Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

Because I'm not the grammar polis mate

Although if the pear tree in my garden only gives me 2 pairs of pears next year the * thing is getting chopped down

Ps have a good Christmas when it comes, while I know we don't agree on rodgers yer a good * at heart RR

 

It would be interesting to know how many players we have that the management team consider that have no future at the club and what the wage bill for that lot would be?
We really need a flash sale to get this deadwood out of the door we all want quality in the door but the squad is too big and we have too many mediocre players that need punting pronto. I am still not convinced of the longevity of this management team.

 

You too, mate.

 

Your correct drop any points against Livingston or Dundee before the zombie game he's not going to last any longer by the new year.

 

My estimate would be over 70% of this squad is unfit to wear the hoops and the wage bill for that is astronomical and bordering on criminal.

PS Rodgers can add himself to that 70% if he doesn't get a win tomorrow

 

I think that's a bit high TBH. There are plenty of players like Ralston, Welsh, Forrest (at this stage of his career), etc that are only ever going to be back ups but are good enough for that. The problem is the guys like Taylor who aren't good enough to be first choice but are and guys like Kwon who aren't even good enough to be back up. There are more of these 2 categories than there should be, but I don't think it's anything like 70% of the squad.

 

I hope to * im wrong and made to eat copious amounts of humble pie but i honestly think this year will set us back for years to come, bloated squad, so many players that simply arent good enough, i think the huns will win the league and rodgers will walk at the end of the year in far worse circumstances than the last time he walked.

call me whatever, bedwetter etc but the quality of football, the drop off in certain players, i honestly think it will get worse. Like i said i hope to * im wrong.

 

I think it depends on January. A couple of quality players and Hatate back and Rodgers will win the league.

 

Pretty much all the dead wood won’t get similar money elsewhere that’s why it’s so difficult to get rid. McCarthy being the best example of that.

 

Someone's gotta wan't them...

 

What have you tried to work on and stress to the players over the last few days since the defeat to Hearts?

It was a very disappointing performance and result for us but we spoke about reinforcing the strengths of our game and the importance of playing to those strengths. It has been a good week for reflection. You do your talking on the pitch and that's where we have done our work and we look to bring that positivity to the game tomorrow.

When we spoke after the Hearts match you talked about the lack of consistency and mentality and perhaps a lack of ambition and drive in some of the players. How have they responded to that? Have they acknowledged that there have been drop-offs?

It's all in your results. I think it is pretty clear. When you see the stages of the game when the tempo is up and down that is all about desire and mentality. The group are a fantastic group of players it is not a slant on any individual. This is what is required at a big club. When you prepare as well as they do then you have to have that work rate and mentality. You have to have it at a club like Celtic. It's about bringing consistency to the game. That's part of finding out what it is like to play for a club like Celtic. There is no drop-off. When the first whistle goes you have to have that intent, ambition and desire to win the game. That brings the tempo of your game up. For us, the tempo, especially at the beginning of the game (against Hearts) was nowhere near the level that we would expect. That's been our very, frank open conclusion on it. We look to be better going forward.




That said, has it given you some clarity over the last couple of weeks about who you would look to move on in the New Year? Has that prompted conversations in the last few days about what you will do then?

No. I have been very clear from when I came in. For me, it was about an observation in this opening period. I've been seeing players, sadly we have had players missing which has been a challenge for us. That has provided opportunities for other players but across the board, it has been a chance for me to assess where the squad is at. My feelings haven't changed in the last week or so. I knew where we needed to strengthen in the summer and I know where we need to strengthen in January and next summer.




Can I ask you about Matt O'Riley? Our colleagues in Italy are suggesting that Inter Milan is looking at him and a few other clubs are keen on him as he's been very good this season. Is he one you fear you will struggle to retain?

I don't have any fear for any of the players. I am delighted for Matt that he has made a fantastic step forward this season as a Celtic player and in his career. That shows his focus and mentality. His training as well as the confidence he is taking into the games then he will always attract the interest of teams. I don't have any fear. He is a good guy and when you do that Matt does then you are always going to have interest that will come your way. For now, he is very much focused on performing for Celtic through until the break.

You will be desperate to keep a hold of him and all your key players as the title has now become a close race and you would want to keep a hold of all of your key players I would imagine, wouldn't you?

Yes. There is still such a long way to go. We were consistently good and then the last few weeks or so in the league we haven't been good enough. I cannot be any more clear than that. We want to add to the squad rather than take any away. The likes of Matt is a very important player for us.

