Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

It's funny, I was thinking about returning managers now that Rodgers is back, obviously Lennon springs to mind as well.

I thought about the Huns, and how their molager amean manager effectively returned as well, albeit he was a coach or an assistant manager. Comparing the two CVs is * hilarious.

Beale was a coach, who was part of a management team who won 1 trophy out of 9, then went to manage in the English championship and started off fairly brightly but fell away to * and lost something like 8 games in a row.

Rodgers had a fantastic CV prior to coming to Celtic the first time, he only went and won 7 out of 7, and set up 8 out of 8.

Rodgers now has a much better squad, a much larger budget, and has learned more having finished 5th twice in the EPL and winning the FA cup.

Next season should be * laughable.

 

Aye good interview and seems to tie up with what a lot of us have assumed. Rodgers and the board seem like they are very much on the same page, and it’s clear that he is impressed with how the club has moved forward in terms of scouting. I honestly think we have got a a good chance of keeping hold of our top players now as well. Rodgers is a top coach and has a reputation that our players will know about. He will command respect and I think he is the ideal person to take some of our players to the next level.

It was hard to envisage how we could replace Ange. Now I actually feel we might have a manager who is even better placed to take us forward. Ange has brought in some brilliant talent to the club, but I think Rodgers is more suited to helping the players improve. Cannot wait to see us under his control this time round.

 

Every word the manager said to Celtic TV.

What is your overriding emotion at coming back?

I’m very proud and obviously really happy to be here. Obviously a massive thank you to Dermot (Desmond) and the board for taking me back. Everything just feels so natural and I’m really pleased. There were two factors. The first thing was that, when I came in the first time, and now, I’m here to win.

How much did previous spell influence decision to return?

The nostalgia is great but it’s the past. Hopefully from that period what we achieved is set in concrete and it will always be there. But I’m here again to win and look forward and continue with that mentality and look to see if we can do something in Europe. There’s no doubt that the happiness of being here played a huge part both professionally and personally. From a football perspective we achieved and completed history while I was here. The aim will be to continue with that mentality going forward. Also outside of the football, my family and everyone associated with me had great happiness in their time here. So what made to pretty straightforward in terms of wanting to come back. Our life outside of football was incredible. Scotland and Glasgow were amazing for us. So from a professional perspective, and from a personal perspective, there was real happiness for us to come back to.




Where can you take Celtic?

It will be the first job I’ve come in to where the team has been on a high. When I’ve gone in to previous roles, there have been different situations. I think Ange has done fantastic job here over the last couple of years, culminating in finishing with the Treble. It’s a fantastic achievement. What you’ve got is a young, hungry squad who, if they can keep that mentality, can continue to achieve. I think Europe is always a big factor for this club. Can we develop the team to do something in Europe? Domestically, it’s always important, that’s your bread and butter, so being it’s about being dominant in Scotland and transferring that into Europe and see if we can achieve something.

What can Celtic fans expect on the pitch?

My commitment has always been to aggressive attacking football. In my last time here we were able to achieve that. My commitment is always to be an attacking team, an aggressive team – and a winning team.

What do you make of the current squad?

That was a big part in coming back. When I look at the squad, you’ve virtually only got Callum who was from my time at the club, with James Forrest, who has been a fantastic servant to the club, also still here. There’s Scott Bain in the goalkeeping section, but there’s not too many others. That’s exciting. There are a lot of young players who we can hopefully develop and improve. With direction and the mentality, that can continue to achieve, while continuing that team spirit in order to win trophies.

What about your first signing, Odin Thiago Holm?

The one thing I’ll start by saying is the recruitment team, when Michael took me through the structure of the club from where it was at when I was here before, I can see a clear change in that infracture and the team behind the football team. Mark {Lawwell] has done a brilliant job with the recruitment when you see the markets the club are operating in. He’s done a great job in bringing in the players that fit in to the profile of Celtic. And Odin is one of those players.

What about the coaching staff if John Kennedy, Gavin Strachan, Harry Kewell and Stevie Woods?

I know John Kennedy and Stevie Woods very well. John has been a great servant for the club and he was brilliant in my time here. One of the first things I spoke about was to ensure John was here. We had a few long chats. We work well together, and when he spoke to the club obviously he was very happy to stay. I’m delighted with that because he’s brilliant professional. He’s very thorough and knows the game well. He’s a very honest guy, very loyal and hardworking. I’m very happy he’s stayed. Woodsy, as well, he’s a fantastic goalkeeping coach. Every goalkeeper he works with, he makes them better. I’m very happy both those guys are still here. I don’t know Gavin Strachan and Harry Kewell so well, but they’ve clearly done a very good job with the coaching team. I’m always happy to work with good people.”

