Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter
Sebastian Tounekti earns a spot in my team of the week after an excellent Celtic debut.
The Tunisia winger was the best player against Kilmarnock for Brendan Rodgers' side.
Image source, SNSKelechi Iheanacho stole the headlines after his stoppage-time penalty secured a morale-boosting Celtic victory at Rugby Park on Sunday.
However, another Celtic debutant was the standout performer for Brendan Rodgers' side.
Sebastian Tounekti played with a freedom and drive that immediately endeared him to the travelling Celtic support.
The Tunisia winger created four chances, completed five dribbles and won six duels in the 88 minutes he was on the pitch.
He was unfortunate not to score or assist on his debut, also taking five shots and having 14 touches in the opposition box - the most of any player on either side.
Tounekti brought a spark to a Celtic forward line that has struggled to fire this season and his new manager was impressed.
"That's a Celtic-minded winger," Rodgers said post-match. "He was so exciting - he was so good for his first game.
"He's brilliant. He has that physicality and speed. He can do everything really and he plays with joy, which is what it is about and we've been looking for that quality."
Watch the highlights as Celtic's controversial late penalty snatched all three points against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.
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Image source, SNSCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers: "We had a lot of control in the game without creating so much in the first half.
"With the international break, there are a lot of new faces in the starting line-up, so the connection is not as fluid as we would like, but we were still comfortable in the game.
"Second half, we dominated the game and deservedly went in front with other opportunities.
"In the Celtic spirit, we kept going right to the end and I'm delighted for Kelechi Iheanacho to get the penalty. I know he thrives off confidence from his team-mates, manager and supporters.
"Delighted for the team, there's been so much noise, but we got out there and won.
"The new guys probably don't know the importance of a win here. It's not easy. The pitch, Kilmarnock are well-organised, there are some good players in there that make it difficult and a direct style.
"But we stood up to that and got the win. For us, it's controlling what we can control and we have the confidence to come through.
"It's still very early in the season. We've started well in the league with our four wins and a draw and we're only going to get better."
On debutant Sebastian Tounekti: "That's a Celtic-minded winger. He was so exciting - he was so good for his first game.
"He's brilliant. He has that physicality and speed. He can do everything really and he plays with joy, which is what it is about and we've been looking for that quality."
Image source, SNSBrendan Rodgers omitted chairman Peter Lawwell from his comments
Brendan Rodgers will only extend his contract as Celtic manager if real changes are made, podcaster Paul John Dykes believes.
The Northern Irishman said at Friday's pre-match media conference that he would "love to stay" with the Scottish champions beyond the end of contract next summer.
"I would be delighted if Rodgers could stay at the football club, but I do get a sense that he will only stay if changes happen behind the scenes," Dykes said.
"He's obviously deeply unhappy at many things that have gone on, but that for me is a great message to the fans.
"He is talking the fans' language, whereas the board members who have been highlighted by the fan groups are certainly on the other side of that fence."
Celtic issued a statement in reaction to a letter of protest from the fans over the club's summer transfer business and Dykes thinks it mirrors what happened at the end of Rodgers' first term as Celtic manager.
"That was dreadful last week and this obviously followed the fan letter, the open letter, then we get this insider telling tales out of school about Rodgers, not for the first time," he said.
"It happened first time round as well. Whether or not it's the same person, who knows, but it certainly did happen the last time.
"The press conference was one that Rodgers got an opportunity to respond to everything that's been happening, be that the statement from the club, the open letter from the fans.
"He chooses his words very, very wisely, doesn't he, and very carefully, and he talked up certain board members, and the ones that he topped up were, of course, Dermot Desmond, Michael Nicholson and Chris Mackay. So you can make of that what you will."
Image source, SNSBrendan Rodgers had expected more backing from Celtic's board
Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes believes the planned protest for Sunday's match against Kilmarnock, where fans will boycott the first 12 minutes of the game, is "not the only thing that's going to happen" as fans voice their disappointment at the Scottish champions' board.
Dykes says that, although one of the main issues is the lack of summer signings, the protest has been planned after a "lack of communication" with the club's support.
"It's a culmination of a number of issues over a number of years, really," Dykes said.
"When you look at the fact that we have failed to qualify in the Champions League seven out of nine times - five times in a row, in actual fact - and it's due to the fact that we're not prepared.
"We're never prepared going into these games. You should be buying players several transfer windows before the qualifier comes in. We were not prepared for it.
"A lot of the reaction to the defeat was around the fact that Celtic should have had enough to beat Kairat Almaty.
"The problem that we have with that is, seven months ago, we were competing and going toe-to-toe with Bayern Munich and, after that game, Brendan Rodgers told everybody in the press conferences what he needed.
"He needed quality, he needed people to come in and replace the players that we had lost. We're talking Kyogo Furuhashi here, we have since lost Jota through injury, and also Nicolas Kuhn.
