Celtic FC
“It’s imperative”: Neil Lennon lists the two players Brendan Rodgers must bring in for Celtic in January
Neil Lennon has shared the place he believes Celtic ought to toughen after looking at his old group go through a defeat to Hearts ultimate weekend.
Brendan Rodgers has had to deal with the backlash of back-to-back defeats to the Edinburgh side and Kilmarnock but Lennon believes if he strengthens two key areas in the team, it would go a long way to assisting improve fortunes on the pitch.
Lennon said [PLZ Soccer], “I don’t assume he’s [Callum McGregor] a exquisite variety six. I think he’s a long way higher playing that kind of 6/8 position and getting in and scoring goals.
“So for me, a bodily presence in the midfield is a must.
“And obviously, if people don’t suppose or if Brendan doesn’t think Oh the man to supplement Kyogo then every other range nine, some other purpose scorer.”
I would advocate Lennon provides any other two to that list in a goalkeeper and left-back however let’s take his remarks at face price for the moment.
A striker is obvious. With Kyogo, Maeda and Oh almost in reality assured to be going to the Asia Cup, Rodgers will be short in the attacking areas.
However, I would say that he gets a striker that fits into his device because there is no factor going for a Kyogo-type frontman if Rodgers continues to play how he has been at Celtic.
A maintaining midfielder is a necessity. I agree with Lennon, Callum McGregor just isn’t that form of player. The Celtic captain is a master at dictating play and being penetrative but as a midfield enforcer, forget about it.
So let’s hope Rodgers has these gamers on his list. Let’s hope negotiations are already underway for them. Let’s hope the Celtic board components with the cash. It is Christmas after all.
Malcontents who become enraged at the suggestion of entitlement pose a threat to Peter Lawwell at his risky Celtic moments – Keith Jackson
Celtic are so used to ruling the roost that the prospect of losing their grip on the title has despatched punters into a rage.
Perhaps now would be a good time for a bit of perspective where Celtic and their simmering aid is concerned.
A lamentable weekend grew to be a little bit more unbearable on Sunday when their nearest and dearest picked up the first silverware of the home season at Hampden and the sight of these celebrations will have executed nothing to lighten the present day temper in the east stop of the city. It’s not pretty full-blown panic stations in the car park yet. But it’s now not all that far off either.
The spontaneous eruption of anger and toxicity after Hearts took an unassailable two-goal lead at Parkhead on Saturday was in reality pretty staggering, given that Celtic continue to be perched at the pinnacle of the league desk regardless.
The gap may be closing greater hastily than these followers are organized to tolerate however even so, the ranges of vitriol will have despatched a shiver down the backbone of chairman Peter Lawwell who has been in this film before. And who had to go away out the back door with a blanket over his head as the quest for 10 successive titles collapsed amongst livid rancour.
‘When the herd moves’ is how any one once put it, after having to give up a No.10 of his own. But now not even BoJo was once hounded out with the sort of hostility that confronted Lawwell before he stepped down as chief government in 2021. So these feel like familiar and risky moments for the man who lower back to the helm less than a 12 months ago.
A section of the club’s supporters didn’t choose him again and that militant cohort felt a great deal the equal way about Brendan Rodgers when he was added back as Ange Postecoglou’s successor in the summer.
Michael Beale objectives Rangers workload dig as Sunderland manager pleased not be in charge of ‘the whole club’
These malcontents bristle at the very point out of the word ‘entitlement’ but it’s challenging to see them in any other light, at least now not when the track file of each of these men is taken into account. Rodgers delivered seven successive trophies at some point of his unblemished first stint in charge. If there used to be a man higher certified to take over when Postecoglou upped sticks he’s but to exhibit his face.
And Lawwell’s 17 years in the CEO’s office coincided with a period of such undiluted domestic dominance that Rangers have been effectively reduced to a carrying irrelevance in their very own backyard. Perhaps that’s why the viable re-emergence of the Ibrox club as professional contenders beneath Philippe Clement has provoked such a stinging, bulging-eyed response.
Celtic have grow to be so used to ruling the roost that the very thinking of a serious undertaking from throughout the city is deemed as being completely unacceptable That’s now not to say these followers ought to be delighted to have some stiffer opposition to mission their feel of superiority.
Football supporters do no longer work that way and most actually no longer in this part of the world. But in spite of the frenzied nature of the environment, some calm heads and clear thinking will be required now that Rodgers and Lawwell locate themselves dragged into the heart of the battle.
Rodgers took a lower back seat in the summer at a time when Lawwell’s son Mark was heading up a £20million recruitment drive. The new supervisor may also technically have rubber-stamped many or even all of these signings however these ‘projects’ had been now not his idea.
