Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

Typical BBC Scotland main page feature…

Instead of talking about a good European win while the ‘rest’ of Scotland go down 11-0 or whatever it stopped at…

… it’s a dour-faced BR photo and talking about the Edinburgh Huns league prospects…

Glad I don’t pay the license fee.

 

You're trying to pass off the fact that recruitment is a minor issue and that management is the main issue, all while pointing out that we played well and our tactics worked. Its as classic a case as hypocrisy as you'll see on here. The fact is that we could play like we did last night every game and we could still lose games of football because due to recruitment, we are woefully short of attacking options and the quality required to kill games at the top end of the pitch. Its going to be a recurring theme until we actually solve the issue by recruiting the players we need.

 

They cost the same did they not? Also did he not play on the right and was murder?

 

Balikwisha was murder on the right. Don’t overly remember Tounekti playing there.

He’s right. It’s worth trying to see if we can get both into the team

 

The injuries are a total nightmare but hopefully the replacements coming in can bring a bit of freshness to the team. The likes of Shin/Kenny, Pusey/Trusty, Donnovan, even Engels if Nygren gets pushed out wide and Saracchi if Tierney gets rested should all have a point to prove.

The team got incredibly stale and injuries might force Rodgers hand a bit

 

In Rodgers 3rd season the last time around it took an injury crisis around about this time for Christie to get his opportunity he came in and brought a whole new energy to the team.
Maybe this latest spate of injuries will have a similar impact.
As you say guys like Shin, Kenny, Donovan, Murray and Pusey should all bring a freshness to the team and hopefully they step up and seize their chance

 

Mental. We move our only potent threat as a trial to see how it goes!!! Absolute madness.

 

Recruitment is an issue and the manager has been/is an issue, never used the terms main or minor anywhere. The summer was shambolic but we've still got a decent enough side that the manager should have been getting more out of. If you can't recognise that you're just blinkered. The performance levels were also an issue before the summer window.

And if we did play like that every game and didn't win due to the cf and rw missing chances then there would be nothing to complain about, something i happened to mention previously. But we haven't been so there is.

 

"Mental".

Before last night Tounekti had done next to nothing for several weeks. He's no a "potent goal threat". He's a decent threat. And if we're going to see Balikwisha make an impact on the left then it's worth trying. Our results are hardly going to get much worse are they? They're pish enough as it is

 

Ok bedtime pal. Tierney has been brutal, I mean brutal since he came back. Would you play him at right back to see how he gets on……Jesus wept.

 

What a bizarre comparison. Have a wee lie down mate.

Balikwisha is a £5m investment that's getting absolutely no look-in down his favoured position.

Tounekti, meanwhile, has experience of playing on the right-side and is clearly mainly about beating defenders as opposed to an end product. Notice the lack of shots he actually takes when he cuts onto his right foot. You're telling me he couldn't play that same game on the right?

We need to find a way to get both of these players in the same team. We just let Balikwisha rot away on the bench in your view do we?

Aye, you try it out. Wingers switch positions all the time. Nobody's saying it has to be final.

 

Shudder!

 

I still think we're going to drop a lot of points this season and for that reason, Hearts are in with a chance; but there are two big differences with the COVID season: Hearts are not capable of keeping this form going all season like some Hun teams have been in the past and they will enter a spell where they drop a lot of points. In addition, the Huns themselves are in a bigger mess than we are. That means that if we eventually do get our act together, we will win the league.

That much is cause for optimism. What worries me is our capacity to get our act together. I don't know if we will. It would help if we could stop getting injuries to key players.

 

We have at no point this season, had a decent enough side to sweep to a treble and compete in Europe. That's what everyone expects of a Celtic team at the moment. Now that our main striker is injured things look even worse. I don't care about performance levels before the summer any more, thats last season and thats a further reason why we had to get it right over the summer. You cannot get it spectacularly wrong in a transfer window and then use the argument "Ah well we should have enough on paper." This isn't EA 26 or Football manager. That window had a massive psychological implications on management, staff and players. Hence why Daizen is a different player. Messing people around and having then potentially make plans to uproot their family and then change your mind last minute because you do your transfer dealings in the dark ages has a lasting effect. Games of football aren't played on paper. The value of a squad and player wages mean * all if they're unhappy or not performing due to external reasons. Its too easy to point the finger at the manager and say "Bad football bad management" Anyone who isn't blinkered knows the reason why we've had a dodgy start to the season. And you could bin Brendan tomorrow and it would make absolutely no difference to it. Wholesale changes need to be made behind the scenes before Brendan leaves so the next manager isn't walking into this * show.

 

I do agree with this especially if the alternative is Yang or Forrest RW.

Balikwisha LW and Tounekti RW has to be better than Tounekti LW and Yang RW.

 

You have to be capable of examining the managers role though and judging him on what he does have available rather than what he could or should have available.

