BRENDAN RODGERS DEPARTS: WHAT NEXT FOR CELTIC?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
I said last night that I believed Brendan Rodgers had a week to save his Celtic job.
It turns out, by the time I wrote that, the decision had, in all likelihood already been made.
I awoke at 8am Japan time, about 90 minutes after the official announcement, and honestly, it’s only now, about 2 hours later that I actually feel ready to write about it.
Shock, disappointment, but also a morbid kind of excitement for what comes next. I’ve been through all these emotions and more in the last couple of hours.
Martin O’Neill Returns as Brendan Rodgers Replacement Search Begins
So far, we know that our legendary manager of the early 2000s, Martin O’Neill will return to take temporary charge alongside Shaun Maloney for the next few games.
I’d expect a new manager to be in place by the conclusion of the international break next month.
Bookmakers are already speculating on potential replacements. Former boss Ange Postecoglou is the odds-on favorite at the time of writing, though personally I think this is unlikely. I’d love to see Ange back at Celtic, but I honestly don’t see how it could happen.
It appeared Ange encountered similar issues towards the end of his Celtic tenure as Rodgers did this past summer. The ambitions of the manager were not matched by those in charge of the finances.
There is no sign that the same boardroom culture which led to Ange pursuing the opportunity of managing in the EPL and has now pushed Brendan Rodgers to resign twice, is going to change anytime soon.
Frankly, I think we’ll struggle to attract any manager of a high caliber with the obvious and continuous boardroom interference in the day-to-day management of the club.
Celtic now join the likes of Spurs, Nottingham Forest and, dare I say it, Rangers. Corporate basket cases, masquerading as football clubs.
Celtic’s corporate culture is toxic, the board’s indifference to fan concerns, the constant pushing of merchandise, despite an ongoing cost of living crisis, right down to the exceptionally poor management of our media and communications.
It all stems from the very top. Brendan Rodgers is just the latest victim of a culture that has driven far too many good staff from all departments of Celtic, footballing and elsewhere.
Now, have Celtic been good to watch recently? No.
Do I believe the manager was to blame in large part for this? Yes.
So, I think a parting of the ways was inevitable. But now, when we play Rangers in a Cup semi-final in 5 days, we’re now 8 points off the top of the league, the timing could barely have been worse.
If the laundry list of concerns that the Celtic Board supposedly had with Brendan Rodgers’ conduct was true, the smart thing to do would have been to change managers in the summer, and give a new boss time to make their impression and the signings they want.
Personally, whilst I have been critical of Rodgers’ ego and obstinance, especially in recent days, I do not think for one second that the utter slander that’s been levelled at him today is true. He gave Celtic years of his life. I am just sad that it ended this way, with such acrimony.
So good luck Brendan, and thank you for all the great memories and trophies.
As for Dermot Desmond and the Celtic Board. Well, I’ll have a lot more to share about them shortly...