Celtic’s Recruitment Strategy: Insights from Brendan Rodgers
In the world of football, recruitment plays a vital role in a club’s success. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers understands this all too well, and he has been vocal about his desire to improve the club’s recruitment strategy. With the recent additions of players like Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo, Kasper Schmeichel, and Viljami Sinisalo, Rodgers is pleased with the progress made in the transfer window so far. However, he is not entirely satisfied with the current structure of the recruitment department at Celtic.
Rodgers acknowledges the hard work put in by the existing staff in scouting and identifying potential players for the club. Still, he believes that the department’s overall structure needs improvement. One key area of concern is the absence of a head of recruitment following the departure of Mark Lawwell. Rodgers views this vacancy as a critical issue for a club of Celtic’s stature and is eager to see it filled promptly to elevate the recruitment operation to the level expected of a Champions League team.
“The department and other people here, the people that are here are absolutely fantastic,” Rodgers emphasized. “The work they’ve put in over the course of the summer and going back over the months, being so diligent, covering many games, traveling out to games. So, I’ve done so much work on that front.”
Despite the hard work put in by the current staff, Rodgers stresses the importance of continuous improvement in all areas of the club, including recruitment. He believes that a strong recruitment department is crucial to the success of a football club, as it can have a significant impact on the team’s performance and financial stability.
Rodgers also highlights the importance of taking calculated risks in recruitment, emphasizing the need to invest in quality players who can add value to the team. He praises Celtic’s willingness to spend more on individual players like Idah, signaling a shift towards a more ambitious recruitment approach.
“It’s just the attitude to risk,” Rodgers explained. “It’s the level of risk. You can sign a player for one, two million pounds, fine. And you might sell them for £10 million. But you can sign a player for seven or eight, maybe sell them for 30 to 40…it’s the same thing, you know.”
As Celtic aims to strengthen its squad for the upcoming season, Rodgers is focused on building a competitive team that can meet the demands of top-level competition like the Champions League. He emphasizes the need for a balance between quality and quantity in the squad, citing the addition of players like Idah and Nicolas Kuhn as examples of Celtic’s preparations for the challenges ahead.
“If you look at those two players, I think one of the key attributes, or a couple of the key attributes that those [players] possess are power and speed. And at that level, it’s very, very important,” Rodgers noted. “You have all the tactical ideas of the game and whatnot, but certainly at that level, speed and power is very, very important alongside the technique.”
In conclusion, Brendan Rodgers’ insights into Celtic’s recruitment strategy shed light on the club’s efforts to enhance its player acquisition process. By addressing the structural deficiencies in the recruitment department and adopting a more ambitious approach to player investment, Celtic aims to build a stronger squad capable of competing at the highest level. Rodgers’ emphasis on the importance of quality, calculated risks, and the right attributes in players reflects his commitment to elevating Celtic’s recruitment strategy to achieve success on the field.