Kris Commons picks out 6 players as he slams Brendan Rodgers' signings

Former Celtic midfielder Kris Commons claims Brendan Rodgers' signings have not been good enough.

Commons defended Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell in the aftermath of the club’s Champions League exit at the hands of AEK Athens.

Rodgers has indicated his frustration at the club’s failure to complete deals this summer - he has only signed Odsonne Eduoard and Scott Bain, who were at Parkhead on loan last season.

Brendan Rodgers applauds the Celtic fans after his side failed to advance past AEK Athens in Europa League qualifying. Picture: AP

But Commons told BBC Radio Scotland: “When you are adding players, it needs to be of a certain quality. Looking at the signings Brendan Rodgers has made since he came in two years ago, he has brought in 15 players. Only two started last night.

“He signed two goalkeepers in Dorus de Vries and Scott Bain, two centre-halves in Marvin Compper and Jack Hendry, a right-back, Cristian Gamboa, he’s just signed Emilio Izaguirre again.

“He has had the funds to get players but of not great quality and it’s not making any impact on the side at all.

“Of the players he has signed, probably three or four maximum pass the mark - Scott Sinclair, Edouard, (Moussa) Dembele and (Olivier) Ntcham.

“Whoever is in control of bringing in players need to have a look at themselves in the mirror because the quality is not good enough.”

Commons, who did not feature in a season under Rodgers before a back problem forced him to quit, added: “Peter Lawwell does not have a blank chequebook. Brendan Rodgers has spent nearly £25m on transfer fees - that’s without signing-on fees, wages, agent fees - in 24 months. Neil Lennon and Ronny Deila probably spent £25million in five years, Brendan Rodgers has done it in 24 months.

“Peter Lawwell is probably thinking: ‘You know what, we have given you enough money and we are still in the same position, thinking we need more defenders’.”

Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan also defended the board.

“I’ve been there to deal with the board, and they tell you how much you can spend, and you have to stick to that,” Strachan told www.paddypower.com.

“They want to sign players, of course they do, but it’s not always that easy. They’re protecting an institution, and they cannot risk it.

“You saw what happened with Rangers, where they almost lost their club, and Celtic can never put themselves in that position.”

However, former Hoops striker Andy Walker disagreed.

Walker told Sky Sports News HQ: “This was entirely avoidable. For Celtic not to have done any business in the transfer market up to the games that define their season, is really poor judgement. It’s very amateurish.

“The biggest problem is, having won the last six trophies domestically, Brendan Rodgers clearly wants Celtic to kick on and be better in Europe. Against that, you have a board who are very happy being a dominant force in Scottish football. They don’t want the outlay of spending money to make Celtic better in a European sense.

“So you have pretty much reached a glass ceiling. And if that’s the case, how long will Brendan Rodgers be happy just being the dominant force in Scotland?”