Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

There's definitely an element of him not having the right players to play his system, but his system overall does not suit the league we play in. Against the huns it works, even in Europe it was starting to show signs of working although we were out before we could build on it.

But domestically up against anti football setups, his style is failing. It's too slow and ponderous and teams are able to withstand it without too much trouble, unless our team are at the top of their game.

 

Feel free not to like him, but that's his game.

 

Yes I do get that but some managers can get more out of certain players playing different formations. If rather someone else come in than the rat continue to embarrass us. We've all seen how this plays out before. Rodgers ain't going to have that team playing better. We've seen enough.

 

We were gutted at the manner he left, but it’s not revisionism to say the football had become pretty turgid.

In Europe we were still poor as well. Aye obviously his domestic record was phenomenal in terms of trophies…but he wasn’t up against much either.

I think a lot of fans would have been happy enough to see him leave at the end of that season.

 

Yes but only way they'll take notice is stop funding the * with our hard earned money! The board ain't changing. There's no way to get them out that I can see. We just need to force there hands to spend our money

 

I remember saying at the time I wasn't confident in us winning the league the following year. The football did become stale and predictable, and we knew at the time transfers wouldn't help considering our board and Congerton were in charge. *, Lennon's Football the following season was a lot better than Rodgers in his third

It's a similar feeling this time round. Other than Rangers, who will figure it out eventually, teams know how to play against us. Our current defence is no better than a standard SPFL defence, its depressing.

 

The thing that is so * annoying is we've missed the boat now with a few managers, like Farioli, Maresca or Iraola. Iraola might not have come here anyway but I'm convinced the first two were more than do-able, and look like proper progressive managers. Farioli is doing an absolutely ridiculous job in Ligue 1.

If and when Rodgers goes now, who will we bring in? I'm sure there will be some candidates out there I'm not aware of but nobody obvious jumps to mind.

 

It would be between Kennedy, if Rodgers left now, and Muscat, if he left at the end of the season.

I know he took a job in China, but I think the frontrunner would be Muscat. Plays identical to Ange and in the boards mind it means they don't need to scout another manager. Players would suit his system too.

Kennedy is obvious, very decent assistant manager, but the board could try their luck and see if he can stick it as our main man.

Both are lazy options, both could work, but it's depressing either way.

 

I remember wanting Muscat for continuation of what we already had..

Another option i liked the sound of with an upwards trajectory was the Ipswich manager....and it looks like he's only going one way..

Didn't fancy Maresca but would've been all over Iraola..

Rodgers definitely won't be here next season for me, even if he gets us motoring towards the title..

 

I think he may just scrape the title. Not because he'll get us playing but because they'll start dropping points as Europe kicks in. They'll start pulling out of challenges etc to avoid injurys. Hope he goes in the summer though.

 

I was the same.

Out of all the candidates, Muscat ticked the lost boxes. Muscat would've carried on the Ange ball. Still would want him here over Rodgers tbh.

I think Rodgers' football was declining in his first stint here and I felt appointing him was a backwards step. Regardless, I was willing to back him as his trophy record is exceptional in Scotland.

Didn't want Maresca, but I was wrong. Seems to be taking the English Championship by storm.

Ipswich manager now out of reading reach, too. They'll be going up to the EPL next season.

Rodgers job was to get the fans onside as the majority didn't want him back because of the reasons above. He's done very little to change people's minds. In fact, he's only reinforced those who didn't want him back and is now losing faith in those who were willing to give him a chance.

 

We're almost 7 months into his tenure and I still see no patterns of actual play.

Under Ange you saw it instantly. Remember the wee triangles between O'Riley, Abada and Juranovic in the 3-0 game where we utterly dismantled a hun team on their way to a European final? The way we used to get up the pitch and create an attack in about 10 seconds? The fast paced football that didn't let the opposition rest? The quick throw ins and free kicks that got us so many goals? The unreal pressing? All of that is gone.

Watch any Spurs game this season and they're playing exactly how we did for 2 years. It's pretty remarkable how similar it actually is. That's a team with a clear identity. Unfortunately we're playing like Rodgers' Leicester team on the verge of relegation.