The club have also confirmed that the Green Brigade are going to be back for the match. Just how important is it to have that unity in the stands behind the team and driving them forward?

It is everything. Especially at a club like Celtic. For the years I have known Celtic what makes them tick is the support that they give the team. It is such an emotional connection. Celtic's history is littered with goals and late goals and a big part of that is down to the fans and the whole stadium getting behind the team. That's what makes Celtic. When you have the manager, the supporters, and the players all on the same page then it is a real force to have in the game. The atmosphere hasn't been there for several weeks but that is the responsibility of everyone and we know that when the atmosphere is white hot at Celtic it makes it a really difficult place for teams to come and play. It gives the players that extra edge as well. For the guys to be back in there is no doubt that they've given an ambience in that corner section. The club allowed them the opportunity to be the first club in Britain to have a safe-standing area. Hopefully, they can go back in tomorrow and support the team and it is their responsibility as well as the rest of the stadium to get right behind the team and help us get a result.

Do you feel you have missed that atmosphere in the last few weeks as you have dropped five points at home and that is unusual? Has that been a factor do you think?

I don't know if it is specifically them but we have still had 60-odd thousand in the ground. The responsibility is for everyone. I think firstly I always look at the team and what can we do as a team to provide the football that can excite the supporters. That's what we always aim to do. Of course, Celtic is based around that collective spirit in the stands which drives the team forward. Either way, I just think it is really good news. There is no point in looking at the past. It is great news for them that they can get in and watch their team. If they want to support the team and the club then they are better off being inside it and cheering us on and hopefully, that brings us all together and we can look forward to the rest of the season.

You speak about how the club needs to be united for the club to be successful. Is that something you’ve always tried to foster at every club you’ve been at?

It is paramount for any successful club. Especially a top club where the intensity is so high. What makes a top club is when everyone is together. That spirit, that collective fight, everyone together pushing forward.

Daizen Maeda came back and came off the bench last week. Is he going to be a big player, given your talk on energy and desire?

He’s been fantastic in his time here. He maybe doesn’t get the credit that he deserves when he’s playing. Sometimes when that player is out of the team, you realise what is missed. From a coaching and managing perspective, we understand what he brings to the team. His non/stop energy and running. His quality and what he brings will be great to have back.

How close is Liel Abada to getting back?

He’s out on the grass running and with the medical team. It’s not imminent but he’s certainly in a really good place. Hopefully, sometime in the near future, he’ll be back in with the squad.




Is there an outside chance that he’ll be fit before the winter break?

I haven’t thought about it. It’s just a day-by-day thing. We have to assess him as he goes along each day.

The club came out and put a firm stance on the Super League. What are your thoughts on that and what that means for the landscape of European football going forward?

To be honest, I haven’t really seen a great deal of it if I’m totally honest. I've seen some headlines on it, but I haven’t listened to it. My feeling was back then that the game in Britain is very much based around the fans. I know there’s a commercial and economic element that clubs may want to push, but football is about the supporters and I’m pretty sure what they will want will be listened to again hopefully.

Brendan, you talked about coming in and assessing things at the club. That’s now six months you’ve been back, what are the key factors that you’ve identified as needing improved? When can we start to see those things being implemented?

I think it’s observation as much as anything. Coming in and observing a new group. I’m fairly comfortable with where we need to improve in order to get that dynamic of the team back to where I would want it to be. I think consistency is an important factor in that, but I think the squad will need improvement over these next couple of windows. Just certain profiles within the team. you can only do that at certain times. Overall I’ve been delighted to be back here and working with this group, which is a different group from when I was here previously. There are certainly elements of the team that we can be much better in.

Supporters are talking about a need for a change of formation, as teams seem to know how to play against you at the moment?

