The Taylor Report – Mind Games and Money Talking | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers has been making all the headlines since complaining about the Celtic Park supporters moaning and groaning about back-passing in the early stages of the match against St Mirren on Sunday and also about the Green Brigade chanting about Kieran Tierney’s apparently imminent Celtic return.

Greg Taylor of Celtic and Mohamed Diomande of theRangers during the Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox Stadium, 2 January 2025. PhotoO’ Rourke//Shutterstock

That, according to the Celtic manager, was disrespectful to Greg Taylor who is still unable to agree a new deal with the club and is now in the final few months of his current contract.

Taylor is likely to make his 200th appearance for Celtic this evening. The player has never been a higher earner at Celtic and reckons he’s done more than enough since arriving from Kilmarnock in the summer of 2019 to earn a significant pay rise.

Reports today in Daily Mail by Stephen McGowan indicate that Taylor is holding out for £25k per week, a significant increase on his current salary but in the player’s view that only takes him into the senior player bracket and he’s done enough to earn his pay rise in what will be his last significant contract as a player.

There’s also the first team football issue if Tierney returns but competition for places is nothing new and both Scotland internationals would realistically share the load throughout the season.

Daizen Maeda and Greg Taylor celebrate during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

Those are the reasons why Greg Taylor is upset – if he is annoyed it’s likely got more to do with the Celtic Board not agreeing with his assessment of his worth rather that the Green Brigade chanting about the return of KT who if he wasn’t a player would have been in the North Curve with the rest of the Ultras.

Maybe Brendan manufactured this row to bring the stalemate to a conclusion and get the two sides to get a deal done. And the Celtic manager’s strong words in support of Taylor is likely to have an impact on the player.

Both KT and Brendan opted to leave Celtic previously whereas Greg Taylor- who Brendan yesterday described as a ‘true Celt’ is desperate to stay and play for the club.

Maybe this deal is outwith the club’s strategy but Taylor has been a fine Celtic servant and has been underrated by the supporters and underpaid by the club.

He deserves his new deal and Brendan might just be doing his bit to get that sorted indirectly through his remarks about Taylor over the past two media conferences.