"None of these players have been replaced and we lacked the quality we needed. He felt empty, the fan base felt empty, but Celtic's bank account certainly wasn't empty.
"The communication is virtually zero. It's inadequate - the communication between the football club and the fan base.
"This action on Sunday, this followed a survey amongst fans, which got around 40,000 responses, and also an open letter, which had over 420 fan groups. All the major affiliations and associations are on this letter.
"It's not knee-jerk. It's been planned out. This is a bold, visual and vocal protest. It's not the only thing that's going to happen, but it is a start."
Former Celtic director Brian Dempsey, who was pivotal in saving the Scottish champions in 1994, is saddened to see the current club hierarchy lose the goodwill of the fans and says there is an urgent need is to convince supporters they do have ambition. (Sunday Mail), external
Celtic face a battle to retain Brendan Rodgers beyond this season with clubs across England and Europe interested in the 52-year-old manager, who is well into the final year of his contract. (Football Insider), external
Former Celtic centre-half Gustaf Lagerbielke is at the centre of a bizarre episode after he was officially declared as a missing person by a Dutch council despite sealing a £2.5 m summer transfer to Braga in Portugal. (Sunday Mail), external
Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Image source, SNSBrian Dempsey helped attract major shareholder Dermot Desmond to Celtic
Image source, SNSCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed striker Kelechi Iheanacho will be ready to face Kilmarnock on Sunday and is capable of "special moments" for his new side.
The Nigeria international joined as a free agent after deadline day following his release from Sevilla.
"Yeah, he'll be available," said Rodgers, who managed the player at Leicester. "Kels was a player that trained every day and was always available. And he has real special moments in games.
"With the love he'll feel here, he can be a real exciting talent for us. And I really hope he does that because he's got big qualities and he's a good guy."
Rodgers has also said he understands the fans' frustrations ahead of their planned protest at Rugby Park but has urged everyone connected with the club to "become one".
The away fans are planning to boycott the opening 12 minutes in an attempt to make clear their anger towards the club's board.
"I can't tell them how to feel, I can't tell them what to do," said Rodgers.
"I understand the frustration, but I also know that the quicker we can become one and become together, that's where the strength lies in Celtic.
"Everyone together, fighting for the one cause, that's the real power of Celtic and I never want that to be broken, and for other people and clubs to look on us in any way other than together.
"Of course, there is that frustration but what makes this club unique is the passion and the commitment which will sometimes bring these things to the boil.
"But I'm pretty sure the guys behind the scenes on our board won't want this either and we hope we can find a solution that gets everyone reconnected again."
Image source, SNSKilmarnock have a couple of players to assess, but manager Stuart Kettlewell does not expect the numbers available for the game against Motherwell just before the international break to change.
New Celtic signings Sebastian Tounekti, the winger signed from Hammarby, and former Sevilla striker Kelechi Iheanacho are in contention for debuts, while Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney is expected to be fit after withdrawing from international duty with an injury.
But defenders Anthony Ralston, Auston Trusty and Alistair Johnston, plus winger Jota, miss out again.
Celtic have jumped to the front of the queue ahead of Hearts and plenty of other European clubs to land Kazakhstan winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek, the 22-year-old who plays for homeland club Yelimay Semey but is out of contract at the end of this year, according to reports in the former Soviet nation. (The Herald), external
Clubs interested in want-away Japan forward Daizen Maeda during the summer transfer window are likely to return in January, but Celtic cannot afford to lose the 27-year-old after missing out on a number of striking targets. (Football Insider), external
Celtic-linked Kasper Dolberg says it was an easy decision to choose a return to Ajax this summer from Anderlecht as the Dutch club will always be special to the 27-year-old striker. (De Telegraaf via The National), external
Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.
George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Premiership trip to Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Here are the best bits from his news conference:
Rodgers won't dwell on the transfer window now that it has closed, but wouldn't hide his disappointment at how it panned out: "We have to accept and take responsibility that the window wasn't what we wanted."
Rodgers insists he has never been more determined to succeed this season than now - "it's my duty".
Says he totally understands fan frustration because "we were all frustrated". Adds that supporters "keep us honest, they keep us driving and pushing".
The Northern Irishman says a similar failure in terms of transfers caused him to leave the club in 2019, but insists he won't walk out this time. On how he felt at the end of the window, Rodgers says: "It didn't make me think of walking way, I just felt empty, if I'm honest."
When asked about tensions between the Celtic board and supporters, Rodgers says only time will tell how that situation will play out: "I'm not here to answer those questions because they are not mine".
He has regular communication with Michael Nicholson and has "huge respect" for Dermot Desmond. Rodgers hopes a solution can be found for everyone to start pulling in the same direction again.
Rodgers thinks the club must assess how they communicate following the poorly-received statement put out after the transfer window - "the quality of your life is the quality of your communication," he adds.
