Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

The thing is, people now are aware of the risks in a way that they weren’t before. If we keep that awareness level up with persistent warnings, and try to mitigate it with things like the “one heading session a week” rule, then we can legitimately say that people know what they’re getting themselves into. Leave them to make the decision. No ban needed.

I’d be prepared to bet there are already people out there who could have gone pro (and in an earlier generation might have) but have decided against it, given what we now know about dementia risks.

I’d also be in favour of FIFA bringing in a rule that all national associations charge each club a heading “fee”, and donate the sum to local dementia charities. Be seen to be willing to do literally anything the game can to help, other than ban heading, and the calls for bans will significantly lessen.

There are maturer ways of dealing with most problems than outright bans.

 

Needs players he wants in Jan and summer. Then next year will judge him on Europe. If he still fails then need to reflect on who we are as a club and why he is here. Endless domestic dominance doesn't cut it, managers should be judged on Europe

 

So we could win a double next year then a treble the next, but you'll want him sacked if he doesn't pick up some wins in the Champions League?

 

In essence, yes, because a manager with his pedigree ought to be doing better. But the poster you quoted said Rodgers needs good quality signings. Sadly, I do not see them coming.

He will leave of his own volition when an EPL club comes, having won a certain number of titles here.

 

Yes if he is backed by the board if he has his players and still gets drubbings in Europe then yes, need to think of a euro perspective. We have no challengers here. Sevco get closer but we can always edge away from them. It has to be about Europe.

 

Brendan Rodgers has given his assessment of VAR, saying he "would get rid of it" if asked right now.

Celtic were subject to controversy midweek involving the technology when forward Daizen Maeda was sent off due to a yellow card for a challenge being changed to a red.

And while Rodgers acknowledges the money invested in VAR, he is not a fan of it at the moment.

He said: "If you ask me right now I would get rid of it [VAR]. Absolutely but if there is money invested from the game which is supposed to make it better then you have to give that every chance.

"If you are asking me now I would just hope we can play our football and we know as humans evolve people will make mistakes and I would rather accept that than what we see at the moment."

The 50-year-old also revealed that Maeda will be out of action for at least six weeks due to knee ligament damage sustained during the challenge which led to his red card.

He is now likely to miss the remaining two Champions League fixtures against Lazio and Feyenoord while also facing a race against time to be fit for the derby against Rangers on December 30.

"Daizen will probably face up to six weeks out with the injury from the challenge so he has strained his knee ligament which comes when you knock a player on the foot," Rodgers continued.

"If we went in stronger in the challenge then he probably would not have the injury so it was a clash of feet that just opened up his knee ligament.

"It is a shame for him and for us because he has been brilliant."

 

More like it today.

 

He’s got us playing some lovely stuff domestically

 

For those who love the stats & all that

 

Brendan Rodgers arrived in Glasgow for his second spell as Celtic manager alone.


The Irishman was not afforded the chance to overhaul the coaching staff at the club, unlike in his first stint in charge. As it turns out, it’s clear there was a good reason for that.

The 50-year-old cannot praise his backroom team enough for their dedication to improving the players in the club’s ranks.

After scoring against Ross County, Luis Palma raced towards the away dugout at The Global Energy Arena to embrace Harry Kewell. Rodgers has revealed that the Australian had been working with the summer signing to help his game. And Palma’s acknowledgment of this is a testament to the work going on behind the scenes to ensure the club strives to reach the levels of dominance they’ve become so accustomed to in Scotland.



The coaches have a specific number of players they work with on different elements of the game,” Rodgers explained. “An incredible amount of work goes on here from the coaching staff to help the players develop


We will identify areas they need to be better in. Harry will sit with the forward players, John with the defenders and Gavin with the midfield players.

“He [Palma] was probably referencing some pointers he [Kewell] gave him. This is great because that’s why we are here – to train players, give them confidence and improve them. That’s our job so it is once when they can reference people who are helping them



“I have been impressed with all the coaches. John Kennedy is brilliant, and I saw that in my first spell. He is an outstanding coach and has an incredible thirst to continue learning and developing. He works as hard as I have ever seen anyone work in football. Besides all of that, he is a good man. A very loyal man.

