Football is a box office business and box office events grow a club. In that respect, Celtic are a little larger this month than last, with the fortnight-long interview process ahead of Brendan Rogers return as manager. Media interest in the club has grown, you will doubtlessly also have received questions from people with no interest in football enquiring, “Is he coming back?”
The most interesting question is, why has it taken two weeks? It was reported from the off that Celtic and Brendan had a meeting of minds. Both recognised they were low on better options, salary was notionally agreed, although the release clause details would have rattled the bone china.
Success or failure of a managerial appointment can come down to other matters. Eddie Howe insisted he would not come to Celtic without his backroom team, whom he felt were integral to his chances. For the first time in his career, Brendan will accept a job without Chris Davies, his deputy for 13 years. Chris’ reputation at Celtic was so high, Ange Postecoglou heard enough to take him to Tottenham. If not a red flag, this is certainly a concern.
For me, the most important issue is Celtic’s player trading strategy. We are in the business of buying, developing and selling players at a profit. Anything else will, at best, achieve short-term results but lead to eventual decline.
Ange Postecoglou instinctively understood this, which is why our squad is so full of potential and so valuable. He sold Juranovic and Giakoumakis in a heartbeat, knowing the inherent risk involved in signing replacements was part of a necessary process. If Brendan is not an evangelical convert to this doctrine, I anticipate trouble ahead.
Celtic have a multi-million-pound contract, Champions League football and a great managerial opportunity to offer. In return, Michael Nicholson is entitled to hold out for a firm commitment to the trading strategy used by ruthlessly aspirational clubs.
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CELTS
Howdy!
Are Here ! Well done on podium SIEMPRE 👍🍀
Celtic just made Brendan Rodgers announcement to London Stock Exchange.
Surely that’d have been ironed out early in the process and certainly before we flew to meet him in Mallorca – kind of a big strategy point that would need to be agreed early doors surely…
HH
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/CCP/appointment-of-brendan-rodgers/16005072
PARK ROAD 67 on 19TH JUNE 2023 12:03 PM
Are Here ! Well done on podium SIEMPRE 👍🍀
Thanks
HH
Welcome Back Brendan
Lets move on Bhoys
“In Brendan we Trust”
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2023/june/19/brendan-rodgers-appointed-new-celtic-manager-on-three-year-contract/
Agreed
67ECW
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/1670749198898036736?s=48&t=ucZWBmwe1a7eYdxmJtf-qg
John Kennedy assistant manager
Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce that Brendan Rodgers has been appointed the club’s new Football Manager on a three-year contract.
Brendan previously managed the club to phenomenal success, winning consecutive domestic Trebles and in addition delivering the most famous of Invincible seasons.
In recent years, Brendan has led Leicester City to victory in the FA Cup for the first time in their history, also achieving fifth position in the English Premier League on two occasions.
Brendan has also held managerial positions at Liverpool, Swansea City, Watford and Reading.
We are also pleased to confirm that John Kennedy, who has served the club over many years in a playing and coaching capacity, will support Brendan as the club’s Assistant Manager, along with first-team coaches Stevie Woods, Gavin Strachan and Harry Kewell, and B Team coaches Stephen McManus and Darren O’Dea.
New Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers said: “I am really delighted to return to Celtic and I am hugely excited by this great opportunity. When I was given the privilege of being asked to join the club again, it was a very simple decision for me and my family.
“We have enjoyed some great times at Celtic before and this will be my goal again, to deliver good football, ensure we have a team we all love to watch and ultimately bring more success to our fans.
“Ange has done some brilliant work across the last two years and I will be doing all I can to maintain Celtic’s momentum as we face into all our domestic and European challenges.
“We have a hugely impressive and talented group of players and staff at the club, and I am really looking forward to meeting up with them all and then getting straight down to work.
“I wanted John to be with me as we move forward. He is a very talented coach, someone I know well and respect and he will be very important to myself and our players.
“The club is in fantastic condition at all levels and I would like to thank the board for putting their trust in me to take the team forward. We will work very closely together as we strive to bring that success to our supporters.
“Let’s get to work!”
Celtic’s Chief Executive, Michael Nicholson added: “We are delighted to welcome Brendan as our new manager. He is a football manager of real quality and experience, with an established track record of delivering success.