Are you looking forward to Far East trip and working with Celtic’s Asian stars?

The good thing now is, with Champions League qualification made and no qualification games, it gives you the chance to take Celtic as the brand around the world. It's always the balance of working hard but also taking Celtic out there. I've never been to Japan or Korea so I'm really looking forward to it. The young Japanese players have been sensational since they've been here so it's a nice thing for them to go to their country. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to speak those languages but the football language is universal. When I've seen those guys play, they won't need much of my lingo!

What about the excitement of the Champions League?

We need to get the basis of our work in over pre-season. The league will start and then very quickly you're into the Champions League. It's a really exciting time for the club. My experiences of those games when I was here before were incredible with the atmosphere. We want to see if we can make an impact in Europe. It's always a challenge at the really highest level but we want to go in there and see if we can progress and show our good side. The Champions League will be really exciting.

 

He definitely shouldn’t apologise. That would be incredibly weak and disingenuous.

What is it he’s supposed to be apologising for? The guy made a professional career move when he wasn’t being backed properly.

He won every domestic trophy available to him and navigated the Champions League qualifiers two years on the spin with guys like Eoghan O’Connell and Saidy Janko in his backline, only to be denied his key transfer targets the following year over a few hundred grand and one man’s ego.

It’s Lawwell and the board that should be apologising to him.

 

What is your overriding emotion at coming back?

I’m very proud and obviously really happy to be here. Obviously a massive thank you to Dermot (Desmond) and the board for taking me back. Everything just feels so natural and I’m really pleased.

This line stood out to me. A bit of humility and respect shown. Almost a hint of regret at what transpired and gratitude to be back and kick on.


What about your first signing, Odin Thiago Holm?

The one thing I’ll start by saying is the recruitment team, when Michael took me through the structure of the club from where it was at when I was here before, I can see a clear change in that infracture and the team behind the football team. Mark {Lawwell] has done a brilliant job with the recruitment when you see the markets the club are operating in.

This was great to hear. It matches what Ange said as well. Much better off the field structure. Something that has been addressed and he's happy with and hopefully progress further with. Credit to both Nicholson and Lawell Jnr. Both stepping out the shadow of the former CEO and being their own men.

The way he mentioned CL and europe was good to hear. Wants clear progress but is realistic about this at the moment as @Random Review mentioned earlier.

Looking forward to him working this summer and seeing the progress on the field with some quality additions.

 

And just like that I’m absolutely infatuated by him again

Very positive interview tbh, it’s clear the club is in an incredibly strong place right now and can’t help be properly buzzing about next season now after feeling a bit deflated when Ange went.

 

Brendan Rodgers eyes new Celtic heights as he lifts lid on 'clear change' in recruitment and secret Callum McGregor lunch
Brendan Rodgers sought to park the “nostalgia” of his first spell that yielded two trebles and seven straight trophies as he targeted opening up a new frontier across his second stint at Celtic.


The Irishman, who this week returned to the club four years and four months after a departure that engendered supporter acrimony, recognises that he must propel the winning squad he has inherited from Ange Postecoglou to great heights in continental competition. Automatic qualification for the Champions League offering an “exciting” challenge on that front.

And in an interview with Celtic TV, the 50-year-old stated that, although it felt “so natural” to be back in Glasgow, he appreciated that the club’s recruitment operation, headed up by Mark Lawwell, had been strengthened from his first term between 2016 and 2019. The immediate first fruit of this for Rodgers coming with the confirmation of the £3m capture of Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm.




This will be the first job I’ve come into where the team has been on a high,” said the former Leicester City manager. “When I’ve gone in to previous roles, there have been different situations. I think Ange has done a fantastic job here over the last couple of years, culminating in finishing with the treble. It’s a fantastic achievement. What you have is a young, hungry squad who, if they can keep that mentality, can continue to achieve. I think Europe is always a big factor for this club. Can we develop the team to do something in Europe? Domestically, it’s always important, that’s your bread and butter, so it’s about being dominant in Scotland and transferring that into Europe and see if we can achieve something.



The league will start and then very quickly you're into the Champions League. It's a really exciting time for the club.

“My experiences of those games when I was here before were incredible with the atmosphere. We want to see if we can make an impact in Europe. It's always a challenge at the really highest level but we want to go in there and see if we can progress and show our good side. The Champions League will be really exciting.




