GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 13: Gustaf Lagerbielke in action for Celtic during a UEFA Champions League group stage match between Celtic and Feyenoord at Celtic Park, on December 13, 2023, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
This is going to be a window of change at Celtic Park. Everyone knew that before it even opened, because the manager had said as much over the course of the summer. The scale of the changes was the only thing still up for grabs, but I thought it likely that over the next few weeks we’d see a dramatic reduction in the wage bill and a major transformation in the makeup of the team that trains at Lennoxtown.
Players are moving out of the club at a rapid rate now, and today our two central defenders, Lagerbielke and Nawrocki, are next to go.
A lot of fans will have mixed feelings about that, because there was genuine belief amongst supporters that these two had something—and maybe, just maybe, we didn’t give either of them enough of a chance. There’s a sense that we were hasty in how we treated them. Some will even say Rodgers himself was unfair.
But the truth is, neither of these guys looked like they were going to make it under Rodgers. That was clear from the off. We signed them as part of an experiment that went badly wrong and left us in a very precarious place.
We could have lost that first title under Rodgers.
We could have lost the league because of that summer window—the one Mark Lawwell was responsible for. That we didn’t is largely down to what happened in January, when we signed two players: one was Adam Idah, and the other was, of course, Nicolas Kühn.
One of them virtually won us the double with vital goals in big games. The other has earned us a transfer profit in excess of £12 million. Those were Rodgers signings—players chosen as part of his architectural vision. It’s no surprise that those two have been successful, whereas the Lawwell signings were not.
Lawwell’s time here was a disaster.
That summer window made no sense. There was no coherence. No logic. No plan. And now, slowly but surely, we’re moving beyond it. The departure of those two centre backs is another step in the right direction.
Hopefully, we’ll also see Luis Palma move on. Tilio almost certainly isn’t coming back. The less said about Kwon, the better. That leaves only Thiago Holm and Yang. There’s talk Yang will go this window, and Holm is on loan in the MLS until the end of the year—so chances are, we’ve seen the last of him too.
I know it’s not fashionable in certain circles to say it, but Rodgers deserves an immense amount of credit for cleaning up that gigantic mess.
Is it a coincidence that the biggest sales we’ve made in recent years have come from Ange’s team—when Ange was making the signings—and now from Rodgers’ team, when he’s making the decisions? I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
It’s the perfect marriage: a manager who knows what he’s doing, and players selected to fit the system he designs. These weren’t players signed by committee. They were picked by the boss himself. He looked at the stats. He read the reports. And he knew immediately that these guys would fit. Simple.
I’ve compared this before to building a PC. I buy a new desktop every few years and for the last two decades, I’ve picked every component myself. And every part must work to bring out the best in the others. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to assemble random pieces and end up with bottlenecks everywhere.
You can have a top-of-the-line graphics card, but if your processor is too slow, you’ll never see the full effects of the card. Likewise, a great processor with an outdated GPU cancels it all out. Even the wrong RAM or the wrong storage can hamstring the whole build. All the components have to complement one another.
Just as you wouldn’t give a total novice three grand to build a custom machine, you shouldn’t let some accountancy type or management consultant build a football team with the club’s money. These people don’t have the experience. They don’t have the knowledge. They don’t understand how the system works. But that’s exactly what we allowed to happen in the summer two years ago.
So Rodgers hasn’t just had to work miracles with a team largely constructed by Ange—he’s had to do it with an ever-weakening version of that team, while also trying to impose his own identity and tactical vision.
At the same time, he’s had to manage a dressing room with players he didn’t want and couldn’t use. So while trying to build something of his own, he’s also been forced to clean up someone else’s mess. And the fact he’s managed to do both and still deliver success is something he deserves enormous credit for.
I think both Lagerbielke and Nawrocki are probably very good players. In the right system, and the right environment, I think they’ll thrive. If they go on to become top footballers in the next two years, I won’t look back and say we made a mistake. We haven’t. It’s not a mistake to let go of players who don’t suit the manager or the system. That’s just part of a well-thought-out process.
I wish them both well. It’s not their fault they were signed during a period of chaos and confusion. It’s not their fault they were brought in under an incoherent strategy. I never felt like either of them was stealing a wage.
I never felt like they were wasting our time. We wasted their time. That’s the truth. They should never have been signed without full buy-in from the manager, without the manager being completely clear on their attributes and suitability. That was Rodgers’ mistake—he trusted the system, and the system was broken.
