Even when it turned clear that his tenure as Celtic supervisor was coming to an finish, Brendan Rodgers actually didn’t undergo from a scarcity of self-confidence.
Daring and brash to the purpose he would have given David Brent a run for his cash, Rodgers remained the president and chief spokesperson of his personal fan membership proper till the very finish.
After being questioned about his now notorious Honda Civic analogy and whether or not he had any regrets, Rodgers doubled down on it previous to the Europa League recreation towards Sturm Graz a fortnight in the past.
‘If I take a look at my very own type as a coach, I might say I’m a transformational coach, it’s a transformational type,’ he claimed. ‘I believe I can come right into a membership and train and encourage and encourage gamers.’
Although outcomes and performances had fallen off a cliff, it was clear that Rodgers nonetheless maintained a particularly excessive opinion of himself and was stuffed with his personal self-importance.
This sort of bluster was not unusual all through his time in Glasgow. As his previous yarn about assembly a Rangers fan within the Clyde Tunnel made clear, Rodgers would eat himself if he have been fabricated from chocolate.
Brendan Rodgers thought of himself a ‘transformational’ coach however his Celtic facet stagnated
Younger striker Callum Osmand arrived beneath Rodgers’ watch however wasn’t given an opportunity to shine
Martin O’Neill recorded two wins within the house of 5 days with the identical squad of gamers
However, as was the case with a lot of what he mentioned previous to his departure final week, his claims about being a ‘transformational’ coach weren’t mirrored in actuality.
In Johnny Kenny and Callum Osmand, Celtic had two younger strikers on their books whom Rodgers clearly simply didn’t fancy.
The truth that Kenny and Osmand have now been given a brand new lease of life beneath Martin O’Neill, with each gamers scoring within the victory over Rangers on Sunday, is a fairly damning indictment of Rodgers.
Kenny was signed from Sligo Rovers again in January 2022. A uncooked and unproven 18-year-old on the time, he was a participant whom Celtic hoped to develop sooner or later.
Subsequent mortgage spells at Queen’s Park and Shamrock Rovers have been to comply with. These have been seen as needed steps to realize extra publicity to first-team soccer.
After scoring 20 targets in 39 matches in a productive spell for the Irish membership final 12 months, it appeared like Kenny was able to push for first-team soccer when he returned to Glasgow again in January.
But, nonetheless, there was a reluctance from Rodgers. Even accounting for the lack of Kyogo Furuhashi, it was Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah who remained the popular choices up entrance.
Kenny was restricted to just one begin and eight substitute appearances throughout the second half of final season. His recreation time didn’t enhance an enormous quantity within the present marketing campaign.
Rodgers failed to offer Johnny Kenny a run of video games even after the sale of Kyogo Furuhashi
Previous to Rodgers leaving Celtic final week, Kenny had solely made two begins and 5 appearances from the bench this season.
Placing it extra bluntly, he was a final resort when no different striker was out there.
He signed a brand new long-term take care of the membership and Rodgers spoke of how he might be a ‘main asset’ in future. However, at 22, Kenny was not a child.
He was not Celtic’s future. He was their current. He simply wanted an opportunity to point out it.
Nobody is arguing that he’s instantly going to show into a chief Henrik Larsson. However he has already proven sufficient in two video games beneath O’Neill to recommend he can add worth and depth to Celtic’s squad.
Kenny scored twice within the 4-0 win over Falkirk final week, earlier than following that by netting the opening purpose towards Rangers at Hampden on Sunday.
If he had respectable trigger to really feel under-used by Rodgers, then that will apply tenfold to Osmand. Signed from Fulham in the summertime, the 19-year-old didn’t play a single minute of soccer beneath Rodgers.
Osmand had been consigned to enjoying for the B crew, typically not even making it into the senior squad in any respect on matchdays, earlier than coming off the bench to make his debut towards Falkirk.
One other substitute look was to comply with towards Rangers and, in a full of life and productive show, the pacy striker scored Celtic’s third purpose in extra-time to wrap up the victory.
It begged the query. Given Celtic’s apparent issues up entrance, why was Rodgers so reluctant to play each Kenny and Osmand?
If he was such a transformational and developmental coach as he claimed, why have been these two gifted younger forwards successfully dismissed as being of no use?
Kenny took his probability by scoring two targets towards Falkirk in O’Neill’s first match in cost
Rodgers is being rapidly forgotten by Celtic followers given the crew’s upturn in performances
Did Rodgers really feel that utilizing these two gamers extra continuously would really vindicate the board’s determination to not furnish him with a brand new multi-million-pound striker in the summertime?
By intentionally limiting the involvement of two younger forwards who clearly have one thing to supply, was he slicing his nostril off to spite his face?
Solely he’ll actually know the reply to that. However one factor is for certain. It has already change into very clear that Rodgers was a far larger a part of the issue at Celtic this season than anybody ever realised.
Maybe the nice success of O’Neill’s brief reign up to now is that he’s getting a significantly better tune out of the identical group of gamers who had appeared so stagnant beneath the earlier regime.
The gamers seem like they’ve a larger sense of freedom and confidence. They’re enjoying the ball ahead a lot faster and look all the higher for doing so.
Particularly within the first half on Sunday, Celtic’s vitality and aggression unsettled Rangers. Kenny gave John Souttar and Nasser Djiga the runaround, as did Osmand when he got here off the bench.
On the affect of O’Neill, Osmand mentioned: ‘He mentioned he thinks very extremely of me and that offers you the increase you want.
‘Martin has simply given me the idea and the belief. It solely takes one individual to consider in you and hopefully that is simply the beginning for me.
‘That is the craziest day for my life ever, this received’t be overwhelmed, it’s the perfect day of my life.’
Osmand slides in to have the ultimate say within the Premier Sports activities Cup semi-final towards Rangers
In the meantime, O’Neill mentioned of the younger striker who was making solely his second look in senior soccer: ‘I didn’t know something about him till Monday, however I believed he was wonderful.
‘He needs to get a few DVDs of Henrik [Larsson]… that will assist. However he’s acquired loads of confidence, I’m delighted for the younger man.’
There’s something counter-intuitive about all of it within the sense that it’s the grizzled previous managerial warhorse who is definitely getting the younger gamers onside, moderately than the extra fashionable progressive coach in Rodgers.
Usually it’s the opposite method round. However in Kenny and Osmand, O’Neill might have helped Celtic uncover a few tough diamonds.
It’s far too early to say with any certainty whether or not both of them might be the reply long-term. However, together with Daizen Maeda and Kelechi Iheanacho when he returns to health, Celtic instantly have choices up entrance.
Kenny and Osmand got a possibility and have grabbed it with each arms. After being confined to the shadows beneath Rodgers, they already look the half in rather more outstanding roles beneath O’Neill.