On the briefing from within the club to a national newspaper that he was trying to manufacture an exit, Rodgers describes it as a "cowardly action", but says he isn't surprised by it.
He stresses the importance of being backed by the board - "with the weight I have on my shoulders, it's so important to feel supported" - and says he is "100%" open to staying beyond this season.
Rodgers says Adam Idah did not ask to leave the club and Celtic did not want to sell him without a proper replacement.
The manager describes free agent Kelechi Iheanacho as "robust" and with "genuine talent".
Winger Daizen Maeda asked to leave Celtic in February, but the club "weren't ready" to facilitate that in the summer.
Team news: Kieran Tierney has trained after dropping out of the Scotland squad and Iheanacho is available for a debut.
Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSKilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell insists his side will ignore "exterior noise" as Celtic fans plan to protest their dissatisfaction with the club's board this weekend at Rugby Park.
His side are still seeking a first Premiership win this season, having gone into the international break following four successive draws.
But as Celtic supporters enter the ground after the 12th minute, Kettlewell wants Killie to stay fully focused on on-field matters.
"There always seems to be some narrative surrounding Celtic and Rangers that people want to latch on to. I've seen it since I was a young child but I don't listen to it for a second," he said.
"Celtic are a top side. They've continued to win trophies time and time again, because of the standard they have set and they have continually raised the bar and been able to maintain it.
"The players know we're playing against the team that has set the bar for so many years and it's going to be a difficult day.
"I've seen it before with fans from other clubs but what people need to understand for my team, the focus will be solely on the job at hand.
"We won't listen to that exterior noise, so it doesn't become a factor.
"We have to do our job to the best of our ability and it's not something we will discuss as a football club."
Image source, SNSCeltic captain Callum McGregor says he understands the "discontent within the supporters" as fans prepare to demonstrate their anger following a disappointing summer transfer window and failure to reach the Champions League.
Supporters are planning to boycott the first 12 minutes of Sunday's trip to Kilmarnock in protest at the board, who are accused failing to do enough to help manager Brendan Rodgers strengthen his squad.
McGregor, a boyhood Celtic fan, said he did "not want to be dragged into the politics of it too much," but acknowledged how the supporters felt.
"I think it's unprecedented in recent times," said the 32-year-old midfielder.
"The sort of level of noise and discontent within the supporters, I can understand it. It's the supporters that make the club what it is. It's so special.
"They're putting their hard-earned money into the club so, of course, I understand that they want to see the best possible team on the pitch.
"Everybody in elite sport, the players, the supporters, we all want to be at the highest level possible every single year, and that is the demand of this club, so I do understand it.
"I sympathise with them a little bit on it because it's them who are spending the money and trying to support the team, etc, so my responsibility is to try and give them the best product on the pitch that we possibly can.
"My focus is on that and trying to bring them happiness through the football of the team."
McGregor will discuss the planned protests pre-match with team-mates on Saturday but doesn't want to "make it a bigger thing than it already is".
He added: "It's now important that we draw a line under what happened, the team now get back to functioning and attacking in the way that we want to do.
"I've got no doubt if we find a goal in the Champions League [to beat Kairat Almaty], it's not anywhere near as noisy as what it is. And that comes back on the team as well. We all have to take collective responsibility.
"I understand that the window probably didn't go the way that the club wanted, there were some targets that we didn't get, etc. And sometimes that's life, sometimes that happens.
"The important thing is there's an acknowledgement of it and there's an acknowledgement to try and do better the next time.
"That's all, as a captain, as a supporter, that you can hope for, is that people learn their lessons from mistakes, ie. players, coaches, managers, the board, etc. We all have to learn and get better."
Image source, SNSQuestions have been raised about whether Celtic's fan protest at Kilmarnock this weekend will have any effect.
Supporters will continue to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the club's board with a late entry protest after the 12th minute as many remain angry about the club's transfer window and failure to reach the Champions League.
Although 12 new signings were made, fans have been frustrated by the level of new recruits and the inability to replace some departed players.
Chants of "sack the board" have already been heard at Celtic Park, but football journalist Moira Gordon does not think the Celtic boardroom will care about fan protests.
"I don't think, especially short term, it will bother them too much," she told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"They have made their decision and they're stubborn about it. They feel they're running the club the best way the feel it should be done.
"Not turning up at games only hurts the players and the teams.
"For Celtic and Rangers, the big travelling support is one their major strengths week in, week out. It affects the players more than the boards.
"The boards care about still getting money in. If you start voting with your money or you keep your money from boardrooms, then they sit up and start making decisions.
"Is [major shareholder] Dermot Desmond sitting somewhere worrying that there's a few thousand seats empty at Rugby Park, and he's suddenly going to hold his hands up? That's not the sort of guy he is.
"I understand Celtic fans want to do it and have their opinions heard but I don't think it's going to make an impact."
