Brendan Fraudgers!

Exactly, Murty mustve pished himself laughing with that decision, probably thought 'hah, owned again'.

 

BRENDAN Rodgers has declared 2017 to have been the best year of his managerial career, and it's hard to argue. After all, over the last 12 months he saw his Celtic side secure a domestic treble while extend a record-breaking unbeaten domestic run to a staggering 69 games. Given that haul, it's perhaps not a surprise.

Yet, in what is the season of giving, it's planting smiles on the Celtic masses that has Rodgers most content going into what he hopes will be a prosperous 2018. In particular, a certain OAP who has taken the Northern Irishman and his players to heart.

“This has been the best. I had some brilliant moments," reflected the Celtic manager, who is set to take his side to Dubai in the coming days to recharge the batteries. “I think of the half year I had at Watford when they thought we were down for relegation then we transformed the way they played.

“My biggest pleasure is seeing the happiness in people. People will talk at New Year about the big moments. I have two things that spring to mind. One is seeing the happiness of the people when we’ve played well and won.

“But the biggest is probably an old lady Patsy, who is in her 70s. She stands outside our hotel for every game we play whether it’s raining, whether it’s snowing, covered up with Celtic gear. She wears her Brendan hat, her Brendan scarf. Her son came up to me not so long ago and said ‘Thank you so much, you’ve given her a new lease of life’. That makes me as happy as picking up a trophy.

“If you can do that to people and help them, and make them happy, then that makes me happy.

“I had a brilliant time in Swansea, it was amazing what we did there to get them to be the first Welsh team in the Premier League. Liverpool’s charge for the title was incredible and really enjoyable. But here, 2017, I’m at a club where I still pinch myself at times.

“We were training before we went to Dundeeat Christmas day and I’m standing in the centre circle looking at Celtic Football Club and it still takes me back when I look at it.

“It’s been an amazing year, so to bring joy and a winning mentality to it makes it even more special.

“When I’m 60 odd and sitting in Majorca we can think about it!”

While it remains to be seen if business will be done soon enough in the window for players to join Celtic at their plush UAE base as those back in Scotland go sledging, Rodgers is open about his desire to add freshness to his squad next month.

St Mirren's Lewis Morgan seems set to sign - although it's understood he will be staying in Paisley for the foreseeable future - but the Parkhead manager says he will bring in players for the long term, and not simply those who will be eligible to play against Zenit St Petersburg in February's Europa League meeting, a tie new defender Marvin Compper is ineligible for.

He said: "There’s some more to come in, we want to strengthen of course. It’s not about numbers, it’s about getting the right people in.

"I’m not blinkered that we bring players in on January just for that game. Your thinking, of course, has to be over a period of time. We want to be successful and do well in that tie, but whenever you are asking a player to come it’s not just for that game. There has to be a project in place.I hope to be able to do that."

 

Ntcham should have started. dont care who he replaces wether its Armstrong or McGregor. probably Armstrong cause at least McGregor is commited while Armstrong will be after teh first deal south in the Summer.

Lustig is finished, he cant bomb down a wing like Tierney cause his knees are pretty much kackered, he hits the first man with the ball everytime. Need a new RB in january if we're not gonna play Gamboa.

Griffiths has playe din the last 2 games against sevco and scored in both of them, he was the last striker to score a goal for us and yet is dropped for this one. we need a consistant striker, Rodgers. pick one and stick with him please. its no wonder none of them are in any kind of form.

Ajer and Brown did good.

hope this winter breaks helps guys like Sinclair and Tierney to recover since their form has dipped badly.

we've not won 4 league games in a row this season yet and that's shocking after 22 games.
really annoyed that Murty has brought this mob to Celtic Park twice and got a draw when he aint even a proper manager.

 

When McGregor and Armstrong are on the park these days we don't win any battles in midfield, Defo think Armstrong should be punted in January he's went from my favourite player to the most annoying for me

 

Shows the difference of we we are now compared to the dead mutant *. A draw feels almost like a defeat and for them, their delusion shows no boundaries. They are a couple of signings away from being in the champions league.

Couple more signings, couple of weeks to recharge their batteries and we'll get back in our stride for 2018.

In Rodgers we trust.

HH

 

I’m over yesterday, we were poor, lacked energy and imagination..

We recharge and move on with a few new additions in Jan, hopefully.

 

94 seconds of my life I’ll never get back.

 

He needs to take responsibility when we drop points and get beat in Europe. I haven’t seen him do it.

Every time a side uses high press intense play against us we struggle to break it down and take the game into our own tempo (Hearts away, Anderlect home and the Huns home)

 

When teams press us high we struggle and don't seem to know how to change to combat it obviously something to be worked on during the winter break, sometimes very frustrating the way we spend so much time playing it round the back allowing teams to settle in to defend and make it harder to break through.

 

Dmac we have played this way since br came in ,its pivotal in how he wants to play ,it pulls oposition players out of position ,we have just took a few sore ones and confidence and trust in your team mates drops along with tiredness ,that's the reason teams get closer .

 

Cant help thinking a sutton in midfield would be another solution to a high press against us as well as trusted cb's who can take the ball to feet and carry it forward ,but gordon is a good keeper who has weakneses ,slow decission making ,gets beat at his near post and kicking and comanding his area ,could do better ,pulls of saves most can only dream of.

 

From a distance, Agathe believes Brendan Rodgers is more in keeping with the style of O'Neill.

The Frenchman said: “Brendan is a guy I love. I like his attacking style of play, and he loves his team to create chances and play proper football.