“The role of Celtic manager is attractive and highly-sought after, and in the process we considered many potential candidates. In appointing Brendan, we are confident that we have identified the best candidate for Celtic.
“Having spoken to Brendan and discussed the club’s strategy and objectives with him, I can see the passion he has for taking the club forward positively and building on what we have achieved.
“We look forward to working together to deliver growth and success for Celtic and our supporters.”
Peter Lawwell, Chairman of Celtic said: “Through the process of identifying the new Celtic manager, it was clear that Brendan was the outstanding choice and we are absolutely delighted that we have appointed him on a long-term contract.
“We wanted a proven winner and that’s what Brendan is, and myself and everyone else at the club look forward to working with him again to continue to drive Celtic forward.
“He is someone who knows the club so well and has experience of the huge challenges at Celtic, domestically and in Europe. Brendan is well aware of what it takes to succeed in this role and we know he is delighted to be back with us.
“Brendan is a top-quality Manager. He has delivered before for Celtic and we are sure through his many qualities, he will do so again.”
Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s principal shareholder added: “Our aim at Celtic will always be to bring individuals of the highest calibre to the club to achieve our objectives, and in appointing Brendan we believe we have again brought that quality to the club.
“Brendan is a very talented manager, he has huge experience at the highest levels and is a man who knows how to win and do so in style. As we enter another exciting period for the club I am sure he will tackle the opportunities ahead with his characteristic focus, drive and determination.
“We have all enjoyed great success across recent years, Brendan himself being a huge part of that. I know Brendan is determined to deliver again for our supporters and collectively, the board, management, players and staff will support him in this aim.”
* Brendan will conduct a media conference at Celtic Park later this week.
Very pleased with the announcement.
That said, a real change in my stance from 4 weeks ago.
Surprised with the relatively underwhelming lead article above.
Hhmmmm
Celtic millionaires fall out, and fall back in.
Champions league carrot dangled with Ange away to become obscenely wealthy “ unemployed “ former manager Brendan Rodgers is “persuaded to return to the east end of Glasgow “
Sleepy, still drunk from the departure of a highly successful Celtic hero, Scottish mainstream media have had a sobering few weeks, culminating in perma ragin, for another. The wait for the big Celtic reveal tortured imaginations and put them close to the edge in a la land where invincibility is now ‘previously unsuccessful’ and psychically‘unsuccessful again’.
With lucky Ange and his cough cleared off super lucky shiny Brendan and Celtic’s sights are firmly set on the Champions League with the new format of 36 teams, the year after. Celtic’s back to back job, handed the cause £60M plus and keeps us on a higher level of player quality.
Real world record breaking treble winning dominance has just been underwritten, even if there are less of the original 12,000 to welcome the returning moonlit icon, Celtic supporters raised on success will see a better man giddy up for the second time round Celts.
Celtic no longer a project for the leftfield or pensions for dinosaurs, lovers and loathers will unite as Brendan’s perfect fit re-appointment is a tour de force. Continuous modern managerial pedegree keeps us at the pinnacle of Scottish football separated as one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Welcome back Brendy, you are forgiven.
3 year contract, not the usual 1 year rolling.
Good afternoon all from the International Bar, downtown Polmadie. Brendan back, huns in meltdown. Lovely. 👍🍻
So PL doesnt want him.
Ah well.
Delighted that Brendan is back
Jeezo Paul, you sure are a bitter man.
“ If Brendan is not an evangelical convert to this doctrine, I anticipate trouble ahead.”
Very few seem to appreciate it but there it is, a huge “if” and a massive strategic gamble.
Just Celtic please Brendan, no politics. Don’t throw away the advantage we’ve worked so hard to get.
OK- the flirting is over- the announcement’s been made. We can now move on to Asst. Manager angst and player recruitment angst. The close season is a Soap Opera- I hate Soap Operas- roll on the football.
P.S. – I liked the comment in the leader:- “although the release clause details would have rattled the bone china.”. That final word is very telling.
It’s not bitterness, some of us have longer memories than others and can appreciate the risks that appointing Rodgers brings.
It’s crucially important that everyone works together.
Check out the BBC Scotland Insert photo of Brendan , straight off the follow follow pages (or is it cqn ? :-)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/65805045
Sftb
Maybe the real soap opera is just beginning
From Rodgers to Brendan in the space of a few CQN leaders ? 😆
One of the few ways we could have traded ‘up’ in the managerial stakes – thanks to Dermot and his suite of suits.