We've scored a handful of good "team" goals this season and I'm being serious. That's pathetic. We rely heavily on individual moments or bits of luck. Kyogo vs Atletico springs to mind as probably the best goal we've scored.

People talk about how Ange was more about energy. That's true. But his football was a million times better. We were still technically far better and easy on the eye. This whole "Rodgers plays more technical football" is a load of * rubbish. Slow, laboured and being unable to beat low blocks isn't methodical or technical in my eyes. It's turgid.

 

im not one bit surprised he got lecister relagated if he had them playing the way we are now .the attacking threat is zero ,far too slow of getting the ball foward the opposition has all the time in the world to get players back you would think an elite coach( ) would be able to figure that out,dont even get me started on set pieces

 

McKenna is a good shout, he looks proper. As @Hammy89 says, out of reach now, but could maybe have got him in over the summer if we'd pushed the boat out. So frustrating.

 

Ange telt the players to go out and play positively this * has put restrictions on players get him to * Brendan fraudgers right enough.

Shows you how much the board or Desmond knows, they thought idiotically that a big name Rodgers could continue the success with the same squad of players he was always gonna require to change majority of them players, idiotic by the club or one man in hiring him

 

For me this comes back to the question; who made the decision to go for Rodgers?

I'd like to think there's a process for making these decisions that involves a board meeting with Desmond and the head of recruitment present also. If there is an overall footballing and recruitment philosophy they all have to have input and come to an agreement.

What it looks like though from the outside, is that Desmond has had the final say against the judgement of people who knew he wasn't the right man, hence the lack of a clear plan behind the scenes. I reckon Mark Lawwell was hoping for someone more progressive in their footballing philosophy that he could work with, but has had to settle for an awkward working relationship with Rodgers who isn't right for where we want to go as a club.

 

Honestly I feel like I change my mind on Rodgers a lot. I was happy when he came back because I assumed it meant the club had agreed to be more ambitious. I didn't think he'd be interested unless he had agreed either a decent budget, or had given the board a list of targets. Instead we had a scattergun approach in the summer and an absolute failure of a window in January.

We arent going to attract anyone with his pedigree if he leaves. And what top manager would sign up to coming to Celtic with a board like ours? So I do hope he turns it around and decides to stay.

That said, some of his decisions just don't add up. The lagerbielke situation is just weird. Talking up his role in progressing youth but continuing to start Bernabei over Frame No real development plan for Vata. Under his watch key players from last season look a pale imitation. Moans about needing to bring in quality then says nothing when we don't bring in quality .And ultimately we still have a squad that should be more than capable of winning most games comfortably in the SPFL. All that is on him rather than the board.

But for now he has my backing. The board is the trouble that needs fixed rather than Rodgers

 

I agree with this, no doubt in my mind Rodgers was Desmond's first choice.

Not even a cheap choice either, can pretty much guarantee the likes of Mckenna, Iraola, Muscat and Fariola would be on less wages than Rodgers currently.

If we constantly played teams close to our level i.e. the huns, I actually think we'd be a lot happier with everything, even in Europe I was fairly happy with the way we played, he just doesn't know how to play against teams that sit back and counter.

TBH, if we win the title I'd be surprised if he's not here for next season at least.

He won't stay the 3 years, no chance, but win the title and I think he'll be here until next Christmas at least.

It would be ideal for all parties if he left tbh, and I do hope he sees it that way, but I'm not so sure.

 

It's a strange comparison but the way he sets up reminds me of the mistakes GvB made at the Huns.

GvB set up in a way that would succeed in Europe and basically gave teams in our league too much respect when Ange was just blowing the * away. I didn't think he was a bad manager, he just didn't understand the pressure required to break down less-skilled teams that park the bus.

There's a similar issue going on with Rodgers at the moment. He came back here for European success but he's not been given a squad that can ever do that, so you need to adapt to what you have. Why the penny hasn't dropped by now I don't really understand, as I think he's perfectly capable of doing so.