There is just over a week to go in the Celtic transfer window, and that sound you hear is the sound of wheels grinding behind the scenes. But the closer we get to the actual moment the window shuts, the more polishing of the excuses is taking place. Every single one of those excuses has been uttered by board apologists before and before and before.
The most common of them, of course, is that January is a bad time to try and get business done. Funny, then, that the first Ange January window saw us bring in three players who immediately improved the team and who are stalwarts of it today. If this oft-repeated excuse actually has a core of truth in it then it’s all the more important that you get your business done in the summer, something we lamentably failed to do this time around.
This transfer window has been massively underwhelming, and the closer we get to the end of it the more a dark suspicion forms, and mine began to crystalise last week when Rodgers talked about how Kyogo’s being left out of the Japan team changed the club’s priorities, a statement I found profoundly disturbing.
He even suggested that it might be the right time to bring in some project signing … which sounds more like he has a Lawwell hand up his backside than that man speaking for himself.
Based on some of the stuff on the other blogs, I am not the only one who made the connection between those comments and the sudden stories about Rocco Vata being offered a deal, alongside his inclusion in the squad for Buckie Thistle at the weekend. If this is someone inside Celtic Park having a brainwave, it is one not shared by the manager.
He was adamant that Vata has a lot to do to prove himself. Some even interpreted that as a sort of nod and wink denial of the contract story. But the suspicion remains nonetheless that someone inside Celtic is pushing the idea of Vata as a solution to our backup striker problem, one which means we don’t have to spend any money in the next week.
If this is, in fact, the case that is being made behind the scenes then it requires that someone come out and explain it and defend it and put their name to it. If Rodgers accepts that, then he has to own it.
Because if he’s willing to tolerate stuff like that then he’s surrendered control of his destiny to those above him at the club and he’ll have to live with the consequences of that. He doesn’t get to pass the buck on a decision such as this.
In order to defend it, someone will have to explain a few things. First up, why now?
If Vata is good enough to be Kyogo’s backup, if there really isn’t anyone better out there than him, how come it has taken so long for him to crack the first team? And why wasn’t there a contract offer before now? How can a player who has been plying his trade in the Lowland League suddenly come to be seen as one capable of carrying a title race on his shoulders?
Look, I might be wrong about this. Of course. But I’m not the only one who thinks this might be under consideration at Celtic Park. Even as a short-term solution it is way, way short of what this club requires, and I can’t see any way that those above Rodgers could sell it to him or expect that he could sell it to the rest of us. It’s a non-starter.
It’s not just the absence of the signing everyone agreed was priority number one before Rodgers started to backtrack on that, it’s that there’s not even a credible whisper of one out there. Just a stony silence which cannot possibly reflect what’s happening behind the scenes, that and the usual “suggestions” that we should sign Shankland (we won’t) or get some EPL up and comer on loan … that’s the only scenario in which I’d prefer the Vata suggestion.
If we’re going to develop players, they damn well better be players we actually own.
Giakoumakis left Celtic a year ago. (So much for clubs not being able to sign quality in January; the Americans managed it well enough, at our expense). He has not been replaced. Our backup is a guy nobody is entirely convinced by, and even if we were he’s unavailable. Kyogo is nursing a shoulder injury which could give any day or not for years … it’s Russian Roulette.
We know what’s required here, and we’ve known for many, many months.
It stinks that this looks like going to the wire, it reeks of Lawwell and his slapdash way of doing things, of gambling our season on a game of wait-and-see instead of identifying gettable targets and moving early.
We know that some of the pro-board lobby will defend that, in the same way they’ll defend the summer business with the assertion that these guys will “come good” and grow into their roles, probably just in time to be inferior replacements for other prize assets sold off when the first decent offer for them comes in … we know how this works by now.
Right now, we look bang on course for a wholly unsatisfactory conclusion to the month. Knowing the people at the sharp end of it, and based on Rodgers’ own slippery remarks of late, I am going to be honest; I’m bracing myself for the worst.
Can’t see this being the case but with this board you really can’t tell
Couldn’t agree more. Thought that as soon as he came on as a sub on Sunday.
