CHRIS SUTTON admits he would be “absolutely sickened” if he was in Brendan Rodgers’ situation in the midst of another frustrating transfer window.
There are still 24 days to go until the deadline for new signings, but the former Celtic goal hero has been far from impressed at how things have progressed this summer.
Rodgers has already stated he is “fed up” talking about the situation and he has also emphasised the board must match his ambition or the inevitable will occur when his three-year contract reaches its conclusion at the end of the season.
Examining the current state of affairs, Sutton, Martin O’Neill’s first buy for the Hoops at £6million from Chelsea in 2000, said: “I find the entire situation, at best, bizarre. At worst, it is just ridiculous at this stage of the window.
SHOUT OF ORDER…Brendan Rodgers issues touchline instructions during Celtic’s loss to Ajax in the Como Cup last month.
“Now, I’m going to caveat my next statements with two things. “One: Rodgers has made it clear that no-one really and truly knows what he is thinking inside apart from himself.
“And two: Celtic still have time to make enough quality signings to satisfy the manager’s wishes before the deadline on September 1.
“But, as I look at this from the outside, I can only see one outcome if this transfer situation isn’t properly addressed quickly.
“If Celtic aren’t going to show the ambition to match the manager before this window closes, I’d say you needn’t bother talking about extending contracts because it’ll be done. All over. Terminado.
“All I can do is try and put myself into Rodgers’ shoes. If it was me, I know I’d be absolutely sickened at how this is all going.”
Sutton, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Seriously, he returned to the club with the aim and the challenge of maintaining domestic dominance and restoring the club’s pride and standing in the Champions League.
THE THINKER…Brendan Rodgers has much on his mind as he watches Celtic beat Queen’s Park at the City Stadium in the opening pre-season outing.
“I don’t think you can argue that he has achieved both. Four out of six trophies is fair enough and the progress through the league phase of Europe’s elite competition earns pass marks.
“Rodgers said before last term ended that he wanted to take it further. He’s said recently he’s not even here to maintain things. Yet, right now, it’s not even that because the squad quality has regressed.
“There are just over three weeks until the close of this transfer window. But, perhaps even more crucially, I believe there are only five more days before the first deadline is reached for the play-off stage of the Champions League.
“It seems you can add a couple prior to the tie after the August 14 cut-off, but it’s bad enough bringing a player into the squad the week before the two-legged affair, never mind one or two days.
“As it stands, Rodgers is going into these do-or-die matches with a squad that is weaker than the one that finished last season. That’s an outrageous state of affairs.”
The one-time England international striker added: “I’m literally dumbfounded by it all, but, to be honest, there’s quite a few fans who are not so shocked because they have seen all of this before.
JUST LIKE THAT…Brendan Rodgers makes a point.
“Hands up, if I was Rodgers, I’d be thinking: Why would I sign a new contract and hang around at Celtic if this is what’s going to happen every summer?
“Now, like I said, Celtic might pull a few rabbits from hats over the next few days or the imminent three-week period to bolster the squad and add the quality and depth that it clearly needs.
“But it’s going to have to be something highly impressive now and, no matter what gets said publicly, you have to wonder what the manager is thinking deep inside. The bit that, as he says, only he really knows.
“I know if it was me, and these issues were not addressed by the deadlines, I’d be just about done with it.”
Transfer speculation can now go on hold as Rodgers prepares for tomorrow’s 12.30pm kick-off against Aberdeen at Pittodrie as the champions aim for three crucial points against the team who scuppered the Hoops’ hopes of a sixth treble in nine years in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden in May.
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