21 Jan 2024 12:20:21
I posted Rodgers press conference yesterday and they get more more illuminating if bizarre when I re-read his comments.
Without doubt though it tells us how the board are thinking if not necessarily what Rodgers is thinking.
He described recruiting a striker as a 'difficult sell to someone when Kyogo has been fantastic here or is it a young player who comes in with potential to improve and get better? '
That tells me Celtic have no intention of bringing in a striker better than Kyogo and that's a disgrace. We've said repeatedly on here and podcasts that we should be trying to improve every position in the team if we're to make genuine progress.
He then stated:
'It's also one that we have been looking at for a period of time and it would have really changed if Kyogo had gone away with Japan. That was our thinking process, that we would actually be left with no one. Him being here for virtually one game a week for a number of weeks changes the dynamic. '
As I said yesterday he's talking the impact of the Asian players missing down and that tells me that when Kyogo wasn't called up for the Asian Cup the board wiped the collective sweat from their brow and put the cheque back in the drawer.
We have one striker with Oh away who has never replaced Guakomakis and who I'm yet to be convinced is the answer and while Kyogo has been fantastic for the club he's 28 and Rodgers has stated he needs a shoulder operation.
We surrendered one trophy this season and are effectively 2 points ahead at the top of the league with half a season to play. Somebody asked yesterday if the board were taking risks or taking the piss Buzz thought both and I agreed.
I'm not one bit surprised and said repeatedly I was prepared to be disappointed based on the boards previous performance and was struggling to see the reason for the hope of some pro-board sympathisers on here given objective evidence.
Rodgers stated on arrival that be needed 'four quality additions'. Nothing has changed they're still not here entering the last week or so of the January wonder after a disastrous summer transfer window with 16 of the last 19 recruits nowhere near the first team Kwon and Tilio on loan and Lagerbielke staring at the exit door and questions over Nawrokki at a combined cost of £7.5m between the three of them.
So has Rodgers been sold a pup and become disillusioned and we're potentially heading towards 'Terminado 2?'
Or as I asked yesterday has Rodgers become a lackey of the bourgeoisie toeing the party line and doffing his cap?
21 Jan 2024 13:12:36
Hopefully, Like to, Aiming for - some of the phrases being used. These do not spell action but limply going about the recruitment of players. Is Kuhn better than what we have? Probably better than MJ and Forrest, but better than Yang, Palma, Maeda? When he was being interviewed he put his demands that £30m was what he was looking for to buy players and that he would be here "until he got rinsed"? Whatever that means.
A week to go and God knows what's going to happen. We're also supposed to be trimming a bloated squad but loaning out Development or B squad isn't exactly reducing the wage bill by much.
Unless this week is going to be exceptionally dynamic and getting in players who would push whoever is in that position. I doubt it - I doubt it.
21 Jan 2024 14:16:09
Someone neefs to want the players we don't. If no buyers they simply can't go anywhere and the wages they are on, why should they?
21 Jan 2024 14:45:44
True but if we can't sell them, then I am sure many clubs would like to loan them.
21 Jan 2024 14:51:31
He better hope kyogo doesn't get injured on the 1st of Feb. disgrace if they don't sign one and gambling with the title.
21 Jan 2024 14:53:51
Like many, I continue to struggle with the shambles that was the summer transfer window, the first opportunity BR had at taking AP's team and starting to mold it into his own.
Fast forward five month's to this current window, given the points we've thrown away and the fact our bench and squad is weaker as a result of those players who've left and the injuries we've sustained, January should have been about ensuring certain positions were filled to ensure, along with those players coming back from injury, that we secure the league title and add the Scottish Cup.
I think it's fair to say that the majority of fans on this site were aligned in their thinking with BR that a Striker and LB was the minimum requirement this month. Instead, we've so far got a winger?
Our squad is bloated with players on the periphery of the first team squad who'll never play and shouldn't get close to a Celtic first team. Worryingly, we've also got players on the bench who should not get close to playing for the first team.
Therefore, whilst the proverbial 'clear out' is required we have more than enough funds to ensure we secure the league with the signings needed.
I haven't listened to the press conference that JFP highlights but I'm concerned, as are many, at the fact through our own doing that this has become a title race. The results and performances, in particular, against Kilamrnock and Hearts were a disgrace and had it not been for the win against 'the RAGERS' this title race might not have still been in our hands.
Whilst I agree that come May, when CalMac (hopefully) holds the Premier League Trophy aloft, many league results will gave been long forgotten, with the the CL cash that's coming we'll have approx £100M in the bank.
That's before offers for MOR, CCV, Kyogo etc start coming in this summer and when they do, will this board knock back £20M here, £25M there - not a chance.
So the question is, is it enough for us just to remain ahead of the hoardes across the city or does our board and club have genuine aspirations to develop and look to te establish ourselves on the European stage? ?
I for one, hope it's the latter.
☘️ ? ☘️.
21 Jan 2024 15:02:10
Abada and Maeda can play through the middle, do we really need to waste money on a striker bloating our squad that won't start ahead of Kyogo?
21 Jan 2024 15:10:29
Just look at todays bench. All could go and wouldn't be missed. there's a clear out needed between now and the summer. Starting with Lawells laddie and whoever else is responsible for the waste of millions on dross. Like who gave McCarthy a 4 year deal on about 28k a week?
21 Jan 2024 15:23:48
Yes we do Bhoy88.
If the game does not work with kyogo we don't have any striker who can change it up, the way GG did.
21 Jan 2024 15:24:28
Good to see young Daniel Kelly on the bench. One of the more promising youngsters.
21 Jan 2024 15:28:08
We might as well, keep our cool for a fortnight, then we will know exactly what we have achieved and failed to achieve, all speculalation will be over and done . I am not sure Board and Recruitment team pay much attention to what our fans say.
21 Jan 2024 15:53:32
I agree with keeping our cool Celtic but at the same time I agree with the above posts. Any new signing will take a few weeks to bed in so we’re now looking at mid-feb to get the best out of anyone we bring in now.
I keep hearing the argument that we need to sell/ loan players out first, but why? Why would we jeopardize a £40m prize for £2-3m (probably not even) in expenses/ wages? If the argument is more about the harmony within the squad if players aren’t playing then that’s why the manager is there. That’s a better headache to have than missing 3-4 quality players that the squad needs…. And tbh I don’t even believe MJ, Yang, Lagerbielke, Ralston, Bain, Bernabei, Oh, Iwata, Kobayashi etc. have done enough, or themselves believe, that they’re at the level needed to guarantee a spot at this club.
21 Jan 2024 23:19:55
We are still in the dark and will remain in the dark . We haven’t a notion if our Recruitment team and Manager have balls up this transfer window or whether they spring a surprise with a couple of signings before window closes at 12 midnight Thursday week . What I mean about balls up is that there were players who were ideal for us and we didn’t sign them . We also don’t know if Nicholson delays and flutters around too long and player goes elsewhere .
I foresee Board coming under a lot of abuse if signings are not made.