Charlie Nicholas has savaged Celtic’s recent recruitment policy and questioned the loan signing of Oliver Burke as he doesn’t see where the attacker fits into the team.
The Hoops have signed forward duo Burke and Timothy Weah on temporary deals in recent days after a Rangers signing blizzard in which they announced four new recruits over the weekend.
Sky Sports pundit Nicholas is convinced the Light Blues have done the better business through their landmark captures of Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis, and insisted they are currently title favourites.
“Rangers are now title favourites after the first week of the transfer window,” Nicholas wrote in his Daily Star column. “In August, I wasn’t worried. But I was aware of a new Rangers threat. With the loan signings of Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis, that threat is now very real.
“Celtic have countered by taking in Oli Burke and Timothy Weah until the summer. But Rangers have done the better deals.
“Where does Oli Burke fit in for the Hoops? He’s not smart enough to lead the line. Celtic’s recruitment in recent times has been baffling. Youssouf Mulumbu and Lewis Morgan were odd summer signings. The lack of defensive cover is shocking. What is the plan if Dedryck Boyata is lured away or the turmoil at Leicester ends with a new boss recalling Filip Benkovic?”
OPINION
Straight-talking Nicholas shoots from the hip, and, in this instance, he has loaded a shotgun and aimed the barrel straight at those responsible for what indeed have been some ropey signings over the last year or so. To the highly questionable recruits of Mulumbu and Morgan can be added Marvin Compper, brought in from the Bundesliga to great fanfare this time last year, as well as Charly Musonda and Daniel Arzani, the barely-seen loan recruits. To say Lee Congerton, the recruitment chief, should be fighting for his job is something of an understatement. As for Brendan Rodgers, Peter Lawwell and the board, they are all complicit in poor judgement and what appears a lack of ambition and willingness to use the club’s massive turnover on properly strengthening the squad. Time will tell if Burke is able to make an impact for the Hoops, but the pressure will be on him to deliver in a way that so many of his immediate predecessors have failed.