Chris Sutton slammed “rank rotten” recruitment at Celtic after their historic loss at Dundee – but fellow Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd said it was time Brendan Rodgers took his share of the blame, questioning the manager’s attitude and commitment.
The Hoops’ 2-0 loss at Dundee featured a Celtic fan protest against the club’s board and Sutton said the hierarchy’s business in recent transfer windows has left the squad weak.
“They just don’t have the quality,” said Sutton, with his former club trailing Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts by five points ahead of their trip to Tynecastle, live on Sky Sports next Sunday.
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Celtic fans delayed the start of their game against Dundee by throwing hundreds of balls onto the pitch as they protest against the club’s board
“Celtic have massive problems,” he added. “They have to get to January and still stay in touch. This is a bang average Celtic team and I think Brendan recognises that.”
Sutton was particularly critical of Celtic’s attack, with the defending champions failing to score in six games already this season.
“The signing of Kelechi Iheanacho summed everything up. That was desperation,” said Sutton. “I’m not saying he’s a bad player but you think back to when Celtic were rotating Giorgos Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi, that quality, that’s the difference.
“The goals tally tells you everything you need to know about Celtic this season.”
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Cameron Carter-Vickers diverts a low cross into his own net as Dundee double their lead over Celtic
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Clark Robertson scores a brilliant header to give Dundee a shock 1-0 lead against champions, Celtic
Boyd: Rodgers is getting away with everything
However, Boyd said it was time the finger of blame was pointed at manager Rodgers.
During a heated exchange with Sutton, Boyd criticised Rodgers’ attitude, questioned his commitment to Celtic and stated the manager was failing to draw performances out of signings he had previously backed.
“The balls coming on the pitch [in protest at the board] is a total deflection,” said Boyd.
“That team replicates the way Brendan Rodgers is right now as well. Look at him. He looks as if he’s just switched off. The team is flat and looks as if there’s no energy about it.
“Rodgers…the signs are already there all of a sudden. Starting doing interviews with media companies down the road. ‘I’m still here, I’ll be available next year because I’m not going to resign with Celtic, there’s an opportunity…’
“And he’s getting away with everything.”
Sutton: “Did he say that?
Boyd: “Well, you know what it’s like. That’s what happened the last time. ‘I love Celtic, I love managing the club, I want Celtic to be the very best…’ until something else comes along for Brendan Rodgers.
“Everybody blames the players. Everybody blames the board for not bringing in players. When is Brendan Rodgers going to get criticism?”
Sutton: “I think he took a bit of responsibility there [in his post-match interview]. He said it was his issue to get the team playing better.
“He will point – and I think fairly so – to rotten recruitment.
“You look in the final third for that spark and the players who have left and have they replaced them. I get the argument but should the team be playing better?
“Reo Hatate, when he first came to the club, I thought he was going to be the next one to go down south to the Premier League. Miles off it this season.
“People are pointing the finger at Callum McGregor. I’m not saying he had a good game but I don’t see him being the biggest problem. Kieran Tierney has come back and looks a shadow of the player [he was].
“When you look to the bench for game changers… you go back through the last couple of seasons, Celtic always had a game-changer. That bench it’s just rotten.”
Boyd: “There’s a bit of money on it, though. [Arne] Engels £11m. [Michel-Ange] Balikwisha – a new signing in the summer that everybody was told he was going to be outstanding when he arrived, you’re yet to see it.
“Brendan said these two coming in were going to be outstanding signings.
“The whole Tierney thing as well, everybody saying what a signing this is going to be. Rodgers backed that one as well.
“He [Rodgers] will get away with it. The board will get the blame for everything – who, by the way, have backed him to the hilt. The money Celtic have spent since he came through the door…
“He’s not getting a tune out of the players right now.”
Rodgers ‘bitterly disappointed’ after Dundee performance
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Brendan Rodgers reflects on Celtic’s 2-0 loss to Dundee that sees them fall further behind Hearts at the top of the SPFL table
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers speaking to Sky Sports:
“Bitterly disappointed, in both the result and performance. The first goal can happen; we got blocked off.
“Then you have work to do. It has been like a lot of games we have had; the final third of the pitch has not been at the quality to break teams down.
“We had some chances but it wasn’t a game that I thought we were in. We didn’t do enough.
“It’s more about the attacking play. The confidence of the team is lacking on that side and I need to find a way to improve that.
“We have always enjoyed coming here but we were not in that moment now. I need to try and find a way to give that back to the team.
“I have to find a way to make it work with this group of players. At the minute and today, it didn’t work.
“We haven’t performed consistently at a level we would want. I didn’t think we were fast enough or dynamic enough to work against that low block.”