“I didn’t know Gavin and Harry. I met Harry prior to taking the job and had a chat with him at my house down south. And I have to say, for a player who was world-class in his pomp, the commitment he has to being here at Celtic and helping all our wingers, he is very good. And I think (former) players like him give you that bit of gold dust. He shares that with the players and he is good for our team and gives a different viewpoint.


Gavin is an excellent coach, very diligent and has lovely human qualities. He is always there for the players.

“And obviously Jack Lyons. I brought in Jack as a really young, talented coach who is analytically brilliant. He can analyse and present that to players to. So the team is very good and that’s why I didn’t just single out Harry. The dynamics of it all make it work.”


While driving to meet Rodgers at Lennoxtown last week, his former player and coach Kolo Toure was on the airwaves discussing his future in the game.

The Ivorian lasted less than 60 days in management at Wigan Athletic last season before ex-Hibernian head coach Shaun Maloney was drafted in as his permanent replacement. He has since spent time away from the game, admitting he’s learned from his mistakes and elements of the job he was naïve in.

Rodgers is very fond of the former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool centre-back. He signed him for Celtic having worked with him at Anfield. After less than 10 appearances in Glasgow, Toure more into a coaching position at the Scottish champions and subsequently followed Rodgers to Leicester City in 2019.



Toure was full of admiration in his appraisal of Rodgers during the broadcast on national radio. It’s something the Irishman appreciates, insisting he would love to see his former apprentice get another opportunity as a manager.

He said: “Kolo is one of the nicest men I have ever met in my life and in football. It was hard for him (at Wigan) because you go into your first job and you have to make that decision to go in despite people maybe telling you not to do it. If you get the feeling to go then you have to go and do it.

“Listen I had that early on in my career when I lost my job before I had even really started my managerial career. I had a really good time at Watford, should have stayed but didn’t. Went to Reading and within 22 games I think it was, I lost my job.

“So I’m thinking ‘Am I going to get another chance?’ I knew I’d be better next time because for the first time in my life, I was unemployed. And I knew that it wasn’t now with development players. I was still developing them but I had to sharpen my teeth. So I knew that with the next job I went into, I had to be good if I was going to survive. Thankfully Swansea City gave me that chance.

“Kolo is a good man he has got great experience, he has played, coached and been around enough. I really do hope that he gets another opportunity because he is someone who develops and helps people improve as players. And as a person, I learned so much working with Kolo.”

 

With Maeda and Abada out until after Christmas, I really hope he experiments a bit more and we see Oh and Kyogo playing together.

I think he's done a decent job so far, the onus is on him for the St Johnstone and Kilmarnock results early on (albeit we were robbed in the Kilmarnock game) and our form did drop after the draw against Atletico Madrid, but overall form and play domestically has mostly been great, Aberdeen game was the cherry on the top.

Really hope we actually back him in January.

 

We could have the best window possible, sign something like 4 players, each for £4-7mil, CCV/Jota tier signings and another couple £1-2 mil O'Riley type signings. The best window we could imagine, and then still finish bottom in a group of death next year. Such is the CL.

 

Will be entirely different with the 36 team super league format next season. 8 matches including 2 against Pot 4 equivalent sides, should suit us a lot more. Group Stage will last until the end of January.

 

I agree and think it'll give us a good chance to get some wins and be more competitive. Just got to guarantee we can get there though by winning the league.

 

Yay, more CL. Just what life was lacking. I'm definitely not sick of the whole thing.

 

How do you survive Scottish football playing the same teams twice and the other half 4 times without getting sick of it? Champions league will be well interesting next year. 8 games, to 8 different teams. That's mental. Can't wait.

 

Brendan Rodgers has hinted at Celtic squad revamp ahead of the January transfer window.

The Hoops boss is aiming to use the next two transfer windows to reach a place where he is happy with his group in terms of numbers and ability.

Speaking after the club’s AGM at Celtic Park, the Parkhead manager acknowledged the challenge of attracting quality players to Scottish football but outlined the huge opportunities of playing for Celtic, who are currently eight points clear of Rangers at the top of the cinch Premiership.

