Brendan Rodgers is a master of what to say and what not to say. Blame, well, “I can’t fault the players”. So not the players then. He adds, “However, if you want to progress, then, as I said, you need to bring in quality.” Is that pointing the finger of blame? There’s plausible deniability; I’m sure if asked directly, Brendan would wax lyrical about the support he received from Dermot and Michael, but plausible deniability does not cut through publicly in football. You, me and Brendan know that.
Martin O’Neill made it clear at an AGM 20-something years ago. With Dermot Desmond sitting a few seats along from him, he explained that it was not his job to worry about development, finances or sustainability. His job, as he saw it, was to campaign for better players. It was up to the board to hold their line and worry about what they needed to worry about. Martin was always charmingly frank.
The upshot for today is a degree of urgency which means the manager will inevitably get what he wants, just like last summer, when we spent £26m on Idah, Engels and Trusty. Celtic have the money to back Brendan like this again, I fully expect they will.
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An Dún @ 11:25 am,
”I think it fair to say that Brendan had been sold on our recruiting system when he came back in 2023. I can imagine Nicholson saying, look we’ve brought in Hatate, Kyogo, Maeda etc under this system, it’s all good. Ange wasn’t in the room to stop others claiming credit…
Brendan fully bought in and signed off on the summer 2023 recruits. He then obviously had second thoughts about our recruitment system and wanted the club to bring in more proven quality and experience. That seems fair to me.”
Well, I’m pretty sure Brendan Rodgers did not sign off on those players.
He came in on the same day as Odin Holm, he went with the team to Portugal for pre-season training.
He then went with the Club on a prearranged tour of Japan.
The idea than BR was poring over specific signings that windpw is nonsensical
He made it clear in tgat window the sort of quality players he wanted in and he certainly did not get that.
As for second thoughts about our recruitment system, let’s have a look at what our Chairman said about our recruitment strategy not long after Brendan Rodgers returned and let’s look at what Brendan Rodgers said about recruitment this week…
”Our successfully proven strategy has delivered stability and footballing success over many years and remains the same. We must balance the signing of players that can be developed and sold when conditions are optimal alongside the need to sign players who are able to make an immediate impact and deliver footballing success. The execution of this strategy is increasingly challenging owing to wage and transfer inflation, but this formula has underpinned both our footballing success and financial stability over a number of years now and it is vital that we adhere to it.”
Peter T Lawwell, Chairman
September 18, 2023
”Rodgers said [This Week]: “It’s pretty straightforward. There will be players within our recruitment team that are not just for now but for the future. Clearly I will look at those players and assess if they can come in and play. There will be other players we specifically need. But it’s still very much joined up.
“People know the model. Players come in who are maybe not expected to hit the ground running, but some of them do. That’s what I need to assess but I also need to win now, and we need to get those players in. Either way, I will be responsible for that. I don’t care where they come from, I just need good players who can help us win today, tomorrow and the next week.
I’ve always developed players, so I respect that side, but also see the need for the present. Look at the likes of Callum, a young, talented player, so is he ready now or does he need a loan? You don’t know until you assess him. Inamura, the idea was he’s a talented player, but he’s only played professional football for a year. He’s a really gifted player so we’ll have a look at him. The idea was he’d train but would maybe need a loan. In fact he’s come in and done well.”
The same isn’t it?
No change in the recruitment strategy, that BR agreed to.
However, like you said the system changed, BR said it was not fit for purpose and needed to be restructured.
So the system and personnel did change.
The strategy hasn’t
Hail Hail
Great News Paul67,
If BR&CO are backed we can have another great season.
The incremental improvements we have seen over the last four seasons must continue.
Hail Hail
hhhmmm
In the last six months….Austin Trusty has gone from being probably our worst central defenders to our best central defenders…..funny old game football!
Sort of hope he disny go back to being our worst again !!
Not to worry. We just need to wait for Across The City FC to sign a dud or lose a friendly to Deportivo Fishcake reserves and all of our problems will instantly and magically disappear…..
Paul67
What lark Paul – what larks.
Will they back him in time?
RC @ 11:50 am,
“We can talk about ambition until the farm sheep come home if you think it refers to European competitions, our ambition is to be No.1 in our own country and rightly so , we don’t have the resources required to compete at that level and most know that but will not admit it , the club knows this but would never admit it. Win the league each season take the money and repeat.:
Well that’s an interesting argument.
Since 2012, the Board cynics have argued that Celtic PLC have no ambition over and above “the old firm”.
The “whit are the Rangers dae’n” approach.
You seem to suggest that most Celtic supporters go along with that.
I would vehemently disagree.
The Manager has stated many times that he brought in to take Celtic to the next level and the Principal shareholder has stated the same ambition as has our CEO.
