BBC Sportsound pundit Pat Nevin has identified what he believes is a “coded message” from Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers to the club’s board concerning recruitment.
Rodgers recently discussed the club’s transfer policies, indicating that the scouting staff, including Mark Lawwell, bring him players to improve rather than consult him from the start of the recruitment process.
It’s the same with contract talks it seems, with Brendan Rodgers admitting talks had begun before he stepped into the role.
However, Brendan Rodgers is the first person to praise Celtic’s recruitment, meaning many haven’t looked too much into his quotes about being there to improve who’s in front of him.
But, Nevin argues that Rodgers is subtly but firmly making his stance clear: he wants to be the main point of contact for recruiting players. “When you’re a manager and talking about what they say in press conferences, they’re usually not talking the absolute truth all the time, they’re sending a message to somebody,” Nevin pointed out on BBC Sportsound.
The message, Nevin suggests, is that Rodgers is looking to have more influence over who comes through the door at Celtic Park. “The message I’m hearing from Brendan is, ‘I want more players. And I want to choose those players between now and the 31st’,” Nevin explained.
Rodgers’ coded communication comes at a time when the team is facing mounting pressure due to lacklustre performances and an injury-plagued squad. Nevin believes Celtic fans should take Rodgers’ implied demands as a positive sign. “He’s saying, ‘This isn’t right, this isn’t ready, we’ve got a load of injuries but we need much more’,” he stated, adding a reminder about the importance of performing well in European competitions for the club.
With the transfer window closing soon, it remains to be seen if Rodgers will get the autonomy he appears to be subtly advocating for, a move that could be pivotal in shaping Celtic’s season and perhaps even Rodgers’ long-term future at the club.
Same old story of Brendans previous tenure.
Don’t be surprised of same outcome with Ajeti, Soro type players.
Good signings have been lost, once again its penny pinching time only to give Lawell his profit bonus.
Lawell has to leave the club, letting him back into a position of power is another DD mistake, so both have to pay the penalty if the season is lost.