BRENDAN RODGERS AWARD SNUB: DOMINANCE IS NORMALIZED
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- May 8
- 2 min read
I’ve read quite a few angry comments regarding the winner of this year’s PFA Manager of the year award, so I thought I would share some thoughts.
First off, congratulations to John McGlynn. Falkirk have had a great season. I’ve gone on record on multiple occasions saying that his team produced one of the most entertaining displays by any visiting team at Celtic Park this season, in our League Cup clash.
He and his team will be a welcome addition and hopefully provide a much-needed breath of fresh air for an increasingly stale Scottish Premiership.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room.
What Exactly Does Brendan Rodgers Have to Do to Win The PFA Award?
Naturally, I understand the frustration of many of my fellow Celtic fans when we examine this question.
Celtic have won the League Cup, the League and are one game away from a potential treble.
So, it is absolutely possible that Celtic’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, could win every domestic trophy he has contested this season, as well as reach the knock-out phase of the Champions League, and still not win manager of the year.
In most circumstances, that would be utterly ridiculous. At most ordinary teams. a manger who wins every national competition his team enters should be an automatic choice.
However, Celtic are no ordinary team. Our level of dominance is unlike most in World football.
However, unlike certain historic, now deceased, clubs from the 1990s, this dominance is entirely earned by sporting merit on the pitch and shrewd, but entirely legal, business acumen off of it.
I don’t view Brendan Rodgers being passed over for the PFA manager’s award as a snub. Rather I think it’s all about levels.
Celtic are on the brink of an unprecedented 9th domestic treble. And most fans will, perhaps unfairly, view this as a disappointing season if we don’t wrap up the treble.
That is the standard at Celtic now though. To paraphrase the great Martin O’Neill, we’ve reached a point where dominance of this degree is our “benchmark”.
There’s a fine line between expectation and arrogance. But I think for most people outside the Celtic Support in Scottish football, Celtic winning almost every trophy on offer is now an expectation.
So, I won’t be getting angry about this award. I’m sure Brendan Rodgers won’t either.
We’ve got a treble to win. Before that, we’ve still got a few league games to navigate, with a squad that needs rotating. Brendan Rodgers will be completely focused on that.
Our manager and our players are too busy collecting trophies to worry about validation from the PFA or any other external body.