Many believe that the Board are of a quite different view, as you put it… “the club knows this but would never admit it
My thoughts are the PLC and Club are divided.
Some want to continue with the scam that you have highlighted, while some really believe we can do better.
I’ll go with the ambitious ones rather than the scammers.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy @ last article
It’s not really about losing heavily in Europe pre season at all, as you know. Post when we get beaten, no celebration of success it’s the agenda big reveal. For a few it’s even the Rainjurz are coming, nervousness.
They know how to run Celtic fine, Brendan Rodgers gets a list of punts, and ‘cops it’ when it applears he was the lone gunman that identified the target. It’s been running on a Blog undercurrent, for two years and was bound to come to a head despite league success, and record profit. When you want to beat European teams you need an ambitious board to match your coach, what’s ambitious about Celtic?
Mid transfer window and we haven’t spent the Frimpong ( mind him) windfall, we replace a third choice keeper with a third choice keeper we previously sold? We’ve won the New Dug Outs Trophy in pre season, last year it was the soft seats in a stand built and underdeveloped since 1929. The invisible men are on their fourth home kit, and risen prices all round.
The blame Tony, Gordon, Ronny, Neil, Brendan twice, board.
Watch this space CSC
I think a manager that has consistently been at the helm for record turnover and profits, deserves to be backed.
Brendan wants what the fans want. Sustainable ambition.
Our chairman went on record last year end saying he recognised the ‘inherent inefficiencies’ of having large cash reserves. So far, we’ve added to that stockpile of cash.
MON was a bit of a master of the arts, but he had served his apprenticeship under the greatest exponent of them all. All part of the game, of course, and he was up against some hard headed people on the board who saw it as part of the job.
The game has moved on, the sort of behaviour that was tolerated twenty years won’t get you through the door for an interview in most big clubs these days. It depends on the culture and smart people do adapt but American and Arab owners dont, generally, have any interest in management staff who don’t stick to the plan.
BSR @ 12:21 pm,
Ain’t that the truth.
The club [Board] knows this but would never admit it…
Well, they might think they know but that’s cognitive dissonance.
The uber fan who goes to more Celtic games than me yet sells his soul for an “old firm” contract.
He has also been to many more cricket games than me…
In my defence, I’ve only lived in England fifty years, cricket takes a while to get excited about:))
Hail Hail
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SEVILLE MONEY?
0
By CQN Magazine on 14th June 2016 Football Matters
We returned home from Seville, beaten but unbowed.
Just six months earlier, ahead of the game against Celta Vigo, only the most optimistic of us believed we would progress to the last 16. It has been 23 years since Celtic were in Europe at Christmas, a generation of meagre failure which had conditioned us to expect the inevitable. unspecified-5
On the road home from Seville our expectation were reset. Celtic were a respected team in Europe once more. We had beaten Celta and Stuttgart, before winning away from home in the quarter and semi-final against Liverpool and Boavista respectively- a remarkable achievement. European exploits in the follow still burn in the memory. Two almighty games against Bayern Munich, who celebrated a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park, after scoring two late goals to recover in Munich. The home win over Anderlecht had the stadium bouncing, although we suffered an ignominious defeat in Belgium, but it was the games against Lyon which remain most vibrant in the memory.
Celtic’s best Champions League goal, to date, was scored by Liam Miller, but the manner of defeat in France still stings. Lyon were awarded a controversial penalty three minutes from the end to rob Celtic of the chance to qualify for the knock out stage for the first time. Celtic were left with the compensation of the UEFA Cup, where they achieved one of their most remarkable aggregate results. Barcelona were beaten by sheer heroism, not only from our established heroes but notably from David Marshall and John Kennedy, who were drafted into the team for cover.
Porto, meanwhile, progressed to the Champions League Final, which they won with far greater ease than their win over Celtic a year earlier. A complete rethink of our place in the world was needed. A year earlier we pushed the newly crowned European Champions to extra time, we knocked out a Barcelona team who had just achieved a club-record nine consecutive wins, and we had witnessed the sight of Bayern Munich player jump around like part-timers after drawing at Celtic Park. unspecified-7
Of course, we also waved goodbye to Henrik Larsson in the summer of 2004.
An enormous hole opened up in the club at the precise time we felt that, with just a little more, we could bring some really special times back to Celtic Park.
Then it started. “What the Celtic fans want to know, is where did all the Seville money go?” It was impossible to walk (virtually) any street in Scotland without seeing someone out wearing The Hoops, and there was all that gate money, surely Celtic had a pile of money in the bank ready to splash.
That was the version of events that was delivered by our media. Reality was a little different. Celtic lost £7m during our Seville season. The club was gambling right at the edge of responsibility. “All the Seville money” went into the pockets of the players who took us there, and more still.
