Irate fans & upset boss - how did Celtic get here?

Celtic's business in this transfer window "reeks of incompetence". It's an "absolute embarrassment". Fans are "no longer surprised, just disappointed".

The Scottish Premiership champions' board are "actively managing a decline", and the failure to significantly enhance the squad "feels like self sabotage".

The Glasgow outfit have "proven again they are not a serious football club" and manager Brendan Rodgers "would be justified in leaving this time".

To say that Celtic fans are unhappy with how the summer has gone doesn't even come close to capturing the anger swirling around the east end of the city right now.

The fans are revolting against the board for not investing. The manager has aimed a barb or two towards his bosses for the same thing.

And with Rodgers' deal up and the end of the season, those fissures look like leading to only one outcome.

On the pitch, an expensive and mortifying Champions League exit and meek Old Firm performance ramped up the rage even more.

Another underwhelming deadline day was the final insult for many fans. But how have Celtic reached this stage? And what might happen next?

How final day of window unfolded

The flurry of signings Rodgers and the Celtic fans craved on deadline day failed to materialise.

Just one player - Tunisia winger Sebastian Tounekti - arrived, while Adam Idah was allowed to join Swansea despite Rodgers' insistence a few days prior that the striker was going nowhere unless a replacement had been secured.

With Kyogo Furuhashi not adequately replaced following his exit in January, Celtic already needed one striker. Now they are two short.

The eventual arrival of former Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who is now a free agent after his Sevilla contract was cancelled, will do little to quell fan anger.

Celtic had hoped to complete a deal for £8m striker Kasper Dolberg, only to miss out on the Dane, who instead returned to Ajax from Anderlecht.

That left the Scottish champions frantically scrambling in the final hours of the window.

Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana reportedly snubbed them in favour of English League One Charlton, only for that move to ultimately fall through. Strasbourg's Sekou Mara was another forward linked, but no dice there either.

So when the dust settled on Celtic's summer business and the window closed, it was quite the anti-climax for a disaffected support.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

Celtic has now brought in 12 signings this window, but only five look like they could be starters in Rodgers' strongest XI assuming he views Iheanacho as such.

Kieran Tierney will play when fit, while Tounekti, Benjamin Nygren and Michel-Ange Balikwisha all seem to have been recruited with a view to becoming fixtures.

The rest are young loanees, project players, or bench fillers.

Given 11 first-team squad members - and further 12 youngesters - have left this summer, it could be argued that it balances out.

But can Tounekti, Nygren or Balikwisha replace Nicolas Kuhn and the long-term injured Jota? Are Tierney and loanee Marcelo Saracchi an upgrade on Greg Taylor and Jeffrey Schlupp at left-back? And will Iheanacho prove an adequate replacement for Idah and Kyogo?

For other options in attack, Rodgers is left with raw summer arrival Shin Yamada, Callum Osmand - who has been playing for the B team - and 22-year-old fringe player Johnny Kenny as his other striker options behind Daizen Maeda, who will have to be moved from the left wing to fill the vacant slot.

And even Tounekti's acquisition prompts questions. Rodgers is quoted as saying the winger can "operate on both sides" yet the 23-year-old clearly favours the left, having played 70 games on that flank compared to just eight on the right.

With recent signing Balikwisha - who looked reluctant to take players on during his debut in Sunday's derby draw at Ibrox - and Maeda also left-sided, is there now an imbalance with Celtic overstocked on that side and light on the right?

Take all that into account and there is a strong case to be made that Celtic leave the window weaker than when it opened.

What does it mean for Rodgers?

Having repeatedly called for reinforcements for several months, Rodgers' side were bundled out of the Champions League in ignominious fashion by Kairat Almaty.

Rigorous Europa League and domestic demands now lie ahead for the manager under contract until next summer.

His first spell ended in the middle of a third campaign, with the Northern Irishman leaving under a cloud for Leicester City. Rodgers has insisted he will see out his second contract with Celtic.

Time will tell how his current squad fares, both domestically and in European terms, for the rest of the season.

What are the fans saying?

John: Simply not good enough and time will tell if we pay the price. I won't accept any excuses this time; they've had ample time to sign and replace, but they waited until the last minute as per for the cheap options and failed. I fear a season of discontent and change is ahead, all because they won't spend a reasonable amount on strengthening the team, We're not asking to bust the bank, but at least open the wallet and take a look!

Matt: The reason for the dissatisfaction at Celtic runs much deeper than football. For years now a gap has been forming between those that run the club and the support. There has been no attempt to bridge that gap. This is compounded by glib put-downs at the AGM aimed at the other side of the Old Firm. The intelligent Celtic supporters see what this is - just a way to distract by stoking the divide. It assumes we are stupid. We are not.

Joe: Usual stalling and indecisiveness by the board - same every year. Business should have been done several weeks ago. It's cost them £40m-plus. No longer surprised, just disappointed again.

Cam: Celtic's approach in the transfer window is "hit and hope" at times. The approach to bolster the squad lacks ambition throughout the window, when in reality it should be taking effect before the window even opens. The scope goes beyond the team and manager, it's a club-wide issue.

Ed: The real shock for me here is the fans are surprised. This is history repeating itself. Yes, it's a slightly worse case, but we all know this has happened before on a couple of occasions. Shameful at board level.

George: Brendan will definitely go, whether it's now or at end of season. And nobody can blame him. The tight money-punchers of a board are letting the club down. They take all but give little, is the way it looks at moment. We pay big money for season tickets and have to sit and bare it.

Gary: Embarrassing when a club the size of Celtic can't keep hold of their best players. And, even worse, they can't seem to replace them when they get sold on for profit. Lack of ambition at the top level and Brendan would be justified to leave his position this time.

James: Celtic have proven once again they are not a serious football club. I used to think it was because the board lacked ambition. More worryingly, it has become clear that they are also lacking the capability. Unfortunately, there will be no consequences. Nothing will change.

Charlie: Underwhelmed, disappointed, but not surprised. This is not progress, it's not even consolidation.

James: I think supporters should be told why the club is in the position it is at the moment. Does Rodgers have full control of signings? And if so, he must be held to account and explain why his big signings have not produced. There has to be more transparency between the board, manager, players and supporters.

Gordy: There is only one word - appalling. We have had the whole summer to look for replacements for the players we knew were leaving. It leaves the club in a ridiculous situation, where we have a fantastic support base, a fantastic stadium, and bang average manager (for not pushing the board for what he knew he needed). The board and recruitment team are shameful for leaving us in this predicament.

Stephen: The recruitment team, and board, have massively let down everyone associated with the club. The decision to let Idah leave, after starting the day knowing we needed to add options up front, beggars belief and feels like self sabotage. Embarrassed and disappointed to be a Celtic fan.

Benny: Where do you start? Ineptitude? Unlucky? No, it's mismanagement and arrogance from a board who have previous for this shambolic amateurism. The manager would be more than justified for walking away. Shameful and embarrassing are the only words to describe this window and others. I dread the Europa League upcoming ties with this squad.

Paul: We're in the same position every year; craving reinforcements that are ready for the starting XI. Instead, we get loans, past-it pros, and project players. The board are an embarrassment. They continually favour a great bank balance at the expense of a decent squad.