You won’t blame Brendan Rodgers if he feels frustrated or even angry on the inside, even though he may not show it on the outside.
This is due to Celtic’s failure to acquire the necessary players, despite Rodgers’s insistence that a striker was required following Kyogo Furuhashi’s departure.
The authorities were aware for months that Kyogo wanted to leave, but despite connections to multiple players, no replacement was found.
Since Adam Idah is the only senior out-and-out striker on the team, he is now under pressure to lead the line.
Johnny Kenny is a rising star, but players like Daizen Maeda and possibly the returning Jota may play down the middle when necessary.
While on loan at Shamrock Rovers, Kenny participated in European competition and scored a lot of goals.
The 21-year-old made his debut against Ross County after returning last month, and Rodgers has now alluded to the player receiving additional playing time.
“Johnny Kenny will now be here,” Rodgers said, adding that the inability to bring in a striker has undoubtedly contributed to that. “Johnny, even with the three or so weeks he has been training with us and the guys who (coach him), John (Kennedy), and the other coaches who have been here before,” Rodgers said, adding that the Celtic coaching staff had noticed a “real difference” in Kenny’s game after his return, as he told Celtic TV.
They can actually see the change in him. He talked about his experiences playing in Europe and with Shamrock.
Outstanding finisher. He appears to be in good physical condition, so I’m going to invest time in him and work with him. Observe his current growth, as he is undoubtedly a natural finisher in the box. That is what we aim to accomplish.
Take a look at the bright side: Kenny can end this season as a key member of Celtic, which will be good for the team’s future.
For a player like Kenny, it relieves pressure because, barring a collapse of the highest order, it’s finished on the domestic stage.
But he is too good to go back out on loan again and now needs that run with Celtic’s first-team to showcase if he is ready to take the next step in his career.
Celtic’s only deadline day deal was completed, which infuriated some fans who believe the team has gotten weaker.
During the January transfer window, Brendan Rodgers lost Luis Palma, Alex Valle, Alex Bernabei, and Kyogo Furuhashi.
Conversely, Schlupp joined from Crystal Palace on a contract through the end of the season, while Jota returned to score on his second appearance against Motherwell.
The 32-year-old, who has played all over the field in his career, joins Celtic to cover for Greg Taylor and fill a number of other positions in the squad.
Schlupp landed in Glasgow on Tuesday to meet his new teammates and don his new colors before Celtic’s rescheduled Premiership match against Dundee on Wednesday.
Schlupp began his career at Leicester City, where he and Kasper Schmeichel won the Premier League title in 2016. This will be his fourth club overall.
Although it is unlikely that the Ghanaian international will play against Dundee, supporters will likely witness him in action this weekend when Celtic plays Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup.