Debt was escalating, we were involved in an arms race with a club who were on a path to liquidation, facing some dreadful choices. Do we follow them on the same path, hoping that something turns up? Do we say enough is enough, and suffer the consequences on the field of play?
Celtic pushed as far as they thought appropriate. Decisions on debt and spend will forever be subjective. There can be a case for a small change in budget but subsequent events have shed a different light on the madness that was, and in many places remains, football governance and finances.
By CQN Magazine on 14th June 2016
Celtic40me @ 12:26 pm,
“The game has moved on, the sort of behaviour that was tolerated twenty years won’t get you through the door for an interview…”
Ain’t that the truth…
So, can we have a New Board please 🙏
Hail Hail
Hopefully he spends the money on players that are not underwhelming and inconsistent.
I’m starting to get fed up hearing about “quality”, “pace” and “power”.
If he’s holding up Idah and Engles as examples we’d be better keeping the money in the bank.
He’s off next summer so I’d be careful about giving him a blank cheque.
Kieran saw Reo making a run and a slide rule pass put him through…Yang anticipated Reos pass and kept up with play to slide the ball in. Pure, beautiful yet simple football…
Thereafter…no attempts at making a run by anyone left our defence to hit balls to midfielders and/or forwards with their backs to goal. Unless those forwards/midfielders have their ability to turn their marker and move forward then that ball is simply going back to whence it came. That for me sums up yesterday’s game….
And Daizen being Daizen of old didn’t help..
I’m a bit of a board sympathizer , there are no guarantees in football, spending money marginally reduces the risk a gives you a better chance. Jota’s injury is a fine example , we’ve spent good money on him and he has delivered but fate has cost us his services.
Regardless of what we do Rodger’s will move on and the board will have to pick up the pieces.
Look at what happened with Howe and with Ange and budget They gave him , they delivered.
I’m surprised at the level of negativity to yesterdays game – put me in a bad mood but I recognized at the time that is my extreme partisan love for Celtic.
One thing I did consider was, is it time to give Sinasalo some time between the sticks? Kasper was beat to his right several times from outside the box – good shots but not unstoppable. I love Kasper but his injury and age appear to be slowing him down.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM @ 12:41 pm,
Here’s the players that BR&CO have brought in…
Kuhn – 3 mn
Schmeichel – Free
Sinisalo – 1mn
McCowan – 1 mn
Bernardo – 3.5 mn
Trusty – 6 mn
Idah – 8.5 mn
Engels – 11 mn
Jota – 9 mn
Doohan – Free
Tierney – Free
Osman – Free
Nygren – £2M
Inamura – £250K
Yamada – £1.5M
It includes development players, squad players and a few first team starters.
That is the strategy the PLC demands, that is the strategy our manager and Club follow.
Celtic PLC have sold 100 mn of players since Ange went.
When Ange went Celtic PLC had a 73.2 mn cash pile.
Celtic PLC have put a small fraction of that back into the first team.
The Manager deserves to be backed.
Our Board deserve to be sacked.
Hail Hail
CHAIRBHOY on 25TH JULY 2025 12:39 PM
Once this one stops working 👍
Chairbhoy 12:21
Do you not reckon there is a (possibly fairly sizeable) number that don’t realise that you can’t have ambition AND the old firm?
When Ange went Celtic PLC had a 73.2 mn cash pile.
Celtic PLC have put a small fraction of that back into the first team.
————–
that list has £44m of spending on transfers, that is not a small fraction/
TexasTim on 25th July 2025 12:53 pm
I’m surprised at the level of negativity to yesterdays game – put me in a bad mood but I recognized at the time that is my extreme partisan love for Celtic.
—————————
the tim-ternet is off the scale today, multiple blogs going ballistic, calling out everyone and anything as at fault, and the prism lens of a rangers win, and celtic getting beat somhow means the force is broken.
but anyways, i watched the whole game again this morning.
we had a decent first half, scored, hit woodwork twqice, their keeper had a few parries, and our goal was a good one.
2nd half, the changes seemed to unsettles us, which it didnt do against newcastle or sporting, and we did look 2leggy”, tired, not keeping up with play.
I worry about CCV and Kasper. Both dont look ready.
The Blogger
Evidence that Brendan is off next summer ?
Let’s just wait and see. Sounds familiar.
One of the strengths of CQN.
Routine clarity and simplicity.
This from BSR on last thread.
“For some supporters , winning 15 from 16 League Titles has resulted in an inability to process a single game losses in any sort of rational way”
Respect.
Some poor soul thinks we are broken.
If this is 25 years of broken?
… I’ll happily sign up for another quarter century of the same.
We need 3 or 4, so said every Celtic fan every year I can remember
Just imagine how good that last 25 yrs could have been if we had a strategic plan.
Sorry the above was from a poor soul.
Borgo, four starters missing from the first 11.
