Celtic transfer failure is not their fault as Hotline ranter points the finger at unexpected perpetrator
The Celtic transfer fallout continues after their failure to secure the striker Brendan Rodgers wanted.
Jeffrey Schlupp was the only Deadline Day arrival and it left fans fuming despite their team being in a strong position on the park. Rodgers wasn't playing the blame game, but the Hotline is, although the Parkhead board are for once, not the ones in the firing line.
Jimmy Murray, Edinburgh, reckons it's everyone else's fault Celtic couldn't sign any of the multitude of names they were linked with. He emailed: "No point having a go at the Celtic board on transfers. Scottish football itself is the problem. There is no competition here. So with no competition no one gets to the next level. Celtic are miles ahead of the pack with an average team. You have to go back to the sixties when our league was at its height Rangers and Dundee made the European Cup semis.
"Celtic won the European Cup. Kilmarnock, Hibs and Hearts and the rest of the league were very good sides. . Back then there was real competition. Now it’s a pub league."
Bill Lockerbie, Northampton, was very much taking aim at the Parkhead hierarchy, however. He said: "A club like no other is the club like no other that came out of the transfer window, weaker than they went in. I feel for Brendan who talks incessantly about motivation, yet receives none from his employers!"
An impeding European exit is the reason Celtic couldn't secure the stars they wanted, according to George Wilson, West Sussex, who said: "It looks like the great Celtic Champions League Roadshow will soon be grinding to a halt. Having been given a bye into the playoffs by virtue of three home games and nine points against the worst 3 teams in the competition they will now have to play a proper Champions League team for a change and will soon be out as usual .
"And their lack of signings is probably due to the better players knowing Celtic will soon be out of Europe and facing the prospect of seeing the season out against the likes of Ross County and St Johnstone.
"Rangers on the other hand whilst knowing the league is probably gone are into the last 16 of what the Celtic camp will call the diddy or tinpot European competition. Good to know though we will still be in Europe well into March or beyond. It’s only a good competition when Celtic are in it though if they see Rangers progressing to the latter stages they will wish they were still in it."
Speaking of Rangers, Gary Stevenson, Newtonhill, reckons there's been a turnaround at Ibrox under Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen, despite the gap to their rivals: "Well done Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen. They inherited a mess at Ibrox and have made steady progress in reducing the wage bill, offloading high earners, and reducing the average age of the squad.
"I know that they are not pleasing everyone but for me they are challenging the top spot and other clubs are very interested in our squad. In a reasonably short space of time the turnaround has been impressive. "
Finally, John Scott, Grassmoor, couldn't believe what he was hearing from Malky Mackay in his Hibs transfer window debrief. He emailed: Malky MacKay is having a laugh surely. After a totally underwhelming transfer window Hibs sporting director claims they only wanted starters in the team. With eleven points between United in 3rd and County in 11th it smacks of complacency.
"Starters? Hibs fans have been banging their cutlery on the table, screaming for a main course since Jack Ross left. It begs the question, are there major changes afoot behind the scenes. If not it leaves you wondering what's the point of Malky's job and all the others paid to source players."
