Celtic’s recruitment comes to the fore once again as Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon and Kris Boyd argue about the quality of the Parkhead players.
Speaking before Celtic’s defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, a heated discussion broke out between Sutton and his old teammate Lennon with Kris Boyd chiming in as well.
As Sutton made the point, correctly, that Celtic’s recruitment has let Brendan Rodgers down this season, that was disputed by Lennon who believed that the club did their best to get the players in that Brendan Rodgers wanted.
And as the discussion got more heated, Sutton told Lennon and Boyd a few home truths that the Sky Sports pair are seriously missing about how Celtic went about their summer transfer business.
Sutton tells Lennon & Boyd they’re the only two people in Scotland who say Celtic’s transfer business was good
Sutton seemed to be ganged up on by Lennon and Boyd as they dissected Rodgers’ car analogy last week when the conversation turned to Celtic’s transfer business.
When asked by Boyd why he thought Rodgers’ Honda Civic comments were correct, Sutton said on Sky Sports, “Why do I think Brendan Rodgers is right? Well, it’s not just me who thinks that, Kris, it’s the whole fan base.
“I mean, it’s everybody in Scotland bar you who doesn’t actually see that it’s the issue [recruitment]. It was the issue at the start of the season.
“Brendan Rodgers talked about his dissatisfaction with the quality of player, which, they lost key players. Didn’t get key players in. And that’s where all the infighting is.”
Boyd: “In the Bayern Munich game, you were all raving about it, there was two players different.”
Sutton: “They were quite good players.”
Boyd: “It doesn’t matter.
Lennon: “Sometimes you can’t keep going on an upward trajectory, even though you want to. I’ve experienced it myself.
“I don’t know what went on in the summer window, but they have spent a bit of money. I know Tounekti’s club wouldn’t let him go initially, and I know that Celtic made a bid and they turned it down and he eventually came, that’s where I have sympathy with the board on that.
“But there’s this sort of talk that you haven’t done their best, or didn’t try the best, I’m sure, behind the scenes, and we’ve been trying everything they could to get the quality.”
Boyd: “When do we start to look at Brendan Rodgers and the way he plays? Because it is back to what it was when he left the last time. And it’s becoming stale, it’s now coming up to that three year period, usually when it drops off for Brendan Rodgers, when do we start looking at the way that he wants to play.”
Sutton: “It’s all about the quality of player, which which comes in. And some players, quite frankly, just aren’t…”
Lennon: “You said recruitment last week was rubbish.”
Sutton: “The recruitment isn’t good. The recruitment has been poor.”
Lennon: “Tounekti looks like a good player to me. Nygren is the leading goalscorer. Balikwisha, we don’t know what he can do yet. So you need to let them settle before you make you know, statements coming out like that, Chris.”
Sutton: “Did you not did you not watch the Champions League qualifiers? Have you not watched Celtic in Europe? Have you not seen Celtic on a regular basis this season? If you think that is based on a successful transfer window, Neil, quite frankly, you’re miles off.”
Lennon: “Well you just said the two players are missing from the Bayern Munich team. They should have had more than enough to beat Kairat Almaty over two games.”
Boyd: “Do you believe Celtic should have beaten Kairat Almaty?”
Lennon: “Just answer the question.” [to Sutton]
Sutton: “I think you give yourself the best possible chance. And it’s only Kris, it’s only you and Neil in the country who thinks Celtic have a successful transfer window.”
You can watch the whole sorry argument below:
Celtic’s January transfer conundrum
The January transfer window now becomes so important for Celtic as they now sit eight points behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table.
With Celtic still to offer Brendan Rodgers a new contract, it looks like the Hoops boss is leaving the club at the end of the season.
So that leaves the club with a big problem. Do they back Rodgers knowing that he could be potentially away at the end of the season, or do they tell the Celtic manager to work with what he has and keep the funds for whoever comes in at the end of this season.
The Celtic board are now under more scrutiny than they have ever witnessed since the turn of the century, do the fans have confidence in them showing true leadership at this time? Absolutely not.
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