We were played off the park in the second half last night, understanding that is the Manager and coaches job and do something about it, these were mostly young unheard of by me anyway players, not superstars who are in the PSG Barca teams, the club need do a lot of work about the glaring inadequacies of the first team squad but will they, my first decision would be to bench Schmeichel and Sinisalo would be first chopice keeper.
As for your leader Paul – interesting as always.
The executive sign off the spend
(works for me, that’s how it works in every industry – except football it would appear).
The manager routinely tests the boundaries in order to maximise the playing squad to meet goals and ambitions
(works for me, particularly if the manager is smart, a good leader and advocates well. MO’N was for sure. I believe Brendan is too).
I’m interested in what level of success those currently unhappy with board would accept? Since 2012 Celtic have won 26 domestic titles – average of 2 per year, including 12 league titles and 5 trebles. Very acceptable to me.
In Europe, do you want us to compete in Champions league – if so, do you think we can win it? Or is last 16 or last 8 every two to three years the aim. That’s what I think would be success in that theatre for us.
Or maybe you want us to fail to qualify for that, lose the money it guarantees and maybe hope for a deep run in Europa or Conference league ( a deep run would bring some of that “lost” money back, but couldn’t be guaranteed).
Would you rather we were Spurs (net spend since Ange went there of £400m) and have one trophy in last 17 years. They have a board that spend. We could be like Man Utd, or Everton . Or even Newcastle also winning first trophy in many years and spending millions).
We know we can’t compete financially with all premier league and a good whack of English championship teams.
We do have a number of good selling points – a good salary, domestic success, a brilliant fan base, 60,000 at all home games, European competition, but those aren’t everything to most quality players.
Last season we made the play offs – and had a couple of home wins and a couple of decent away performances.
Over the summer so far we have signed an international class left back , whilst Nygren and inamura look really good.
Everyone knows that the vast majority of transfer business happens in last couple of weeks of window. Players that are wanted, are generally wanted by more than one club (including the one they’re at at the moment) – meaning everyone wants to wait to maximise they’re chances of a bigger salary or bigger transfer fee (and cut).
We want better players to come to help us qualify for champions league proper, but the better players want to know they will be playing in the champions league proper before committing.
In addition, we have a wage structure to stick with (clubs that don’t do this end up in financial difficulty). All this is evidence based.
The rest is speculation – people/fans who don’t trust the board, never will and will always find evidence of their perfidy . They will also be influenced (although they will deny it), by an MSM that know how to press the buttons to sew doubt in our support.
Those that do support the board, will continue to do so regardless.
The board meanwhile continue to fail to connect with the support and seek confrontation ( easy done as key players there don’t trust them).
What do I see ? I see a club that is reasonably well run and, domestically, achieving a really good level of success. Last year I saw progress on the field.
This summer we have started our business, but I’m aware it won’t see conclusion until end of window. I accept that getting quality, 1st team ready players in will be challenging for lots of reasons – not just those mentioned above, but also the perception of the Scottish league, it’s low UEFA coefficient, the view that coming here might hinder national team recognition ( I reference Kyogo and Matt O’Reilly), Glasgow weather etc.
I recognise we need to get certain positions strengthened- especially CF.
I recognise we beat Newcastle 4-0, but lost 1-5 to Ajax.
I know Jan window wasn’t a success, but think the manager got what he wanted last summer.
I’ll wait until this window “slams shut” before making my judgement on it and the board and manager’s performance in it.
I also have not seen any actual evidence of BR being unhappy with board or a breakdown between them – just the usual MSM insidious undermining at work.
I hope it all goes well and we are in a position to achieve a title win next year and , hopefully, a last 16 in CL.
I’m a glass half full kind of guy.
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 12:54 pm,
Yes, it is a very odd state of affairs…
Of course, west of Scotland has a very odd state of affairs.
R2ngers have achieved very little in their dozen or so years of existence.
Yet there are some who would like to convince us, being better than them is somehow a huge achievement.
Celtic supporters on average put about 60 mn + a year into our Club.
That is 3/4 Billion pound free money for the Board.
Yet they will try to convince us beating a bankrupt Club was a great achievement
We can’t afford to be competitive in Europe
And like you say, we are a modern , ambitious Club….
Apparently R2ngers supporters are on the deludamol.
Who knew!?
Hail Hail
Bashi, I am happy with our trophy haul although you’ve got to take into account the demise of the hun. Is it too much to expect that we do our business in the transfer window in a structured fashion? I’d prefer not to be trawling the dross in the English loan market every window.
Timforlife @ 1:08 pm,
The Blogger
Evidence that Brendan is off next summer ?”
Just optimistic that the current campaign will work!?
It worked in 2018 after all…
Me, I think DD has wised up and BR is a much smarter character.
So, my money is still on the good ghuys.
Hail Hail