Today Brendan Rodgers confirmed the Daizen Maeda rumour, and that is tremendous news for our club. But in confirming it, he might also have confirmed the slew of other information which was leaked from the same meeting in midweek where we got the Maeda story.
I feel pretty confident that the rest of it is accurate. I feel so confident about it that I am surprised that more people have not written about this stuff. Some almost certainly have, and I’ve missed it. But I am amazed that there isn’t more chatter on it.
Because he apparently spoke about the signings in the summer. He confirmed that Palma doesn’t fit into his system or his style of play, and doesn’t really have the skill-set he expects from a wide player. He confirmed that Lagerbielke didn’t impress him in training and that the decision on him was just about immediate. He is missing certain key qualities Rodgers wants.
And it seems he told the assembled gathering that Malik Nawrocki is just never fully fit, no matter what the Celtic coaching staff have put him through. In fact, Nawrocki was being signed in the first place as the backup to Carl Starfelt and Carter Vickers. So, he was never intended as a first-choice footballer but more as a squad player, and that’s what he remains … if that’s true it’s fair to say that he has no more chance of making it at this club than Lagerbielke does.
A large part of this squad will be made available in the summer. That’s the reality.
The Lawwell Experiment has left the manager with one gigantic mess to clean up, which is exactly what happens when you allow people to pick and choose the players the manager has to work with when those people are staggeringly unqualified to make that determination.
Everything we said about the summer window, and in fact Mark Lawwell’s entire tenure at this club – that it was scattershot, that it was incoherent, that it substituted the manager’s wisdom for that of people who do not understand football in the proper sense – has been confirmed in full. What a complete shambles it all is.
Not only was it a disaster, but it was a predictable disaster and if anything good has come from it, it is that it destroyed Rodgers faith in the judgement of those above his head, and forced him to fight for the right to do things his own way.
I knew the summer transfer strategy was in utter ruins the moment he made that dreadful, soul-crushing statement about working with what he was given; it didn’t take a genius to see that letting absolute amateurs fill his squad with players who might not be suitable for it was asking for trouble, and that’s how it’s turned out. It astonishes me that Lawwell senior is brazen enough to still be in his job. His son certainly could not have remained beyond this campaign.
It has been a predictable disaster. The geniuses at the top of this club ought to be absolutely ashamed of their presumption and arrogance in assuming not only that they knew better than Rodgers but that they had the first clue what they were doing at all.
We need to rebuild the backline here. We need a left sided attacker. We probably need another right sided attacker now that Abada is gone, and that’s depressing. Yang might stay another year, but I’m not convinced that he’s going to be at the club long term.
Holm, Kwon, the two centre backs, Tilio, Haksabanovic and others will all need to be shifted out the door, either permanently or on loan. Probably Oh as well, as I don’t think he has anything like what Rodgers needs. On top of that we need at least one keeper but probably two.
Rodgers knows what he needs. But what we learned this week is that he is also very clear on what, and who, he does not need.
A lot of these players are in their last few weeks as fully functioning members of this squad. It is too late for some of them to change minds. Others – like Palma – will have to show their very best or they will be joining others on the way out the door.
Remember you laughed at ibrox because they refused to sign Palma seems like they got it right.
He started well. Big goals in big games. But he’s not adapted to the style right. Doesn’t mean he’s not a good player in another system.
Rangers never got him because they probably didn’t have the money
Brian palma was good when he came in scoring for fun but as we all know players go off the boil so hopefully pamla shuts some fans up in the last 5 games and the title stays at paradise but wee wait and see eh..HH
That’s the dilemma we’ll face wi this board. Hopefully we can get this title and if we can add the SC tae that, it’s gonnae be somethin. If we manage that, can we trust this board tae show ambition and use the huge finances tae strengthen for Europe, or will it only succeed in encouragin lawwell & co tae resort tae the exact same system. Ah cannae see past it bein the latter.
