Brendan Rodgers hasn’t been shy to say what he thinks about Celtic’s summer transfer business.
It’s pretty clear to everybody that there are issues, with Celtic fans unhappy at the players coming in, and Rodgers seemingly wanting more proven stars to go to the next level.
Kris Boyd has defended the Celtic manager and explained how he can ‘understand’ where the Irishman is coming from.
But Boyd did speak about three players who Rodgers has brought in – Adam Idah, Arne Engels, and Auston Trusty – who are proving to be a huge talking point, especially after Celtic’s win over St Mirren.
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Brendan Rodgers ‘doesn’t really trust’ Adam Idah going forward at Celtic
The positive for Idah is that he started against St Mirren, so at least there is some belief there from his manager. The downside is that there isn’t much competition or options, and he didn’t score.
But Boyd told Sky Sports that, in terms of the long-term picture, he feels that Rodgers ‘doesn’t trust’ Idah as his starting striker.
“I can totally understand it,” responded Boyd. “The board will have their reason for it. Brendan Rodgers will have his reason. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
“Adam Idah will start up front because there is nobody else. But I don’t think Brendan Rodgers has shied away from the fact that he wants a striker in, which suggests to me that he doesn’t trust Adam Idah to be the man to lead his team going forward.
“I can understand where Brendan Rodgers is coming from. He is frustrated. Everything Brendan Rodgers has said is calculated, and he knows exactly what’s going on. He knows a lot of the fans are having a go at the board.”
Celtic ‘can’t get a better manager than Brendan Rodgers’
All this transfer noise is in the backdrop of Rodgers heading into the final 12 months of his contract, and the signs suggest that he won’t sign a new deal.
Of course, if the Celtic board bring in the required players before the September 1 deadline, then everything will change pretty quickly.
But if Rodgers does leave Celtic in June 2026, Boyd feels that the club won’t be able to bring in a coach of a higher calibre.
“Celtic can’t get a better manager than Brendan Rodgers,” added Boyd. “There was a period where they had to go and get somebody to come in and take the club forward again.
“Brendan Rodgers has done that. There is no getting away from it, Rodgers is an elite manager, and he has shown that time and time again. The trophies he has delivered.
“But when it comes to signing players, and he will argue, Nicolas Kuhn, they brought him in and moved him on for big money. But I can understand where the Celtic board are coming from as well.
“It’s all good having £60, 70 and 80 million, and fans are demanding you spend. Celtic have had the Champions League money. Celtic have to go and sell a player, like they have done in previous seasons, to cover that money. If they don’t qualify this year, you might find that they let another one go.
“The money they spent on the three players last year, they aren’t guaranteed to play. That’s where the market is right now.”
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