Brendan Rodgers has spoken about his recruitment intentions for the first time since Mark Lawwell left the club.
On his return last June the Irishman praised the brilliant work being done by the chairman’s son but not many fans shared his enthusiasm.
Last summer Tomoki Iwata’s loan was converted to a permanent move followed by seven signings all under the age of 24 with only Maik Nawrocki costing more than £3m.
Marco Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Nawrocki were left out of Celtic’s Champions League squad with Luis Palma the only new face to make a positive impact before the dead rubber win over Feyenoord thanks to a late goal from Gus Lagerbielke. The Swede has started one match since September.
Much surgery is required on the Celtic squad, both incoming and outgoing with no update from the club on Lawwell’s successor or a new structure to avoid the mistakes of the last four transfer windows.
Without giving any detail or specifics Rodgers was full of enthusiasm when he told the Daily Record of his summer plans:
I’m really excited about next season, having now had a look at this group. I’ve seen players who were out for a while and I want to develop this squad.
There’s a lot of work going on on that front. Is it a chance to put my stamp on it? Yeah, because I think we lost influential players (last summer) who make the game look different. Those players weren’t just good footballers but they were personalities.
It’s hard when you lose that personality from the team. The guys have been great this season with everything that’s been thrown at them but it’s about seeing what it needs, how it can develop and grow.
I had to give guys who were here an opportunity because they’d just come off the back of a Treble-winning season but I also know because of my experience in football – especially at clubs like Celtic – that there’s a revolving door every three or four years.
Even if you’re a winning team you have to fire up the squad again. That’s something we’ll look at doing in the summer.
Liel Abada’s transfer to Charlotte FC in midweek was the fourth key member of the treble winning squad to leave Celtic.
With Joe Hart retiring and Matt O’Riley likely to move on Celtic look like starting next season with a vastly different side to the one that clinched the treble last June with a 3-1 victory over Inverness Caley Thistle under Ange Postecoglou.
Lol if you ask me all he has done there is give us a bit lip service,looks like more of the same DROSS players next season,with any signings being done all under £3 million,while sevco splash the cash with with players costing between £5 and £10 million a pop,should they win the league.
Perhaps the ideal scenario is if BOTH BR and PL left at season end?
Both have a lot of baggage,
and removing that negativity could be the most positive indication
that the club is serious about raising its ambitons?
That will be to late by then should sevco win the league because that £70 million guaranteed from champions league sevco would have spent it on big money players leaving us for dust with us stuck with the payers the calibre of East Fife to compete with sevco.
A lot is being made about how Sevco will spend big on players should they win the title this year.
People are forgetting that the ‘Peepul ‘ who bankrolled their ‘journey through the Leagues making friends’ will now come calling to redeem their worthless share confetti, with interest. King, Park, the mysterious investors from Hong Kong & the U.S. of A will jump at the chance to replenish their own finances & Pension Pots.
The £100million approx they lost on the last 12 years is not just a figure on their Profit & Loss Account it’s the amount the ‘big’ investors lost and they’ll want it back.
We can only hope and pray that you are 100% plus correct with that ascertation SFATHENAIOROFCHIFTINESS !
You know more about sevco than most!
Like Brendan, I’d be excited about next year, if I was to earn a million quid!
But this team need major surgery, like Frankenstein’s monster did!
If Brenny wins the League, he should still be here.
But if he doesn’t, then the yoghurt will surely hit the fan – and we will still need major surgery, like Frankenstien’s monster did!
I just hope that Dr. Frankenstein gets on his bike and leaves us – whatever happens!