Instead there used to be a duration of overlap between Postecoglou’s unexpected departure and Rodgers’ return. Celtic had to get on with business for the duration of those weeks and it feels secure to assume the former boss had a hand in inserting those plans in place.
Postecoglou’s working relationship with Lawwell Jnr, after all, had been long established. At Celtic’s current agm cutting-edge chief govt Michael Nicholson published the Aussie for my part handpicked the younger Lawwell for the position, an endorsement made on the back of their time together at the City Group.
It was once this relationship that first introduced Postecoglou to the interest of Lawwell Snr when Eddie Howe used to be buzzing and hawing over the prospect of diving into Glasgow’s goldfish bowl. So suggestions of nepotism don’t hold an awful lot water even if there are some Celtic fans who have decided otherwise. But that doesn’t imply the hierarchy can be let off the hook for a catalogue of costly misadventures in the switch market.
On the contrary, Celtic have to take possession of this mess and acknowledge that Rodgers requires some massive hitting, tried and examined reinforcements in time for the second 1/2 of the campaign. And that’s regardless of what happens on the pitch when Rangers and Clement come calling at the end of this month, searching to go pinnacle of the table for Christmas.
Rodgers has over and over expressed his wish to add more ‘quality’ to a squad bloated with mediocrity. Given that there is greater than £70m presently gathering dust in the financial institution account, Celtic can’t reasonably refuse to let the man in cost take a few quid to the on line casino in the New Year.
Rather than spread the chips thinly around the roulette table, in the hope of getting lucky with one or two of them, Rodgers will be looking for some protected bets. And they don’t come cheaply. In his eyes, it would have made greater sense to fork out £20m on three or 4 ‘quality’ additions over the summer season than to blow the lot on a raft of lengthy shots.
That’s why what comes next, when the switch market opens up will be so fully fascinating. First and primary the manager and his board need to ensure they are singing from the same hymn sheet the place the next batch of switch targets are concerned.
If they can do that it will go some way to getting the followers again on board too, at a time when unity is required in the face of a real title fight. Should they fail to do all of the above recent history suggests the consequences are unlikely to be pretty.
“We shall see,” Brendan Rodgers responds to the reports A £3 million Celtics player might depart in January
Brendan Rodgers has addressed the latest hypothesis that Gustaf Lagerbielke should depart Celtic in January.
The £3m summer time signing from Elfsborg had dropped off the face of the earth after being thrown in at the start of the season due to a protective damage crisis at the club.
Lagerbielke himself has advised how he doesn’t be aware of why Brendan Rodgers isn’t enjoying him and after reviews this morning cautioned that the membership are open to provides for him, the Celtic manager answered to these prior to the go to of Hearts.
Rodgers said [BBC Sportsound], “Well, we shall see. Gus got here in and scored the triumphing intention throughout the week, so yeah I suppose what will take area in January will sort itself out.
“I assume in the meantime the gamers are working very hard. I suppose you see with the introduction of Stephen Welsh and Gustaf that they come in and help the team and they can’t do that if the spirit and their center of attention isn’t right.
“That is a very alluring component of the recreation the other night, even guys like Mikey Johnston. A lot of they guys haven’t featured early on but to win a Champions League game with all these elements I tip my hat to the players.”
It sincerely is a bizarre scenario the Celtic defender finds himself in. After having a exquisite season with Elfsborg, Laberbielke was named the pleasant defender in Sweden at an awards ceremony in November.
But now he looks set to go away the club after much less than six months and you have to say it is notably not likely Celtic will recoup something near what they paid for the 23-year-old.
It looks that the Swedish worldwide defender’s time is up at Celtic and in a way, I can’t assist but experience sorry for Lagerbielke. He has been put into this situation thru no fault of his very own and after a brief spell in Glasgow now finds himself surplus to requirements.
A couple will go: Kennedy exposes the sources of his anticipated Celtic departures
At least one central defender will be shifting out of Celtic in January as nicely as Nat Phillips who is on loan from Liverpool.
The dimension of the squad has become apparent over latest weeks with summer season signings struggling for sport time and frequently to make the replacement bench on matchdays.
Liam Scales has been a constant presence in defence considering the fact that August, mostly alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers however in midweek in opposition to Feyenoord he was once partnered by means of Stephen Welsh for seventy five minutes before Gus Lagerbielke’s dramatic appearance.
At £4.3n from Lech Poznan Maik Nawrocki used to be the most high priced summer season signing but talking at today’s media conference John Kennedy admitted that it used to be one location of the squad where he expected to see departures.