“I don’t want to add to the squad, we have a squad of 32 which we need to bring down as well as bring in quality players,” said Rodgers, who will assess Honduras attacker Luis Palma and Canada full-back Alistair Johnston when they return from international duty on Friday ahead of the cinch Premiership game against Motherwell on Saturday.

“But I am fairly comfortable that over the course of these next few windows that the squad both in terms of numbers and quality will look how I want it to.

“There will, naturally, be players who will want to go out and play, players who want to move on and we have to see if the players that are better than what we have are available to bring in. I can’t give you a number but there is always movement.

“It is always the challenge because lots of players will want to play in a more competitive league or more renowned leagues.


But what Celtic offers here is really unique in terms of the opportunity to come and play for a fanatical fan base, to come and develop as a player, to become a winner, to live in a great city.

“There have been many players and managers, that once they have been here – and sometimes it is only when you are here – get that real sense of that.

“So we will always work hard but we won’t beg players to come.

“This is an incredible club to play for and if you are lucky enough to be able to come here and work and play you will get the sense of that. So that is something that is ongoing.”

While happy with his side’s domestic form this season, Rodgers believes Celtic’s Champions League position – bottom of Group E with one point from four fixtures ahead of their game against Lazio in Rome next Tuesday night – is not a reflection of their performances.

The former Liverpool and Leicester boss, who returned to Celtic Park for a second spell as boss in the summer following the departure of Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham, said: “From the Champions League perspective, I think there is a narrative around, I sense a little bit, the overall start.

“I think the players have been fantastic. If you take away the second half against Atletico Madrid, the players have been very good, the players have been excellent and getting better each performance.

“Very co-ordinated, you see the spirit in the team and in the other games we have been really competitive, even against Feyenoord with nine men.

“So I understand where we are at, it is a level where you have to have quality and experience, but experience also comes from gaining experience.

“But there is no doubt we have to be stronger going forward over the following seasons here, that was one of the big drivers to come back.”

 

How have you and the team spent the break? Has it been productive for you?

Yes. There has been a bit of rest and recovery. There has been a bit of work. Some of the players played in the testimonial game up in Dundee in the first week. We have been preparing this week. We are just hoping and praying all our international players come back safe and well. We are really looking forward to getting started again.

It's been a hectic schedule until now and there is another hectic schedule until the New Year. Do these breaks allow you to take stock in terms of where you are in regard to the season?

Yes, they do. If you look there is virtually a third of the season gone so far and I have been really pleased. There are always going to be elements where we can be better and improve. That's something that we focus on daily. Over the piece, I have been delighted with the attitude of the players, the mentality and some of the football that we have played. We have suffered with injuries to many important players, but the team and the squad have coped really well and produced some fantastic football.


You are just out of the club's AGM and a lot of the fans feeling is balanced between domestic success and trying to take that next step in Europe. How do you look back on things with that predicament in mind?

It is always going to be a challenge. You don't come into any season, here at Celtic and it gets easier. The Champions League is the very highest level of European football and what you find at that level is the attacking/forward players are as good as you come across. So, that is always a challenge. I think if I look domestically, we clearly should have had 13 out of 13 wins. The two games we drew we could have won but we didn't. We learned from them. From a Champions League perspective, I sense there is a narrative around the overall start, but I think the players have been fantastic. In the Champions League, if you take away that second-half performance against Atletico Madrid, the players have been very, very good. The players have been excellent, and they've been getting better with each performance. They are very co-ordinated. You see the spirit in the team. In the Champions League, we have been really competitive even against Feyenoord with nine men. I understand where we are at, and it is a level where you need to have quality and experience. Experience comes from gaining experience. There is no doubt we want to be stronger going forward over the coming seasons here and that was one of the big drivers to come back.

With that in mind during this break did you get the chance to reassess or think more about what you want or need to do in January?

No. We always know what we want. I think the plan when we sat down in the summer was we understood where we were at and of course, some players then move on that you maybe don't expect to. We are also aware of the Asia Cup, so nothing surprises us. We know where we are at, it is just now about the availability. For me, it is now about getting players in who are going to improve us and be better than what we have. It is important that we have a lot of young players who we want to develop and grow but you also need players for the present and that is what we are looking at.

