Interesting listening to Brendan Rodgers yesterday talk about how the squad is too big. There are 32 in first team squad (excluding those out on loan), and he said ideally he would have a 25 man squad.

He also said rather pointedly said that we do not need any more ‘development’ players, we need first team ready players.

READ THIS…“There will be more out than coming in,” Rodgers set to re-shape Celtic squad

When you look at the squad there are obvious players that we should be either moving on permanently or moving out on loan. The problem is will they go and if they are willing to go will anyone want them?

I would doubt if we could move anyone deemed surplus to requirement on for any significant money. Most would probably be loans out.

Of the 10 players out on loan Ideguchi and Kenny return in January so that’s another two to be moved back out in January.

Given Brendan will want two or three new players in January that could be as many as 10 or 11 players to ship out. Impossible? Nicholson and Lawwell will need to get a significant number out of the door.

The likely names are as follows:

No contribution this season – Siegrist, Kobayashi, McCarthy, Kwon, Tilio

Little contribution this season – Bernabei, M. Johnston

Return to parent club – Philips

Out of contract in the summer – Turnbull

Returning loanees – Ideguchi, Kenny

That would reduce the first team squad to 23, freeing up a couple of spaces for new signings, a keeper and a left back the obvious positions that would require strengthened immediately.

The summer window was a bit of a disaster, at least that’s how its panned out to date, time for the recruitment team to get their act together and get the players the manager wants and get rid of those who are not in his plans.

Gary67 – Well Known Member on Celtic Noise

I think due to the “robustness” of our domestic football that an extra defender, midfielder and forward is not a bad idea so maybe as high as 28 players would be ideal. I doubt that we’ll get rid of Tilio yet as we knew he was injured when we bought him and that is him just getting back now.

I guess Brendan is stating what many of us fans have been saying since the summer and this is what we thought our transfer strategy was going to be instead of returning to snapping up lots of young foreign projects. Yes, we can still do this but it really has to be augmented by buying several first team ready players to replace the ones we sell off every year (often for profit).

Bridie Bhoy – Well Known Member on Celtic Noise

Tilio should go out on loan, get fit, get used to football in this country and get ready to return in the summer. Reports are he’s struggling with the intensity of our training. Welsh arguably should do also go out on loan to get fit, keep Philips until end of the season.

Gary67 – Well Known Member on Celtic Noise

Interesting comments from Brendan coming after his decision not to make changes at the weekend but instead go with the tried and tested starters.

Since Ange’s arrival we have been full stream ahead on signings, boosted by the success that the early arrivals brought to the club – and credit is due to whoever it was who selected those players. The first two windows were hugely significant but the impact hasn’t been the same since and we’ve ended up with a huge squad at Lennoxtown, loads of players already out on loan and a blocked pathway for Celtic Academy players, who are likely to get discouraged.

The team that started against Atletico was:

(Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

FIRST ELEVEN: Hart, Johnston, CCV, Scales, Taylor; McGregor, O’Riley, Hatate (replaced early on by Bernardo); Palma, Kyogo and Maeda.

Looking at the squad and picking the best available second eleven it would look something like this when you add Reo to the long term injury list…

20th August 2023; Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland: Scottish Viaplay Cup Football, Kilmarnock versus Celtic; Liam Scales of Celtic, Gustaf Lagerbielke of Celtic and Maik Nawrocki of Celtic

SECOND ELEVEN: Bain, Ralston, Lagerbielke, Nawrocki, Bernabei; Iwata, Turnbull, Holm; Forrest, Oh and Mikey Johnston

Not selected for either side – Siegrist, Phillips, Kobayashi, Welsh, Kyon, Yang and Tilio.

Out injured – Abada and now Hatate

Out of the picture – McCarthy

So if we accept that the first eleven is strong and was able to go toe-to-toe with Atletico and were probably better than Lazio then consider one at a time if each player is injured (or sold) then look at the replacement in the second side.

That tells me we need a goalkeeper, one maybe two full backs, maybe a winger (even though we have loads) and definitely a striker.

Siegrist is running down his deal then will be off, Phillips will go back to Liverpool at the end of the year, Koyayashi will go out on loan, Welsh signed a new deal then was injured on the same day and he’s now way down the pecking order so will need to go out on loan, Kyon doesn’t looks like it’s going to happen and should be offloaded. Yang and Tilio the jury remains out, btw signing injured players is madness.

We have TEN players out on loan, none of whom can expect to play for Celtic again as things stand.

The Celtic B team meanwhile is roadblocked in the low quality lowland league and has being losing to English sides and in their Champions League matches.

Brendan wants a squad of 25, with three goalkeepers. He reckons that is going to take two windows to get there. The combined wages of these players who aren’t going to contribute could be better spent on fewer, first team ready players. That has to be the priority and the Celtic strategy needs to change to allow this to happen.

Not everyone in the Celtic boardroom is likely to agree with that assessment.

Winning Captains – Administrator on Celtic Noise.