Brendan Rodgers refuses to comment on Jamie Vardy to Celtic rumours
But Rodgers looks like he will need to continue waiting for the new attacking options he has been looking for.
When asked if he now expected to go with the players who are already in the building, Rodgers said: 'That's what I am feeling at this moment in time. The players that we have will be the players that I trust that can do the job.
'If we can get some players in before then, that would be amazing but the focus has been very much on what is here at this moment.'
Reports on Monday claimed that 38-year-old striker Vardy had his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester at the end of last season.
'Listen, I would not speak about any individual player,' said Rodgers.
'Of course I worked really well with Jamie, he was brilliant for me in my time at Leicester. But there's been so many names floated about. I wouldn't disclose either way.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Back Brendan' or the 'perfect excuse to leave'
We asked you for your thoughts on Celtic's summer transfer window and Brendan Rodgers' post-match comments after the 0-0 draw with Kairat a taste of what you had to Why do people think Brendan Rodgers negotiates the fees? If this rudderless, money-hungry board had done their business sooner those the players would have cost nowhere near 20m. Celtic cannot progress while the same faces run the show with their regular managed It's clear we have the money and winning two or three domestically is not what fans want or expect - they want a team that competes in Europe. We have to shop around but look at Bodo/Glimt - 5-0 winners tonight - who don't have our resources. Back Brendan!Kenny: Low-ball bids have resulted in gambling on the play-off. The disgust in Brendan Rodgers is the same as every fan. Signing projects hoping one out of five sells for £20m. Teflon Brendan: No matter what happens, it's always someone else's fault. Either the board or the The usual from Rodgers… blah blah The issue with signings is not fees, it's timing. Jota is long term out, Brendan said he wants Yang Hyun-jun out on loan, Nicolas Kuhn was sold weeks ago. The club are presumably singing two wingers, and yet we can't get one signed before the important games have The transfer dealing aren't good enough but maybe we also need to look at Rodgers' failure to evolve in terms of team set up. It's a team of players who go side-to-side with no one willing to break rank and try something different to create space for shots or forward That one is on Rodgers and the players. Should have beaten them with what we Rodgers has the perfect excuse to leave after this season. Lack of urgency and quality about this team. The board have rolled the dice and failed, this is on Brendan working his ticket again? Fans going to hound out Lawwell again? We're just lucky Rangers haven't got their act together. Sack the Not nearly good enough. Kyogo and Kuhn are long gone and Adam Idah is not anywhere near the standard we Lack of re-investment of the transfer revenue clearly demonstrates the lack of ambition of the club.
Scotsman
9 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Brendan Rodgers addresses anti-Celtic board chants and why Adam Idah was subbed at half-time
Celtic boss admits squad depth is 'lightest' it has been Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged the fans' unhappiness after Celtic's Champions League play-off clash with FC Kairat ended in a frustrating goalless draw at Parkhead. It means the Scottish champions' hopes of a place in the league stage and the estimated £40 million booty rests on a game played 3,500 miles away in Almaty. It might be just as well it's so far away as far as the Celtic hierarchy are concerned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson were targeted during the game by the Green Brigade, who demanded the pair leave the club. 'Sack the board!' chants resounded round the ground. Supporters also protested at the front of the main stand afterwards. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (centre) during the goalless draw with Kairat Almaty at Cetic Park. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Rodgers tried to make light of the discord at such a crucial period for his team but he knows there's been a dereliction of duty somewhere in the building. 'What I do know is, over many years 'sack the board' usually means 'sack the manager',' he said. 'It's normally the manager that goes when that starts to be sung! I can only really look at the players we have here, and the performance. We've known for a long time what we've needed as a squad, so I don't want to go into that.' He was asked again and again about the shortage of signings - or at least new players of the standard required to fill the gaps left by the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn, as well as the injured Jota. Right-back Alistair Johnston has also joined Jota on the sidelines after sustaining a suspected hamstring strain in the first half. 'I haven't spoken to the medical guys yet, but it looks hamstring injury, which is disappointing,' said Rodgers. 'So I'll get more info on that.' On the issue of new signings, or the lack of them, he was asked why Celtic are in this position when they've had so long to prepare for the play-off round. