Brendan Rodgers says he needs new blood after Celtic booed off

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted it was clear they need to bring in new signings to improve the team after a goalless home draw with St Johnstone.

The hosts failed to score in consecutive domestic games for the first time since May 2018 in another flat display following their 1-0 defeat in the Viaplay Cup at Kilmarnock. It allowed Rangers to cut their deficit on the cinch Premiership champions to a point before next Sunday's Ibrox derby.

Matt O'Riley forced a hat-trick of impressive stops from Dimitar Mitov, but Celtic largely struggled to test the Saints goalkeeper and Joe Hart pulled off excellent second-half saves from debutant Dara Costelloe and substitute Stevie May.

Rodgers pinpointed the performance of summer signing Yang Hyun-jun as one of the positives alongside the return of Alistair Johnston, but he admitted they deserved to be booed off.

Swedish centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke was the only other summer arrival to start and Rodgers is looking for new players ahead of Friday's deadline that can hit the ground running after the club signed largely inexperienced players since his arrival.

When asked if he expected incomings, Rodgers said: "Hopefully. I think it's clear... I have said before we have improved the squad with some of the players we have brought in, but we have lost starters. So we need to improve the team.

"And it's always a challenge coming off the back of a season where you have won the treble.

"You have got to go again the following season where there is a greater expectation on you and more pressure.

"The fans will expect and rightly so. They were disappointed after the game and I am fully aware that if you draw at home to St Johnstone you deserve that bit of stick.

"There's no numbers. I