“I met him at a charity game, and he embraced me to say he’d been a Celtic fan since he was little. He is the sort of person who should manage the club.

"When you feel love for the club you are going to do a good job."

 

“But the biggest is probably an old lady Patsy, who is in her 70s. She stands outside our hotel for every game we play whether it’s raining, whether it’s snowing, covered up with Celtic gear. She wears her Brendan hat, her Brendan scarf. Her son came up to me not so long ago and said ‘Thank you so much, you’ve given her a new lease of life’. That makes me as happy as picking up a trophy.

 

This is the first big test for Brendan at Celtic.
For the first time, I find myself questioning some of his decisions

I don't get why Ntcham isn't automatic first choice and why McGregor is never dropped despite recent poor form.
Armstrong should also be well ahead of McGregor in pecking order.

Sinclair should be shown the faith in keeping with being Scotlands player of the year and current top scorer - Rogers is too fast to sub or drop him and it's affecting his fragile confidence.
You can see when he does something positive in a game he grows in confidence - that needs to be nurtured not knocked by continual substitutions.

The strikers are being over rotated and also losing confidence through stop/start selections.
Pick one and stick with him for majority of games. Dembele is the only logical first choice (if he stays)

The centre half issues and lack of signings are already well documented.

The other issue is that both the players and the manager have relaxed (subconsciously?) from last season.
This has led to lack of movement, less closing down and lower drive/fitness in general which we are now struggling to get back. Especially v Anderlecht.
Hopefully the rest in Dubai will do us the world of good.

Don't get me wrong, we are still in good shape but have dropped a level.
I hope and expect Brendan will get us back to top level performances soon.

 

Last season was huge for us.....and the undefeated run would have put a lot of mental strain on the players. A dip in form was to be expected at some point. We are still clear at the top of the league. This break will do Brendan and the Bhoys the world of good.....I'm full of hope and well looking forward to the rest of the season. It's great to be Tim!

 

ok lets put my point about everything so far * brilliant and keep it the * up.i do have a drink in me i also have a 6 year old that says DRINK better than father jack and a 13 year old that loves vines chipolte is my life however its * spelt. anyway onwards and upwards keep * winning everyone will be happy oh wait we are scottish doom i said doom hahaha.

 

Macca's response to Stoke job for BR made me laugh and proud....Good Man Macca you obviously understand after your recent visit to Paradise and chat with Brendan what is happening up here

 

BRENDAN RODGERS has praised the benefit of the Scottish winter break as his team prepare to get to work in the Dubai sunshine.

The Celtic players have been out in the United Arab Emirates with their families but are now turning their attention to a training camp in a bid to recharge and refocus before the second part of the season commences.

It was a jaunt which proved beneficial to the SPFL Premiership leaders last season, who returned from the middle east revitalised enough to secure a sixth league title while have enough gas in the tank to squeak by Aberdeen at the death in the Scottish Cup final.

For the Celtic manager, it’s more of the same this time around.

“From throwing snowballs to working in the heat,” joked Rodgers.

“It’s work. If you see any of the sessions out there, the players are doing a lot of work. But it gives us a chance to reset and get in some really good coaching.

“That was the benefit of last year. Think where we’re at now. The Rangers game was our 38th game. Up here and down south that’s a season. Someone pointed out to me I had 96 games as manager of Swansea City. The Rangers game was my 97th game as Celtic manager in a lot less time.

“The Rangers game brought to an end an incredible year. An iconic year for the club. The trip away allows us to go and reflect as staff but also to impose some of our ways, especially our defending principles.

“Not just in football life but in normal life the old Vitamin D cheers you up. When you live in Glasgow it’s like 50 shades of grey up here – it’s just about which grey you get!

“It breaks the cycle and it’s nice. The players will have had a week with their families to do what they want and relax.

“Then we get into that second week where they work really hard and it gives us a chance to eat together in a different climate.”

While those south of the border are forced to play on through the winter frost and rain, Rodgers is a big fan of the break which he not only believes comes at the right time for players but punters as well.

“Everyone will tell you in normal life if you have a break from what you do on a daily basis you go back re-energised and refocused,” he said. “For me variety is important. It’s one of the great things up here.

“It’s my second season, my second mid-season break. It’s vital for clubs like ourselves. It’s unfortunate for the guys in the Championship they don’t have one but I understand there’s a financial aspect to it there.

“But from a financial perspective for supporters I think it’s important. They come out of it for a period. Think of the poverty in Scotland, as far as economics go it’s tough for lots of people.

“Thankfully we have a lot of working-class people who are still supporters here. It gives them a bit of respite for three weeks in what can be a very difficult month financially. It might not be great for clubs because they need the money but people need money too.

“If they can get a respite from that it gives them a breather too. So across the board it really helps.”

Only just in January and Celtic already stand at 38 competitive games this season. When those south of the border criticise our league and perhaps the performances of our representative in this year’s Champions League, they’d do well to remember that. However, Rodgers remains pragmatic.

“There always will be and always has been since I grew up that you look to Scotland and it’s maybe not as competitive as the English Premier League. The English Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. Of course if you compare to that it’s very difficult,” he said.

“The difference is finances. If you have six or seven billionaires who come to Scotland and put their money into clubs, I guarantee you it will attract lots of players. It’s financial.

“It doesn’t stop there being some very, very good players up here. The support that teams get that’s relative to their operations, look at some of the crowds, they are incredible. It’s al relative, but it’s always been that.”