CELTIC UNITED
Rodgers: No rift but I’ll keep on pushing for buys
BRENDAN RODGERS last night cooled talk of growing frustration over Celtic’s transfer policy and insisted he and the board are singing from the same hymn sheet.
The Hoops boss sparked rumours of a bust-up behind the scenes after cryptic comments last week when he admitted to being in the dark over the pursuit of Australian youngster Danial Arzani.
Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton questioned whether Rodgers had full control over
transfers after the boss dodged questions about a deal for the 19-year-old Socceroos wonderkid.
Fans are looking for the club to splash some of the £60m Champions League cash banked in the last two years.
But speaking in Norway ahead of tonight’s clash with Rosenborg the Parkhead gaffer was cool on any suggestion of showdown talks with chief Peter Lawwell and was clear when asked if the manager and club where on the same page.
Rodgers said: “Yeah. However, there’s always going to be a limit and I am fully aware of that.
“No matter what my feeling is I have to respect where the club is at. The club isn’t a Premier League club down south. It’s a totally different market.
“But it’s the job of the manager, the coach, to try and push to get the possible players we can in and help keep the club moving forward.
“I understand the climate at Celtic. It’s always going to be that.
“You maybe have a core of players who stay for the duration of their career but outside of that players come here attracted to a huge club, to play at the highest level with a view to moving on.
“What will never change will be the identity we put in place, the purpose we have. There will be a core group who drive that.
“When one player goes the job is to be ready to bring in the next one.
“Every manager from time to time will have that little frustration of wanting a player in but it doesn’t happen like that.”
One of those core players is James Forrest and Rodgers is set to offer the wideman a new contract.
But the boss admitted his squad ARE weaker than last term after the exit of Patrick Roberts, Charly Musonda and Stuart Armstrong.
He said: “The club have had a very clear structure of how they work. These last couple of years have been great.
“They have supported me extremely well. There is not a huge reforming that needs doing.
“I can understand the supporters’ perspective. The modern game is very much about signings and lots of signings. But I think our supporters will probably be thankful we have continuity.
“We’ve got a core who really connect to how we work but we have to bring in quality.
“The club will look to do their best, which I believe they are, their very best, to get the level of quality we need in that’s going to help us improve.
“But when you get to a state like our club is in, which is very healthy, very strong, lots of great value, with lots of growth left in them, that’s great.
“We aren’t as strong a squad as last year, we’ve lost players. The players we have need help. We’re down on what we were.”