Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

If I were him, I wouldn't sign a thing until the transfer window closes. He'll know then whether he has taken us as far as he can or not.

He's repaid his debt to the fans with interest and rescued his legacy at the club. He can get more money in England and nothing he does domestically will make the slightest difference to his CV in England or Spain. Unless we back him to the point where he feels we can show further improvement in the CL, then there's nothing in it for him.

Needless to say, I want us to give him what he wants this summer.

 

I totally agree. Hopefully a good summer transfer window includes a contract extension for Rodgers to stay beyond next season.

 

I've really warmed to him throughout this tenure. There's been far more of a mutual feeling; I sense he's appreciated what he has here on a deeper level this time around. The way he's handled his return has been exemplary, all things considered. I have a wee feeling he'll be here beyond his three years.

 

I agree. No way he came back for money IMO. I just included that for completeness.

 

I think the thing that worries me is that I don't trust him with a rebuild (which is looking like we need one this summer)

His success here and his other clubs has largely been built on teams/players he's inherited. It usually starts to go downhill when those players leave. It happened at Leicester and Liverpool and his first spell here.

Not sure even sure having a director of football would work because I don't think he would want to work with one

 

Yeah a rebuild under Brendan frightens me I'm not gonna lie. I don't trust the board/recruitment either though, so * knows.

 

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/202...s-eyeing-more-irish-representation-at-celtic/


Brendan Rodgers says that Celtic are hoping to enhance their pathways for young Irish players.

The Bhoys' first-team squad currently features two Republic of Ireland internationals in Adam Idah and Liam Scales, plus rising star Johnny Kenny.

He also name-checked Northern Ireland underage prospect Francis Turley, who made his Scottish Premiership debut last August, as one to watch in the reserve team.

But with a friendly against Cork City on the horizon at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Rodgers insists that Celtic are conscious of deepening their historic ties across the Irish Sea.

"It's definitely an area that we want to be better in," he said. "Our market to bring in Irish players is still very important for us. So we're hoping that we can do that.

"We've got a couple of our younger players that have come through, but it's just going to take a wee bit of time. We’ve a boy, Francis Turley, from the North. He's had some appearances in and around the first team.

"What's very important is bringing Celtic to Ireland to keep that connection. When they're young, a lot of the players support Premier League teams, but Celtic is still a huge draw. Taking the team to America last year really proved that."

Rodgers hailed Idah, who had been the subject of criticism last month, for his on-field response. The 24-year-old Corkman has bagged six goals in six games since then. His manager is confident that Idah will add even more goals next season.

"He's a young player that’s got so much potential. He’s scored 20 goals in 22 starts. I think he’s had 51 appearances, so he's contributed a lot for us in every competition.

"Settling in can be a challenge at a club like Celtic, but he’s adapted really well.

"I believe that next season, he'll go on and be even stronger and even better. Obviously, he'll be with us now for pre-season, which he wasn't last season because he was still at Norwich.

"He's a good guy, he gives his all, and he'll kick on again next year, I'm sure.

"What we've tried to highlight with Adam is just that pressing aspect, because he can score goals and all different types of goals.

"How we play is very much a pressure game, an intense game, and that's something he's working very hard at physically.

"But when he's full of confidence, running hard, and working well, then all these things come naturally for him. And naturally, he's got lots of talent."



Kenny has also caught Rodgers’ eye since returning from two years on loan at Shamrock Rovers.

Having netted on his full debut last week in Aberdeen, Rodgers will decide this summer whether to seek another loan move for Kenny or retain him with the Celtic first team.

"We'll see what pre-season brings for him," said Rodgers. "We just have to assess everything and where he's at.

"He’s still a young player. He's 21. From where he'd come from, he's shown up very, very well.

"There's always the balance between being a part of the squad, or whether you think it's best for them to go out and play every single week."

Rodgers also praised 26-year-old centre-back Scales for regaining his place in the starting team.

