Phillips seemed to have the perfect profile, a member of Jurgen Klopp’s impressive squad in need of matches but like many others from the EPL he has struggled with the different demands of playing for Celtic
Ideguchi had to make do with five substitute appearances in the remainder of the 21/22 season, when Aaron Mooy and Oliver Abildgaard were signed in the summer transfer window it was clear that the former Gamba Osaka midfielder was already surplus to requirements.
With European football ending in a tame 2-0 defeat to Lazio, sitting in mid-table in Serie A Rodgers suddenly started talking about his transfer aspirations, when he took on the manager’s job he wanted four quality signings- before losing Jota, Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy.
Within a fortnight of Postecoglou leaving Rodgers was back at the club but it is hard to believe that he is in charge despite his recent claims over recruitment.
In the bigger picture he distanced himself from recruitment during the summer, putting his trust in the brilliant judgement of Mark Lawwell to deliver the players required to make progress.
Returning to Celtic in the summer surely things would be different, surely Rodgers had done his due diligence, especially with two Lawwell’s now in senior positions.
Losing the argument Spiers grabbed at the suggestion that Kenny Macintyre would never suggest a bias in favour of Celtic. Absolutely desperate stuff.
It is a decent point but not the main one, Spiers knows the fate of Jim Spence and the true blue credentials of Kenny Macintyre, Alasdair Lamont, Jane Lewis, Steven Thompson and the lads at Pacific Quay.
When Rodgers returned to Celtic in the summer Glen Driscoll was the only coach that he brought in, having had six months to assess the situation he’ll have a couple of names in mind that can add to his existing coaching team of John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan.
For a while Barton cashed in on the myth that he had turned his life around, that he had been misinterpreted, cynically hitching on to the Hillsborough issues to develop credibility.