About the centre-back scenario with Carter-Vickers coming back into full fitness now, you have as many as six or seven centre-backs. How do you view that, and do you suppose there will be a major pairing that will emerge? Scales has played in reality nicely so some distance this season. Cameron’s been right here for two years and has been brilliant. What do you see?
It’s a function the place we have a lot of players. In January there’s going to have to be a couple that will go and get game-time some other place and trim the squad down a little bit. If anything, we’re carrying a lot of numbers, so there will be a lot on the periphery who we just want to go and get game-time or possibly cross on. Everyone will have their own agenda on that.
Yuki Kobayashi looks sure to return to the J-League in January but it looks like two from Welsh, Nawrocki and Lagerbielke will continue to be as opposition and returned up for Scales and Carter-Vickers.
Tomorrow’s team-sheet should give an indication of who will be last next month with Welsh and Lagerbielke having made sturdy instances to continue to be concerned following their name ups towards Feyenoord.
“Scandalous”… Feyenoord midfielder was rather irritated following the match against Celtic
Celtic’s win over Feyenoord left the players, the fans and the manager feeling extremely joyful at subsequently recording a win in the Champions League.
Not considering the fact that beating Anderlecht in 2017 has Brendan Rodgers tasted victory in Europe’s pinnacle competition. So when the last whistle went last night, the Hoops gaffer would have been elated at his team’s ability to make a late sprint for a winner.
However, one participant who wasn’t impressed used to be Feyenoord midfielder, Mats Wieffer. Just like Arne Slot, he used to be definitely raging at his crew and said it used to be ‘scandalous’ that they allowed Celtic to nick all three points at the end.
Wieffer said [Glasgow Times], “Everyone is very frustrated. Celtic have been better in the first 20 minutes and then we had it pretty an awful lot below control. We created a lot of chances, in particular in the 2nd half.
“I don’t understand how many desires we have conceded like the one Celtic scored late on in the Champions League, however that’s now not possible. It’s surely scandalous.
“These are the moments you educate to forestall when every body has a man. This need to now not happen.
“It’s all very well pronouncing we played first-rate football and have won, however if that takes place time and time again, you will by no means win anything.
“We can solely blame ourselves.”
I have the world’s smallest violin playing here simply for Wiefferr! But in all seriousness, Celtic were due a bit of luck in the competition.
Against all three teams, Rodgers’ crew suffered both from a late aim conceded or a dodgy refereeing decision so it’s true to see Celtic getting a bit of a rub of the green.
Unfortunately, it was once too little, too late for Celtic but at least now the pressure is off to get that win and optimistically Rodgers can construct on this for Europe next season.
Chris Sutton responds to Celtic’s Champions League victory, saying, “The rot has stopped.”
Chris Sutton stored tabs on Celtic’s Champions League conflict against Feyenoord from the London International Horse Show tonight.
The former striker has watched his old membership suffer a decade of distress in UEFA’s elite competition as they took some heavy beatings while coming close to breaking the long going for walks mission for their first home win considering the fact that October 2013 towards Feyenoord.
There used to be nothing at stake tonight besides for a 2-8m euro payout with Celtic anchored in backside spot with Feyenoord looking ahead to Europa League football in the new year.
Well at least the home record rot has stopped even if it was a dead rubber. Worst ever as a player going into a game with just pride to play for and to the player’s credit they did that🍀
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) December 13, 2023
Luis Palma opened the scoring with a 33rd minute penalty however the Dutch champions regarded to have secured a factor in the 82nd minute when Yankuba Minteh shot home unmarked from 12 yards out.
That looked like any other difficult success story for the hoops however right on the 90th minute Gus Lagerbielke headed home from shut range after being picked out through a extraordinary go from Matt O’Riley.
After eight minutes of stoppage time Celtic, and Sutton with the horses, had been able to celebrate.
Kyogo’s goal drought is not his fault, Brendan Rodgers tells Celtics critics, explaining in detail why the star isn’t scoring
Kyogo hasn’t hit the goal for the Hoops considering the fact that a 6-0 win over Aberdeen in November.
Brendan Rodgers has revealed Kyogo Furuhashi will lead Celtic’s assault towards Feyenoord – and insisted he’s not to blame for the striker’s current intention drought.
Rodgers left the Japanese talisman on the bench for Sunday’s shock defeat at Kilmarnock after losing him out of the group for remaining week’s home win over Hibs. But the Parkhead boss tested on Tuesday night Kyogo will be pitched again in from the begin for his side’s final Champions League game of a catastrophic marketing campaign against the Dutch large guns in Glasgow’s east end.
And he rubbished any suggestion that his own tactical approach has been immediately to blame for a miserable run which has considered Kyogo net only as soon as in Celtic’s last 10 games. Asked if Kyogo will change Oh Hyeon-gyu in his assault Rodgers replied: “He will play. We have to be truthful to Kyogo and some of the other boys as well. They can’t play in every single game. You lose that speed and intensity.