"Liam’s a player that I trust. He'd obviously come out of the team earlier on in the season, but I put him back into the games that were really important for us, and he’s shown up so well. I'm delighted with how consistent his form is."

As for the Cork Super Cup match on 8 July, Rodgers is looking forward to his Páirc Uí Chaoimh trip.

"I haven't been to Cork, my first time there, so I’m looking forward to that," he said.

"I've seen the pictures and it's a wonderful stadium. Some of these grounds, the Gaelic football stadiums, American football stadiums, and baseball stadiums, they always bring big crowds, great atmosphere, and great occasions."

Before then, there’s the matter of a Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen on Saturday, which could provide Rodgers with his third Scottish treble.

"We’ve put in so much work over the course of the season, so much sacrifice, but it's always been our notion to win all three.

"We've done two. Now, we can get ready to have a good week’s training and get focused on that game

 

Would be delighted to see him sign a new deal and commit his future here.

On a rebuild, it’s definitely a slight worry but I hope to see us lose only 2/3 this window. The rebuild should be gradual.

 

For myself its all down to one position.

Ridiculous i know, but im a ridiculous man.

If he goes out and gets a REAL cdm for a comparatively high price, Ill know he knows what we need and is equipped to handle the window himself. If not, ill be fearing the worst.

 

Fear the worst we won’t, for one I struggle to name a REAL cdm these days.
Everything we do is built around McGregor in the 6. For one I don’t know if there’s even one out there but 2 if there is, he’s beyond us but a CDM that people picture like a Wanyama, who brings what McGregor does there isn’t in our price range.

But the one name I can think of, especially if Hatate goes and we can move Calmac up one, that we got linked with and Rodgers knows well… Ndidi. That’s the one.

i can’t see that though, money out we won’t see a return isn’t what we do, and I don’t think Rodgers has any intent to replace McGregor in that role. And that’s the thing, every single thing we do is built around Calmac in that role.

I think Hatate will go, I want someone there who has the physicality and strength, hoping Engels realises he actually is quite strong and big. But next season we need to change the midfield set up anyway, so it’s a wait and see. KT will be on the left, the midfield set up just now works when Taylor inverts the others get space and doesn’t without it. KT isn’t the inverted style. I think we need to see similar to Rodgers first spell here instead. And then that for me is Calmac and Engels in double pivot, and we really need the CAM happy to play back to goal and * turn and create. Like Rogic was.

 

Rodgers in the market, hasn’t the best record for me. Eddy and Sinclair his outstanding buys.

Dembele if you want to count him, we were talking for 6 months when BR signed and he signed because BR, he wasn’t going to under Ronny. So he signed him abd was the reason, but I don’t think quite one of his, more a great option we had he seized upon. But Idah and Kuhn last January by all accounts was him personally.

Compared to the unknown option Ange we had previously, BR’s built his success on that.

Why we talking rebuilds anyway? We don’t need a rebuild. Unless all the links to guys leaving happen, then we’re * and minted, Hatate, Engels, CCV, Maeda, Kuhn, AJ all linked away.

 

IT is several years now since Rangers completed The Journey, as their climb from the bottom division to the top flight became widely known throughout Scottish football, and secured promotion to the Premiership.


Yet, Celtic have, unbeknown to onlookers, been on something of a marathon expedition of their own during the past 10 months or so and now have, at long last, their final destination firmly in their sights.

Brendan Rodgers revealed that he had mapped out his players’ entire season last summer as he spoke to the media at Lennoxtown yesterday ahead of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final – and had targeted a clean sweep of domestic silverware before a ball had so much as been kicked.

Every milestone on the arduous trek which his charges set out on back in August – winning the Premier Sports Cup, reaching the Champions League knockout rounds and retaining the William Premiership trophy – has been reached so far.

All that remains is for them to beat Aberdeen at Hampden tomorrow, lift the final piece of silverware of the season and complete a world record ninth treble.

Talk about the power of positive thinking.




