As we continue to make sense of the Ferencvaros debacle a lot has been made of the failure to qualify for the group stages of the champions league for the last three years.

We’ve bemoaned the failure to complete deals in time to settle the squad for the coming seasons, we’ve bemoaned failure to address the apparent weaknesses in the team and identify suitable replacements in time for them to bed into the team.

We’ve been distressed at the manager’s decisions regarding team selection….at best questionable at worst catastrophic.

But are we overlooking the real problem. Our recruitment team.

Since 2016 Celtic have signed:

Eboue Kouassi
Christian Gamboa
Dorus DeVries
Nadir Ciftci
Eoghan Connell
Scott Bain
Jack Hendry
Kundai Benyu
Charly Musonda
Marvin Compper
Saidy Janko
Andrew Gutman
Jeremy Toljan
Timothy Weah
Oliver Burke
Youssuf Mulumbu
Ismaila Soro
Boli Bolingoli
Luca Connell
Lewis Morgan
Marian Shved
Vakoun Bayo
Daniel Arzani
Moritz Bauer

Stop, take a look and consider this. The total number of appearances, goals scored, assists and clean sheets converted into value for money.

When you look at the list it’s scary, I haven’t totalled up the fees involved but at a glance considering transfer fees, loan fees and wages, this amounts to a quite staggering failure in our recruitment process. This is where the support is totally exasperated. How many of these were rushed signings and a complete waste of money?
Proper diligence would have saved the club a fortune and more than likely if the money had been spent sensibly with proper scouting and forward planning there’s every reason to believe that we’d have qualified for the champions group stages.

This has to be addressed and highlighted to make as much of this as we have the other failings we’ve all spoken about, if not more when you consider the sums involved.

Is it a case make a signing to keep the support happy? if this is the case then someone needs to be held accountable, not just the failure in the recruitment department but a horrendous waste of ordinary working men and women’s hard earned cash.

Hail Hail

David Early

ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…Neil Lennon – Melancholic but measured progressed to edgy and agitated – all a little unnatural and convenient for my liking

AND READ THIS…Celtic desperately need a left footed central defender, here are one or two viable suggestions.