Chris Sutton’s depressing summary of Celtic’s season is accurate enough in that few Celtic supporters will find fault in what he says but will have plenty of objections about what the former striker didn’t say as he tried to pick the bones over a dreadfully inconsistent domestic campaign where if anything the results have on the whole been better than the performances merit.
When Kilmarnock decided to press Celtic high up the park at the weekend with that delightful header from Kyogo separating the sides, this should have suited Celtic, who have been complaining about playing against teams with a low block and a parked bus. Yet they were found out and found out badly when the opportunity to punish a team like Kilmarnock for taking such risks presented itself.
While there’s nothing many Celtic supporters will disagree with in what Sutton had to say yesterday lunchtime on Sky Sports, as Celtic grip on the title weakened as theRangers moved two points clear with a predictable win against St Johnstone in Perth, it’s what Sutton didn’t say that they’ll have a problem with.
The Celtic Board lost Ange Postecoglou last June. Aaron Mooy decided to retire due to a back injury, Carl Starlet was allowed to leave, Jota sold to Saudi Arabia of £25m, we had already lost Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis in the January 2023 window and there has been no replacement anywhere near the level of the personnel leaving the building.
Having had spectacular success with the bargain buys Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley, the Celtic powerbrokers reckoned that this was the way to go and devised a formula and set Peter Lawwell and Gordon Strachan’s (other) son (the one who previous managed a golf shop) to work to uncover from around the world players in their early 20s, paying no more than £3m in fees and with a wages cap in their remit. And we got a pile of dross.
The of the two central defenders signed we had one sitting behind Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson at the weekend (see photo above) and the other sitting on the bench, and instead we had Liam Scales and Stephen Welsh at the centre of our defence.
Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers have been huge losses this campaign thorough injury while Liel Abada is not part of the way forward, and it’s reasonable for those in charge at Celtic to pin that one on the support the resistance banner from the North Curve in early October.
Brendan Rodgers replaced Ange Postecoglou after Celtic officials and Callum McGregor met him in Majorca but he came back to a club in transition and without any control over the transfer business, admitting he’d coach what he’s given, and no doubt he’s heard of how clever Celtic now were in the transfer market.
The style of football is nothing like it was under Postecoglou, the squad is nowhere near as good and why Sutton points the finger of blame at Brendan Rodgers, it’s not his who controlled the transfer business or is sitting with more than £7m in the bank. In the January window we got a striker struggling for a game at Norwich and a player that leads to the conclusion we’ve been shafted by Rapid Vienna yet again. Sometimes it helps to have longer memories in football. Kuhn leaves mny pining for Mickey Johnson!
Kyogo’s not scoring as many goals this season, yet last season his assists came mostly from Jota and Hatate, this time around our (millions of) wingers are creating nothing, each and every one is dreadful. After the game at the weekend I said Rodgers should now go 4-4-2 and just not start a single winger. Unless something changes quickly then this league is gone.
Mark Lawwell was apparently spotted at the game at the weekend and received an earful. He played a part in recruiting Ange Postecoglou – credit where it is due – but is he the best qualified person to build a squad capable of beating St Johnstone, Motherwell and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park? That’s a fairly low bar yet right there we’ve spilled six points.
If arguing the case for the defence then be ready for the knock-out blow: Mark Lawwell is assisted by the other Strachan boy who would be more suited to shifts in the Celtic superstore. Put it this way if his dad wasn’t WGS he’d be nowhere near the job that he’s currently in and Celtic go on about best practice. It’s remarkable that these two are trusted yet the manager we are supposedly paying £3m per year is not.
“The result yesterday, I don’t think it came as a great shock. Celtic have been bang average this season. The wins have papered over the cracks – performances haven’t been there – they’re not a good team this season.
“Everybody talks about the board, signings and this being a long time in the making this particular moment. Brendan Rodgers has to take responsibility. I can’t think of one player at Celtic who he has improved – that’s on the manager,” Chris Sutton said on Sky Sports.
“You look at the points they’ve dropped domestically in isolation, they’ve been poor. They’ve been outplayed, I cant remember the last time a Celtic team were outplayed in halves of football by so many teams. That’s on Brendan. Why is it? We’ve touched on the wide players before. They were playing fast and furious under Ange Postecoglou – the brand of football is slow, predictable.
“There isn’t a fear factor when teams go up against Celtic – teams fancy getting a result. The result as bad as it was wasn’t a great surprise.”
Sutton added: This is on Brendan. Celtic should be putting teams away domestically. Since Brendan’s come back all we’ve heard is the need for speed, passing, play. Celtic are predictable.
“You look at Celtic’s backline – I fancy playing against them at my age!”
🗣️ “I can’t think of one player he has improved… Their brand of football is slow, it’s predictable.”
Chris Sutton has his say on Brendan Rodgers and Celtic’s current form 👇 pic.twitter.com/oXCxyxhcJ0
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 18, 2024
The board signings would have nil effect if Rodgers knew how to get the best out of players.
Celtic could sign exceptional players.
Once Rodgers gets them playing his style, those exceptional players would become mediocre.
Rodgers ruined Leicester, he doing same at Celtic.
Evidence is in the results.
Absolute bollcks mate , i wonder how the board get away with it time after time and then i read posts like yours , you will get your wish Rodgers will get the sack and we will be no better off with his replacement , its the organ grinder needs shot mate not the dancing monkey . Hail hail .
Well said RPM. While i dont give Rodgers a pass on this, the main reason we are in this position now is down to the board, and PL in particular.
The other Brendan Rodgers that managed Celtic to 7 trophies, Leicester to an English cup and Super cup should have been signed.lol.
This one inherited a squad falling apart with injuries to key men and suffering the departure of Jota who has not been replaced.
Sutton of all people should know about the vagaries of football teams.
Chelsea couldn’t wait to shift him and holla he came good again at Celtic.
Let’s reserve the vitriol until May.
Hail Hail.