I’m not averse to that. I think you’ve seen already since I’ve come in a number of times we’ve changed structure and system and went with two players up top. It’s always dependent on the opponent and where you can actually break through against teams. Let’s say you have a back five and a team that’s sitting deep. I think our biggest thing last weekend was the speed of our game. The tempo in our game was way too slow. If you see an action when we went 2-0 down within those first few minutes the speed of the game went to another level but that has to be like that for the very first whistle. That’s the consistency I’m talking about. We’ve played games and started with a real hunger and desire. In other games it’s started too slowly, St Johnstone as an example. I don’t think it’s so much to do structurally, I think when you play against teams that are low on the field, you have to be quicker and dynamic in your movement. The speed of your movements, the speed of the ball, all these things all come together to tire out your opponent. Whether it’s two up front or three up front, whether you’re playing with one up top and two wide, you get two advanced midfield players you’ve virtually got five on the back-line against a back five, as opposed to having two strikers, you virtually have two wide players two number eights and a striker which gives you five along the back line. How we try to work at times is trying to make six on the back-line by getting a full-back up. It’s then when you get there it’s about then that being being decisive and having that combination that can break through. I still think there are certain things that when we don’t have certain players playing that the team misses in terms of dynamism, and that’s purely profile, as opposed to structure. The idea is to improve that.


Is there any other team news for ins and outs?

Yang should hopefully be okay for the game. He had been out with his shoulder. Odin (Thiago Holm) had been out and returned today as he’d been ill for a little while. He wouldn’t take part, I wouldn’t think, tomorrow. We just need to assess him. Apart from Yang, we’re pretty much the same squad

 

It can all change very quickly if you bring in the right manager - look at us 2 years ago when Ange took over a team that had won nothing and needed a full rebuild and won a double and Clement coming into a struggling hun team that I still think doesn't have that many good players and with the same players going 14 games unbeaten and catching us.

 

Brendan Rodgers insists he is all in at Celtic and fired up to get the Hoops back on the trophy trail.

The Hoops boss has been stung but suggestions from Record Sport star columnist Chris Sutton boss was ‘going through the motions’ this season following lacklustre back-to-back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts. Celts have seen an eight point lead in the Premiership evaporate in the countdown to next Saturday’s Old Firm clash. But Rodgers is adamant he is 100 percent committed to getting his side up and running again – and delivering more success.

The 50-year-old – who hoovered up seven trophies out of seven in his first spell at the club – said: “In my career, I wouldn’t be sat here if I went through the motions in anything. I had no big playing career, no big history in the game. I had to fight for everything I got in the game.

“That will always be the case. I’ve never been granted any privileges in my life as a young coach and as a manager. So, no, I’ve certainly not gone through the motions, that’s for sure.”

Rodgers admitted he expected flak on the back of two league defeats – but it won’t derail his grand plans for Parkhead. He said: “I don’t listen to it. I assume there was criticism because we lost but I couldn’t tell you where it’s come from or who it’s been given from.

“That’s part of the role of a manager. You learn to regulate that. I’m also one who, with experience, never gets too emotional with words.

“I assess things logically and the reality was that we weren’t good enough. For whatever reason. Second half against Kilmarnock, against Hearts – we weren’t good enough. There are lessons there for us as a team. That’s part of the challenge.

“In terms of criticism, listen, it happens when you’re not winning. It’s something that could affect you when you’re a very young manager but it doesn’t me. I’m here with a mentality to make this right and hopefully we can deliver that.”

Rodgers wants a response from his side against Livingston today and he insisted he doesn’t need to be fired up by the critics. The Hoops gaffer – who welcomed the end of the Green Brigade ban – said: “No, it (the fire) is still always there. It’s not new.

“I said that to the players earlier in the season, I’m here to win, not to draw and certainly not to lose games. And I know how to win. And that’s something that, over time, hopefully I can show here.

“I was here in my first time with a group of players who I was able to maximise the potential of virtually all of them. It will be the same here. With the right profile of players – and players we can elevate – they will do that. That’s what I’ve done all my career. It’s a different period of my managerial career but I’m certainly not going through the motions.”

Rodgers admitted he’s in uncharted territory after consecutive losses but he’s up for the fight. He said: “This is the time when you have to lead, it’s very easy when you’re going unbeaten for 69 games and winning trophies.

“I always thought it would be different this time, with the group and everything else. But this is where you have to stand up as a Celtic player and particularly as a Celtic manager.

“So it’s something we will get right. I’m probably judged and measured on the first time I was here when those first couple of years went smoothly as such. But the squad is different and the personality of the team is different.

“I think coming in here in the summer there was a good core of players. Key members of that left then some of the others have been injured so all of a sudden you can look at three or four or five players, half that team that was there is no longer there.

“If you come into a team that’s suffering and struggling there’s a level of confidence that you need to repair and even a structure to repair. You come into a club that’s won the Treble, and you take over that then you know the challenges within that. Having won a treble I know what the challenges the next season are. So that’s been the challenge this season but whatever it is it’s a great challenge to be here and try to rectify it.”