“Oh’s executed well when he’s come into the game. A bit like Mikey, he gets his start and then obviously the team performs nicely in opposition to Hibs so you let that beginning crew begin apart from Cameron Carter-Vickers with a view to making changes.
‘But you need a properly squad and you need to give some relief to players, mainly with him and the quantity of work he receives through.”
Rodgers has been blamed for this drop off for deploying Kyogo in a deeper function than the one which was once earmarked for him through former boss Ange Postecoglou. But the supervisor hit lower back by insisting Kyogo has gone against his personal instructions.
He said: “We went via his video stuff the other week. We appeared chiefly at the fact I don’t need him shedding in so much. When you’re playing in a lot of video games where groups are sat deep, you don’t get a kick of the ball actually until it comes into the box.
“So what do you do? You begin wandering. His energy is his penetration. That’s his strength, running in in the back of and timing his runs. You have to make 10 runs maybe to solely get in once however that’s your job as a striker.
“So there’s been nothing changed in that. There’s been without a doubt nothing different asked of him due to the fact his power is enjoying off the ultimate line, timing his actions and being instinctive in the box.
“He’s now not a dribbler, he’s now not any one who does drop in. He can do it however it’s not his strength. And that’s continually the assignment for a striker who wants to affect games. But he’s very receptive. He’s not a baby, remember, he’s 28 years of age.”
Rodgers additionally printed that neither Cameron Carter-Vickers nor Daizen Maeda will make the squad for tonight’s tie, notwithstanding rejoining the squad in training the previous day after harm layoffs. He said: “They won’t be concerned tomorrow. Cameron trained this morning, however it is probable too an awful lot of a risk. He will be reachable for the weekend.”
That capacity Nat Phillips is likely to begin towards the Eredivisie champs regardless of a shaky performance capped off by an personal purpose in the Rugby Park defeat. But Rodgers insist the blame for that loss stops at the manager’s door.
He said: “Listen, I think it is a collective. It can by no means be pointed at one player. I thought in the first half we performed very well. We played with exact velocity and should have scored extra than one goal.
“But from the very outset of the 2d half of we didn’t play. If there is all of us to blame for the result, blame me. It is down to the manager to pick out the team. No, it was a disappointing result.”
Another team has now formally offered to sign a “outstanding” Celtic player in the bidding battle – report
One Celtic player is starting to come to be a target remote places beforehand of the New Year, with any other club making an offer for his services.
Celtic switch update
The Hoops have been busy over the summer following Brendan Rodgers’ return to Parkhead, with a range of additions being made in multiple areas of the pitch.
Alongside all the arrivals, there were also some departees, and the club without a doubt made a profit in the summer, mainly due to Jota’s big-money exit to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad. As nicely as Jota, Celtic additionally obtained prices for Carl Starfelt, Albian Ajeti and Conor Hazard, and via the looks of things, the club ought to soon convey in cash for another player in 2024.
Celtic outcast Yosuke Ideguchi made the cross again to Japan until now this year, joining Avispa Fukuoka back in February. Since then, reports have claimed that the J1 League prefer to secure his services on a permanent deal.
However, in a new Celtic switch update from Japan, relayed via The Glasgow Times, the Hoops have already obtained an provide from Avispa Fukuoka and now fellow Japanese aspect Vissel Kobe are also stated to have made a “formal offer” for the midfielder.
Yosuke Ideguchi’s profession at Celtic
Ideguchi arrived in Glasgow returned in January 2022 and is under contract until 2026, however, things haven’t worked out for the Japan international. He has ignored a variety of video games via damage due to the fact placing pen to paper in Scotland and has made just six senior appearances in inexperienced and white. His injury problems have endured while on mortgage at Avispa Fukuoka.
Former Greuther Furth boss Damir Buric previously heaped reward on the player, though, saying:
“In regards to Yosuke, I can only speak the best. He is an exquisite individual with top notch character. First of all I was very impressed with the way he got here returned from that serious injury. What impressed me most was once the way he was working for the duration of his time out with the injury.
“It was simply unbelievable, nearly like soldier. He confirmed such a remarkable attitude and high-quality approach. He was extraordinarily disciplined, took in each and every additional coaching session of bodily rehabilitation and invested all of his time in getting returned as quickly as he perchance could.”
He appears to be a player with quality when fully fit, however, unfortunately, Celtic haven’t viewed that model of the participant enough, so a everlasting exit ought to make sense for all involved in 2024, whether that be with Avispa Fukuoka or Vissel Kobe, making this one to watch.
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