Brendan Fraudgers!

BRENDAN Rodgers has predicted that Celtic may be able to capitalise on the Premier League transfer window closing three weeks earlier than usual as they attempt to strengthen their squad further.

Top flight clubs in England only have until five o’clock next Thursday afternoon to sign players – three weeks earlier than in this country - in a change that has been introduced this year.

Rodgers, who has only brought in Scott Bain and Odsonne Edouard this summer and is keen to make more quality acquisitions before the end of August, believes that could work to the Scottish champions’ advantage.


He suspects the asking price for the Parkhead club’s signing targets will change significantly and become more affordable after the transfer window closes down south next week.

Asked if he thought the move might work in Celtic’s favour, Rodgers said: “It may do. I think it’s a big hindrance for the Premier League, but it can maybe benefit us in a different way.

“I think they are hamstrung in terms of what they can do. Once their window closes the squads are settled and there’s maybe room for other players to be brought in.

“The Premier League had the right idea and concept - players have been sitting beside others in a changing room who wanted to go but were expected to fight for points.

“At the same time it can make it more difficult. We’ll see - it might open up the market and the availability might be more for us.


“I think it’s something that will change next year. There has to be uniformity around Europe or go back to the way it was.The difficulty is that leagues are starting at different times.”

Rodgers, who has seen Stuart Armstrong, Erik Sviatchenko and Patrick Roberts depart in the close season, admitted there had been he will be reluctant to allow any member of his squad to leave either on loan or in a permanent deal in the coming weeks.

He said: “There are players of interest to other clubs, but at this moment in time I don’t have interest in losing players if the squad is down in numbers.


All the players are working hard and fighting to improve themselves and there’s still a lot of time to go before the end of August.

“You need to have a competitive squad to bring the best out of it. I’m happy with the players we have, but we need to strengthen and that’s what we aim to do. It’s only natural.”

Meanwhile, Celtic striker Moussa Dembele has been ruled out of both AEK Athens games after it emerged his hamstring injury was more serious than was first believed.

However, Leigh Griffiths is set to return to the Scottish champions’ squad in their opening Ladbrokes Premiership game against Livingston tomorrow for the first time since undergoing a clean-up operation.

Dembele limped off after scoring twice against Alashkert of Armenia in the second leg of the second qualifying round last month and missed the double header with Rosenborg of Norway.

But Brendan Rodgers, whose side will face Greek champions AEK at Parkhead on Wednesday night following their 3-1 aggregate win over Rosenborg, has revealed that the French forward is set to spend longer on the sidelines.

“The medical guys are telling me that it is probably going to be the next two to three weeks, a bit longer than we had anticipated,” he said. “That is the way it is.

“Leigh will be back in the squad. He has been out for a while. He needs to get his fitness up. He has been working hard at trying to get that up. We have kept him behind to work on that side. He will be in the squad for the weekend hopefully.”


Rodgers revealed that Scott Brown, the Celtic captain, had played against Rosenborg in Trondheim this week despite having an Achilles injury, but backed him to recover from it quickly and become the first Scot to make 100 appearances in Europe next Wednesday night.

“He had the same thing at this time last year,” he said. “He will soldier on like he does and play himself out of it. I think it is just a case of getting through it over these next two to three weeks.

“He has made himself available for all these games. He is wonderful example for all our players, both senior and youth.

“His leadership qualities and his drive and hunger to play is admirable. Hopefully he has got many more.”

 

Wish to * he’d stop his obsession with signing players from England.
We haven’t relied on them in the last 15 years too often as they are over priced - and still will be with the window shut early.
It’s almost like he doesn’t trust our scouting of previous years and is looking at what he knows - the English leagues.

 

AND Brown is playing while injured again.

 

Interview from the other night.



Interview from today on Sky Sports.

 

If a player is injured they shouldnt have to"soldier on" they should be rested ffs

 

BR: "It was a very good performance on the back of the game during the week as well. I thought we played the game with real good energy and tempo.

BR: "It's never easy when teams sit in deep like that and credit to Livingston as they’re going to make it difficult for you, and they’re very honest group of players and very spirited in terms of work-rate, but I thought some of our play today was exceptional."

BR: "Our only disappointment was the goal at the end and we just failed to adjust to Olivier being injured. We just have to sort that problem out on the field at times as he can’t get back in and track the guy who scores.

BR: "Apart from that, there were so many positives from today and we started with a win."

BR on @OlivierNtcham: "He’s with the medical team so we’ll assess that see what he’s at over the next couple of days."

BR on managing the fitness of players: "The idea earlier on the game, taking @Oedouard22 off and trying to give @Leighgriff09 some game-time. I thought he was excellent when he came on - good movement, running in behind, his touch was good, and he worked very hard."


BR: "We gave young Mikey some game-time as well, while the others like Lustig, Simunovic and Tom Rogic got games. We tried to manage that side of it and it was just unfortunate that Olly tried to make a tactical foul on the touchline and we’ll see how he is."

BR on contribution of @jonnyhayes15 to the opening goal: “It was a great cross. It’s one of his strengths as he’s a wonderful crosser of the ball with both feet and it was nice to see Tom get on the end of it with the header."

BR: "It was a good period of play and obviously Livingston are a very dogged team but I thought we moved the ball about very well in the final third, and we looked a real creative threat."

BR on @Tom_Rogic: “He was excellent. He’s been building up over the last two to three weeks or so and he just finds space naturally and he created and scored a goal, and I thought we looked very dangerous in that final third of the pitch.

BR: "Some of our play and the speed of our play was exceptional. On the back of a Champions League game, the intensity was very good. He (Rogic) was one of a number of very good players.”

 

Has the old press box been repainted?

Sent from my AUM-L29 using Tapatalk

 

Developing players- he says. Why get in Arzani, and restrict Johnston's time?

 

Cause he doesn't sign the players

 

Why are we concentrating on midfield we dont need any more we need a Cb evedyone knows it

 

Having said that, since Rodgers joining we have signed Kouassi- an Ivorian playing in Russia. Edouard- a Frenchman playing in France. Marvin Compper- a German playing in Germany. And only a failed medical stopped us buying a South African from the South African league. So we're still scouting extensively, thankfully.

 

Probably scouted Ntcham from his spell in Italy

 

No we're Man City's feeder club and Peter Lawwell's executive son tells us who we'll be getting every summer.

 

Sinclair, DDV, Dembele, Toure, Gamboa, Benyu, Ntcham, Musonda, Roberts all from England and a huge amount of speculative (bullshit maybe) links from around the English leagues. it has been primarily English based transfers.

Not complaining about most of them, but it is a theme.

Probably signed more players from the Scottish leagues than the continent!

 

Audio from Brendan On yesterday’s game

 

He might think Arzani is a better player. And if the option to buy is true then it's a great deal imo.