Fans next door hear Chris McKay and Michael Nicholson discussing very healthy financial results for the year. They tend to get ahead of themselves in terms of what money Celtic have to spend and what not. How difficult is that balance for you in making sure the club as a whole is not over or under-spending in January?

Listen, my job here is to develop the football team. I want the best football team on the field. It will always be within the conditions of the club. Every manager will be the same. You strive to get the best quality players in order to improve your performance level. So, hopefully, we will be able to do that.

How much importance do you put on the January transfer window in terms of looking ahead to the summer and the Champions League that follows next season in terms of bedding players in and getting players used to your systems and surroundings?

It’s a difficult window. There’s always quality available but it’s whether it’s affordable for us is the challenge. In my previous jobs, I’ve done good business in January windows when they have been available. It’s something that’s been ongoing through the course of the last few months. We’re looking at the possibilities of the players that we might be able to bring in. I repeat that I don’t want to add to the squad as we’ve got a squad of 32, which we need to bring down, as well as being in quality players. I'm pretty comfortable that come the summer - over the course of these next few windows - the squad, both in terms of the numbers and the quality will look how I want it to.

Do you expect a decent turnaround in January, with players coming in and out? There are a few mentions of the squad being too big, how big a level of turnover should fans be expecting come January?

There are going to be naturally players that will want to go out and play, and players that will want to move on. We have to see if there are players that are better than what we have that are available to bring in. I can’t sit here and give you a number of what’s going out and in but there’s always movement.


You spoke about added quality in the AGM. What is the challenge in getting players of real quality to Scottish football?

Everybody will put the quality down to the number that you pay but that’s not not necessarily the case. I think Virgil van Dijk was two million when he came in here, so that was good quality. It’s always the challenge because lots of players may want to play in a more competitive league or one of the renowned leagues but I think what Celtic offers here is really unique in terms of the opportunity to come and play for a fanatical fan base. To come and develop as a player and to become a winner. To live in a great city. There’s been many players and managers that whilst they’ve been here - and it’s sometimes only when you are here - that you get that sense of that. We always work hard but we won’t beg players to come. This is an incredible club to come and play for, and if you’re lucky enough to come here and work then you’ll get the sense of that. That’s something that’s ongoing.

One of the comments on the floor was that you weren’t paying enough for players coming to Scotland…

I think everyone thinks that if you pay £9-10 million then that guarantees you the quality and that’s not always the case. There are certain levels that if a player is there, then you want to do that, so that’s something that we look at.

Have you got players who are ready to come either in January or next summer?

Listen it’s constant, we’ll tell you as soon as they are in the door, not before.

In terms of this weekend, how did your players come back from international duty?

Yeah, well we are still waiting on some to come back, so Luis Palma and Ali Johnston won’t be back until Friday but the other guys have come back well, obviously, the guys that have played domestically and for Scotland, fine, and the others, yep, fine. So nothing injury-wise at this moment in time to report.

What are your thoughts on Motherwell this season? Started well but they are struggling of late.

Yeah, I just think it's the league, there's a number of teams in that position, we had a really good game against them, and Stuart (Kettlewell) is an excellent young coach who’s developing a style there. Like I said, I thought when I saw them play they were very well coached and they worked very hard, so for us, we will give them that respect. We come back after the international break, and we have to very quickly get the team synchronized again and start where we left off in our last home game, but we are prepared for a tough game but our focus is on working how we want to.

What does that Friday return do for Luis Palma, Alistair Johnston, ruled out over the weekend? Or just a wait-and-see?

Just assess, aye, just assess and see how they are.


Michael (Nicolson) was mentioning that there is the VAR meeting tomorrow, is that something that you get to attend, are you going to go along to that?

We can do that, we have representatives from the club that will be there, unfortunately for us it is within our training schedule and timing so yeah they will represent the club there. I think it is a year where they will assess it and look at it, I've been seeing it for a few more years down south and, I will focus on the football.

Have there been any pointers that you wanted to relay to that meeting?

I think it has been ongoing, we have good dialogue here at the club and the views get represented well by Michael and Chris that will go will be representative of what we think.