Time is ticking on Celtic’s quest to put in place a strong recruitment team ahead of the summer transfer window.
It was announced in early March that Mark Lawwell – Head of First Team Scouting and Recruitment – and Joe Dudgeon – Lead First Team Scout – had been placed on gardening leave and were no longer working with the club.
Not much has been said by anyone at the club on future plans since then. There has been little reporting on the matter, too.
The Bhoys are barreling towards the summer and, while the title race is of the utmost importance, constructive long-term plans must be communicated to supporters when the time is right. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Brendan Rodgers was asked about the subject in a media conference today. He’s shared that he is very much a part of that planning despite being in the midst of a heated battle for silverware.
Brendan Rodgers on Celtic recruitment
The Celtic boss has also indicated he wants more focus to be put on bringing through youth prospects from the club’s academy, aided by a loan manager.
Rodgers said [Celtic FC YouTube]: “I’m a part of that process of course. You’re always thinking short, medium and longer-term, especially when you want to be here for that longer term. I’d love that opportunity to help shape that. I’ve got a lot of experience in the game.
“The game is moving and changing all the time and I want to try and offer opportunities here for more of our younger players. In order to do that, you need to plan that and you need to have everything in place that is going to give those guys the opportunity.
“We need to take a greater focus on our loan players. We’ll have someone in a role that comes in and works specifically on that and working with those young players and others that are out on loan and helping that pathway into the first-team be clearer. I’m very much a part of that.”
Asked if the club were any closer to making appointments, Rodgers added: “We still have some very good staff here that are working, and some staff that we are looking to bring in behind the scenes, and that will continue.
“We don’t go shouting about it, we’ll tell you, it will be done. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes in order to do that.”
Celtic must find the correct squad balance
There was an acceptance from Rodgers earlier in the season that Celtic got their recruitment balance wrong last summer. Too many ‘projects’ were signed and not enough proven quality.
The noises about having a better link from the academy to the first team are good to hear, but that balance must be found between improving prospects and directly strengthening the manager’s eleven.
Celtic have the resources to have the best of both worlds and those in charge must ensure those resources are being used optimally.