Chris Sutton was a deadly serious football player but he never takes himself too seriously as a punter. This is easy for you and I to understand, when we hear him throw a controversial view around, but if you are Brendan Rodgers and you hear a former fans favourite suggest he was “going through the motions” as Celtic manager, it’s going to sting.
The manager looks to have used this as fuel as he told the assembled media, “From a personal perspective, I am surprised in a way where I heard somebody saying ‘Brendan Rodgers was going through the motions’ earlier in the season.” Adding, he “had been treated like a novice” since arriving back at Celtic last summer.
You need your manager to keep his emotions under wraps while there is still a job to be done, but I am pleased to see Brendan show some emotion on this subject. I have never liked the badge kisser, they are all here for professional reasons and Brendan is no different.
He has proven a point in recent week and can do so again on 25 May. Beating regular losers is only part of the story, though. If he really wants to teach his critics a lesson, the opportunity will arrive in the third week of September.
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Hope you are all doing well. Miss the place.
Shoot
Hits the post!
I’m sure the latest news that sevco have arranged gambling awareness courses for the players will be a huge comfort blanket today.
Lesson 1. Don’t back your team to win the league because you got a 3-3 draw with a last minute equaliser in a home game against Celtic.
GGH
Do the bookies take bets on moral victories?
P67
” if you are Brendan Rodgers and you hear a former fans favourite suggest he was “going through the motions” as Celtic manager, it’s going to sting”
It may have but there is a notable difference in his mood and demeanour since the Hearts away game I would say, or perhaps that is just my perception? This does not speak to his working hours / commitment but he appears to me to have kept the negative comments on the players (or recruitment) to a minimum recently and employed some nice wee mind games and a nice team building siege mentality.
That said some comments have not long ago leaked from events at CP – Palma not his type of winger, Rocky never fit etc and Reo got another wee dig after the weekend so perhaps this is just my perception being coloured by better recent results and the odd better performance!?
QB
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 14TH MAY 2024 12:08 PM
could you ask you nurse friend if it is ok for me to post something about celtic attendances today ?
i know i should go ask my own doctor for advice if i am having problems, but i can save the nhs the bother just by asking you do discuss it on a caravan park,
just so i am clear can i have the nurses name , so i can tell my own health professionals that is where the advice came from.
thanks, happy camping, please come on the blog and let us know how the trossachs are i hope they are in the sane place.
thanks for the care and sipport
Quite. As long as the interests of everyone at Celtic converge to create the best Celtic for now and the future I’m not much bothered by motivations. Within reason of course.
Agreed. But you ain’t doing nowt in the Champions League by replacing Starfelt, Jota and Mooy with Yang, Kwon and Scales. That’s the Lawwells’ magical thinking.
I was encouraged to hear on the Celtic Underground pod that Rodgers has won his battle with the Boardroom in respect of who manages recruitment and that the Board has learned its lesson on the cheap punts strategy and will be lifting its spend levels this summer.
Selling Matt (sadly) would allow us to bring in 4x CCV/ Jota level buys. One will be a keeper and two will be Idah and Bernardo. We also need a new centre half. Might be paid for by selling Lagerbielke and Nawrocki. Unless the latter comes good.
Leaves money for a creative midfielder to partly compensate for the loss of Matt.
I’d also like to see a pathway for Lawal and Kelly.
Hibs have recently had investment from the guy who is an investor in Bournemouth, I would expect a left field appointment there possibly.
PLB- Not convinced about Idah for £5 million to be honest
Let’s win the league … and then let’s try to win the cup.
If (and it is still a reasonably big “IF”) Brendan is able to get us the double? … IMHO this will be his best achievement at Celtic ……
…. to date.
Between now and the 3rd week of September, we’ve a lot of transfer work to do – in both directions.
Very telling that off the starting 11 against Sevco, only AJ had been brought in during the previous 4 windows !
BR has been firefighting all season due to the staggering incompetence of a recruitment team now dismantled.
We can hope we’ll have a more successful window this summer.
Good afternoon all from An Bother Rua, Elphin. Pissing down here but I’m a Tim and I’m going to celebrate. So there now.
Idah has scored some crucial goals, no doubt, but i think (probably wishful thinking) that they have something planned for the summer, hence Idah deal only being till end of the season. Personally, i dont think he’s anyway near good enough, think the same about Scales and Taylor too, but presently, the latter two are holding down first team positions.
I second Celtic40me’s sentiments, as long as we are ALL pulling in the same direction, thats all we can ask for, and that includes us the support, angst works both ways, either the team generate the angst, the fans do or a slight combination of both, together though we know what can happen.
If I were Scott Brown ,I would think very carefully about putting myself forward for the Hibs job .
For any young , aspiring coaches trying to climb the ladder , managerial graveyards are best avoided .
AN DÚN on 14TH MAY 2024 12:38 PM
The first few signing will be very revealing about where our recruitment is going!
Even though he is a fellow Cork man, I’m not convinced about Idah either.
He is a good target man and good to hold the ball up but doesn’t seem to have the killer instinct, in putting away chances.
Spot the difference
Kilmarnock 1 Celtic 4
(On the yellow card that most thought wasn’t a red)
“Where’s the consistency?”
