Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

With all due respect, Rodgers is the wrong manager for this squad.

It's very hard to follow in the footsteps of a charismatic manager. Ange had a crystal clear plan in mind and valued ball pressure over ball possession. He gradually transformed the squad by acquiring dynamic/explosive players who never stop running and can press opposing teams high up the pitch: Kyogo, Maeda, Hatate, Abada, Giakoumakis, Iwata, Johnston, Juranovic, Bernabei (bad signing, but consistent logic behind it), etc. At the same time, he gradually marginalized technically gifted, but lethargic players like Rogic, Bitton and Turnbull. On the other hand, Rodgers values ball possession over ball pressure. He needs technically gifted players like O'Riley, Bernardo or Palma. He also needs a target man in the mold of Dembele / Edouard, not a pressing forward like Kyogo. Long story short, the team is in a transitional period. Most of Ange's players don't fit BR's philosophy. The most notable exception is O'Riley who was underperforming under Ange, but is arguably our best player this season.

The way I see it, there are 4 scenarios going forward:

• Rodgers adapts his philosophy to suit the current squad. Highly doubt it, but it's the optimal solution.
• We rebuild the squad to match BR's philosophy. We sell Kyogo, Maeda, Abada, Iwata, you name it.
• We replace BR with a manager who fits our current squad.
• We have no strategical plan in mind. We just buy players at positions of need based on suggestions by agents. I'd argue that's the #1 reason we are a dysfunctional team right now.

If the past is any indication, we'll likely opt for the 4th choice.

 

I have never hated anyone who played for us or managed us other than Mo Johnston and Brendan Rodgers! I can't wait to the day he's run from our club. I would love it to be in the next few weeks. Maybe lose one then lose at ibrox and he's gone and whoever comes in, manages to pull it back for a good title run in with us finishing first. That is my ideal season from now to the end of May! He * on us and should never have been given the chance to set foot near our stadium never mind stand in the dugout again!

 

If he stays untill end of May, there's no * chance we're winning this league with the * he has us playing. Anyone knows me will know I never throw the towel.in untill it's mathematical impossible to win it. I even think we're going to win the CL when we play in it I'm that delusional at times. But there's not a * hope we're winning it this year with this rat in the dug out having us playing like that..

 

In my opinion, he's lost that dressing room.

 

This is an excellent analysis.

If we take it as accurate, the decision not to buy players is even more baffling.

 

He's only half the problem though mate. The people who run the club are as bad if not worse. They brought him back and they also shafted him and us in the summer and January. They need hounding out as well.

 

Board = Pish
Manager = Pish
Players = Pish

 

Unfortunately, if he does go then whoever replaces him will inherit the same players and face the same problems as this squad has such as a poor LB, a dodgy keeper, and a team full of midgets

 

It worked for the Huns.

We don’t have a terrible squad. It needed a lift with new players. A new manager is the only lift we can have now.

It will never happen though and it’s probably too late now. He wouldn’t leave / be sacked until he’s 8 or 9 behind, at which point it’s over.

 

A new manager will embolden the club to open up the purse strings and bring in the quality players we need to reinvigorate the squad...

 

I’m quoting this again. It’s absolutely spot on.

 

Totally agree, there is a lack of leadership and desire on the pitch, seems to be an attitude of let’s do the bare minimum. We know this team is capable of brilliant football when they want to, it seems they can’t be arsed now.

 

My good lady said the exact same thing today. She said that there were players on the park who look as though they don't give a * and that you could tell the ones who did

 

When he first arrived at the club and we raced 3, 5, and then 8 points clear, it was still all weirdly flat. Yes he had a setback in the early League Cup exit, but it didn't feel as if that's what was causing the lack of enthusiasm around the club.

There have been times this season when it's felt as though we would run away with the league title. And even in those moments, it was as if there was still something holding us back as a support from being overly-jubilant.

Personally, I think this was down to two things. The first being the summer transfer window in which it was still clear we failed to strengthen the squad. That was still fairly raw even after the Ibrox win. And even though Rodgers managed to build up an early lead in the title race, it still felt as though we held ourselves back too much and didn't truly look to unlock our potential despite promises of reaching a new level.

Secondly, and most importantly, the performance levels had been absolutely dugshit. Even though we were 8 clear, even those defending Rodgers could only point at the league table as some sort of barometer of progress. Those defenders were happy to be blinded by seeing us above Rangers and mistaking it for genuine progress on the pitch. This is an example of using Rangers as a benchmark - something we should absolutely never * do. Nobody could actually point to a string of positive performances around the October and November time in which we had shown a consistent run of quality displays with exciting, attacking football. The odd game? Sure. Hearts 1-4 Celtic. Celtic 6-0 Aberdeen. There were a couple of oddities in there. But that lack of consistency in quality displays was the total opposite to how it felt when he first arrived back in the 2016/17 season.

Now, those performances have caught up with him. That's on him. He's changed absolutely nothing regarding his system despite the fact we've struggled in it all season. Being 8 points clear was the worst thing that could've happened to us because it engrained into the manager, the players, and sections of the support that we were miles better than the huns. When the truth is that simply wasn't accurate. They were in a bad, bad way at the start of the season and we did well to pile on some early misery. But we didn't once step back and think of what could maybe happen if they managed to reinvigorate themselves. How that would actually affect us and whether we could raise our performance levels further to calm any potential revolution.

A big, big few months awaits Rodgers when it comes to his legacy at Celtic. If he can steer this shitshow of a season performance-wise to a league championship (preferably a double), it'll do wonders for how he's perceived in the eyes of the support. And that's regardless of whether he goes in the summer.

If he fails? He's truthfully as well never coming back.

 

Pack the box and we struggle, the whole of * scotland knows this. BR will be away as soon as he can without losing face and this time round i wouldnt blame him one bit. The board have had a easy ride for way to long and they are * the fans the players and the manager.

 

Apart from Muscat, who's now at Shanghai, who else plays like Ange? Knutsen I suppose but he's going nowhere.

 

Decent shout. Hindsight is a marvelous thing...but it did cross my mind recently if we had continued on in a similar style say wi Muscat in charge. I reckon that would've probably been the smarter thing to do. Coulda, shoulda, woulda... irrelevant now though.

Leads back, to the question(s) why he wanted to come back, and why the Desmond wanted him back, but not back him. It's bizarre and were clearly suffering from it all no doubt.

 

“One thing’s for sure. If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting. One definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”
— Stephen R. Covey

 

No doubt, it feels many aren't trying, O'Riley started the season red hot, Palma came in and was on it with goals and assists, Kyogo was even scoring. They now look like they are going through the motions, * knows how you lose a squad so quickly though.

 

Well he has came out and publicly criticised them. Which I'm not saying I disagree with, but it could be a reason.