The players will have their own ideas about what they want to achieve and goals individually at the start of each season,” said Rodgers. “But as a team it's about providing a road map for the season right from pre-season.

“It is about mapping it out on the journey, right the way through to Champions League qualification, through to winning the first trophy of the season, getting to the halfway point. It is just taking the guys on the journey of what the season could look like, and the various signposts along the way.

“On top of that, it's performance driven. We know we want to win, that's why we're here, that's what the expectation is here, what drives us. But there's a process to that and it's just really about outlining what that can look like, from June right through to the end of the season.”

Sports psychologists will all tell athletes that visualising what they want to achieve in the future can help them to attain their objectives. But Rodgers knows from bitter personal experience that things do not always go entirely according to plan. So he is proud of what his players have accomplished during the 2024/25 campaign.

“You hope if makes a difference, but it didn't last year,” he said. “At the beginning of the season, the challenge is to win every domestic trophy. Add to that all the performance-related goals in terms of the goals you want to score, concede.

“Listen, the vision is very clear for a club like ourselves at the beginning of a season. Well, it certainly is now. We know what the expectation is. It's incredible really how that has transpired to be the norm, that you are sitting declaring that the treble is what we want to achieve.



But we can't be frightened of that either. When you are at a club of this size, with this expectation, you can't be frightened of that. That's what you want to be able to narrow your focus in. Then when you have done that, you have got to get to work and earn the right to do all the things that you want to do.”

Rodgers, who has never lost a game at Hampden in 28 visits and who is expected to get the better of his Aberdeen counterpart Jimmy Thelin once again tomorrow, admitted that months of meticulous planning and non-stop competitive action had taken a heavy toll on him.

Asked if he was looking forward to his summer break, he said, “Yes, it's just relentless really, the preparation that goes in, dealing with the media, the football and inspiring players.

“Managing a club this size, of course, there's a lot of expectation and a lot of demand. So I think when the end of the season comes, I'll be tired and ready for a rest.”

Rodgers resisted the temptation to celebrate when Celtic were presented with the Premiership trophy for the fourth year running at Parkhead last Saturday because he knew he would need to be at his best physically and mentally during Scottish Cup week.


I don't even think I had a beer,” he said. “I just was at home and just relaxed. The next day likewise. The big celebration will hopefully come at the end of the season. It's been such a long season. I'm going to attempt to relax after next week. But for now, we want one final push.

“If we can do that there, then it would mark a really fantastic season in the club's history. We've been fighting so long to gain credibility and being competitive at the very highest level of Europe. So I feel we've done that to an extent this season.

“But, of course, your bread and butter is your domestic football. That will be the same with any of the top teams in any of the big leagues. Domestically, you want to be dominant. So, the players have the chance to etch their names into the concrete.”

Rodgers would become the first Celtic manager to oversee three trebles if Callum McGregor and his fellow players prevail against Graeme Shinnie and his team mates in Mount Florida. But the Northern Irishman is only concerned with his side crossing the finishing line in the journey they set out on last summer.

“I haven't really thought about what it would mean on a personal level,” he said. “Maybe when I leave here and move on, I can think a wee bit more deeply on it. My immediate focus is just purely on the game and giving the best performance that we can. Then we can see what that looks like at the end. If it means three trebles, then it means that.”

 

Catch 22

He doesn't sign a new deal and the board are reluctant to hand over £30m+ to sign players for a manager who's potentially away in a year.
But if he's not backed he won't sign new deal

 

Unfortunately these situations are likely with us, but they shouldn't.

We've all went on about it long enough, but really we need the footballing direction taken away from the board and the "money men"

If we had a sporting director/director of football/call it what you will, then the football department would have a vision and a direction of focus regardless of the manager.
Meaning, we could spend £30m on players regardless if Rodgers stays or not after next season, because we would know/be confident that the man to replace him would be hired in line with the sporting direction.

Which is funny, because the money men on the board want to do exactly that sort of control and dictate signings as much as they can, but often are * useless and scatter gun about it all.



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