Brendan Rodgers rarely raises his voice or reveals his anger in public but it was still possible to detect an air of irritation as he addressed the suggestion that he has been less than wholehearted in his commitment since returning for a second spell in charge at Celtic.

Rodgers has willingly put his hands up to offer a mea culpa for the team’s struggles at times this season, a situation that reached its nadir last weekend when his record and reputation were stained with the stigma of becoming the first manager in a decade to oversee back-to-back league defeats. Having his attitude questioned, however, is a different matter so it was not a surprise that Rodgers seized on the chance to defend himself upon hearing that Chris Sutton, the former Celtic striker turned loquacious talking head, had offered the opinion that the manager was “going through the motions” this season, as much to blame for the malaise encircling the club as any of his players.

It seems hard to imagine that Rodgers is already weary of the job just six months into his return, having recently rounded off a tumultuous Champions League campaign with a victory and with a resurgent Rangers due at Parkhead next weekend for a pivotal end-of-year derby. Those are the moments that stir the senses, especially in one as infatuated with the game as Rodgers clearly is, and he made clear to Sutton and anyone else questioning his dedication that the fire continues to burn brightly deep within him.

“In my career, I wouldn’t be sat here if I went through the motions in anything,” he offered by way of response. “I had no big playing career, no big history in the game. I had to fight for everything I got in the game. That will always be the case. I’ve never been granted any privileges in my life as a young coach and as a manager. I said that to players in here earlier in the season, when we had the game against St Johnstone at home. I’m here to win, not to draw and certainly not to lose games. I know how to win. And that’s something that, over time, hopefully I can show here.

“I was here in my first time with a group of players and was able to maximise the potential of virtually all of them. It will be the same here. With the right profile of players – and players we can elevate – they will do that. That’s what I’ve done all my career. It’s a different period of my managerial career but I’m certainly not going through the motions. In terms of criticism, listen, it happens when you’re not winning. It’s something that could affect you when you’re a very young manager but it doesn't affect me. I’m here with a mentality to make this right and hopefully we can deliver that.”

Celtic Park bristled with discontent during last weekend’s loss to Hearts, with Rodgers, the players but primarily the board of directors getting it in the neck from supporters who also turned against each other in a flurry of angry shouts and finger jabbing. The return of the Green Brigade to their usual section should provide more audible backing for the team this afternoon, especially if Celtic can unpick what will likely be a heavily-manned Livingston backline to get back to winning ways. Rodgers, though, admits he has been unable to shake the feeling all season that something isn’t quite as it should be in the usually unbreakable bond between supporters, manager, players and club.

“In my whole time here during the first time I never felt it,” he added. “Never for a day did I feel it. [But] I probably felt it from the first day since I came back, whether it was [as a result of] me coming back, or whatever it was. If I was ever the cause of that, of course, then that’s something I would look at. Whatever it is, it needs to be together. If not, it’s very difficult to have success. We’ve seen it before. We saw it during the Covid season when supporters were not in. This is such an emotional club, the team really responds to the support. Normally it’s in a really positive way. If it’s not quite ticking, then that’s really difficult for a club like Celtic, whether it’s to do with the manager, the board or whatever. It’s definitely hard to pinpoint the why, but it has definitely felt different.”

Supporters of other clubs must look at Celtic’s “crisis” and wonder what all the fuss is about. After all, Hearts’ victory was the first by a Scottish club at Parkhead for almost three years, while Celtic are still top of the table, even if their advantage over Rangers is not as commanding as before. They couldn’t have handpicked a better fixture in which to stop the bleeding – at home to a Livingston side that has taken just one point from nine matches – but Rodgers hoped the supporters would be patient if need be.

“Ultimately it’s about the team on the field receiving as much support as they can on the field to win,” he argued. “If that is sabotaged in any way, especially when you’ve got lots of young players… For the support to turn up is amazing, but you want to give everything to the team, because that is why we are all here, to see the team win. I’m really hoping now that we can draw a line under the situation with the support base, and that we can all come together and unify. We have to do our bit on the field and that will certainly have to be better than what it was last week.”




NOT for one day during his previous spell at Celtic did Brendan Rodgers feel disharmony around the club, nor a disconnect between the support and those running it. This time around, he didn’t get through day one.

It is hard for the Celtic manager to pinpoint any one cause for the disquiet since the season kicked off. Certainly, he is aware that his reappointment was not universally welcomed. There have been grumblings about the summer transfer business, too. Not least, from him.

