Celtic must adapt to a quality over quantity strategy

Our transfer strategy has been the focal point of heavy criticism these past few years and most of the claims have some merit. We can’t argue that it’s worked wonders most of the time due to the massive profit it has seen soar into the club’s bank account, but it’s the way that these riches are reinvested that’s the problem.

Last season we broke the club transfer record by splashing out £11 million on Arne Engels and also pushed the boat out as we parted with another £9 million to land Adam Idah after depositing £25 million due to the sale of Matt O’Riley to Brighton and Hove Albion. Even the £10 million we received for Kyogo in January was put to good use as we secured the return of Jota for £7.5 million.

But these sort of deals are few and far between, and are ones we should be doing on a much regular basis.

Too often we’ve went for the cheaper and safer option and brought in players of ‘potential’ an example being Yang (£2 million) and Marco Tilio (£2 million) when we could have put that money to more affective use by adding another couple of million and snaring a more capable player in that position.

In the middle of the park we parted with £2.5 million for Odin Thiago Holm and a further £600,000 on Kwon, and again that cash could have been put towards a more efficient target who would’ve enhanced that area of the pitch.

At the back a whopping £6 million plus was spent on Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki when again we could have invested that cash in one tried and trusted first team performer.

You get the picture, we are focusing on future potential instead of ‘oven ready’ first team players.  Don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with buying players of potential, but we need to balance that with recruiting first team ready players and not just squad fillers who may be a few years away from making a meaningful impact.

The manager’s job is to win the domestic trophies and also to continue to develop in the Champions League, after making it through the play-offs. unscathed.  Losing that would be a disaster and a disappointment but the best way to avoid that is to put the strongest possible team on the park and that would involve three or four additions to the squad after the exit of Nicolas Kuhn and the loss of Jota through injury.

Basically the club won’t listen to the supporters but they should listen to the manager. And it it goes badly working they can’t expect us to listen to their excuses.