Celtic's recruitment since the return of Brendan Rodgers has been questionable to say the very least. Far too often, they have brought in players whom the manager does not seem to have in his plans at all. And this summer, they did not once but multiple times. One can only wonder why Hayato Inamura was not sent out on loan. But at least he has played a match. That cannot be said about another one of their arrivals.
The player we are talking about is none other than Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. He was brought in on loan from Manchester City and most fans felt that he would be a fixture in the first-team, perhaps even pushing for a starting spot if things went well.
In reality, he has made the bench just twice, both against Kairat Almaty. He has not played a single minute of football. And it is pretty clear that he is not rated by the manager. So, why was he signed in the first place?
This is not just about a spot on the team that was not used properly. It is also about Simpson-Pusey's development, which has stalled as a result of this move. And it is about the relationship between Manchester City and Celtic. The Premier League giants surely won't appreciate the Hoops taking one of their players on loan and then not even giving him a chance to showcase his ability.
Celtic summer signing already out of first-team plans completely
There is a clear disjoint between the manager's plans and those of the recruitment team. It is hard to imagine that Rodgers would have been the one pushing for Simpson-Pusey's move and then not give him a single minute of action.
Unfortunately, it has felt like the case on multiple occasions in the past as well. Players like Gustaf Lagerbielke, Marco Tilio and others never seemed to have much of a place in Rodgers' plans either.
So, who is the one driving the recruitment at Celtic? And how much say does the manager get when he is the one picking the team every matchday?
In the modern footballing structure, where managers do not have much say in transfer matters, considering how often coaches are changed. Are Celtic following that policy as well?