As things stand, Chris Sutton isn’t optimistic about the outlook for Celtic at Ibrox next week and in the Champions League where he reckons Celtic and indeed theRangers if they get there, could both end up with zero points. Earlier in the week Brendan Rodgers admitted that with a week to go in the transfer window his squad is weaker than the one that finished last season as Treble winners under Ange Postecoglou.
And the former Celtic striker questions some of the transfer business that has been done so far this season, most notably the decision to allow experienced first team defender Carl Starfelt to leave the club while his central defence partner Cameron Carter-Vickers was still recovering from his knee operation.
The only crumb of comfort for Sutton as he surveys where he reckons Celtic are this morning in his weekly column in Daily Record, is that he reckons that theRangers are weaker too. However he points to the fact that their signings are already in the door while Celtic probably need five arrivals in the next week ahead of the trip to Ibrox next weekend, and refers to Celtic needing good luck with that – throwing a bunch of new arrivals straight into that hostile environment before they’ve even had a chance to unpack their cases.
Injuries of course haven’t helped and that has probably meant more project signings playing earlier doors that might otherwise have been the case. This afternoon Celtic take on St Johnstone at Celtic Park and the team that Brendan Rodgers puts out will give us an indication of where Celtic are at the moment with transfer business and injuries compounding the problems for the manager who probably could never have envisaged that things would be so challenging so early into his second spell at the club.
Sutton talks fearfully of what Manchester City would do to Celtic in the Champions League and when you see the team today think about that starting eleven going into a European game like that in a few weeks time. Celtic really do need to respond this week because after that the window is closed and it could be a grim European campaign right enough, after all the talk from our former manager about progress in Europe and the recruitment plan geared towards making us stronger in the summer window to get the squad ready to better last year’s return of just two points from six games.
“When you think back to the final whistle at Hampden a few months ago when the Treble was wrapped up, Celtic looked in prime position to kick on and hammer home their dominance. It looked ominous for Michael Beale at (the)Rangers and his rebuild,” Sutton stated.
“But now? Celtic are not just weaker – they are miles weaker. Rodgers might need to sign five players this week, and all of them will have to be first team ready. That’s an extraordinary situation to be in at this stage, when the season is already up and running. I get the injury problems are seriously damaging the team. Losing Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate would hamper any side,” the former Celtic striker pointed out.
“But that doesn’t hide the overall problem right now. Celtic just have not kicked on. Losing Jota was a blow, but he left in the first week in July. It’s now nearly September. You can’t do much about Aaron Mooy retiring but he announced his decision a long time ago. Rodgers brought in Maik Nawrocki and then Gustaf Lagerbielke, but those two are both prospects.
“Carl Starfelt was an experienced campaigner. I still can’t get my head around the decision to sell Starfelt before the end of the window. Carter-Vickers was coming back after a long injury and could have been eased in.
“If everything was rosy on 31 August they could have then let him go. I’m not having the girlfriend excuse. He is a professional footballer who was under contract. He should only go on the club’s terms. The Nawrocki signing probably changed the thinking and I know Celtic’s model.
“But you can’t be talking about improvement in the Champions League and then replacing internationals with rookies. The likes of Yang and Odin Holm could become top players down the line but they are not there yet. Lagerbielke could go on to be a star but he’s only played a couple of dozen games in the Swedish top flight. And now he’s the guy who will be anchoring the defence at Ibrox next week,” Sutton stated.
Of course Lagerbielke was probably never in Rodgers thoughts for Ibrox next week, nor indeed would Liam Scales, but injuries have put both into prime positions and both could play today against the Perth Saints, giving the Celtic manager the chance to assess the pairing ahead of the Glasgow Derby. You would image that there will be an experienced centre-half signed this week, probably on loan.
“When you look at the physical threat (the)Rangers possess, it doesn’t exactly augur well,” Sutton continued. “I have no doubt Celtic will do business this week. Probably a lot. Luis Palma looks on the way and you’d have to think he is the Jota replacement. That’s a lot on his shoulders but there will need to be others. A centre half is an absolute must and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a loan deal.
“But are these guys coming in going to be thrown straight in at the deep end at Ibrox? Good luck with that. I’ve seen big name internationals on both sides go weak at the knees in this fixture.
“These new signings are coming into a team that’s not yet performing. The Champions League is just a matter of weeks ago and I fear for Celtic right now. In fact I fear for Celtic and (the)Rangers – if they can somehow make it past PSV this week. Right now I can’t see the pair of them picking up a point. I shudder to think what the likes of Man City would do to them.
“(the)Rangers have not been any great shakes so far but you’d think they will get better as their new recruits settle. Celtic don’t have the luxury of time. They need new faces now and they need to make an immediate impact. And if Rodgers’ squad is still weaker than last term come the end of the window, then Celtic fans will have every right to ask the same question again – how the heck did we get here?”
1st off, I was never in the hate Rogers camp for how he left. But if we’re being honest, his signings were generally poor and non his last 12 months his football was predictable and boring. In my opinion only, I would say he’s just picking up where he left off. It’s also absolutely sickening that he’s not getting to pick his own players and only getting to train & nurture what he’s given. But he signed the contract knowing all this, so he is accountable.
Furthermore, it’s by no coincidence that we’re now once more buying bargain basement and leaving it till the last minute to sign players since Peter Lawwell came back. Again, I was never in the hate Peter camp after the 10iar fiasco. I was more in the mind of appreciative of what he had done in his 16 year or so reign. When Postecoglou & Nicholson we’re in control of identifying & buying players, it was done within days (sometimes hours) of the transfer window opening, thus allowing players to settle in long before the league started.
So if we’re looking to see who’s culpable for the horrendous situation we find ourselves in now, then I lay the blame very much at the doors of Rogers & Lawwell.
PS,
The Celtic Star is by far & away the best Celtic forum/blog going. Informative, wide range of stories, excellent writing, and stuck to their principles unlike many others who have sold their soul and relinquished their morals. Keep up the great work👏👏
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Thank you, greatly appreciated