Pretty much spot on but i predicted this as soon as the ft whistle went against The Rangers. Winning that game saved the board millions because Celtic proved they have the best squad in the league and the board will believe it doesn’t need money spent on it. The thing i find truly baffling is A) why did Rodgers come back when nothing has changed from the last time he was here? B) why is he accepting it? I can’t understand why he, not only, accepts the way he needs to operate but he keeps making comments in the press to encourage fans to speak up on his behalf when it’s HIM who needs to take the bull by the horns here. DEMAND a left back. DEMAND a striker and DEMAND the removal of Seigrist, Bernabei, McCarthy, etc. I didn’t want Rodgers back but the onky saving grace for me was that I was certain things would be different at the top level as he obviously wouldn’t come back to the same problems he walked out on, clearly i was wrong. Big week ahead!
My thoughts exactly
I hope you are wrong, James, but the lack of activity on the transfer market is now setting alarm bells ringing. If we do not sign a striker and left back, minimum, then the Lawells have struck again, and just wait for the repercussions.
Y’know a whole heap of folk have bought into the chatter about our team & signings being a bit crap. Some of the guys have not had much of a chance through various injuries. Some have taken a bit of time (Bernardo doing just fine now I reckon).
The number of times I’ve seen CCV has been ‘too’ injured ‘too often’ so we should sell him. BS. keeping the core of the team together is more important for January. Keeping CCV and the like. Teams will sell summer that won’t right now Miovski for example.
I think part of the plan is interchanging play. Abada is like a new (goal scoring) player; Maeda used more central; O’Reilly further forward. Vata if he’s still around and scoring then great. I’m excited about what we’ve got upcoming. Prepared to be fully behind Brendan and all the players ?
HH!
If RV is to replace kyogo if he gets injured then we’re fcuked,if there are no new signings by Friday evening then it’s time for a protest outside the front door on Saturday,and let these tightfisted bastards on the board enough is enough,get the FCUK.
Exactly. We probably should’ve been protesting throughout the transfer window. We need to pull the board’s feet to the fire.
If you tolerate this, then more projects will be next….
….I’ll get me coat.
Tremendous. ??
Goof song!……
You can 100% bet this is the boards thinking. For 2 reasons.
1. It will incentivise Vata to sign a new contract ,(now the board realise Italian clubs are interested they will want to maximise any sale).
2. He won’t sign an extension without a guarantee of getting game time.
The board will have done the math and are guessing they can win the league with Kyogo up top and Oh and Vata as back up. At least till the summer.
Classic Lawwell shithousery.
The only way we will see change is if we oust the tory board who think we need a strong rangers, the only way to make them stronger is by weakening our own squad, I strongly believe we will lose 4 top players in the summer and replace them with players more suited to rangers skill set, I have long since lost any faith in our right wing custodians. HH
A left back issue urgently required.
Taylor goes awol to often, loses the ball then his position is wide open to counter attacks, Scottish teams know it, European teams easily exploited it.
We need a left back with height, far to often we lose goals to set plays.
Lack of A striker signing just now I can do without, Howwever I wouldn’t be happy with nil quality arriving.
We need a keeper as urgent as a left back.
Striker, keeper and left back have been issues since end of last season, those positions have been neglected.
Lawell Lawell & Rodgers are failing the club AGAIN.
There we go again, a bit of Gregg Taylor bashing. Every wing back in football gets caught out of position at times that’s the nature of the position. When talking about Europe you must be watching different games from me, Atletico’s winning goal at Celtic Park came from down our right side and Feyenoords goal at Celtic Park also came from down our right, each time AJ was caught out of position. That doesn’t make AJ a bad player but he seems to be judged differently from GT.
Stevie Clarke seems to think that Taylor is the 3rd best Scottish left wing back behind Tierney and Robertson that’s good enough for me.
He may lack height but he doesn’t lack making forward runs and a killer pass, that along with weighing in with a goal now and again is enough for me.
Like most players Taylor has his weaknesses but some of the criticism he takes is way over the top. He has seen off numerous L/B’s that were brought in to compete with him him over the past four seasons.
Can I just say that the goal on sunday by RV was assisted by some absolutely brilliant play by Mikey. These are celtic people, like ourselves.. any chance of giving them a break?!?
Y’know a whole heap of folk have bought into the chatter about our team & signings being a bit crap. Some of the guys have not had much of a chance through various injuries. Some have taken a bit of time (Bernardo doing just fine now I reckon).