When it comes to Odin] the first thing I would say is about the recruitment. Michael [Nicholson, chief executive] took me through the structure of the club from where it was at when I was here before, I can see a clear change in that infrastructure, and the team behind the football team. Mark [Lawwell] has done a brilliant job with the recruitment when you see the markets the club are operating in. He’s done a great job in bringing in the players that fit into the profile of Celtic. And Odin is one of those players. I like his technical quality, he’s dynamic, he’s young, he’s hungry but he’s also got speed. I’ve had the chance to meet him already. I met him Monday and had a good chat with him and he is very determined to do well at a big club like Celtic.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers revealed that captain Callum McGregor - who blossomed under his earlier tutelage - played a key role in his return, the pair meeting at his holiday home in Mallorca. Asked if he would be pivotal for his squad now, Rodgers said: “He was pivotal back then. Just seeing a young player develop his personality and bring that personality to be a very important player for Celtic. And obviously seeing him continue to make that growth is really pleasing. And I have to say he was a big part of my decision to come back as well. Because I had lunch with him for a few hours in Mallorca, just to understand the squad and where it was at, and where he felt the club was at. He gave me some great feedback - that the group is young, hungry, and ready to keep pushing forward. For me, Callum is an absolutely brilliant player on the pitch. His brain, his view of the game is right up there with the very best I’ve worked with. He’s robust, he plays many games, he’s the ultimate professional.”

 

Hence the quotations, lack of other words for what I think he should do.

I understand his supposed reasoning for the move, every manager and player will do it at some stage.

But he can't just ignore the large (and certainly majority at the time) section of the support that was angry and * off with him when he did jump ship at that time.
Think most it's about the timing more than anything.

As much as I agree it would look weak and the likes if he came straight out and apologized - "sorry for when I left first time, I just wanted to see what the EPL was like again" - but I do think he needs to nip it in the bud (the obvious questions he will no doubt be asked) and give some sort of response that shows he at least acknowledges the fans backlash to it and is some sort of reassurance to the fans again.

How that looks, I don't know. As for each man in a different situation, it will need to come across genuine at least.
But if he just straight up ignored the whole thing, he's gonna then face the question every weekend and the fans are gonna remain split for a very long time.
And we all enjoy reminding ourselves that the fans are the club - so we can't just ignore the situation and feeling amongst so many (albeit, myself included, those feelings certainly have softened amongst many).

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* sake the wee slimeball's got me all on board again.

Very encouraging interview, in many ways.

 

No way am I falling for any manager’s sweet talk again, well maybe just this once

 

If you think I'm going to fall in love with you all over again after you walked out the door midseason to some * EPL team... you would be absolutely correct.

Can't believe I'm under his spell already, man. Wish I was up there today cheering him back on the Celtic Way.

 

Very encouraging. Also good to see Calmac going out to see him. There were folk on here claiming it would be a bad appointment because players like him won’t be happy with him after the way he left too lol.

 

Good interview and handled the right way!

 

Interview suggests progress in Europe is very much one of the main targets, thankfully. Makes me think we’ll spend quite a bit this summer.

 

Obviously we could spend 100s of millions and still draw a group of death. Progress in that respect should be no pumpings. If we get a group like last year and I'll fully expect 2nd but I kind of want 3rd this year so we could have our one last crack at the europa.

 

Aye I agree, but I think the more games he wins the more fans will get behind him and the less the media will be interested in questioning him about his first stint. Just needs to get off to a good start.

 

Yeah my two takes on the interview (which we need to remember is club media, so they are driving the narrative), is that he's pushing for European progress and surely has been promised of the backing of that (this is what the board/club need to do for him) and the Rodgers has accepted that the club and backroom structure is gonna be making some signings and developing the club as a whole (something Rodgers needs to accept), which he seems okay with since there is a man in there with proven track record and experience in doing recruitment.

He's not a stupid lad, he knows there is give and take and so long as we continue down the path we believe to be on (the positive forward speculate to accumulate and push on), then all will be good for me.

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Yeah they done enough to make or not look like a knee reaction, easy appointment (ala Lennon in the shower), but not dragged it along too long to worry the fans that we are dragging our heels and that there is tension between the two sides (ala Howe).

Toss in the fact they got CalMac to go over and talk with him/lunch, then have that as a talking point in the club media output, shows they are playing us in a positive manner. They know they need us on side and need to show positive, everyone on the same page sort of idea.

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