Brendan Rodgers is unlikely to be speaking to the media before the transfer window closes at midnight on Thursday.
Over the last fortnight there has been a fairly consistent theme from the Irishman and that is recruitment is out of his hands.
Other than two seasons under Ange Postecoglou it is clear that the Celtic executives don’t trust their managers with the critical aspect of buying and selling players.
First time around Peter Lawwell wrestled control back from Rodgers to present him with Youssouf Mulumbu, Emilio Izaguirre, Vakoum Bayo, Marian Shved with loan signings such as Filip Benkavic, Oli Burke, Timo Weah and Jeremy Toljan representing his short term thinking.
Under Neil Lennon that policy continued leading to the disastrous summer of 2020 when Vasilis Barkas and Albian Ajeti were signed with Shane Duffy and Diego Laxalt brought in on very expensive loans. For good measure Jonjo Kenny was later brought in on loan.
Rodgers watched these developments from afar, raised his concerns when approached by Dermot Desmond and was reassured by Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay that things were now being done very differently.
All of the directors from 2019 are still in their seats, former CEO Peter Lawwell has replaced Ian Bankier as chairman, the Remuneration Committee is unchanged with Mark Lawwell heading up recruitment.
After the events of 2018/19 there were red flags all over the place, Rodgers decided that he could now work within the ‘new’ framework but Saturday’s post match comments as reported by STV sounds like that of a man who has been duped again:
There’s no numbers. I spoke with the club when I first came in and assessed the squad and we just need to improve that quality.
It’s clear, if you see the team. When you look back at my first time here; the team was dynamic, it was fast, it was quick, got through the lines very quickly, created chances, scored goals.
This is what we will eventually get to here, but we are missing certain profiles. Hopefully we can bring that into the squad and obviously be a lot cleaner and quicker in our play.
After three months of minimal transfer activity there is little expectation among supporters that there is going to be a frenzy of incoming business over the four remaining days of the month.
Recently Celtic transfers appear to take a week from surfacing in the media through to conclusion.
Saturday’s tired, dispirited side that laboured to a draw with St Johnstone will head to Ibrox with at most two debutants thrown in for their first experience of Scottish football.
The squad may be galvanised and suddenly come together to put in a statement performance but after four flat performances that seems an unlikely outcome.
After Ibrox on Sunday there is a 13 day break before a home match with Dundee then an unforgiving schedule kicks off with the Champions League and a trip to Livingston.
If Mark Lawwell can’t throw a couple of quick double sixes the Celtic manager will be in the firing line again as the infrastucture failings of the club are exposed again after Ange Postecoglou grabbed control and changed direction for two years.
