Not Actually that Crucial a Summer as of August 2023...beginning to now think everything isnt fine!

If he’s getting the surgery he’ll miss a chunk of the start of the season. We defo need another one 2 is never enough.

 

Quantifiable success in Europe, is securing third in the groups and getting a knock out win to start a Europa League run.
It really depends on who we get in the group, if it is a group of death again, then respectable score lines is success. If we get another manageable group like last year, then Europa should be our target.

 

Aye could argue we need another one but we do have Oh and likely Maeda as out and out strikers and no ideal but think Tilio can play as a false 9 type and Abada. I wouldn't be totally against a bringing in an option like Zan Vipotnik for a few mill though. Must be plenty players from inferior leagues who are young, decent and would jump at the chance to just be part of our squad.....even as backups initially..

 

I think he needs to be given some games, maybe easy lower league teams after the big CL games.

 

I think 'clueless' is the word you were looking for.

 

The form of Maeda as striker has made me a bit more relaxed around targeting a 4th striker in this window..

Kyogo will probably elect not to have surgery in any case.

 

This transfer window is turning out to just be the same old, same old of every transfer window... All smoke and mirrors from the board and grim desperation from the fans... Other than getting Rodgers in quickly * all progressive has happened, and all hope of a quickfire boost and momentum into CL seems to have evaporated for me... Hope I'm wrong, but I'm still just expecting the same small incremental change of yesteryears...

 

Still need first team ready players for the following positions:

GK
LB
LW
RW

Still need depth for the following positions:

CB
CM

So in essence there's still a lot of work to be done. Ideally we'd get another first team ready CM but with Kwon signing that looks unlikely now unfortunately.

 

We’re overloaded with CM’s which makes it more disappointing and frustrating that none of them match the profile we desperately need.

Wanyama type 6. Big, aggressive and covers the ground.

Kwon is a punt.

Even if we go on to sign a first team level LW, LB, GK… we will regret not signing a proper CDM with European experience.

Other priorities for me would be a versatile defender and a versatile forward. A defender who’s naturally a full back but can fill in across the back line and someone who can play across the front 3. Both should be good enough to walk into our 11/seriously compete for a spot.

 

I'm getting more concerned at the lack of transfer activity I fear the club have looked at Rodgers and thought he can win the table with that squad

 

Think we are all concerned mainly because of injuries. If CCV, Tilio and AJ were all fit then there wouldn’t be as much panic.

But there’s no doubt we are going to spend more.

However folk who think we are going to break our transfer record and spend upwards of £10m on one player are daft. That’s not happening.

Rodgers will be backed but it’ll be within the realms of the board’s business model.

A few £5m signings between now and the end of the window would be nice. LB, CDM and Winger. GK would be nice too but have a feeling we will go with Hart again.

 

I hope we’re looking at a good quality winger even if it’s not tete, someone like a borges that we could get on an edouard type loan with option to buy deal so we can try them for a season and see if they’re worth breaking our transfer fee for. We need a jota replacement but I do think we should bring in a first team starting LB and GK now after nawrocki. Sort the defence out then go for a winger then a cdm in January even if we have a solid defence we’ll be fine but to push on in Europe we also need a jota type winger on top of that

 

I think its more that all our signings apart from Navrocki are viewed as project signings so far. Maybe 1-2 will get 1st team action and come through good. Fans see weakness in players like Hart and just hope we can sign 1st team players who improve the starting eleven. There still plenty of time.

 

Nawrocki is a really good start, hopefully we announce him and the Korean lads tomorrow.

Hope this week is even more productive, we need at least one of a GK and a winger in before the end of July.

 

It's a massive issue that many supporters tend to overlook though. In recent times I can't remember a game in Europe where we've had our best XI on the pitch because of injuries.

Even last year we were without Starfelt for the entire campaign, which one could argue reduced our chances of finishing higher in the groups. Then we lost McGregor for the last 3 games and had to shoe-horn O'Riley there because our only other option was the abysmal Abildgaard.

If AJ and CCV are injured for Europe we're absolutely * because we haven't got any adequate replacements. If Taylor missed out then we're even more worse off because his backup is someone who literally couldn't defend to save his life.

We're pinning our hopes on Kwon coming in and being good enough to hold is own in the CL, something that looks very unlikely at this stage. So effectively we're going into the new campaign with the same bunch of midfielders (minus Mooy) who weren't good enough last year. Not adequately strengthening this position is a massive, massive risk. So is the GK position but that's another conversation.

Another thing that is getting overlooked is that we struggled to score in the CL last year. Yes we had our chances but many of them weren't clear cut. Therefore we're still lacking a creative and ruthless threat front of goal. Jota's gone and he was a standout in Europe and is yet to be replaced. Abada was well below the standard required last campaign. I don't particularly trust Oh or Maeda as effective options outwith Kyogo up top but they'll have to do for now.

Essentially we're just a couple of injuries away from producing a team to compete against the elite of football that is nowhere near good enough. If we don't seriously get to work then I can only see another 4th place finish in the groups.

 

They would be right in that regards but the team would not compete in Europe and thats something Rodgers should be demanding we look to improve on this summer, I expect we will start getting the ball rolling on more Rodgers signings now that we are returning from Japan.

 

Can't argue with your observations and think it only bodes well for this year.

 

We have had horrendous luck with injuries when it comes to big games - I can’t think of a game in Europe where we had a fully fit squad to choose from.

First group game isn’t until 19-20th of September, I believe AJ and CCV are expected to be back and fit by then.

It remains to be seen if we are pinning our hopes on Kwon to be our midfield destroyer with 5/6 weeks of the window still to go.

Everything BR has said suggests we are now looking to improve our 11. Since he said we have went and signed Nawrocki for £5/6m fending off competition from top tier German and Italian teams.

And the Scottish media didn’t have a clue about it. Could be a couple more in the pipeline that no one has a clue about.

 

Another 3 in today


All we need now is Celtic outa nowhere with the out the green player