There was the ban for the Green Brigade, which will eventually come to an end as they are allowed entry to this afternoon’s fixture against Livingston. Performances on the pitch, and now results in recent weeks, have been far from perfect too.

Whatever the ingredients that have been brought together to cause the ever so slightly poisonous atmosphere that has hovered in the background at Celtic this season, Rodgers knows only too well that unless it is remedied, it all adds up to a recipe for disaster.

And whatever it is that is causing unrest at Celtic, it must be removed for the good of the club. Up to, and including, Rodgers himself.

“It’s a great point, because in my whole time here during the first time I never felt it,” Rodgers said.

“Never for a day did I feel it.

“I probably felt it from the first day since I came back, whether it was me coming back, or whatever it was. But what I know categorically, is that unless you have that harmony…

“If I was ever the cause of that, of course, then that’s something I would look at.

“Whatever it is, it needs to be together. If not, it’s very difficult to have success. We’ve seen it before. We saw it during the covid season when supporters were not in.

“This is such an emotional club, the team really responds to the support. Normally it’s in a really positive way.

“If it’s not quite ticking, then that’s really difficult for a club like Celtic, whether it’s to do with the manager, the board or whatever.

“We all want a successful, winning team on the field – and that will come from the support.

“It’s definitely hard to pinpoint the why, but it’s definitely felt different.”

From the outside looking in, fans of other clubs may wonder just what it is that Celtic fans have go to grouse about. The loss to Hearts last weekend, after all, was their first home defeat for 52 matches, and they have enjoyed over a decade of dominance on the domestic scene.

The recent losses though have for some simply confirmed longer-term fears held by some that Celtic have been on a downward curve for quite some time, and that they are justified in voicing their displeasure at the manager, the team and particularly the board, as they did last Saturday at Celtic Park.

Whoever is the target of their ire though, Rodgers believes that such an atmosphere inside the stadium is counterproductive, and harms their chances of getting the results that everyone connected to the club craves.

“Oh aye, there’s no question, because ultimately it’s about the team on the field receiving as much support as they can on the field to win,” he said.

“If that is sabotaged in any way, especially when you’ve got lots of young players… “One of the big factors in coming to Celtic as a player is to play in front of an incredible support, 60-odd thousand.

“I walked out last week against Hearts and went ‘wow’. Mid December, just after a Champions League game, and we’ve got a packed house.

“For the support to turn up is amazing, but you want to give everything to the team, because that is why we are all here, to see the team win.

“I’m really hoping now that we can draw a line under the situation with the support base, and that we can all come together and unify.

“That is what makes Celtic tick, and be at their best.”

All that being said, Rodgers acknowledges that the biggest onus when it comes to correcting Celtic’s course falls on his own shoulders, and those of his players.

And it is those who react to this period of adversity positively who will, ultimately, prove they belong at such a club.

“This is the time when you have to lead, it’s very easy when you’re going unbeaten for 69 games and winning trophies,” he said.

“I always thought it would be different this time, with the group and everything else. But this is where you have to stand up as a Celtic player and particularly as a Celtic manager.

“So it’s something we will get right. I’m probably judged and measured on the first time I was here when those first couple of years went smoothly as such. But the squad is different, and the personality of the team is different. It’s just a case of developing and fixing things.

“The highs at the biggest clubs are very high and there’s a great feeling. The lows are challenging but that’s where you grow and develop and find out about yourself.

“There’s a personality and a courage you need in order to play in that environment and that’s something you need to have here.

“If you have young players who might not have felt it or witnessed it before then that can be new, but certainly this last couple of weeks has been new to me as well in relation to results, back to back [defeats].

“So, it’s my job to fix that.”

 

At the end of the day, regardless of what folk think of Rodgers, he is a Celtic fan. I think that’s why he is back here. He could have easily went to Saudi on far bigger wages, I’ve no doubt about that. It’s took a big set of balls to come back here in my opinion. So give him the backing we’ve got and let’s see where we can go. The money is there to massively improve on the squad, let’s do it and see what our success can look like.

 

So @McGrory1888 are you going to update us us yer post


Or are you just making things up ya lying *

 

The problem is finding a buyer for deadwood.

 

Think your being blanked @Henrik 07. At Christmas time too.

 

As much as he likes to think he knows what is going on he doesn’t.


Wee made up fantasy land