Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers admits the transfer window hasn’t gone to plan for him

BRENDAN RODGERS has been forced to admit the transfer window hasn’t gone to plan.

By Tuesday night, the Celtic boss was aiming to have assembled a squad ready for the Champions League qualifiers next season.

He wanted new recruits to have plenty of time to settle at the club, but his only transfer window signing to date is midfielder, Eboue Kouassi.

Rodgers confirmed there will have to be more tinkering with his squad – but not until the summer.

He said: “It won’t be as I want it, I don’t think, by the end of the window.

“If we don’t get the players that I would want through then not being available, then OK.

“I’m happy with the players in the squad that we have. I’ll just have to wait until the summer in order to do the next bit. It’s through no fault of the club.

“This window is always tough and I won’t just bring in anyone. It has to be a player who’s going to improve our squad.

“If that isn’t available, for whatever reason, then there’s not much you can do. It’s not Football Manager on the computer, where you just pull them out and transfer them. It’s a wee bit more than that.

“We just have to wait and be patient.”

This afternoon the Hoops have a more immediate aim.

They’re out to surpass the Lisbon Lions’ record of going 26 domestic matches without defeat.

The run was equalled against St Johnstone in midweek, but will be beaten with a victory against Hearts.

Rodgers is an enthusiastic student of the club’s history and their past successes, but wants the current stars to make their own mark.

He said: “I love seeing reminders of the past achievements around the club. I regularly bump into guys like Bobby Lennox.

“It’s a huge part of the history here, but we have create our own.

“I think what the boys have done so far is a huge achievement, irrespective of what happens this weekend.

“This is a chance for them to stand alone and that is obviously an incredible achievement with all the difficulties you can have in modern football, with everyone fighting to beat you. To have gone 26 games unbeaten so far has been great. So we will do what we’ve always done. There’s no change. We focus on our performance.

“I don’t tend to talk about it before the game. It can give a pressure that the players don’t need.

“My focus is always to de-pressure the situation so that players can perform.”

This will be the first visit to Celtic Park by Hearts’ young head coach, Ian Cathro.

Rodgers applauds the way the 30-year-old has moved around Europe, picking up experience. The Irishman was only 35 when he took over as Watford manager after years of working behind the scenes as a coach. He knows how difficult it is to suddenly be the main man.

He said: “It is a tough business and I’m sure Ian is learning very quickly. It is totally different when the light is shining on you.

“Over time he will get better and better. I think he has coped very well from what I see.

“I didn’t win at Watford for nine games. Once we won, the players start to adapt.

“Watford were tipped to go down, but by the end of the season we were flying.”