Was Brendan Rodgers the last vestige of hope for Celtic? After today, it appears as if that may now be in doubt…
Eric Knott 
(reuters.com,2025:newsml)
There comes a point at any football club where the manager is either the solution to the problem at the club, or he’s part of the problem at the club. Today, Brendan Rodgers became a part of the problem.
For a long time now amidst this shambles at Celtic, we’ve been convinced that Brendan Rodgers was our last vestige of hope.
The solution to our footballing problems at least, regardless of everything else that is wrong with the club.
After this afternoon’s performance at Dens Park, maybe its time to take stock?
The below doesn’t make for particularly nice reading, but the facts are the facts:
Brendan Rodgers in 2025:
- Lost the Treble to Aberdeen
- Lost Champions League qualifier to Kairat
- 5 points behind Hearts in the league
- Hasn’t beaten one of the poorest Rangers side
- Team looks devoid of all drive & direction
Has Brendan Rodgers now become part of the problem?
I think on reflection, and looking at today’s result against Dundee, you’d have to say that while he has been dealt a shit hand by the board, he should still be able to get a tune out of the players he has.
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about Brendan Rodgers’ tactical inflexibility.
I naively thought that after the international break, he might try to change things slightly in that regard.
I guess after seeing what I witnessed today, I was naive in the extreme.
However, having stated all of what I’ve stated above, I’m still not willing to hit the panic button just yet.
We all know that Rodgers has it in him to turn this around.
The mystery right now is what it is exactly that’s preventing him from doing that?
In the blink of an eye, this week has turned into a pivotal week for Rodgers.
There’s no doubt he has it in his locker to get a result against Hearts next Sunday, but if he doesn’t, then where does that leave him?
Sadly for him, falling 8 points behind Derek McInnes’ side plays right into the Board’s hands.
Fall further than 8 points behind them next Sunday, and they have the perfect excuse.
If that happens, they once again get off the hook.
That will be just another example of the incredible luck that they seem to experience.
All of the board apologists out there will jump on the bandwagon and tell us that our genius board was playing the “long game” all along.
They’ll tell us that they knew Rodgers was a busted flush the whole time, and that all they were waiting for was him to prove them right.
Brendan Rodgers himself is surely smart enough to know this, though?
Which, to a degree, is why In think he’ll get his shit together next weekend.
He might just inflict a devastating blow on Hearts at Tynecastle.
But if he does, will Hearts then implode just like Aberdeen did after the League Cup semi-final thrashing last year?
I’d have my doubts.
I think that Derek McInnes is a wily campaigner now when it comes to the Scottish game.
He’s been around a long time now, and maybe, just maybe, he’s coming of age at Hearts?
There is no challenge from Ibrox.
Rumours are abound now that Kevin Muscat is on the verge of pulling out of becoming their next manager.
And who could blame him?
They have their fans to thank for the fact that nobody wants to manage them.
That club is in freefall.
But Hearts are not.
We will find out by this day week if they really are a credible threat.
And if Brendan Rodgers is still a credible Celtic manager.
Its up to him to prove to us that he is.
But maybe he needs to prove it to himself more than he does to us?
I guess we’ll find out just how much next Sunday.
Not a Rodgers fan or a board sympathiser just remember this, after the Bayern game we probably only needed 3 additions to the squad to take us forward, what did we get 3 players offloaded to the tune of around 70 goals no immediate replacements then a couple of left wingers and a out of contract cf who to be fair is not prolific in front of goal and people are surprised we are were we are. Wake up and smell the coffee whether we should be doing better domestically or not the board have put us in this position nobody else, been there far too long.
I don’t see how Brendan can turn things round . If this continues the board gets their way and replaces him with a yes man and the pr machine will be in full flow from the board and they turn all the blame they were getting onto Brendan and the continuation of their nice fat bonuses
This article brings to mind the song …
Me and my imagination.
Rodgers has been very lucky in his career but everything he and his players do now in every game is totally predictable. He should do the decent thing now and walk away.
And what was all the clapping about?
Mind you, all the childish antics that held up the start didn’t help the morale of the players much.
Yang and Maeda were almost out the door how many signings are his. Players not replaced and a summer of betrayal and back stabbing by the board. Don’t even mention the boards complete incompetence in the transfer market and we expect the team to be flying 😞
If Maeda doesn’t miss the sitter in the last minute at Ibrox we win.
If Maeda doesn’t miss a very similar sitter at hampden in the last minutes we win a treble.
If Maeda doesn’t miss a similar sitter again we win at home against Kairat we win.
If Maeda doesn’t again miss similar sitter as the previous ones we win in Kairat and are in the champions league.
If the board who sold our striker a couple of weeks before our biggest game of the season against Bayern and got a decent replacement Maeda isn’t there to miss the sitters.
(The sitters where very similar clean through on the keeper)
If our board replace the 3 players that gave us 60/70 goals last year the highest goal scoring season in our history we’re not where we are just now playing flat football that even the manager is raging at.
I’ve skipped through comments and the article, perhaps that’s my failing, however, if we (Celtic) want to improve change is needed, if we want to sign targets, change is needed, if we want The Celtic brand enhanced change and improvement is needed.
I used to study and learn my Irish folk songs back in the early nineties. When I was 14, I’d practice with my gran. A Scottish Catholic immigrant from Donegal. My dad died when I was 17. The main memory I have is knocking back the opportunity to attend the ’88 cup final because me and my wee brother wanted to play football at 12 and 10 at the local park (Langloan) we were good and we wanted to play older boys to see just how good we were – fast forward what 15 year little did I know that a financially enhanced Rangers team were fucking us over. In 1994 I used to spend £1500 following Celtic and for what – a fixed game. The huns had it sewn up. This means we should always lord it over these cheating fucks. After all, if sportsmanship is true the best team should always win not the financially doped team.
Brendan is possibly not quite the great manager he gets credit for. He has been managing in a very poor league. I know will agree Eric as you have denied that this board deserve no credit for being successful since it is such a poor league .
Today in a petty rant Rodgers
threw the players under the bus and I quote”the club are only giving a Honda Civic.
Can you believe it. He is managing in a league where the opponents are getting Mopeds and they are beating him.
Things are not healthy around the Bhoys right now. Negative vibes emanating from the Board situation, fan demos at the games,entitled fans and a manager speaking without putting his brain in gear.
I mentioned the poor tactical approach in a post months ago, the style of play was abysmal and will soon get caught out for its lack of creativity… Yesterday was the sharpest insight of that. It’s too easy to play against if you have dogged and willing runners – you don’t even need much in the way of skill or technical ability. The predictability and reliance on a central pivot is there to see – just chase it down and counter, overwhelm the space, particularly at set pieces. Job done. The fall in tempo and creative spark has been quick as seasons go. Would Ange come back?
Funny how the ladies Celtic team manager has come and said every other team in the women’s league are spending money to get better bar ? You got it Celtic is that her fault and Brendan’s?