Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Kilmarnock v Celtic - Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland, Britain - April 16, 2023 Celtic non-executive Chairman Peter Lawwell in the stands before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Chris Sutton has described Celtic’s transfer strategy as scandalous.
Going into tonight’s final pre-season friendly the hoops have added two genuine first team players, Kieran Tierney and Ben Nygren.
Against that Greg Taylor and Nicolas Kuhn have left leaving the ideal Starting XI basically at a similar level to last season.
In April Rodgers stated that he was looking to sign three players to improve his side, that was presumably without losing anyone such as Kuhn or Taylor.
Fringe players like Gus Lagerbielke, Luis Palma and Maik Nawrocki have moved on, permanently or on loan with the long term injury to Jota creating another gap in quality.
Those issues were kept below the surface until Thursday night when a heavy defeat from Ajax followed by Rodgers questioning the ambition of the club brought them to the fore.
Sutton has been concerned by the lack of activity from Celtic throughout the summer, a week away from the start of the SPFL season he explained to Daily Record readers the problems facing his old club:
Why weren’t the replacements in the pipeline BEFORE these players left.
Kyogo apparently made noises about going months before he departed. You could argue Kuhn looked like he was going long before the end of the season.
Those were not surprises so plans should have been in place. Rodgers was talking about needing to refresh his squad back in the spring.
To be still saying it going into August is scandalous.
I get the uncertainty around Rodgers’ future with his contract running down. But there is always uncertainty around every manager and it shouldn’t mean there’s a reluctance to bring in new recruits.
This is too important a time to be dithering.
The word Rodgers used the other evening was ‘ambition’ – and he doesn’t use that likely.
We’ve been here before with him. It’s almost like he’s challenging the board to back his vision.
I don’t blame him. When he came back the talk was about how he’s been promised funds to take the club to the next level, to compete in Europe and hammer home their dominance in Scotland.
Can anyone seriously say that is how it looks right now? If anything they have left the door open for Rangers and they are taking a serious gamble on the Champions League.
Rodgers will probably speak to the media after tonight’s match against Al Ahli, after that the serious action gets underway with the visit of St Mirren on August 3.
Lawwell and Nicholson need to f@ck off and take the happy clappers with them. No ambition at all as a football club.
The only surprise is we continue to be surprised… Balance Sheet FC strikes again. Nonsense about players not being available till the end of the window when Balakwisha is obviously there for the right money (£5m?). He should’ve been in as Khun went out. The board have all been in place way too long and needs changing badly
Brendan doesn’t need the money, why doesn’t he come out and tell it like it is. He’s been made to look like a fool by Lawwell – again!
Nothing changes as long as the old miser Scrooge McDuck is still in place.
Sad to say it, but it looks like they’ve already conceded the league to the huns. Good business for the ol* firm brand. And by the way McDuck CGAF what you think. As far as he’s concerned your shit on the sole of his boot.
Standby for a dreadful season.
Fans shd Boycott the AGM its a WASTE AE F**IN TIME! This Tory Bastard Board DONT give a F** about Joe Public, its aw about HOW MUCH they can GARNER fur their Greedy Selves! Aw Members ae the SAME LUDGES as the FILTH 1 MILLION %!!
This board is intent on only one thing – maintaining the mighty dividends.
The short sightedness obviously is that they dont see that by putting money in and increasing the likelihood of CL group stages regularly, they would increase the regular flow of cash to the club in prize money, sellable assets, etc.
Its the same every year, they dither, they make excuses, we end up with a few dross signings at the end of the window for minimal money and zero use to the team and we supporters are told “But nobody wanted our money”……… WELL STOP TRYING TO BUY PLAYERS WITH GINGER BOTTLES!!!
This season……..
– massively under recruited
– horsed in the qualifier
– Brendan walks and blames the board
– bring back Lenny
– talk about re-signing more ex players
– right royally f**k it all up.
– the board “see, we were right to have a rainy day fund”
Every transfer window we leave it that late the prices of the players seem to go up as you would expect, clubs know we’re desperate.
It’s a strategy I can’t get my head around makes no sense whatsoever.
Last season we knew Joe Hart was leaving before Christmas we struggled for a replacement until BR had to go and get Casper.
They knew Kyogo wanted to go long before accepting £10m for him in January with a champions league tie still to play no replacement was brought in and still isn’t fast approaching the start of the new season which is an absolute SCANDAL!!
Khun also had his head turned long before the end of last season was then sold as soon as they could sell him and NO replacement was lined up.
In the past seasons they have cost the club potential millions in champions league money with they’re f*cking about!
It’s about time these AMATEURS got to F*CK!!!
The war is over, Lawwell has won. Roll on a shocking season followed by Damien Duff. Huge director wage rises and shareholder bonuses. It appears to me that Brendan has been completely undermined. If he was staying it’s unlikely now, has he become a puppet ? Where is the fight in him ? It’s reminiscent of when he stuck up for junior Lawwell at the AGM. Don’t rock the boat, even if it’s sinking. I cannot express how much I hope I’m wrong ,a the feeling of foreboding is growing not diminishing. P.S. buy a new top.