Celtic lucky to have our elite boss Brendan Rodgers

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The Celtic Star

·19 February 2025

Celtic lucky to have our elite boss Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers returned to help Celtic succeed at European level. He’s now laid the foundations so the Celtic board must give him the tools to finish the job while we must give him our 100% backing, letting bygones be bygones…

Merchandise for sale outside the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Brendan had unfinished business at Celtic

Part of the reason Brendan Rodgers came back to Celtic in the summer of 2023 was to settle some unfinished business in European football. He had nothing to prove on a domestic level, eight trophies, two consecutive trebles and laying the foundations for a third proved his undoubted credentials at that level.

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It was rather his record on the European front that would have irritated him. Despite some great showings against Manchester City, and Anderlecht in the Champions League, and a win against RB Leipzig in the Europa league, his record in the continent was rather underwhelming.

Our fair share of drubbings

We received our fair share of drubbings, a 0-5 home defeat to PSG, a 7-1 thumping in Paris, and of course the 7-0 destruction at the hands of Barcelona in the Nou Camp springing to mind – painfully so.

Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Celtic, Celtic FC and Shakhtar Donetsk on October 25, 2022.(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Similar to Ange Postecoglou his approach to the game in Europe was often criticised due to his footballing philosophy when competing against the elite sides which was reflected by some of the hammerings we endured under both managers.

Sticking to principles

Some would call it admirable, sticking to your principles and all that, but as well as being predictable we didn’t have the quality required to compete with much better sides.

That’s all changed however in his second spell. There were signs in last season’s competition that we were improving (the 6-0 thumping at Atletico aside when down to ten men) and now this season (aside from the Dortmund disaster) we’ve looked a more accomplished side against quality opponents.

READ THIS…Celtic credibility in European football restored – Brendan Rodgers

Nicolas Kuehn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

In the RB Leipzig game we were absolutely terrific, in Atalanta we really came of age as we earned a credible draw while snuffing out a side packed with great attacking threat, and last night we looked tactically astute against a top, top side and very much looked like we belonged at this level.

New found tactical approach

Brendan has been allowed to spend big (in terms of Scottish football) on improving his squad. And along with his new found tactical approach he’s reaping the rewards. We may have lost out last night, but the improvement in our side is there for all to see. This is the level we should be competing at on a regular basis, and that should be our target moving forward.

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He’s always reiterated that he needed quality to reach his goal of making our squad competitive at this level. He’s been good as his word, and it’s now over to the Celtic hierarchy to further back him in his pursuit to take that further step forward. He’s laid the foundations, now it’s time to give him the tools to finish the job.

The Celtic squad is NOT strong enough

The Celtic squad is NOT strong enough, you need to have better quality on the bench across all positions and that is something we lack. Brendan must now be backed by the Board and also he now deserves recognition and a wee bit more love from the Celtic support.

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Brendan Rodgers Celtic Glasgow, Press Conference, Germany. International Press Conference, Celtic Glasgow, Football, UEFA Champions League,, 17 02 2025, Munich Photo Eibner-Presse foto/Jenni Maul

What is past is past and Brendan left the first time around because of a power struggle and because he was not going to be backed. He could say that to Martin O’Neill in that interview at Lennoxtown and the former Celtic boss was wrong to intervene when Brendan was giving the agreed party line on that issue. You could tell MON knew it too when he assured Brendan pre-match that he’d not be asking any more questions after what happened the other day.

Time for a Brendan song

Brendan Rodgers is an elite manager. He is the best manager Celtic has had since Jock Stein. He must be backed by the board and by the support, 100% each. And the latter can’t criticise the former if they can’t bring themselves to do that themselves.

Time for a Brendan song to return. ‘This is how it feels to be Celtic, Champions against as you know, Brendan Rodgers is here for….you decide.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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