Sevco 4 Kilmarnock 1
(On the red card which most thought wasn’t a red card)
“Obviously rules are rules, I’m not here to debate that”
Re Idah and others,it’s difficult to make a reasonable opinion on guys ,unless they have 10-15 starts in a row,not when they get 10 or 15 minutes now and again IMO
Denia bhoy
Welcome back and a fine podium.Good to see you on.
HH
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 14TH MAY 2024 12:33 PM
“I was encouraged to hear on the Celtic Underground pod that Rodgers has won his battle with the Boardroom in respect of who manages recruitment”
The manager should always have the final say in the use of the first team budget – but I do worry that we require a GK and BR thought that De Vries was a better option than Craig Gordon. That said, the alternative approach might result in another Barkas so hopefully Joe Hart reconsiders or has a good eye and can recommend someone :)
“the Board has learned its lesson on the cheap punts strategy and will be lifting its spend levels this summer.”
Not heard the pod but this does sound promising as it might be that the more we spend the higher the success rate – even if Ajeti/Barkas were more expensive failures – BUT we heard that this summer and that was just people believing that BR would only return if this were true, which it wasn’t. Is this more wishful thinking or based on an actual statement from someone at Celtic?
“We also need a new centre half… Nawrocki. Unless the latter comes good.”
I’d hope with a good pre-season Rocky might be fit – he looks to have a good eye for a pass and is a capable defender when fit.
“Leaves money for a creative midfielder to partly compensate for the loss of Matt.”
I’d see CalMac move forward and get a new CDM in if it were one or the other. Ideally I’d like one of each as we lost Turnbull too.
QB
Prestonpans can I post is it ok for you and the nurse ?
I love Tuesdays.
I would be very hesitant about making the Idah move permanent.
He’s ok, but we need better than ok.
A top class keeper is essential.
I will never understand the constant criticism of Scales.
In my opinion he is far superior to Starfelt. Reads the game well, has a killer pass, always available for an out pass. He has partnered Nawrocki and Welsh when CV was in
Injured
Oops, grandaughter pressing the phone 😄
GlenDaly :)
Reasonable point Bada.
We always have to keep in mind that the coaching team are constantly watching the squad in training and in bounce games & trust them to make the right decisions,
MADRARUA on 14TH MAY 2024 1:00 PM
Strongly disagree that Scales is better than Starfelt.
Scales cannot pass out from the back with any accuracy, is slow and ponderous and appears unable to jump to head a cross ball.
Starfelt was infinitely better at these…..
Scales stepped up this season, when he was last man standing, I’ve noticed in last few weeks, he’s been back to doing what he done when he first came in,he’s taking too many touches on the ball,and became hesitant, and getting caught in possession, it could be down to lack of movement ahead of him,or a loss in confidence, going forward we need better and he would be a back up for me.
To be fair, when Sutton made that comment I thought he had a point. I’m glad Brendan and his team have shown their teeth and I’m sure Sutton is too.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 14TH MAY 2024 12:08 PM
Clementine will be claiming the trophy for being “league champions not counting Celtic” .
The trophy can be placed alongside the “champions if games only lasted 80 minutes” trophy won by one of their previous managers.
…………..
I Agree Mate.
” CALAMITY CLEMENT” also likes to blow his own trumpet as often as he can.
HH.
I think CG was finished after his extra marital affair coming to light in Dubai.
For me BR is an elite manager. He won the FA Cup and had 2 top 5 finishes with Leicester, who might be regarded as a provincial club. In my view he was too passive when he arrived last summer with the “I’ll work with what I’m given” stuff. But improving the calibre of player we buy obviously correlates to the wages we are prepared to pay. We have scope to pay a higher baseline wage and to give a small number of new signings 30k a week or over. There is no point whatsoever in a batch of development and/or mediocre players arriving this close season. Do that and we will be CL cannon fodder.
Balancing sound economics with reasonable ambition should be achievable. Rodgers is too intelligent and realistic to ask the club to make exorbitant bids for players, and offer ludicrous wages. But he needs to be backed better than he was last summer.
Good afternoon all from Carrick on Shannon. A nice wee toon on the banks of a bonny river. Set em up barkeep!
Like all on here , I’m not counting any chickens just yet.
While I’m not worried , I’m not under any illusion that our remaining games will just take care of themselves and they will need to be won – we won’t be handed anything ( unlike Rangers if they go into the last game against Hearts looking for a result to win the league).
Our results against Kilmarnock this season have been less than stellar.
I think Rangers will win comfortably tonight.
For all of the above I was happy to hear Callum McGregor say in a post match interview on Saturday that he felt the players had a score to settle with Kilmarnock.
I also think BR would be stung at the prospect of another manager in Scotland getting the better of him over a season.
So for me we forget tonight – let’s just get it done tomorrow.
I’m thinking(and hoping) that Kilmarnock will encounter a different Celtic tomorrow night . Brendan and the players will not want to go into the last league game with the title unresolved .
Stand up to them physically , take our chances when they arrive and beat them with our quality of football .No plastic pitch or bogey team excuses .