I hope the two of them go on to be great successes. Lagerbielke is expected to leave on a permanent deal this window. Nawrocki will go on loan, with a view to a permanent. If he fits their system, I’ve little doubt he’ll thrive.
This wasn’t a failure of development. It wasn’t even a failure of scouting. These are probably players who justified their transfer fees—but they just don’t fit. Just as you can have a perfectly good graphics card or processor that doesn’t work in your machine but fits seamlessly in someone else’s.
Rodgers quickly learned that he had to trust his own judgement.
That’s why, in that winter window, he vetoed attempts to push him into signing strikers who didn’t fit his system and went instead for a guy few of us had ever heard of—Adam Idah. It’s why, when looking for a wide attacker, he brought in a player from the Austrian league—another name most fans didn’t know: Nicolas Kühn.
And I’ll write more on Nicolas tomorrow.
But the proof is right there.
We’re letting those two defenders go, having got no use out of them. Meanwhile, Kühn is heading out the door for another eight-figure sum. And still, some people don’t get it. They don’t understand that the successful signings—whether in terms of what they offer the team or what we make on the back end—are the ones the manager picked, or the ones he immediately saw a role for.
It cuts through all the noise about data guys knowing better than the man who actually builds and runs the team. This is what we pay Rodgers the big money for. And it was farcical that we brought him in and paid him that much only to sideline him in that first summer. Surely, to God, we’ve learned.
I guess we’ll find out in the next few weeks.
Nawrocki looked a good player, why are we letting him go when we know CCV may be out for a few months, not for the first time?
CCV out for a ew months. really. where did you get that from?
As long as we reinvest the majority of the profits back into the team, I’ll be happy. If not, we’re actually watching Accountancy FC.
I don’t remember Rocky putting a foot wrong and Gus rarely got a chance. The old squirrel about seeing them in training won’t wash. Lagerbielke was outstanding against Feyenoord, Rocky was better than Trusty in the games I’ve seen. Wish them both well.
I agree with you 100% paddybhoy, there’s no way nawrocki and lagerbielke aren’t as good as scales and trusty,all the pish about Rodgers being great at nurturing talent,what went wrong with these two.lagerbieke scored a great goal in Europe,never seen again,same with nawrocki headed goal,never seen again.
Would have been more than happy for both players to be given a proper chance.
So it appears, as usual, that we will go into preseason without having made a first team signing (apart from Tierney who was signed ages ago) and no doubt will end up being unprepared for the qualifiers again. With Taylor and Kuhn going we are technically weaker than last season and surely Kuhns replacement shouldve been done and in the building before we let him leave, now clubs can hold us to random again just like letting Kyogo go before signing Idah. Clearly we never learn. Get a move on Celtic
Ransom sorry, not random
We have had at least three first team signings, and Kuhn’s replacement is already in the building, his name is Benjamin Nygren.
Sorry James, a bit of cherry picking going on here. Nawrocki stepped in, never let us down and I can’t think of him giving us palpitations. Physically strong and at 23 still with potential to grow. Trusty (2 years older with EPL experience) has been given a season, given us plenty scares and poor performances and we are being told to give him time.
From the outside looking in, it looks like Nawrocki is being overlooked because he wasn’t signed by Rodgers. Baby Lawwell should never have been in post, but just because Nawrocki was signed by him is no excuse to not give him a fair crack at the whip. I can think of one game where he was exposed by Miovski at Pittodrie when he was playing on the left side (his weak side). I can think of numerous games where Trusty has been exposed. On what evidence do we base future improvements in Trusty?
I’ve not seen enough of Lagerbieke but I do recall a makeshift defence at Ibrox where he played his part in securing a point.
Rodgers demonstrated a lack of willingness to rotate players last season and I think this hurt us with tiredness in those who were expected to go every week whenever fit. And it also prevented others being developed. How is a squad player meant to develop if he isn’t getting any competitive minutes? And where is the incentive to stay and fight your way into the first team? Our academy players will see this also and wonder what chance to they really have?
As an aside – as an accountant I wouldn’t dream of thinking I was qualified for making a decision to sign a player for any position. I would though be asking the question of the manager or director of football “you want £8m to buy another centre half? How is that centre half we gave you £7m to buy last year getting on?”
