Transfer Deadline Day Summer 2017

Brendan seems happy with the deals done anyway.

 

Brendan speaking to the Celtic website


BRENDAN Rodgers has declared his delight at Celtic’s business in the transfer window after the Hoops made five new signings before last night’s deadline.

The Scottish treble-winners recruited highly-rated French striker Odsonne Edouard on deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain in their final acquisition of the summer window.

And having already added Jonny Hayes, Kundai Benyu, Olivier Ntcham and Patrick Roberts, the manager believes the Bhoys are now in a stronger position going forward for the rest of the campaign.

Speaking exclusively to the official website, he said: “We have enjoyed a really successful summer window and I am delighted with our activity in the market, bringing in five players who I believe are adding real quality to our squad.

“It has been said so many times before, but the objective, if possible, is always to come out of the window stronger than we went in and I am very happy as we have definitely done that.

“The first thing to say is that I am delighted that we have not lost any players that we really wanted to hold on to. With such talent in our squad, you are always vulnerable, but to resist any interest from outside and hold on to our quality is very satisfying. These players know our ideas and how we work.

“The players we have added will only enhance this level of quality. Jonny Hayes was outstanding for Aberdeen for four seasons and he was the best player in Scotland outwith our squad, and we were delighted to bring him to the club, while Kundai has already shown he is someone of real talent and potential. Both players will be very important for us over the course of the season.

“Olivier, who we brought in from Manchester City, has already shown that he is a real, top class player, who will only get better. He is a player who I always felt would work for us and he has already given us some huge performances.”

“Pat is a massive signing for us and I’m absolutely delighted to welcome him back to the club. We saw what he brought to the team last season, I know he loves the club and is so happy to be back – and I know Kieran is thrilled to have his friend back as well!

“Pat is a real favourite with our supporters and I am sure he will play a crucial role across all the challenges we will be facing.

“In Odsonne, we have signed one of the best and most exciting young strikers in Europe and I think Celtic will be a place where he can flourish, just like Moussa has done here. He will be great for us and the kind of player who will excite our fans - we have done a great job in bringing him to the club.

“As everyone knows we were looking to bring a centre-half into the club and it was very unfortunate what happened with Rivaldo in South Africa. It was a great shame for him that he was not able to complete that transfer and of course we send him our sincere best wishes for the future.

“However, when that was not possible, there was no way I was going to bring in another centre-half for the sake of it or for numbers – I have always said it’s about the highest-quality rather than quantity.

“We have a style and a profile I am looking for and when a player with the particular attributes we are looking for is not available, then that is something we need to accept and not bring in players into the squad just for the sake of it.

“But, at a good time for us, we have Dedryck Boyata coming back from injury, Erik Sviatchenko is also working extremely hard on his rehab and young Kristoffer Ajer is a player who has really come to the fore and will continue to develop. I am more than comfortable with the other options we have in this area.

“So we are in great shape after the window and, when we return from the international break, we will start our work again. We will bring our new players into the squad, build on our great start to the season and go again.

“We have had a great start to the season in the league, we are in the quarter-finals of the League Cup and, of course, once again we made the group stages of the Champions League, so we have had a very successful few months.

“We are in a good place and looking forward to some exciting matches ahead domestically and in Europe - and we will be looking to start again positively against Hamilton next week.

“Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank the supporters for their incredible backing in the early part of the eason and hopefully we can continue with this great connection over the rest of the campaign.”

 

Brendan is happy, explains the CB recruitment. It's what most thought, quality over quantity, if it is not better than you have why bother. Time will tell how Ajer gets on. Onwards to the season ahead.

 

Seems happy, wouldn't have said he wasn't in public tho..

People need to realise that not punting star players is the board backing the manager too..

 

In Brendan we trust, been a great window for us, good stuff once again Crow.

 

No doubt the panic merchants will be claiming that's not really Brendan's words and he's actually raging though.


Can't wait to get back to the real stuff after all the * Strachan's pulled with Scotland this week. Get beat tonight and hopefully Brown and Griff pull out the squad.

Can't wait for big Dedryck to get back to full fitness. Been a massive loss in defence and the opposition penalty area.

 

Finances get you better players but the difference is not the amount payed in over inflated markets.
It all comes down to heart ,who wants it more ,how the manager sets the team up ,confidence, we beat barca with a team a fraction of the cost ,money is not always the deciding factor .

 

He must be convinced he can make Miller a successful LB too..

I'm glad he's giving our best youths a chance, it's essential..

 

Ach he's only saying that cause the board told him to. The man is clearly a puppet.

 

Don't think so mate.

 

Maybe it's the type of player he's after, he's looking for real class on the balk I feel..

 

Yeh, but thats was before we got Roberts and that guy who shot that other guy in

 

His interview suggests he has a long term strategy with building this squad.

I specifically like his comment about not just signing for the sake of it.

He's comfortable with the defence and the players who can play there.

For me keeping the players we have, perhaps, and a big perhaps, putting ourselves in a better position to keep Pat for maybe another year or two after this season.

N'tcham, just fkn wow, I think this guy is going to be monumental for us. If he has as much potential as Rodgers is putting across and given what we've witnessed from this guys array of talent so far, we've a diamond on our hands.

Odsonne from PSG, again, perhaps a replacement for Dembele if he moves between now and next summer. The loan move is a safer opportunity for Rodgers to assess what he can offer us.

Marginal gains so far this window but squad retention is the biggest plus for me.
We have been a development club for a few years but now we've kept our squad. The players can develop more with Brendan's philosophy and this is something you rarely see outwith teams that have extreme financial clout.

Stability!

 

I want Lee Congerton's job.

We were targeting a ball playing CB but only managed to find Coetzee and when that fell through we had no alternatives? Sounds pretty unprepared.

I don't think I would be as annoyed if we has all our CB's fit as I rate Jozo, Erik and Boyata. However, they are not fit and I dread the thought of Jozo picking up any sort of knock and missing the PSG game, especially after how the defence looked against Twumasi and Kabananga, never mind Mbappe, Neymar and Cavani.

Frustrating but I suppose we have to just get on with it.

 

Very valid point which I feel has been overlooked here in the last few days. In years gone past, I have no doubt that Armstrong and at least one of Jozo or Moussa would have been out the door in that window. Instead we've added to an already quality and gelled squad.

 

Yep. Ridiculous, actually.

 

Do you know that or are you just making stuff up?

 

Brendan said that once the Coetzee deal fell through he wasn't just going to sign a CB for the sake of it.

So my opinion is that we had no alternative once Coetzee fell through.