Divisive, self-serving and gone for good

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The first question I was asked this morning by a solicitor and non-football fan was, “How much is Brendan Rodgers worth?”  I said, “He’s probably earned around £30m over the last 15 years”.  “So he has enough to sue, if anything Dermot Desmond said is wrong”, came back.  You and I both know, he’s not going to sue.  It’s all true.  It is also high time Celtic took a direct approach to communicating with the supporters.

Who of us would have guessed that Brendan Rodgers, Brendan Rodgers, the man of legendary impeccable character, would have his “conduct and communication” called into question?  How shocked was I to read that Brendan’s assertion about the club were “simply untrue”!  Untruths come easier to some than others.

Two players in particular are pertinent to the assertion that Brendan had “full knowledge, approval, and endorsement” of players bought and sold; Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn.  “Sell them” is not what should have been said when offers came in for either player.  Brendan has favourites in the squad.  Others, not so much.

The first thing Martin O’Neill is likely to do when he meets the squad is put an arm around Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, and put a call into Cameron Carter-Vickers.  Where there are favourites, there are outsiders.  Celtic have looked and played like a team divided for most of this year.

This absolute mess was predictable and predicted.  On his return as manager in June 2023, I wrote, “Brendan will find a united dressing room, backroom and supporter base.  We should all try hard to keep things this way, self-indulgent schisms do nothing for Celtic.”  Two years later Dermot Desmond wrote that Brendan’s words and actions were “divisive, misleading, and self-serving”.

Predicted: “Self-indulgent schisms” and we got “divisive… self-serving”.  I called it.

The wee-man toxicity that left the club in 2019 was welcomed back to my utter astonishment.  Pardon my, “Welcome to Celtic, Brendan” on the day, it was with the best intentions but not entirely sincere.

Martin O’Neill was brought in with a remit to unite the dressing room.  A team divided cannot win.  Players need to know they are respected.  The Honda Civic stuff was not a material comment, merely a public manifestation of what had been the reality at Lennoxtown for a long time.

Celtic has been set back years as a consequence of the decision to appoint Brendan in 2023.  I hope the board recognise this, reflect how it came about and on their role in the mess.  If you welcome the fox into the hen house, you cannot complain when he eats the hens.

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377 Comments

  1. Theres so much equivocation in what he says it’s almost impossible to get to the root of what’s going on but those comments are about as definitive as you’ll get.

     

     

    DDs statement was blunt but at least there was absolutely no doubt about what he was saying

  2. Final say on ALL players….Seem to remember Schved causing consternation or John Collins & Peter Grant saying they did NOT Calvin Richards or Carlton Cole yet both were “Signed” Who authorised Kenny from Diddy Desmonds Irish club ???

     

     

    Being offered a contract with handcuffs on control / transfer policy is an offer any self respecting manager would ignore.

     

     

    Record investment seriously, My maths aren’t that bad that I can count up near £ 40m profits tucked deeply in the bank – What sort of “Investment” is that….Stadium looking awful, Team seriously in decline …. 7/9 failures to qualify in Europe – Yes the Board is beyond criticism…….Why is a shareholder acting like he owns the club – self serving egotism. The only manager we will get is another YES man or so long past his best it’s a joke. O’Neill might deflect the vitriol for a couple of weeks until next defeat, what then Diddy Man ???

  3. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Jeez, that awkward moment when you agree with most of what Kevjungle says😯

  4. CHAIRBHOY on 28TH OCTOBER 2025 3:27 PM

     

     

    What do you think? He was 100% committed to Celtic on September 12th, six weeks later he resigns.

     

     

    The big question is why did he resign, not the other staff. Why do you think, what are you getting at?

     

     

    Talk straight like DD

  5. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    As for Kennedy at. al. maybe Rodgers wasn’t the only one phoning it in.

  6. Tim Malone Will Tell @ 3:20 pm,

     

     

    Managers come and managers go that’s the nature of football.

     

     

    My concern is the Board.

     

     

    The lowlife that went to the Sun is an example of people who should not be near our club.

     

     

    Then things like this…

     

     

    “Friday, 28 October 2005, 17:48 GMT 18:48 UK 

     

     

    Celtic launch a £15m share issue

     

     

    Dermot Desmond will underwrite the offer

     

     

    Celtic have announced a share offer designed to raise £15m to fund their new football academy and reduce the football club’s debts.

     

     

    Major shareholder Dermot Desmond will underwrite the issue to £10m but insists he does not wish to take outright control of the Glasgow club.