Aye it is farcical that lawwell senior thinking he’s a better judge of character than the man qualified for making these decisions.
Almost a total clear-out of his and juniors experiments, pathetic !
We better get the proper players that BR has constanly stated he requires and to hell with the beancounter lawwells insistance that his and juniors players have to be sold first, that was of his making not the managers .
It’s a sad indictment on our recruitment team and club, that we have so much flotsam and jetsam in our squad. A disgrace really…
There should be more heads rolling for this farce and it will be interesting to see what unfolds in the coming months.
Again, despite the criticism we’ve all brought to the table at times, this season, it will be a positive reflection on our manager and mainstay of squad, if we get this title over the line.
When you hear the analysis of certain players we’ve bought, allied to the injuries to our key players, for long parts of this season…then it puts a fresher perspective on things!
You mention Palma…a player who did start well, but just seems so ponderous now. He’s very frustrating to watch and last week, was certainly a case in point.
Like most fans, I’ll not hold my breath that there won’t be the obligatory attempts at interference by PL…all we can hope is that BR has won a few important battles in the background and will get the requisite backing to bring in the necessary quality, and get rid of the plentiful deadwood !!!
LAWELLS time at the club must be at an end, he has cost us time and time again.
Summer window was a shambles but I seem to remember you raving about Palma James.
Asked and answered. He started well, but faded. He clearly doesn’t fit Rodgers system, but he’s not necessarily a bad player, just not with the right attributes for this team.
is that not what Beale said about him fitting into their system and unsuitable for the way football is played in Scotland and you laughed at that
Beale didn’t say anything of the sort. So get off your high horse and have a think about what you’re doing here.
You are coming on here, like a clown, to argue with me over a point I’ve already conceded, and standing up for the judgement of Michael “The Mooch” Beale.
You sound suspiciously like a Sevconut. I’m not saying you are one, but you’re coming across like that.
i have supported Celtic all of my 75 years on this planet why do you label anyone who disagrees with you a sevconut?
I didn’t. I just said that to come on a Celtic fan site and argue with the guy who runs it about a point he’s ALREADY SAID HE GOT WRONG and in doing it defending an Ibrox boss who got EVERYTHING wrong … is suss. And stupid.
Palma still has a chance. Maeda will always start when fit but we can’t discard all the other wingers until we’ve got someone better and currently Palma is as good as the rest, he’s young and still has a chance to win that place. Loads of players are better in their 2nd season especially when they come from other continents.
i think, just about everyone rated palma…but he has dropped away terribly…
as someone above said…a damning indictment on the recruitment team, lawwell and the board as a whole….lawwell’s neck is rock hard….what an arrogant prick he is….anyone else would have slinked out the back door….but not our pete…i bet he STILL thinks he is correct…what an arrogant buffoon he is…and his arse lickers on the board…if BR manages to land us the title…it will be quite an achievement – IMHO – he has had to put up with terrible shit from the people who should have been supporting him…well done BR.
i was certain we were dead and buried a few months back…the huns are even more of a fukn joke of a club than we are – thank jasus…
HH
Where did my comment go? Anyway it was along the lines of: apart from Maeda, Palma is as good as our other wingers and lots of players, especially from other continents, are better in their 2nd season. He’s still got a good chance unless we sign someone much better.
100pc
Folk have laughed when i say they need all of cthat 70 mill plus but you cant go into CL and also win domestic with what we have. I mentioned before its right across the board that we need team ready players by my count 8 ifmor goes then its 9.
I am not sure about this James. I doubt Brendan would be so openly critical about his own players
Our transfer policy the last few years has been shambolic.the narrative about postecoglue transfers is utter fantasy .the vast majority have contributed nothing
Which part of that are you NOT getting?
Postecoglou had TWO transfers windows where he was in total control. Two. Out of four.
Who was in charge of the other two?
Which of the signings – save for McCarthy – didn’t contribute from the first two?
Honest to God, think things through.