“If Celtic aren’t going to show the ambition to match the manager before this window closes, I’d say you needn’t bother talking about extending contracts because it’ll be done. All over. Terminado,” Chris Sutton stated in his column in today’s Daily Record.
Celtic player Kieran Tierney is embraced by manager Brendan Rodgers before coming on as a substitute during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
“All I can do is try and put myself into Rodgers’ shoes. If it was me, I know I’d be absolutely sickened at how this is all going.
“Seriously, he returned to the club with the aim and the challenge of maintaining domestic dominance and restoring the club’s pride and standing in the Champions League. I don’t think you can argue that he has achieved both. Four out of six trophies is fair enough and the progress through the league phase of Europe’s elite competition earns pass marks,” Sutton said.
The squad quality has regressed
The former Celtic striker continued: “Rodgers said before last term ended that he wanted to take it further. He’s said recently he’s not even here to maintain things. Yet, right now, it’s not even that because the squad quality has regressed. There are just over three weeks until the close of this transfer window. But, perhaps even more crucially, I believe there are only five more days before the first deadline is reached for the play-off stage of the Champions League.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the fans at full time Sporting Lisbon v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, Estadio Algarve, Portugal – 16 Jul 2025 Estadio Algarve Portugal Photo Carlos Rodrigues Shutterstock
“It seems you can add a couple prior to the tie after the August 14 cut-off, but it’s bad enough bringing a player into the squad the week before the two-legged affair, never mind one or two days. As it stands, Rodgers is going into these do-or-die matches with a squad that is weaker than the one that finished last season. That’s an outrageous state of affairs,” Chris Sutton stated and he is 100% correct.
“Kyogo still has not been replaced six months after he’s gone. Currently, it’s the same with Kuhn”
“You can’t get all the players just exactly when you want them. We all know that. But I come back to Nicolas Kuhn. I don’t care what his attitude was like, if he was causing a stir and wanted to leave. Celtic simply could not afford to let him go unless a replacement was lined up. I said it on the day when the manager confirmed that the German was heading for Serie A.
“Folk were throwing out flowers at the fact Celtic had got £17million, but I said that it didn’t matter about the fee if Kuhn wasn’t suitably replaced and the club went out of the Champions League. Kyogo still has not been replaced six months after he’s gone. Currently, it’s the same with Kuhn.”
Mg Como 23/07/2025 – amichevole / Como-Al Ahli / foto Matteo Gribaudi/Image nella foto: Nicolas Kuhn. IMAGO / Gribaudi/ImagePhoto
Sutton added: “I’m literally dumbfounded by it all, but, to be honest, there’s quite a few fans who are not so shocked because they have seen all of this before.
“Hands up, if I was Rodgers, I’d be thinking: Why would I sign a new contract and hang around at Celtic if this is what’s going to happen every summer?
“Now, like I said, Celtic might pull a few rabbits from hats over the next few days or the imminent three-week period to bolster the squad and add the quality and depth that it clearly needs.
“But it’s going to have to be something highly impressive now and, no matter what gets said publicly, you have to wonder what the manager is thinking deep inside. The bit that, as he says, only he really knows.
“I know if it was me, and these issues were not addressed by the deadlines, I’d be just about done with it.”
Comments welcome below…
Conor Spence attended the Celtic fan media conference at Celtic Park on Thursday to represent The Celtic Star and to speak to Celtic legend James Forrest. Here’s the video…
CELTIC IN THE EIGHTIES BY DAVID POTTER, FOREWORD BY DANNY McGRAIN is published by Celtic Star Books on the fifth day of September. You can pre-order now to guarantee your copy which will be signed by Danny McGrain, with just a limited number of signed copies still available, although they are selling very quickly.
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- Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, personally signed by Danny McGrain
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- Alec McNair – Celtic’s Icicle by David Potter
And there’s another great benefit for readers who pre-order their copy of Celtic in the Eighties. You will also receive a copy of an earlier David Potter book – Celtic’ Icicle – Alec McNair – which you’ll receive for FREE when you pre-order with Celtic in the Eighties. So you get two great Celtic books by David Potter and better still the postage is only charged on one. Click on the image below to order. (Just order Celtic in the Eighties and we’ll automatically add a copy of the Alec McNair book).
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.
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