A month after agreeing to sell Nicolas Kuhn to Como, Brendan Rodgers is bound to be feeling betrayed and let down. Again.
Signed from Rapid Vienna in January 2024 the winger had an outstanding pre-season last summer then kicked on in the 24/25 season enjoying an incredible autumn and winter that showcased his talents.
Rodgers loved the player, in the boardroom they saw an asset.
The Celtic manager is a realist, he knows that his best players will move on but there is an optimum time to do business with a Player Trading Model apparently in place.
As players are sold replacements should be signed, at Celtic they only seem proficient in one part of that process.
Rodgers was badly let down in January when he agreed to sell Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes between matches 7 and 8 in the Champions League. Michael Nicholson failed to deliver a replacement.
That decision rebounded repeatedly on Rodgers team. Could Kyogo or his replacement scored against Bayern Munich with the aggregate score standing at 2-2? Could Kyogo or his replacement have finished off Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final?
A similar series of (non) events have followed the sale of Kuhn, it is easy to see why the manager has lost all trust in those above him to match his ambitions.
As Kuhn prepared to complete his move to Como at the start of July Rodgers told The Sun:
He was aware of interest towards the end of last season and that sort of followed through. Other teams have joined in that interest over the summer and that’s why a lot of the young players come.
It’s a wonderful, brilliant club to come to develop, and improve. And you can see within a short period of time, 18 months, he’s now getting the move that he wants.
Of course, we want to succeed but a lot of these players they come in with the notion that they can develop and improve.
They’re at a brilliant club but they get the opportunity to go on and earn three or four times more in salary and that’s something that will always be a challenge for the likes of ourselves but he’s done brilliant for us in the 18 months and if he does end up going and signing up a Como then it’s great business all round.
I think it really helps us. The earlier, the better, really because if a player wants to go then I don’t see the point in them hanging about. Really, if you can get the deal done and you get the valuation, what you think is right, then do it, move on and look to get the replacements in.
And there is the key aspect. Get the replacements in.
Those comments were given after the first pre-season match against Queens Park on July 4.
Celtic had six more pre-season matches to play, on August 3, the start of the SPFL Premiership season Yang Hyun-jun was in the starting XI to play St Mirren. It is debateable if Yang would get a starting place in Stephen Robinson’s side.
Rodgers mentioned that Como’s interest in Kuhn was known at the end of last season, presumably May but possibly April, maybe even earlier
There are two explanations over what has happened since then despite repeated claims that ‘everyone in the background is working very hard.
Either the recruitment team can’t identify suitable wingers or Nicholson can’t conclude a transfer deal.
Either situation is unacceptable but at a club with no Director of Football or accountability the same systems and mistakes are repeated season after season.
Whether Mark Lawwell as Head of First Team Recruitment or Paul Tisdale as Head of Football Operations is involved both have failed in their remit of providing first team ready players.
Rodgers ditched Lawwell Mini in January 2024 to bring in Kuhn and Adam Idah, both delivered success on the park with the winger delighting the boardroom with a clear £10m plus profit once Rapid Vienna got their sell on clause.
The next deadline to be missed is August 14 for the Champions League Play Off, anyone signed on that date will be able to play in a League Cup tie against Falkirk ahead of the home leg against Slovan Bratislava or Kairat Almaty.
By signing a replacement for Kuhn and someone in on loan to cover for Jota Celtic would have been in a far better place going into the Play Off matches.
Right now they have a 50-50 chance of going through, both potential opponents are likely to be stronger than St Mirren who delivered a template on how to stifle and frustrate Celtic.
If the first leg is decided by a 1-0 scoreline the decision to bank the Kuhn transfer fee will be yet another example of the failings of the Celtic board to understand football and back their manager.
Rodgers is out of contract at the end of this season, Nicholson appears to have a contract for life.
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8 Comments
by Che
Corporate greed, that is the sum and substance of this situation and we know that it will never change, stop spending and they might listen
by Patrick
A board like no other club board.
A totally dysfunctional lot .
by Dan
Same shite different day. Obviously you have been reading the rest of the shite bloggers write
The players you mention made it clear they dint want to be at Celtic so its good business to shift them quickly before the resentment spreads through the dressing room
Think back to the French players a few years ago
As for transfers in perhaps you will have grounds to improve your blog if at the end of the window no players have joined the club
Or else youll be eating humble pie
by Owen Mullions
Couldn’t agree more, Dan. Both Kyogo and Kuhn’s faces were tripping them for months before they left . You can’t let an attitude like that spread to the dressing room – best to get shot ASAP.
by Jim
You two selectively commenting on one part of the article, and even then creating a tension (get want away, away), that didn’t exist in the article to begin with. Did you miss the bit about having suitable replacements lined up, or in fact having replacements at all?.
Comments a bit like the transfer business of Celtic, selectively one way.
by Editor
Nice to have a Happy Clapper on board- are things quiet with the CQN lads today?
We’ve had two good transfer windows in the last eight years, under Ange Postecoglou in summer 2021 and January 2022 before a certain surname resumed control of all transfer activity.
Strange how so many other teams have targets in mind, get them or move on to Plan B while Bank Balance FC set their sights at staying one step ahead of their business partners at Ibrox.
by Che
Fail to prepare prepare to fail
by Mad mick
Lawwell needs his cut for a new heated driveway