Brendan’s message – If you want to progress you need to bring in quality

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The Celtic Star

·25. Juli 2025

Brendan’s message – If you want to progress you need to bring in quality

Brendan Rodgers has laid bare his transfer expectations after Celtic’s sobering 5-1 defeat to Ajax in the Como Cup, urging the club to match his ambitions with action in the market — while also insisting winger Yang is going nowhere, for now…

Celtic FC coach Brendan Rodgers issues instructions to his players during the Como Cup match between Ajax and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 24, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The Celtic boss, who watched his side capitulate in the final half hour against the Dutch giants, stressed the need for quality additions to elevate the squad ahead of the new season…

A general view of the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium during the Como Cup match between Ajax and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 24, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

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Although Rodgers, via Celtic TV, was encouraged by a solid hour, he made no attempt to mask the importance of investment if Celtic are to take strides both domestically and in Europe.

“Yes, it depends what your ambition is. If your ambition is to really progress and push forward, then we need to improve the squad,” Rodgers stated. “But I can’t fault the players. The players that are here, they’ve been working so well, so hard and you see some of the play and how they work has been very, very good.

“However, if you want to progress, then, as I said, you need to bring in quality and that’s something that we hopefully can do.”

Rodgers wasn’t about to sound the alarm after the heavy defeat, pointing to fatigue and pre-season intensity as factors in the collapse. But the second-half unravelling served as a timely reminder of the club’s need to strengthen.

“I think the scoreline didn’t quite reflect the game. I think that the first 60 minutes we played a lot of really good football with physicality, we broke through their pressure, scored one, could have had more,” he said.

“I just thought the last 30 minutes, we’ve pushed the players really hard in the pre-season, so it looked a wee bit leggy. But that aside, we should keep the ball better and can be better in duels, so there’s no doubt we lost out on that.

“Then the two final goals are probably a consequence of that. There were enough really good moments in the game, but certainly the last 30 minutes, we would want to be better. I think that’s the nature of a pre-season. It’s designed to grow and by the end of it, you’ve had really good tests.”

Shin Yamada mystery solved – not a late injury as feared, just red-tape

The defeat also saw new signing Shin Yamada miss out on a potential debut due to a last-minute registration issue, despite initially being listed as a substitute.

“We were told late on he wasn’t registered. He couldn’t play in the game. It was a UEFA game,” Rodgers explained.

“I think we thought it would be through. So, he obviously came with us and travelled. But then, later on, an hour before the game, we were told he wasn’t. We hope he’ll be okay for Saturday. Hopefully for the player. So, let’s see where that goes tomorrow.”

Hyunjun Yang of Celtic celebrates their goal to make it 1-1 Ajax v Celtic, Como Cup Pre Season Football, Football, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como, Italy – 24 Jul 2025Como Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia Italy. Photo Shutterstock/ IMAGO

“I see Yang as an important member of our squad,” Brendan Rodgers

With transfer dealings still to be concluded, Rodgers was unequivocal when asked about speculation linking Yang with a loan move to Norwich City. The South Korean, who scored Celtic’s lone goal against Ajax, remains a key part of Rodgers’ current plans — and a non-negotiable departure, for now.

“I see Yang as an important member of our squad. He’s a player that showed that domestically he can play well for us, and really well. He scored goals. He created goals. You see tonight that the goal he scored is very, very good,” Rodgers said.

Mg Como 24/07/2025 – amichevole / Ajax-Celtic / foto Matteo Gribaudi/Image nella foto: esultanza gol Yang Hyun-Jun. Photo IMAGO

“It’s always a challenge, I think, at a club like Celtic, whenever players have maybe been for a couple of seasons and they’re not quite established. Because then they want to go and play more. But certainly at this stage, where we’re at within the squad, it’s not something I can even entertain. You see he’s starting the games. And I see him as an important player for us in our squad. And once we can get the quality around him, then he’ll be a good player for us.

“It’s hard to say. At this moment in time, he’s a starting winger for us. So we’re not in a position to be moving him on. At this moment in time, it’s not even in our thinking really.”

The Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium ahead of the Como Cup match between Ajax and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 24, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The phrase “at this moment in time” may be doing some heavy lifting. Rodgers’ repeated emphasis on the current state of the squad hints that Yang’s future — like others — may ultimately hinge on what happens in the remainder of the transfer window.

For now, Rodgers is focused on reinforcements rather than departures, but he’s made it pretty clear – ambition must be met with action if Celtic are to avoid more sobering European lessons when the competitive action begins.

Niall J

Read this – The backstory to Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter

Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the late David Potter’s last ever Celtic book, Celtic in the Eighties, which will be published on the fifth day of September by Celtic Star Books. The link to pre-order your copy is below…

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, out 5 September 2025. Available to pre-order now.