Brendan Rodgers said on Thursday he was “hopeful” of adding to his Celtic squad.
Six days earlier, the manager had said there was “no news” when pressed on the chances of new additions. A week before, he had voiced frustration about a lack of movement in the market.
It is understandable that the Northern Irishman might find the constant queries a little trying.
And his patience cracked in the aftermath of Friday’s routine 4-1 Premier Sports Cup win over Falkirk. “I don’t know” was one repeated Rodgers’ reply to questions in a testy BBC Scotland interview.
As former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner said on Sportsound of his agitation and the line of questioning: “It’s just that time of year.”
The time when windows are soon shutting. When Champions League play-offs are looming. When fans – and managers, perhaps – want signings to hang their hopes on for the months ahead.
How did the exchange unfold?
BBC Scotland’s Alasdair Lamont had interviewed Rodgers pre-match and reconvened with him afterwards.
Once the discussion about the victory was done, talk turned to transfers and, in particular, whether any signings might arrive in time for Wednesday’s crucial visit of Kairat Almaty.
You’ve had to name a squad for the Champions League deadline, but you are allowed to name a further two players before the game. Do you see any likelihood of there being players to add to that squad?
Rodgers: I don’t know. I’ve just come out here after the game, so we’ll wait and see. We’ve named the squad and we’ll wait and see what happens before the game. If not, that’s the squad we’re going with.
Can you be optimistic about it? There must be things in the pipeline that I guess you think could go one way or another.
Rodgers: Okay, so let me repeat what I said. I’ve just finished the game. I haven’t told you anything before the game and during the 90-odd minutes of the game.
“I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything. So there might be or there might not be. So we have the team that we have.”
What business have Celtic done?
Celtic have paid fees for four players this summer – Benjamin Nygren from Nordsjaelland, Hayato Inamura from Albirex Niigata, Shin Yamada from Kawasaki Frontale and Callum Osmand from Fulham.
Nygren is the only one who so far looks like a potential first choice.
However, with Jota out injured until the end of the year and Nicolas Kuhn sold to Como, that still leaves Celtic a winger down.
Rodgers is still looking to replace Kyogo Furuhashi, who was sold in January, with fellow Japan international Yamada so far consigned to two half-hour appearances as a substitute, while fellow striker Osmand is playing for Celtic’s B team.
Another 19-year-old, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, has yet to feature since arriving on loan from Manchester City, as has fellow centre-half Inamura.
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What areas might they be short in?
In a TV interview after the game, Rodgers was more phlegmatic, pointing out that the assessment of Celtic’s summer business need not begin until the window closes late on Monday, 1 September.
That is still more than two weeks away, so time is on their side.
Bear in mind that, at this stage last season, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan had yet to arrive and Adam Idah was still holding a scarf above his head.
“Of course, I would have loved to have had other players in,” Rodgers said on Premier Sports. “We need reinforcements, but I don’t want to keep harping on about it. I don’t need to beg for players that we need.”
So who are those players? Or rather, in what positions are Celtic short?
Bonner talked about the need to identify cover for totemic captain Callum McGregor in midfield and his concerns about a lack of options at left-back to ease the pressure on Tierney.
But his primary concerns lie in the forward areas.
“We still need to find a striker who puts the ball in the back of the net,” he said.
“Johnny Kenny played tonight and he didn’t really have one on target, even though there were lots of crosses. Shin Yamada came on and didn’t have as many opportunities to get on the end of things. Maybe it’s just the way Celtic play.
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