The number of times I’ve seen CCV has been ‘too’ injured ‘too often’ so we should sell him. BS. keeping the core of the team together is more important for January. Keeping CCV and the like. Teams will sell summer that won’t right now Miovski for example. I think part of the plan is interchanging play. Abada is like a new (goal scoring) player; Maeda used more central; O’Reilly further forward. Vata if he’s still around and scoring then great. I’m excited about what we’ve got upcoming. Prepared to be fully behind Brendan and all the players
If this turns out tae be the limit of their signin plans, its nothin short of scandelous.Tae even think this board could be givin the ibrox club some sort of ‘better chance’ of gettin this league, because that’s exactly what they’re doin, when there’s a huge 60 million prize also at stake, makes me believe it’s all deliberate and part of some sort of sinister lawwell plan. Know how that sounds, tho that’s how ah think about it and how much longer are the support gonnae tolerate this.
IMO the signing of another winger means the need for a 3rd striker has been greatly reduced in the board and Roger’s eyes, it’s been spoken about by the manager before and should come as no surprise. That man is daizan maeda. Yea he’s away just now and an injury to kyogo would leave us short but I think Roger’s views him as an adequate replacement if and when needed. They won’t spend top money on another CF when technically we have 3. Kuhn signing and playing most weeks means maeda will move thru the middle.
£ 80 million then big peter and son will have look and tell anybody who is listening £ 100 will even look better if we can punt another couple out the door
Oh, I don’t know, English, American and European clubs tend to give promising youngsters a chance if there’s an opportunity. That’s what they’re there for, after all.
for the 60 million qualifying money we must outbid sevco for shankland , for small change , if we lose the league this season the liewells feet won’t touch the ground on their way out of celtic park , and it would seriously demoralize all at sevco , spend 3 and reap 60 in return , it is staring us and the board in the face
Jumping the gun here James imo.
We need to get over this weekend and see how the Asian Cup is potentially unfolding?
Would you be making the same comments if our player’s were on returning to the club come Sunday evening?
Of course not?
And have we got enough attacking options already and available to get the right result against county at the weekend?
Rodgers seems relaxed enough about the current situation and rightly so imo currently?
Vata won’t be the solution for the remainder of the season, but if he’s in the plans for the weekend, then I don’t see what the actual problem is myself?
Harts position won’t be addressed until the end of the season, and little chance of even getting the potential replacement in before the window closes imo?
Would have thought we would have had heard more noise surrounding the LB position at this stage, but still believe that a potential solution will be found before the closing of the window imo?
This squad is forming very nicely imo, and still the biggest concerns remains at potentially getting in huge offers for players that our huge to ourselves in the quest of landing another double this season.
Don’t mind a bit of board and lawwell bashing, but a better context of the current situation within the playing squad, wouldn’t go a miss either imo
As a veteran Celtic supporter from way back in the 50’s I’m used to being disappointed by Celtic Boards over the years. From the White/Kelly dynasty in the 1970’s who ruled Celtic whilst they went from being in the top 3 clubs in Europe to not being in the top 50 by the end of that decade, to the debacle of Lawwells hopeless poker playing and losing out in the McGinn saga.
I didn’t expect much in this transfer window, a striker and cover at L/B is what I expected.
I reckon Kuhn is a pretty good player but if he can’t play through the middle what’s the point.
If Lawwell and his son along with Nicolson think they can gamble with 10’s of millions of the clubs money then they had better get the tin hats on if the gamble doesn’t come off.
There is 8 days to go in this transfer window let’s see what develops, but the signs don’t look good.
In the 1st week of February we play Aberdeen,Hibs and St Mirren in the cup all away from home, we could go into these games with only one striker with a dodgy shoulder available. For a team like Celtic with no financial problems, That would be shambolic.
I’d bite your hand off for Shankland now, and I never thought I’d ever be saying that when this window opened.
This really is back to the way things were, just stay ahead of your main opponent enough that it costs you as little as possible! It might just cost us far more than this board ever anticipated. If we lose this league because of our piss poor recruitment decisions, the reaction at the Hearts game will seem like a picnic!!
By “pro Board lobby” I take it that you mean Huns. There surely can’t be any self respecting Celtic supporters who are pro Board. What more can Lawwell and The Chaps do to demonstrate they have zero ambition for the club and are only concerned with their own salaries, bonuses and dividends.
Completely agree . When there was talk of rodgers coming back to the club we all thought he had been given assurances that he would get the funds required to take the team forward . It’d becoming obvious this was not the case , like you I’m baffled at how he said there was a need for power in the side , that a left back strong midfielder and striker were priority yet he has sat back and said nothing while none of this materialised . Then it was we need quality in January…. again it doesn’t happen . Big ange would have walked by now .