Michael Stewart has questioned whether Celtic’s failure to sign a striker in the January window was a deliberate decision to give Adam Idah a clear run as the club’s main No.9 for the rest of the season.
However, Celtic fans will likely find his argument hard to accept, given that Brendan Rodgers repeatedly made it clear throughout January that he wanted another striker brought in.
Speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish football show, Stewart suggested that Celtic may have chosen not to sign a striker in order to allow Idah to build confidence and establish himself in the team.
“Is there an argument to be had to say, ‘Let’s press pause on trying to recruit another top striker in this window or in the next few hours, give Idah the second half of the campaign to really build himself up and then look to strengthen in the summer.
“If he does get this three or four month run where he feels he is the main man, then he’s got the opportunity to show and say, ‘I am the main guy, I’m the number nine and whoever else you’re bringing in has got to be an incredible level’.
“If they bring someone else in like a Mathias Kvistgaarden or whatever just now, it almost dents Idah’s confidence before it gets going.”
The problem with Stewart’s argument is that Brendan Rodgers himself was very clear in his desire to bring in another striker.
Even after Sunday’s win over Motherwell, Rodgers reiterated his wish to add firepower up front. When asked whether Daizen Maeda could play centrally, he refused to see that as a solution, saying that he wanted another striker.
Rodgers’ comments completely contradict Stewart’s theory—Celtic weren’t holding off to let Idah settle, they were actively trying to sign a striker but failed to do so.
Regardless of Idah’s potential, Celtic are now short on options up front.
Even if the board did want to give Idah a run, they should have still signed another striker on a six-month loan to provide competition and cover.
Ultimately, Stewart’s comments don’t line up with reality. If Celtic had a plan to stick with Idah, then why did Rodgers continuously push for a new striker?
The failure to strengthen in attack wasn’t a calculated decision, it was a failure to get deals done—something that could prove costly in the second half of the season.
