What’s going on with Brendan Rodgers’ messaging and Celtic’s disastrous summer transfer window?

With the euphoria of winning at Ibrox starting to fade away more attention is turning to Celtic’s dealing in the summer transfer window.

Seven permanent signings were made, two loans added in the final week of  business but towards the end of the window Brendan Rodgers made it clear that he had a minor role in Recruitment, his task was to work with the players supplied by the club.

It seems to be quite a turnaround from Peak Postecoglou where every signing seemed to be driven entirely by the manager, ordering others to get the paperwork completed with the player delivered to Lennoxtown.

Bearing in mind the circumstances in which Rodgers left in February 2019 it seems incredible that he has signed up to return to a diminished role with his fate in the hands of Mark Lawwell, someone with no known background in football, recruitment or scouting.

The hype of June pointed towards Rodgers getting his way in terms of players, bringing in the quality that he had been denied first time around, when John McGinn was transformed into Youssouf Mulumbu.

When January 2019 brought Oli Burke, Timo Weah, Marian Shved, Vakoun Bayo, Andrew Gutman, Manny Perez and Jeremy Toljan the departure of the former Liverpool boss was simply a matter of timing.

On the back of four years experience in England and having viewed the impressive early recruitment of Ange Postecoglou surely Rodgers is far better placed to identify the players needed than the Chairman’s son.

Rodgers did take his own son Anton on Celtic’s 2017 pre-season trip but left it at that, there was no contract or key role for being Daddy’s boy.

Whatever is going on behind the scenes needs addressed before things go much further. If the manager is to work with Lawwell Junior’s signings it is a waste of time bringing in an elite level operator.

Sure Rodgers can do with assistance and support with getting deals over the line but he needs to have the most significant say in the players that he is working with. If they flop it is on him, no-one else.

The memories of the 2018/19 season are still painful, the situation was avoidable but two egos clashed with the inevitable winner.

Chairmen and Heads of Recruitment are easy to find, if Celtic employ an elite level manager they should be making maximum use of his knowledge and contacts rather than dumping three central midfielders and three wingers on him and hopeing that he can turn them into £15m Southampton signings.

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Brendan Rodgers provides a update on Celtic’s potential #DeadlineDay plans ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hqVe74N2o4

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 1, 2023

QUESTION: The club this week came out and outlined their very strong financial results. I just wonder what that means for you going forward, in terms of further investment in the team?

RODGERS: Well hopefully. I think what it demonstrates is how well the club is run behind the football side. All the markers and numbers are there to prove that. My job is to look after the football side and make us the best that we possibly can.

QUESTION: And when you reflect back on the business that you’ve done in the window just gone, are you content with what you’ve brought in? 

RODGERS: No. I think if you ask any manager, they’ll always be wanting more, of course. We work with the players that are here, and I’m not saying that in any disrespectful way, but every manager will tell you that they wish they could have done one or two more signings. The window closed, we had the players that we had in, and I’m a coach and manager and we will work with the very best players at our disposal to make our performance level the best that we can possibly be. Now we’re already preparing for the January window and the summer window.

QUESTION: Was that maybe a disappointment for you? 

RODGERS: No.

QUESTION: When you look at the signings you did make, there’s a lot – nine players in total – is there an argument to sign more experienced players in January or the summer? 

RODGERS: If you look at the club’s strategy, it’s that (younger players). It’s signing the younger players to develop and improve. I’ve said it before here that to maximise that potential then you need that balance in your squad. You need quality and experience. That will obviously help and support the potential that you have. That’s something hopefully over the course of my time here that the squad can regenerate that way.