It’s embarrassing- Sutton calls out Celtic’s Boardroom failures

Chris Sutton has called out Celtic’s failing Recruitment set up.

Brendan Rodgers, most fans and pundits spent 11 months of 2025 highlighting the need to sign a striker, to replace Kyogo Furuhashi.

With the summer transfer window closing Michael Nicholson decided to sell Adam Idah to Swansea City.

On September 1 Celtic signed free agent Kelechi Iheanacho but he has spent more time in the treatment room than on the team sheet.

All of those circumstances built up an expectation that there would be serious reinforcements coming in in January.

SUTTON CALLS OUT DOCTOR DOOLITTLE

With Paul Tisdale as Head of Football Operations they club had a strategy in place to strengthen the squad, notably the Starting XI.

January 1 passed without a striker being signed. Matchday 1 was lost with a series of missed chances.

Five days after a change of manager there has been no new striker, no new anything for Martin O’Neill to work with.

Michael Nicholson has failed to deliver. He’ll watch the team today with O’Neill trying to get a tune out of Plan B or C striking options.

Assessing the striker situation, Sutton told the Daily Record:

The clock is ticking and the next few weeks are vital on and off the pitch.

There HAS to be other striker targets. But even going for Kyogo, what does it say about the club’s recruitment? The self-proclaimed football doctor Paul Tisdale has gone but what did Dr Doolittle leave behind?

He knew a striker was needed since last January when Kyogo first left. In fact, they knew he wanted to go so it was even longer.

But he failed to land one last winter, failed again in the summer and needed Brendan Rodgers to get on the phone to sign Kelechi Iheanacho after the window closed.

Now what? A new no.9 should have been sourced in the last six months and ready to come in on New Year’s Day.

The fact we are into the second week of the year and they went running to Kyogo just sums up the recruitment shambles. It’s embarrassing.

O’Neill looked fairly downbeat at Friday’s media conference, he knew that the transfer questions would be asked. He did his best to answer, diplomatically of course.

MORE TRANSFER QUESTIONS

After today’s match with Dundee United there will be more transfer questions.

Celtic have six matches before the transfer window closes, the need for a striker or two is glaringly obvious.

Sutton thinks that the current position is embarrassing. Without a ready-to-play striker things could get worse with a pivotal trip to Tynecastle only a fortnight away.

Every match is vital, Celtic face Dundee United sitting in third place in the SPFL Premiership. A year ago they had a double digit lead.

Europe has been pushed into the background, the hoops must beat Dundee United, Falkirk and Hearts to be serious title contenders.

O’Neill pulled off six domestic wins on the bounce in the autumn, expecting a repeat, without signing strikers will be a huge task.