Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

I did want him if I’m honest. If I knew what was going to happen in both the transfer windows though, I’d have wanted someone similar to Ange.

 

I was reflecting on Brendan's first tenure here and truth be told, he was a one season wonder when you think about it. Although he won the treble again in his second season, some of the turgid performances we have witnessed this season also occurred in the 2017-18 season and the team were inconsistent. Obviously no one could expect another invincible season with P38 W34 D4 L0 again but the drop off was quite a lot. He had pretty much the same squad plus Eduoard and Ntcham.

If you look at the results that season, at no point did the team record more than three consecutive victories. Much like this season, the games against the huns were when his team played at their best (save for a poor 0-0 draw in which they edged the game), then the team would either throw points away to lesser teams. By the season's end there were 5 0-0 draws. So many matches were boring to watch. The ruthlessness of the team in the cups saw the treble secured but the league showing would have been eclipsed by a competent hun team. They were still bad enough that we could afford to slack off and still win the league, this is not the case these days. The huns actually outscored us that season, see the stats for yourself. Caixinha/Murty's team!

It's weird because when Sinclair and Dembele first joined and along with already present players improving, the football was actually Ange-esque with fast pace play and chances galore, scoring for fun etc.

The 2018-19 season was what some considered to be Brendan's worst, though I recall the league form being better (as in the team were scoring more and managed to win 5IAR and 8IAR match streaks at different times. There was also moments when the team were inconsistent like the start of the season and December. Brendan left and the team stumbled over the line and Lenny secured the treble. Lennon's first season back (19-20) was actually a better season with more consistency and way more goals but naturally that is overshadowed by the disastrous Covid season.

When Brendan returned part of me worried that the issues of 17-18 and parts of 18-19 would return. Another part of me hoped he could do better as Ange's team were far superior to Ronny's team - the two squads he inherited. The issues this season were prevalent in the first spell BR but now he has a challenge for the title for the first time as Celtic manager. The loss of Ange's football, the boring style of Rodgers and the board sitting on a pile of cash like Smaug has left us demoralised at the drop off in quality.

Long run I don't see Brendan as the guy to take us forward. His style is good against evenly match teams who attack but not against SPFL teams with their low block, or CL elite teams who will help themselves to 5/6/7-0 wins. If he can at least win the league somehow and leave I think that would be a good redemption arc. I would hate to see the huns win the treble right after we just overtook them in total. We need to find someone who implements an Angeball style system to take charge next season.

 

I don't have a personal vendetta against him although like others I could see this coming. I'm just not one of his fanboys. There are a few on here who would still find a way to defend him if he put Kyogo at CB and Bernabei at striker.

 

Form over last 15 games thats a sackable offence to me

 

The football his first season was great to watch and very similar to Ange's football. He played an aggressive high press. The game that stands out is v Man City. They had won every game in the EPL and looked unbeatable but we pressed them aggressively and they didn't handle it and every EPL team after that did the same and it totally derailed their season. I remember him saying about our press that if our player couldn't touch the opposition player then they weren't marking him closely enough.
It changed in the next 2 seasons and it baffles me why. He showed in his first season he could play similar to Ange's system so why not revert to it now?

 

Seeing what has Rodgers done to Kyogo, I'm starting to pinch my nose in case Muscat were somehow appointed. Although, I'm sure Huns looked at Muscat, and would he even consider us?

 

* that we are top of the league ,we have been pish all season but we are still top .rodgers needs to ditch his arrogance and find a solution ,christ even if he reverted back to angeball for expedience ,almost every * knows their role .he cant just box himself into one way of playing when it isnt working

 

If he's anything like Ange he won't change.

 

I genuinely wouldn't care if he played for them, if he came in and did a good job.

 

Exactly.

He has to either change his system, or find a way to get a tune out of these guys to win the league, or just walk.

As I've said, I defended him for our European outcome as the recruitment didn't reflect a team that had any ambition about Europe.

What I can't do is defend him on a domestic front. I don't give a * if he hasn't got good wingers or good full backs or whatever. He is paid over 3 million quid a year to be the best team in Scotland.

It he isn't happy with recruitment or wingers, * off. Simple as that.

It would make our board look even more like a shower of *. And it would get Rodgers off the hook to an extent. I don't have much sympathy for Rodgers as he fell out with the exact same board in 2019. So he knew better than anycunt what he was signing up for.

 

aye or lennon for that matter ,if thats the case he needs sacked .

 

Usually himself.....

