GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 22: Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers, Celtic Chief Executive Officer Michael Nicholson and Celtic non-executive chariman Peter Lawwell during the 2024 Celtic Annual General Meeting at Celtic Park, on November 22, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
There were less fireworks than last week but today’s media conference by Brendan Rodgers carried plenty of ominous signs for Celtic fans.
The prospect of the Irishman signing a new contract seems to be a complete no-no with the main issue being how damaging this season will become.
Rodgers is clearly going to give it heart and soul but with the manager effectively a hostage it seems that some old boardroom scores are being revisited.
Despite a bank balance that has soared to between £80-100m Celtic fans have virtually given up on seeing any of that reinvested in players.
A more humble hope is that the club spends most of the money raised from player sales which currently stands at around £23m from the summer window..
Surely with a Champions League Play Off to negotiate and a likely UEFA pay day of at least £30m most of the Nicolas Kuhn fee could be spent on players?
Two valued at £6m, especially if they are wingers would transform the Celtic squad but Michael Nicholson clearly sees other priorities for the club.
At today’s media conference Rodgers said that he ‘really didn’t know’ if there would be any new signings before the August 20 Champions League Play Off.
2 minutes 20 seconds
QUESTION: I think that a lot of fans are asking why deals haven’t been concluded, especially for wingers and in the attacking areas. Is that a complicated answer, are many things needed?
I just think that obviously there’s many things that go into it. I don’t do the deals, so I can’t answer that for you, but I know that behind the scenes, obviously, there’s a lot of work, there’s a lot of discussions that go on to conclude deals.
I’m hopeful that come the end of this window, we will have those deals concluded and we get the players in that can help us go forward. I think the focus now at this moment for myself is to really make sure that the players that are here are in the best possible condition, best mindset to play the games and and that that’s where we’re at at this very moment.
Asked if he expected deals to be completed in time to play in the August 20 Champions League Play Off, Rodgers said:
I really don’t know. That’s my honest answer. We just have to keep working to look to get the players in and in the meantime work with the players that are here to make them the best that they can be.
Less than two weeks to go before a Champions League Play Off Rodgers ‘really doesn’t know’ if his squad will be strengthened, if he’ll have any alternatives to playing Yang Hyun-jun on the right wing.
It looks like the decision to ditch the summer 2023 signings is being revisited on the Celtic manager.
Are you happy with Celtic's transfer activity
Absolutely- fantastic business
I will judge on September 1
Horrific- feels like 2023 again
Surely even the happy clappers aren’t clapping as hard now?
I predict a good few empty seats for the League Cup game against Falkirk as complete apathy sets in.
We all want to support the team but the people in charge now actually seem to be either punishing the support or punishing the support by in turn refusing to give the manager.the resources to make the club successful. What kind of spite or vindictiveness is driving these people.
Forward to the Champions League qualifiers and, if we haven’t improved the squad and we go behind, the noise, anger, and vitriol directed towards the Directors will surpass anything heard since we beat Barcelona.
When any business Board behaves to the detrement of the business itself then that cannot go unchallenged.
This Board worked out long ago that football is a unique business due to the loyalty of the customer base.
If this was a normal business, where the business itself is being strangled by its own Board, well people would just stop using the business.
In the nineties the fans rose up against the mismanagement of a Board that piled debt on the club. How ironic it is now that, with between £70M and £100M in the bank, the anger against this Board could even surpass the anger against their nineties counterparts.
BR is certainly subtly putting distance between himself and the transfers-in activity, [or, lack there of].
Don’t think anybody blames him,
but he doesn’t have to be compliant / quiet about it either…?
There are no words left…so…Goodnight.
The board must forget Why Our Club was Formed without a Penny in Any Bank
They can stick there Falkirk tickets and champions league qualifier tickets up there arse I’m glad I came off the hcts as it only seems to cater for certain section when it comes to games against sevco time for Desmond to sell club back to the fans as this was what fergus promised there would be know more dynasties running our club if they are not willing to spend the close to 100 million give it to charity rather than give these clowns millions in bonuses I hate the idea of boycotts but it looks inevitable we the fans should be running this club Desmond has never put a penny of his own money into the club except to buy his shares meanwhile the people in the main stand have to put up with a stand built in 1971 Desmond has no vision for our club and I’m glad the supporters are slowly realising this
Imagine BR takes a nanny rooney and starts the CL qualifier with Yang and Tillio on the wings and Kenny up front.
We need to force Lawwell out. That needs the fans to do something. Doesn’t necessarily need to be a boycotts, but voices need to be heard, Tifos, a rousing song such as “Lawwell, Lawwell get to fuck” sang loudly and continuously throughout each match should do it!!!
It’s long past due this guy was removed.
When will PL spend?
120m in the bank?
160m in the bank?
200m in the bank?
When will it be enough money to invest properly in the playing staff?
And if that kind of money isn’t enough to invest in the squad….just exactly what is the money being accumulated for…at a Football Club… if not for footballers?
Last minute stuff every season think they’re messing with the manager because he won’t sign a contract Celtic always behind the whole of the UK getting players in early it’s very worrying.
Rodgers defending himself and kinda dumping the onus on the board then !