Bonkers not brave- Sutton calls out Celtic’s Recruitment disaster from Lawwell and Nicholson to Rodgers

Chris Sutton has included Brendan Rodgers by slamming Celtic’s January recruitment as bonkers.

At his broadcast media conference today the Irishman agreed with supporters that the club could have been braver during the window that brought in Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah.

Presumably that meant raising the ceiling on transfer fees and wages on offer to lure players needed to a squad that had barely been strengthened over the three previous windows.

Rodgers has to face up to the questions, in the background there is a CEO and Chairman dictating policy with a Head of Scouting and Recruitment responsible for bringing in first team ready players.

Celtic face three demanding away games over the next nine days, over that period it should become evident if Rodgers is capable of delivering honours this season.

Reacting to the transfer activity Sutton told the Daily Record:

You look back to last summer when Rodgers returned. It was Celtic making a serious statement after Postecoglou’s departure and looking to take the club to the next level.

Rodgers himself was cool on talk about record signings and whatever – but there has to be a middle ground. Look at his net spend in the two windows – if anything Celtic are in profit. In fact, got back to his first spell and he’s more than balanced the books across seven transfer windows. That’s not brave. It’s bonkers.

The recruitment department has a lot to answer for. Celtic has historically had a list of targets as long as your arm and if one doesn’t land they go to the next. Have they lost the list down the back of the couch?

You can’t seriously tell me in the six months since the summer window there isn’t a left back in the world that can come in and compete with or cover for Greg Taylor. You can’t claim Adah was a long term target and then bring him in on a deal just until the end of the season.

People are not daft. Fans will hammer Peter Lawwell and his son Mark as head of recruitment and maybe that’s fair game. Michael Nicholson took the plaudits under Ange and as CEO and will get flak now. But Rodgers is also culpable. He has the final say over transfers and the buck stops with the manager over comings and goings.

Sutton will be part of the Sky Sports team covering Saturday’s SPFL trip to managerless Aberdeen.