 

Both fairly uncompromising about their system. I have a certain degree of sympathy for Rodgers that he wasn't backed like Ange was. However, as he himself recognises, it's up to him to change the board's mind. As he apparently couldn't do that, he needs to adapt to the players he has. Between now and the end of the season it should be about getting the best tune out of them rather than trying to implement a system that shows them up.

 

I think Rodgers HAS indeed been given the same or similar backing as Ange.

The difference being, especially in Anges first season, he knew exactly what and who he wanted. Kyogo, Hatate, Maeda etc. Other signings like Bernabei, Oh, and possibly AJ were probably club signings.

I don't think Rodgers has a * scooby about any "affordable" players, and has quite possibly knocked back a few "projects" and club scouted options. Which is fair enough.

But therein lies the massive issue.

One of the reasons I was vehemently opposed to Rodgers appointment was his transfer record. Which was countered by Rodgers' yes men as "look at this big list of players we didn't get that Rodgers wanted".

If accurate, fair enough. But * all has changed.

We're still in the woefully * situation with a manager who can't spot a player unless they are "EPL proven" , and club who would rather * a league to Sevco than pay over 5m for a player without a loan deal first.

It's ok saying Rodgers hasn't been backed. It's also fair to assume he's been given the same backing as Ange, he just doesn't have his own targets and doesn't like the clubs options.

So we're stuck between ignorance and incompetence.

 

Yip. Been saying this is a possibility since the summer when obvious positions weren't filled. Rodgers is very much part of that mix, think his "marquee" signings not coming off is part of his indifference, and he's explaining it away in his head as "nothing more I could have done".

 

Think there's a lot of truth in that in terms of Rodgers only seeing EPL level players.

Also think the ego of both him and lawwell will be playing a part again like it did before. Can imagine Rodgers just knocking back project after project now and lawell refusing to give him what he wants.

Couple of players I was suprised he didn't go for that he had worked with were Luke Thomas and Daniel Armaty. They would have been similar to what Ange had done with signing ex players.

Neither are superstars but would argue both are better than what we have. Armaty was available on a bosman and Thomas is coming to end of his deal and was at very least available on loan.

Still don't really understand why he didn't go for them, Thomas was even available again in January.

Wages my have been an issue or maybe he's been told the only say he gets in recruitment is an aye or a naw to Lawell Jrs picks.

 

If we aren’t willing to sign the players he wants, why did we bother to bring him back?

I was against him being re-hired but decided to back him as what else can you really do?

However, the football has been the same as the end of his last spell. We’re playing slow, possession based football where we just pass side wards and backwards hoping to break down the opposition and it’s painful to watch at times.

Under Ange we were exciting as * to watch and I really miss that style so much.

It’s also annoying because as much as we haven’t signed some really needed players, we still have such a capable squad!

Hart is unfortunately passed it and to immobile for me but is a decent shot stopper.

Johnston and Ralston are decent, although limited, right backs, we’ve seen them play well.

CCV is the best in the league, Scales is solid and I actually think Welsh/Nawrocki/Lagerbielke start for any other team in the league.

Taylor is more than capable domestically, Bernabei is pish.

McGregor, Hatate, O’Reilly and Bernardo are the 4 best centre mids in the league and I don’t think it’s close. When they’re on form, no one in the league can do anything.

Maeda and Abada have been good for the past few years, Palma looks decent but still a project and Kuhn hopefully shows more as he gets more game time, but exciting so far.

Kyogo is the best striker in the league, Oh starts for the majority and Idah might be good, we’ll see.

Even though the signings haven’t really stood out yet, we have a solid core to the squad and should be performing much better. We do need improvements for a few positions but not to the point we should be losing/drawing/just struggling in general against other teams in this league.

I blame Rodger’s for the teams poor performance to be honest and I just want him to leave. Whether he is exhausted and just needs a break to re-energise himself or he’s fed up with the board, it’s clear whatever he is trying is not working.

Anyway, I just want to rant. The team, the board, the manager and the previous two transfer windows are really making me not enjoy football right now.

 

We'll win this league. Rodgers is a very talented manager but he has character flaws that prevent him from maximising his ability imo. The fact we are now in a dogfight for the title will focus his mindset and we'll see his qualities come to the fore. We'll win it but what comes after is a worry. Will he push for the changes required or take the huff and the inevitable implosion happens.

 

I'll be honest and say I've got serious doubts now. We've dropped points in a quarter of our league games so far and history tells us teams in this sort of stuttering form don't tend to magically turn it around. Injuries aren't helping either.