Superb analogy James
These guys just don’t fit the system end of conversation
Would even one CFC fan have played those 2 guys on n that crucial evening in Bergamo to defend the Alamo
No chance !
Don’t wish to be the one to pour cold water on it but I feel like we’re now heading back to that period, except it’s lawwell snr yet again still having an input on this scattergun policy. I can’t help but feel this latest signing, a defender from Japan is one of his signings and because Rodger’s has publicly said he’s staying for this season the ones above have taken advantage of it and started to make signings without full consent of Rodger’s, I could be wrong though.
A player who has less than a year of football to his name, cost 250k, is he really any better than lagerbielke, Nawrocki or Welsh? With millions in the bank why are we making signings like this? I’m afraid to say I think this will be certainly the last season for Brendan, grown tired of the board trying to get involved
Why the fuck do we seem to be rebuilding summer after summer after summer after summer these days !
I said the other day that I think we are lucky to have BR. He may not win the treble every year but I will say this: we will never be losers with this gaffer around.
I smiled at the analogy of choosing the hardware to build a PC system. This is the physical parts which must be able to work together with no flaws. Then we come to the software which is the brain of the system. This would cover stuff like player wellbeing and motivation.
I am glad our manager is making clear to everyone the right attitude required to be a successful Celtic player.
Again, when it comes to a debate about Lagerbielke and Nawrocki, there’s only one opinion that matters, and that is BR.
We can go on about how they’ve never been given a chance, and they both may be a bit unlucky in that respect!
However, the manager obviously doesn’t rate them highly enough and we wish them both well.
As I’ve previously said, we should get an idea of our manager’s long term plans, with how this transfer window pans out !
Like a lot of our fans I don’t have a particularly strong faith in our board in strengthening our team to the requisite level we all want.
Their contempt for our fanbase is both obvious and disgraceful!
Time will tell as to whether BR gets the players he wants/needs and possibly signs a new contract!
Yet again, we won’t hold our breath ! HH
I think it’s wrong to say that Brendan doesn’t rate those players or that he won’t play them because they’re someone else’s signings (Maeda? Hatate?). People are saying such and such a player “might” be the answer etc.
The common denominator is that Brendan doesn’t do “might be’s” or “maybe’s”! Nice guy he may be but he’s absolutely ruthless in getting the very best group of players representing Celtic that he can within his budget. When he first came he immediately shifted POTY Chris Commons and fan’s favourite Anthony Stokes out the door, because he knew they wouldn’t fit his style. He sees the players’ attitudes up close and, if he has the slightest doubts about them, they’re out the door. He has also just said that the new CB is a development player, so he doesn’t need to be included in this conversation, as Brendan can walk and chew gum at the same time.
DannyGal,
We’ve all seen and commented over the years when we believe a certain player is not getting a fair crack of the whip, and that a manager has his favourites.
Us fans will discuss this and wonder why a player is always on the bench or out of the squad! It could be down to attitude, conflict, mentality or a variety of reasons, but the mantra, train as you play is probably prevalent with the majority of modern day managers.
Ultimately, we have to trust the manager and presently, that is BR. Regardless of those who don’t like or rate him, I still believe we are fortunate to have him and his record isn’t too shabby.
As always, all about opinions ! HH
Point taken Gerry! I understand a forum is a platform to express our opinions, and I didn’t mean to imply that we should simply shut up and let BR get on with it (albeit it may have looked that way).
I was trying to point out that BR realises he doesn’t have any surplus in his budget to allow for might be’s or maybe’s to clutter up the building so they need to be replaced, not added to. I’m talking about players who were brought in to go straight into the first team. So surely in that case BR would want them to succeed rather than not play them ahead of his favourites?
So the manager who allegedly develops players doesn’t actually develop players.
I don’t like Rodgers, if your not one of his chosen few you won’t play.
My perception is if a player questions him, then your not getting in his team, nah nah nah nah style.
Rodgers took us backwards previously, he jumped ship when Rangers ll looked a threat, Lennon finished that off.
Rodgers took Leicester to relegation zone before being fired.
Now he’s dismantling a fast flowing team that Ange left.
Ange left soon after Lawells return.
Anyone see the story developing.
Rodgers to me is fake, like aspects of our board.
I don’t particularly like his style Davie but 12 outta 14 trophies ain’t too shabby for sure !