Has Brendan Rodgers Bailed Out Celtic Recruitment Team Again?

Let’s have a wee chat about something that’s been on my mind for a while now: the state of Celtic’s recruitment. There’s been a lot of noise about Kasper Schmeichel’s imminent arrival, and I’ve got a bone to pick with the hysteria surrounding it. So, let’s break this down using two effects I’ve decided to coin: the ‘Barkas Effect’ and the ‘Joe Hart Effect.’

Cast your mind back to the summer of 2020. Celtic splashed £4m on Vasilis Barkas, a young, highly-touted goalkeeper meant to fill the big gloves left by Fraser Forster. What did we get? An unmitigated disaster. Barkas was a ghost in the net, a phantom whose presence did little to reassure the defence or the fans. That season was a nightmare, compounded by COVID-19, but Barkas’ performances didn’t help. This debacle has scarred the fans, making us all a bit hesitant when it comes to splashing the cash on another young keeper. The wounds are still fresh, and the Barkas Effect looms large, making us wary of another costly gamble.

Now, let’s talk about something a bit more heartwarming: Joe Hart. When he arrived, there were plenty of skeptics, myself included. He was 34, seemingly past his prime, and there was a collective groan about bringing in an old hand to mind the net. But Hart defied expectations, becoming a stalwart between the sticks and a fan favourite. He won our hearts and, more importantly, our trust. This positive experience has fostered what I call the Joe Hart Effect. We’re more inclined to trust older, experienced players, believing they can, in theory, replicate Hart’s success. It’s comforting.

Enter Kasper Schmeichel. His potential arrival on a one-year deal with an option for another has set the Celtic fans buzzing. Yes, he’s got the pedigree and the experience, and I think he is a solid SHORT TERM option under the circumstances, but it’s the circumstances that irk me. Those who choose not to critically think about the bigger picture see Kasper coming in as almost a coup. I see it as more of a symptom of the malaise currently inhabiting the halls of Celtic Park.

We’ve had five months since Joe Hart announced his retirement to find a replacement. Five months! And yet, here we are, relying on Rodgers to pull another rabbit out of his hat because the recruitment team came up empty. Now I have no interest in chasing after the type of fan that won’t have a bad word said about anything going on at the club, they’re lifers and a soft bit of insulation or even validation for the Celtic board. I suspect on seeing this article, they will feel compelled to have a go, I’m addressing the fans that recognise the both effects I’ve just described and think, yeah, that’s probably entered my thinking and informed my opinion. Perhaps sheltering you from questioning the inner workings of the club.

Mark Lawwell’s departure earlier this year was a should have been a turning point, but since then, the silence from the recruitment front has been deafening. If you think this side of Celtic is functional, you’re either blissfully ignorant or wilfully blind. Our domestic success is well documented, however, last season saw the failure of recruitment stretched to its limits. I don’t think people understand how big a job Brendan done psychologically to get Celtic over the line last season. It was a master class with one hand tied behind his back.

Take a look at the Scottish Cup final back in May against Rangers. Not one new recruit from that season made the starting XI. Sure, Adam Idah scored the winner, you will correctly point out, but I would rebut that point by reminding you it was the Celtic manager who identified Idah and told the club to sign him days out from the January window ending when they failed to identify a striker. Can you see a pattern?

We’re fortunate to have a manager of Rodgers’ calibre. His ability as a man manager meant Celtic got the good at the end of the season. But relying on Rodgers’ magic touch isn’t a sustainable strategy. We need a coherent, long-term recruitment plan. We have nothing like that at the moment.

If you’re content with domestic success and happy to see Celtic get outclassed in Europe, then fair play to you. Enjoy the songs, the atmosphere, the drowning out of the Champions league anthem before you take your seat and watch Celtic be utterly dominated. But if you harbour any ambition of seeing Celtic comPete on the European stage, you should be as concerned as I am. We’re at the base of a very steep hill in Europe, and right now, we’re not even trying to climb.

I hope and believe Schmeichel’s signing will prove to be a success, but let’s also demand better planning and vision for the future. We can hold both thoughts simultaneously in our heads. After all, we deserve a club that doesn’t just aim to survive in our wee pond, but strives to thrive, not just domestically but in the arena we all crave, European Football.