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I can't answer that,' he said. 'Because it's not my decision in the end. I can prepare the team. The staff, the players that are here have been fantastic over pre-season. We're all clear on what we need to improve. And for whatever reason, we haven't been able to do that. So now we're in this position. 'And we have to accept it, and not dwell on it. And try and come through it for Saturday (v Livingston) and for Tuesday." Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers at full time after the goalless draw with Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'Can't afford to wait' He was asked whether he has enough game-changers to be confident of progression next week. "Whether I think it or not, we have to do it," he said. Adam Idah is not included among the game-changers on current form. The striker was taken off at half-time and has yet to score this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rodgers accepted it's a tricky time for the struggling Irishman. 'There's no rocket science in it,' he said. 'It's all hard work. It's all preparation. That will obviously lead to confidence, and then you'll obviously succeed as a player from that. It didn't quite go for him in the first half. I wanted a little bit more activity in and around the box, because I felt we could get up there. 'Adam's a good boy. He's an honest boy. He hasn't quite started how he would have liked. But in games like these here, I can't afford to wait. And that's why I made the change at half time.' Celtic's Adam Idah was substituted at half-time during the Champions League play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'Lightest we've been' Rodgers admitted Celtic are as 'light' as he can remember when it comes to squad depth. He described the team's first-half performance as "passive" and lacking intent. He stressed that players are being forced to play out of position. 'I would say going into these sort of games, this is probably the lightest that we've been in certain key areas of the pitch,' he said. 'You can see over the course of the season so far we haven't given away a great deal. We've defended well, we've defended strong. Of course, goals win games, and that's the area of the pitch where we've been short in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Sack the board' usually means 'sack the manager'
A chant aimed at the Celtic board, which manager Brendan Rodgers could not Parkhead boss has endured an awkward summer transfer window, with some messages about the lack of signings subliminal and others quite transparent."There are only so many ways I can dress up that we don't have the players here," he lamented in the post-match press conference, trying to put a brave face on while answering the umpteenth question about his summer of add to that, there was a message to his players as his side were miles off it in the draw with their Kazakhstani opposition - ranked 255 places below them in the UEFA standings."If you're going to miss the bus, make sure you run," he added - a mantra that could perhaps also be applied to their policy of signings in the summer."With around 20 minutes left, the faces of chairman Peter Lawwell and CEO Michael Nicholson appeared on the big screens at Celtic reaction of the crowd was not particularly friendly."What I do know is, over many years, 'sack the board' usually means 'sack the manager'," Rodgers joked. "It's normally the manager that goes when that starts to be sung!"Although he said the above with a grin, the manager hasn't been shy in letting his true feelings be known on how slowly Celtic have moved this Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren have been added to the first team, the starting XI against Kairat still looked weak - particularly at the top end of the pitch."We need to improve the squad," he continued. "There's been clarity around that for a long time. Supporters see that. "It's not my decision in the end. I can prepare the team, the staff, and the players that are here who have been fantastic in pre-season. "We are all clear on where we need to improve, and for whatever reason we haven't been able to do that. We're in this position, we have to accept that and not dwell on it, and try and come through it."The lack of strengthening in the summer was highlighted by some of the choices in Rodgers' starting XI against Kairat.34-year-old James Forrest has been a squad player for the last few years, capable of coming off the bench and influencing games but rarely trusted from the beginning. He was in top, Adam Idah was in again. At £9m last summer, he was far from a cheap deal but he is yet to convince as Celtic's star striker, despite owning the number nine the bench, the alternative options in attack were Yang Hyun-jun - who replaced a hapless Idah at half-time - and two young strikers in Johnny Kenny and Callum looked like a squad that had been decimated by injuries, yet only Jota remains on the sidelines. "Midfield is Celtic's strongest area of the park," said former winger Aiden McGeady. "It's interesting with [Benjamin] Nygren - was it an area it needed strengthened? I'm not sure."A lot of questions are being asked about signings and transfer policy, but judge the club at the end of the window. The club have shown they're willing to spend the money."
