Brendan Rodgers appears fed up with Celtic. Celtic appear fed up with him.
Stands to cause, then, that dropping at Hearts this afternoon and slipping eight factors behind within the title race could be the right juncture at which to finish the stand-off between the supervisor and his board of administrators by sacking him. Doesn’t it?
It’s already taken as learn that Rodgers is destined for pastures new. That he’ll run down his contract and sail into the space on the finish of the season with the rancour that accompanied his determination to leap ship to Leicester Metropolis first time spherical lengthy forgotten and everybody parting as the perfect of mates. Or, not less than, pretending so.
That might be the cordial solution to do it. To let Rodgers be seen to be leaving on his personal phrases. To stop anybody having to withstand the uncomfortable enterprise of conceding that bringing him again for a second spell as the most costly head coach within the membership’s historical past — rise up, majority shareholder Dermot Desmond — didn’t actually ship as anticipated.
The one downside is that Celtic, in footballing phrases, have fallen off the face of a cliff since New 12 months and are in critical hazard of giving themselves a mountain to climb in a league competitors that ought to actually be a one-horse canter all the way in which down the hill to the ending line.
Hearts should be licking their lips on the prospect of welcoming Rodgers and Co to Gorgie at lunchtime. Derek McInnes’ males are on a roll and getting higher. They’re scoring targets from everywhere in the park whereas Celtic are struggling to attain in any respect.
Brendan Rodgers has worn the look of an more and more annoyed and sad supervisor of late
Disconsolate Celtic stars troop off the sphere following the embarrassing 2-0 loss at Dens Park
Rodgers is at a loss to fathom how his facet failed to return out on prime in opposition to Dundee
Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the guests, Kelechi Iheanacho is injured after 5 begins — as you would possibly anticipate from somebody who had barely performed for a yr earlier than arriving in a panic — and there are doubts over Daizen Maeda and Alistair Johnston.
The champions are there for the taking and there’s a cogent case to be made for placing a house win in your fastened odds coupon. Simply as there’s a cogent case to be made for placing Rodgers out of his distress ought to all of it go belly-up.
That Celtic’s squad is in such a state that there are actual conversations happening about Johnny Kenny beginning at centre-forward and possibly even Dane Murray taking part in at centre-back is on no account to be laid purely on the toes of Rodgers.
The board, led by CEO Michael Nicholson, made a large number of the switch window simply gone. It’s a shame that Kyogo Furuhashi has by no means been adequately changed at centre-forward and unforgivable that reinforcements prepared for first-team motion didn’t arrive earlier than that calamitous Champions League play-off loss to Kairat Almaty.
The administrators are totally deserving of the warmth being positioned on them by a mutinous fan base.
Nevertheless, just because these within the boardroom have didn’t translate money within the financial institution to development on the pitch, that doesn’t imply Rodgers can get away scot-free. Removed from it. Certainly, you possibly can make an argument that the explanation these upstairs had been reluctant to begin chucking round cash like confetti once more in the course of the summer season is that they’d reached a degree the place they didn’t know whether or not Rodgers could possibly be trusted with it any longer.
Celtic finance chief Michael Nicholson should shoulder a variety of the blame for the membership’s decline
Over the course of final time period, virtually £40million was spent on Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo and Jota. Engels is now extra sub than starter, Trusty can’t get Liam Scales out of the group, Idah’s been punted at a loss and Bernardo is a bit-part participant.
Jota is, admittedly, injured, however he seemed a shadow of himself after coming back from Rennes. Kieran Tierney, in fact, was additionally tied up on a pre-contract again in January and that five-year deal on large wages is trying increasingly like a questionable vainness challenge than a market masterstroke.
Simply take into account the dearth of debate across the final Scotland double-header over what must be executed about him and Andy Robertson vying for the left-back slot. Robertson began, Steve Clarke performed a again 4, Tierney was benched. No arguments.
It was basic case of shutting the door after the horse had bolted, admittedly, however £10m was additionally spent following the Kairat humiliation on two left-wingers in Seb Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Balikwisha, in fact, can not get a begin.
Rodgers will little question wish to strengthen once more in January. Right here’s a query to chew over, although. Why finance extra everlasting offers within the winter window when the supervisor appears like he’s off? If something, bringing in a brand new man and reshaping a desperately stale operation alongside the strains of his imaginative and prescient may be a better long-term transfer.
Kieran Tierney has didn’t hit the heights anticipated of him on his return to Celtic
In fact, below Rodgers and the lesser-spotted Paul Tisdale, head of soccer operations, we at the moment are at a degree the place it has develop into inconceivable to know what Celtic’s switch technique is in any respect.
It’s equally tough to element simply how unhealthy the soccer has develop into. Celtic are fortunate to be simply 5 factors off the highest. Have been it not for a last-gasp penalty at Kilmarnock – the sort of penalty that SFA refereeing chief Willie Collum has stated he by no means desires to see given once more — the Parkhead outfit could be seven adrift.
The 0-0 draw at Ibrox was simply the newest failure in opposition to a Rangers facet steeped in everlasting disaster. Within the first derby of 2025, Rodgers’ males copped a three-goal thwacking in Govan earlier than dropping 3-2 at residence to Ibrox caretaker boss Barry Ferguson in March.
Put merely, Rodgers doesn’t beat Rangers any extra. He doesn’t win many massive video games in any respect. Reference the stunning shoot-out loss to Aberdeen within the Scottish Cup last.
His facet didn’t flip up — and their failings have solely heightened since summer season. Rodgers rejoined Celtic to rebuild the membership in Europe. As it’s, he’ll be leaving within the wake of recording their worst-ever end in that area.
Within the league, it has taken late targets to beat St Mirren and Motherwell. The goalless residence draw with Hibs raised many crimson flags. Final weekend’s 2-0 loss at Dundee was unforgivable.
McInnes and Rodgers sq. off at present in a match that may have large significance on title race
Rodgers, in the meantime, carries on making his displeasure over switch exercise felt, like a caught file. It got here to a head at Dens when he stated he was being requested to drive a Ferrari when given the keys to a Honda Civic. His suggestion since that he aimed the comment at his gamers doesn’t wash.
The Irishman has lengthy been clear over his unhappiness relating to signings. He can’t again down now. And that’s high quality, but it surely’s a dangerous technique to function, significantly when you’re not delivering outcomes in opposition to opposition with a fraction of your wage invoice.
In most walks of life, having a go at your bosses in public would have you ever in line for the tin tack. There’s already been one report with a supply contained in the membership stating Rodgers’ remarks over summer season dealings had been tearing the place aside. A penny for his or her ideas after the Honda Civic analogy.
Certain, the intelligent cash would recommend the board gained’t wield the axe ought to this failing group slide deeper into the mire at Tynecastle. It might go away Desmond with egg on his face after attractive Rodgers again and put Nicholson and his cohorts below better warmth.
That doesn’t imply it shouldn’t occur, although. If it was anybody else, given the way in which the group is treading water and outcomes are on a downward development, a Gorgie gubbing would absolutely make it a fait accompli.