I dont think its correct to say everyone expects this Celtic side to sweep a treble and be competitive in Europe. Most fans have re-calibrated their expectations on the back of the Summer recruitment and the squad depth available. I think what they do expect is better performances than what is being delivered this season. I think they expect a manger of Rodgers calibre to be able to have the flexibility to adapt and to find solution in terms of getting the team to perform better. Or at the very least signs that hes really trying to. Where frustration at Rodgers has been setting in is because the same problems have been seen consistently with little evidence Rodgers is genuinely trying to change anything. This leads to suspicions that he himself has checked out. If so, that would make Rodgers part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

I also think its a little too convenient to dismiss performances over the second half of last season. Because there were developing signs that the system of football we play was starting to get worked out by teams and providing diminishing returns that wasnt solely tied to recruitment. The games against rangers (who have been in even worse shape on and off the pitch) are the most obvious example. Even with close to full strength teams we began to lose the tactical battles. They were prepared to adapt their approach to play against us. We havent been. That remit sits with Rodgers. Not scrutinising Rodgers at all gives across the impression of not wanting to look too hard in case of what one might find.

That said - I think its pretty clear where the fans are apportioning the bulk of the blame - and thats with board. There hasnt been unrest like this since the Covid year and even then I dont think it reached the level of organised momentum for change that currently exists. However fans are also going to be entitled to ask questions of the manager with the kinds of performances we have seen. Is this really the best that we can expect from this squad of players with a manger who has a reputation for being top class? Not for me anyway. And while I think hes earned the chance to get things back on an even keel, if you are saying that the performances we have seen in the league so far is as good as its going to get, and that Rodgers isnt going to be prepared to really look at changing thigs up - then its a no brainer we should start looking for an alternative manager. If he shows that hes prepared to adapt and try to address the issues in the team I think the support will cut him the slack.

I think the point being made about the game yesterday was that we played pretty well - so in the right circumstances these players are capable and its not simply a case they are not good enough and have downed tools. Against teams that afford our players space we can see that we can actually play with a better tempo and create chances. Unfortunately, most of the teams we play dont afford us the kind of room Sturm Graz did and this is where we struggle. Which brings back to the point of should Rodgers be prepared to be more adaptable.

 

I do wonder what a managers role is now. It's not really clear what Rodgers has done in the years up until this point.

Ange was pretty clear, he did everything regardless of whether he should have to or not. Anything happened all on him too.

Rodgers is much more IKEA. Literally does nothing other than advertising. All self assembly.

 

Firstly, I absolutely am judging Brendan on the full picture here. What we currently have available, which has already diminished by 3 players since Thursday, was never acceptable. So we need to stop understating how bad that window is and stop making it sound like this is some of situation that can be easily navigated.

My point regarding expecting a treble and European progress was referring to before a ball was kicked. The fact that 2 months into the season that we've already had to re-calibrate expectations is entirely down to squad depth and the summer window. The job Brendan has until the window opens in January, which is still to challenge in all competitions, is a big ask. The fact that many people on here hold the view that he deserves the sack, or would deserve the sack after a loss on Sunday is genuinely mind blowing. The fact that many people share the view that a change of formation or a tactical tweak here is all that's needed is fanciful. There are many players here, because of external circumstances, that he can't get the best out of. Maeda being the main one. Sick of repeating the same point over and over again but we do not have the attacking players in the squad to do what's required. There is no hidden formation or "elite manager" tactics that is going to get us scoring enough goals. Like I have said again and again, bin Brendan any time you want, appoint any manager you want, the only way any anything is going to be fixed is in January in the window.

Your points regarding Rangers - they have yet to beat us in a meaningful game. Rodgers has lost twice to them across both of his stints. Yes it looks bad on paper when a Barry Ferguson led side gets a win. Reality is we had nothing to play for and its easier for the team playing strictly for pride to lift their game a bit. We lifted 2 trophies and they ended up with nothing. Had they defeated us in a crucial game and lifted a cup I'd certainly be far more annoyed. However if a dead rubber is the worst we're giving up to them, then fine, they can have it. I'm more annoyed with our performance in the cup final against Aberdeen. But * happens, you can't win them all. And sure some of our games were a bit of a slog to watch towards the end of the season. Again though, alot of that down to recruitment, let's not pretend that January was a successful window that set us up well for the 2nd half of the season. We punted Kyogo and brought in Jota. We still haven't replaced Kyogo and Jota has unfortunately been injured for most of his return. We signed Schlupp on loan. That was our only meaningful business after shipping out some deadwood both selling and loans. It is absolutely pointless having a manager like Brendan here if you're not even attempting to bring in players that he needs to play his system. When your main window for the season ahead involves downgrading his squad I find it utterly pointless to complain about his style of football when you're actively reducing his chances of being able to do his job. I don't care about his contract situation or when he's leaving, everyone including the board knew he would be here for the entirety of this season. Therefore as our manager he deserved at the bare minimum sufficient backing. Expecting him to just rip up his formation, make massive tactical changes and play an entirely different style of football to get results out of a downgraded squad is a pointless ask. If thats the sum of our ambition as club we'd have been as well sacking him and appointing a puppet head coach like they've done across the city. And we better hope thats not the long term plan or we could be in trouble. You cannot constantly come out the other side of successive transfer windows weakening your team and then expecting improvements to the team and the style of football. Its impossible and until we start getting it right off the pitch, Brendan or whoever else is in charge has no chance.