Brendan Rodgers has Celtic transfer plan that will spark fear as pundit spots 'frightening' proposition

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has been backed to attack next season with a cunning plan - and one that should give opponents the fear.

The Hoops boss has been left to ponder after losing out in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen on penalties. It is the first time he has lost in the competition across two spells and it is also the first time he has suffered defeat on Hampden soil, but it has still been a good season for his Hoops side.

They have won a Premiership and League Cup double, while they progressed out of the league phase in the Champions League, only to be knocked out in the knockout round play off against eventual German champions Bayern Munich. Neil Lennon, a club hero and former manager, was on punditry duties for Premier Sports at the cup final. He reckons Rodgers will look to strengthen the core of his team, and the fact they could yet improve should spark rival alarm bells.

Where Celtic could shop in summer transfer market

Lennon said: “The League Cup. The Champions League, they got an unbelievable performance against Bayern Munich away. We have seen the emergence of some new players, and I think he will freshen things up. They lost Kyogo in January, and obviously they didn’t spend on a striker.

“I think that will be at the foremost of Brendan’s mind. I think right through the team. The centre of the team. He will look to improve that area, and they might come back stronger next year, which is a frightening prospect for everybody else.”

One area of Celtic surprise for pundit

Michael Stewart was also covering the game for the broadcaster and was shocked by the decision to start Paulo Bernardo ahead of Luke McCowan. There’s an element of hindsight that needs applied but the pundit reckons that Aberdeen winning one of the major trophies is a good thing for Scottish football overall.

On why Celtic were off it against Aberdeen, the former midfielder added: “Perhaps the fact that the league was wrapped up a while ago. The intensity wasn’t there. They were missing some key players like Jota and Hatate, in particular. I still find it surprising that Bernardo plays ahead of McCowan. I said on commentary that I was predicting the three subs, but I thought Bernardo would have come off instead of Engels, but all of those things are in hindsight.

“With Celtic, you can look, you can criticise and almost micro-manage what’s happened. Brendan Rodgers is a hugely successful manager. He has done incredible things in the past, and I am sure he will in the future. It is hugely disappointing for Celtic, but the day goes to Aberdeen. For Scottish football, I think it is better that happens. Jimmy Thelin didn’t have to justify anything that happened because the result dictates that what he did was correct.”