality players.”
? Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says the club are working hard to add top level players to their squad. pic.twitter.com/1xwfCY5Zab
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) December 1, 2023
Losing respect for Brendan, not sure I can trust him now.
Well that’s that then. Might as well jack it all in. John has lost his trust. And respect. Hope brendy dosnt read that. He will be devastated.
It does then beg the question “what did Ange have in terms of recruitment that Brendan doesn’t have?” Did Ange have, as a result of his long globe-trotting career, a worldwide informal scouting network of his own, while having not worked outside the UK Brendan has to rely on Lawwell Jr, a couple of his pals at CFG and the internet?
Because the difference in recruitment couldn’t be much starker. With the exception of McCarthy, who was clearly foisted on him, Ange signings fitted a clear pattern of being young & hungry but still first-team ready.
Last summer was mostly stocking fillers and we’ll see how good or otherwise Kuhn is soon enough, although to sign so many wingers in consecutive windows is not emblematic of a clear or coherent recruitment strategy.
Editor: Ange had been waiting on a move to Europe, knew he had to make an instant impact and trusted the judgement of his agent, Frank at CAA Base, to source the profile of player that he needed. Dom McKay didn’t have favoured agents and got on with completing deals.
Unless I’m just nit-picking, but…
BR is quoted above having good / regular communication with
the CEO and the FD. All well and good.
But, operationally, should BR also be mentioning his working relationship
with the Head of Recruitment? For us frustrated supporters, that is
the key relationship within the club…and currently, it looks like it’s
just not working?
Editor: He seems to have ditched referencing the brilliant work that Lawwell Mini has been putting in, now he knows.
Rodgers said “it takes time ” he knew last summer what we needed,he has turned into liewells puppet,mind you the wages he is on after the Leicester shambles he’s probably quite happy to dance to liewell and desmonds tune ,they two have taken Rodgers hook line and sinker.
Like all businesses Football Clubs have to be self-financing and make a decent profit. Many struggle.
Celtic is well managed in this area. On the pitch things are a bit iffy at the moment. Thus the anxiety amongst Fans.
12 months ago it was decided that the Entertainment Precinct around Celtic Park Stadium would go ahead.
Certainly Dermot would see investment synergies there, compatible with the Football Club. Money in reserve may be
advantageous later on. I am only looking for a possible explanation. A guess?.
Not to worry; Celtic FC still have plenty good enough players, capable of winning the Premiership. Some fans will disagree.
Editor: What about Europe? Emulating the achievements of Copenhagen, PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord. Not asking for too much surely?
Last European knock out victory was 2004 for this well run club, apparently widely admired across the world.