And welcome back to Paradise Brendan!
new article posted.
We all knew they were going to announce at noon, just to mess with us, right?
“For me, the most important issue is Celtic’s player trading strategy. We are in the business of buying, developing and selling players at a profit. Anything else will, at best, achieve short-term results but lead to eventual decline.
Ange Postecoglou instinctively understood this”
———————–
Still not entirely convinced that a constant turnover of players works well in the long term.
Ange hasn’t stuck around a club long enough to see the longer term effects.
Southampton seemed like they had it cracked. Look at them now.
Building something requires some stability and familiarity.
With a proper vision and some ambition there’s no reason why we can’t be a destination club.
dearie dearie Paul , bitter or what.
Paul’s article smacks of a child upset at not getting his own way. He is trying to justify his earlier dismissal of the idea of a Rodgers return. Would it really hurt him to say — I got it wrong but welcome back Brendan.
But Peter doesn’t want him.
And the staff are all leaving.
And Ange is coming for our best players.
And the Japanese are not coming back
And we don’t have an indoor pitch
And the south stand is a hunner years old
And the supporters busses are banned from the extended low emission zones that go to Celtic park on match days
Mugs.
Anybody fancy focusing on the positives ?
Just saying like….
HH
Don’t understand the negativity,of course the original departure was poor,after a magnificent period of success.
If he is good for Celtic then welcome back.
Equally don’t understand the articles on the similarly sneaky Aussie,again who was discovered because of Celtic,and will find his trajectory will be downward ongoing.
SFTB – Regarding the release clause details comment by Paul, do you think he is talking about the new contract? I read it that way but then you would need to ask how Paul would know the details of the manager’s contract at this stage?
Welcome back & good luck Brendan.
Continued good luck to John & the coaching team.
As always, results and performances will set the mood.
If we get a couple of great years and then differences become irreconcilable then so be it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc_gfchJ9r8
Oh dear, it looks like someone didn’t want him back and his previous success was all due to his assistant. He’s here now and we should all get behind him.
Welcome back Brendan and let’s get skelping.
Celtic in dramatic recovery in off season trophy surge.
MSM seek stories of signings of Govan Galacticos.
I rare,y use this expression but feel it’s totally appropriate.
GIRUY
Tom
I have no problem in saying I was dubious about Brendan coming back and I am happy enough to have Brendan back and retain John Kennedy as the heir apparent.
However, I don’t forget the past faults, and I see no issue with our host raising them again. They are issues that could harm us going forward, if not resolved.
Today, I do not rejoice that we have a big name manager or a proven one. I am happy that we have made a good quick appointment but what is gonna make me happy is when Brendan & John get success on the job.
Their past successes are proven; their future success is , as yet, Not Proven. I am optimistic that we can do well but only when we do do well, will I fully relax. And doing well has 3 aspects:-
1) Good player retention and acquisition, even if we lose a couple of stars and a few more no-hopers.
2) Good early results- and an improvement in our resilience at CL level without too much of a drop in attractive play.
3) An absence of soap opera behind the scenes. I don’t want a “disrupter” manager when we are on a good path. If, as I suspect, Brendan is here to mentor and train John Kennedy for succession, then, at some stage, that plan needs to be articulated. I don’t want John Kennedy handed the reins in the wake of a lost league. We need to transition in a period of success not after a fail.
I h
Deniabhoy
I certainly don’t know the contract details and I doubt Paul has , as yet, been fully briefed.
I don’t know how you can guarantee it in a contract.
Even if there was a clause saying BR can’t actively pursue interest from an EPL or big foreign club for the next 12 or 24 months (hopefully not 18), how could you enforce it?
I can accept that Ange made no direct contact with Spurs while he was concentrating on important Celtic fixtures but………..
I know that Age was in regular touch with his agent who was in direct touch with Spurs. It’s the old political ploy of deniable plausibility… but we need to be more grown up about this and recognise that, If successful, we are going to have predator clubs interested in buying our players and coaches. Just as Ange said about Jenna transfer policy- having your next Gen players being bought before or alongside the outgoing transferred stars, we would do well to have our manager succession planned better. Ange had the decency to leave in the close season and gave us time to do what we’ve done now. Buying players in the Winter transfer window can be very successful but switching managers then is usually a sign that you are currently failing.