Chris Sutton has backed Brendan Rodgers as he tries to pressurise the Celtic money men into doing their job.
Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay have been living it up on the USA tour over the last 10 days, patting each other on the back for escaping through last season with their bonus payments secured despite the handicap of lumbering the manager with further disastrous transfer dealings from Mark Lawwell.
At the 2023 AGM in November Nicholson claimed that the appointment of Lawwell was driven by Ange Postecoglou, virtually no-one in the room believed a word of it.
Postecoglou has taken Nick Montgomery to Spurs after a disastrous spell at Hibs but has still to find a place for Lawwell Mini, the former website administrator at the City Football Group.
That appointment and the reaction of the Celtic CEO says everything about the attitudes at senior levels at the club. Years of domestic domination, with one very notable blip has convinced them that they are all doing great jobs while the team repeatedly flops in Europe when faced by tougher opponents than the 2013 Third Division Champions.
After the seven horrendous summer signings made by Lawwell last year Rodgers has exerted some control this year with two goalkeepers signed that were clearly identified by the manager.
It really shouldn’t be to difficult to sign three or four players that would instantly improve Celtic’s Starting XI but the failures to sign Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo in time for the American trip highlights the incompetence of all involved in recruitment.
Rodgers called it out in November when he revealed that he had identified four positions that needed improved on as soon as he arrived.
Nicholson ignored that in January, two months after the Scottish Cup Final and a week before the start of the SPFL campaign no outfield players have been signed, the squad from Hampden is already two light, or too light.
In the Daily Record Sutton explained:
Brendan Rodgers was addressing the Celtic supporters when he was asked about transfers over in the United States.
But the message he delivered was for the Parkhead board. Rodgers can be very cute with his communication at times and sometimes it leaves room to read between the lines.
By name-checking chief executive Michael Nicholson and chief finance officer Chris McKay when asked for the state of play by the Scottish newspaper journalists in America, it’s hard not to think there was another message being delivered.
Rodgers basically said he was doing his part with the squad and it was now over to them to deliver the new signings. I’m not sure if it’s applying a bit of pressure, but it’s definitely a sense of, ‘right, it’s over to you guys’.
They do need to get to work. Celtic have looked sharp in pre-season but we all know they are still short in vital areas of the team.
If Nicholson wants to ignore the plea of the manager he could find himself as popular as Neil Doncaster at next week’s flag unfurling ceremony.
Rodgers has tried the subtle approach to convince the two highest paid executives to do their job, if he is ignored again he might need to up his game in his media comments as the worst fears of supporters are again being played out.
Signing Bernardo and a new contract for Greg Taylor might not shift all of the Champions League packages with a £190 price tag for The Celtic Family.
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