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Celtic faced frustration at home, held by Kazakhstan’s Kairat.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that the failure to bolster Celtic’s squad ahead of their Champions League play-off against Kairat was “not my decision,” adding that he has to “accept where it’s at.”
The Scottish champions, widely favored to advance, delivered a lackluster performance, resulting in a goalless draw against their Kazakh opponents.
Now, they must journey over 3,500 miles for the second leg next Tuesday, nearing the Chinese border, fully aware that a significantly improved showing is necessary to return to the forefront of continental competition this season.
Celtic has signed seven players this summer, including Benjamin Nygren, Hayato Inamura, Shin Yamada, and Callum Osmand for undisclosed fees, while Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan arrived on free transfers, and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey joined on loan.
Only Nygren and Tierney were in the starting lineup on Wednesday, while key players like Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi, who shone in the Champions League last season, have been sold without replacements, and Jota is sidelined with a long-term injury.
“We need to improve the squad,” Rodgers affirmed. “There’s been clarity around that for a long time. Supporters see that. Hopefully between now and the end of the season, the club will get that and that will support us.”
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“It’s not my decision in the end. I can prepare the players that are here. We are clear on where we need to improve, and for whatever reason we haven’t been able to.
“There’s only so many ways that I can dress up that we don’t have the players here. It was pretty clear. You don’t need to look into the future too far.
“You know these games are tough and you want to have players in as quick as you can. But it is what it is. I have to accept where it’s at.”
Rodgers has previously expressed his dissatisfaction this summer regarding the lack of signings that would reinforce his starting XI.
His patience appeared to wear thin during a post-match interview following Friday’s Premier Sports Cup victory over Falkirk, but he acknowledged that there is still time for deals to be completed before the transfer window closes late on Monday, September 1st.
It is worth noting that at a similar point last season, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, and Luke McCowan had yet to join, and Adam Idah was still in the process of being unveiled.
However, this context was overshadowed by fans chanting “sack the board” during the draw against Kairat.
“What I do know is ‘sack the board’ usually means ‘sack the manager’. It’s normally the manager that goes when that starts to be sung,” Rodgers remarked with a hint of irony.
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‘We need to improve the squad’ – Rodgers
Lorenzo: Celtic cannot progress while the same faces run the show with their regular-managed decline.
Kenny: Low-ball bids, gambling on a play off. The disgust in Brendan Rodgers is the same as every fan. Signing projects hoping one out of five sells for £20m. Shocking.
Rufus: Teflon Brendan – no matter what happens, it’s always someone else’s fault. Either the board of the players.
Graham: The usual from Rodgers…blah blah blah.
Andy: The issue with signings is not fees, it’s timing. Jota is out long term, Kuhn was sold weeks ago. So the club are presumably signing two wingers. And yet we can’t get one signed before the important games have started. It’s the same for years.
Tony: The transfer dealings aren’t good enough but maybe we also need to look at Rodgers’ failure to evolve in terms of set up. A team of players who go side to side with no one willing to try something different to create space for a forward pass.
Rory: That one is on Rodgers and the players. Should have beaten them with what we had.
Dave: Rodgers has the perfect excuse to leave after this season, lack of urgency and quality about this team. The board have rolled the dice and failed, this is on them.
Ivor: Brendan working his ticket again? Fans going to hound out Peter Lawwell again? Just lucky Rangers haven’t got their act together. Sack the board.
Michelle: Not nearly good enough. Kyogo and Kuhn are long gone and Idah is not anywhere near the standard we need.
Wullie: “Sack the board”? Absolutely hilarious. The Celtic board is to blame for the failure of a team of millionaires and its millionaire manager to beat a team from Kazakhstan?
Eric: You get what you pay for!
John: Lack of re investment of the transfer revenue clearly demonstrates the lack of ambition of the club.
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