Chris Sutton’s point about Kuhn and the January window was well made today. He is correct to say that Brendan Rodgers will stand and fall on the decisions he makes and he appears to be convinced that Kuhn is definitely one of the manager’s picks. I agree.
The smartest thing Sutton said was that Brendan Rodgers will stand and fall by the signings. His signings. It is important to note that. That man should not be getting judged by what other people have failed to deliver. And I am increasingly concerned about this.
Rodgers needs to keep on emphasising the need for quality. His definition of that. When he spoke yesterday about considering a project striker my heart sank, and not for the first time listening to this guy. Perhaps it is not clear to him that some in the stands are supportive of him only as long as the team is top of the league. Perhaps it is not clear to him that some on the board are supportive of him only as long as we’re the best side in the country.
But both of those things are true. Rodgers is not being worshiped like he was the last time he was here. Right now, he’s being tolerated. That’s the hard and simple fact of it for many people, he’s being tolerated the way Lennon was by those of us who were well aware of his deficiencies and believed that his tenure would end in disaster.
Brendan Rodgers cannot afford to be judged on what other people at Celtic are doing. But he has one advantage and he has to play the card for all it is worth; the uncertainty a lot of fans feel about him is more than replicated in how they feel about the son of the chairman and his personal performance in his job.
That must not get hung around the manager’s neck. It would be better if people like Chris Sutton stopped judging Rodgers on a summer in which he foolishly gave up his control of things and started being honest about the people at Celtic who mad the decisions.
Going forward it cannot be like that. There is a time for signing project players, and trying to develop them as part of a winning team. But right now, Rodgers is still trying to construct his version of that and he needs the freedom and latitude to do it.
In order to get that freedom, he needs to speak up more, but on top of that those of us who know what’s going on and don’t like it need to speak up for him and let him know he has the support he needs when he goes in front of the board to make his point. Sutton can be one of the loudest voices on his behalf but he’s got to realise that and give the boss the backing.
There’s not long in this window left to go, and we need our handful of friends in the media sending this message more loudly than ever. The blogs will step up over the next week, and that’s all to the good, but someone like Sutton may genuinely be able to move the needle in a way we’re not able to. He should realise that this is the moment for turning his platform into a podium.
“Our handful of friends in the media”. Are there that many?
I noticed Sutton has backtracked a bit on his sensible comments. Perhaps he has been warned his job is on the line as he is in danger in turning into a “soup taker”.
The thing that did it for me was his comment ” these things happen in football” when Dessers, with full studs showing, crashed into Hart’s face. If it had happened to Sevco , like the bogus penalty claim, they would still be talking about it.
Every manager will get judged upon the player’s bought into the club, goes with the territory of the job?
Course Rodgers would want CL quality players bought into the club, but the budget isn’t available within the club for that to happen?
Yet to many getting an obsession about the project tag we like to place upon our player’s?
Our season has been derailed somewhat within the SPFL, due to so many inconsistencies and injuries occurred to our more established players, yet we want to make newer signings the scapegoats with giving them a project tag?
Ridiculous outlook I think, especially when the inconsistencies within performances have been way to high, so the introduction of the newer players has taken longer than expected?
Yet we’re still top with an advantage also, and only really starting to find our form with the inconsistencies hugely reduced, just before the winter break?
Rodgers may have walked away last time without getting any real form of backing from the board, don’t actually believe that is or will be the case this time around imo?
Still believe we are currently still building a squad with CL in mind, which had to be done, especially when Ange wasn’t to interested in taking that job on imo?
Becoming clearer now or where player’s are actually starting to fit into the squad now, and there roles within the team also?
Not totally completed as of yet, but not a million miles away either?
Even Oreily and scales took 18 months to get up to consistently levels we are demanding within the club, even Starfelt took that long to finally be accepted from a good few within the support?
So can we tend to be looking for a bit to much to early, especially when we don’t operate within that money market the transfer window brings to ourselves?
Would like to think Rodgers knows exactly what qualities he’s looking for from now on, as had enough options available to look at the strengths in quality within a player that he’s looking for now?
Rodgers has made enough strange decision making himself during games so far this season, so not totally convinced yet within the decision making process within Rodgers as of yet, but also don’t believe that the strengths in depth are anywhere near as bad as way to many are trying to make out either imo?
Still believe that we have by far the strongest squad, even now, within the SPFL.
Not totally completed yet with next seasons CL in mind either, where some big decisions still await and the 8 homegrown rule still can’t be overlooked as to how and where these 8 can actually fit into a 25 man CL squad?
Still work required within the squad, but nowhere near the degree that many are trying to paint either.
Can’t see them all getting resolved during January either, so should actually be able to identify the player’s now that can be looking to make an instant claim for a CL squad place, especially when there isn’t as many available now that to many are trying to make out either imo?
Any new signing has to be better than what’s currently available within our squad, and there’s no guarantee that it will actually be achieved especially within the money market we operate within?
Hoping for big things from kuhn, and got the potential to deliver, but no idea if it will actually happen, yet confident enough it will do for his and ours benefit?
We already have the most valuable squad within our living memory within the game, so getting the quality required to challenge so many 15/20M within the squad, is never going to be a simple task?
But still believe that we are continuing to be moving in the right direction, especially when the strengths in quality within the squad weren’t even in place in a treble winning season last season?
Still believe that we will be grand in landing another double this season, especially when our strongest 11 still hasn’t been on show yet this season, can competition starting to build now as to what that strongest available 11 is?
Not that bad of a place for the club to be in and will only be confirmed when another double is achieved, and seen nothing that says it can’t or won’t happen either as of yet imo?
Do you ever stop?
Can you do an article on the spitting carry on, and is there any punishment, I’ve not seen or heard
And you won’t see or hear anything John…
Simply Because – This is Bloody Scotland –
Where Sevco and their Huns and also their players simply do what they want, where they want, and when they want…
T’was always this and T’will always be this !
Sutton is perfectly entitled to his opinions. Just like anyone everyone.
Rodger’s is paid unbelievable fortunes to win 1 horse race the other horse is handicapped ( skint going through managers like of dose of salts.)
If Rodger’s is lost for singings We are in trouble
Before the Season started All Celtic supporters were all singing from same hymn book..
What’s required. I’ll spare the rest.
11 days is Life time in Football so I suggest we all relax.
I will hold my breath I’ve seen his quality ?
‘Friends in the media’, lol.
John Hartson is our only real mate in the media and even he pulls his punches knowing he’ll lose the job if he’s too forthright.
I always liked Sutton but he’s got awful close to that soup pot these past few weeks, even if he does sup with a long spoon,