     

     

    Celtic chairman Brian Quinn said it was needed to stay competitive in Europe.

     

     

    “It must give a high priority to finding, developing and training high-quality players,” he said:.

     

     

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/4386814.stm

     

     

    This is when the feral Capitalists took over our Club and have been screwing us ever since.

     

     

    Read it…

     

     

    DD does not wish to take control of the Club.

     

     

    The money was supposed to be for a new elite football academy.

     

     

    DD did take control of our Club

     

     

    The new football academy was never built

     

     

    And the debt thay was paid down was built up by the main shareholders who ran up the debt trying to secure an invitation to the EPL.

     

     

    If that invitation had been successful the main shareholders would have made a fortune – it wasnt but it wasn’t them who paid down the debt.

     

     

    We have been scammed for twenty years – that is my point and anyone who will stand up to these charlatans needs to be applauded.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. boondock saint on

    I just feel so scunnered that the club we love is airing its dirty laundry in public. I thought we were better than that but I guess not. We are a bigger laughing stock right now than Rangers, and that takes some beating!!!! The statement by Mr. Desmond was pretty damning to say the least. Right now it is a question of he said, she said, and you decide for yourself what corner you are backing.

     

    Really at a loss for words that it has come to all this.

     

    Sean

  8. AN DÚN on 28TH OCTOBER 2025 2:27 PM

     

    THE BADA BING on 28TH OCTOBER 2025 12:44 PM

     

     

    Susan Whelan new CEO

     

     

     

    —/

     

     

     

    I’m not sure what kind of CEO would want to work under DD. Leaving negotiations to ask permission for a 200K uplift on an offer won’t attract a proper CEO..

     

     

    …..

     

     

    Playing catch up , having multiple sign-offs during negotiations is absolutely fine ,leaving the room is a tried and trusted method for behaving during a deal , jeez so bought a new car in July and the sales bloke left me 3 or possibly 4 times as I prevaricated over the money thing.

     

     

    This is normal.

     

     

    HH

  9. Ur thur any good boreds out there?

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ………..askin’ furra freen?

     

     

     

     

     

     

    HH

  10. As semi-retired stank-lifter……

     

     

     

     

    and a time-served puddle-drinker……………..

     

     

     

     

    It has been my (dis)pleasure to work under 3 Boards, in two different circuses

     

     

     

     

    ……and they’ve aw been……………….@$%£s

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I Think It Might Be Thur Joab CSC

     

     

     

     

     

     

    HH

  11. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Chairbhoy – viewing Brendan Rodgers as some “fans champion” versus the board is misguided in my opinion – the only thing that matters to BR is BR.

     

     

    DD and BR can simultaneously be tossers – it’s not mutually exclusive.

  12. Quadrophenia 12:42

     

     

    Kuhn played against Bayern Munich and actually scored the goal in the away game. It was only Kyogo that was missing.

  13. Tim Malone Will Tell @ 4:02 pm,

     

     

    The thing that mattered to Brendan Rodgers was Celtic PLC to invest in the football club to get the best possible version of Celtic like they promised him.

     

     

    As it happens, that’s exactly what I wanted…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  14. Working assumption re the back room staff leaving is that our tactics have been bleeding obvious for a while now , so the new first team coach and a bunch of others need to leave , the players need to hear different voices.

     

     

    HH

  15. bournesouprecipe on

    MON to ‘soften the blow’ of Shaun Maloney , does well he gets the gig permanently.

     

     

    💤💤💤 CSC

  16. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Well buying a bunch of players and parking them on the bench raises a lot of questions wrt Brendan Rodgers.

     

     

    Maybe he always wants to drive this years version of the Honda Civic?

     

     

    He is a bad character – pinning your hopes and faith on the likes of him is a mistake.

     

    That said, Celtic does need a shake up from top to bottom.

  17. MoN certainly not talking as if he expects to be there for any length of time or have any input into who is selected or have any other kind of role further down the line.

     

     

    DIdn’t hear or see anything to suggest that Shaun is being lined up for the role either, sounded like MoN asked him to help him out as he knows the players (shaun said he couldn’t say no to Martin after all he has done for him and his family over the years).

  18. Just remember that this is a board who are notorious for effin up transfer window after transfer window, when BR has been there or not.

     

    In my tiny mind with a severe lack of braincells, that suggests to me that the common denominator for the eff ups has been those at the top and NOT the managers.

  19. Interesting that the CFO signed off the statement to stock exchange and rumours that the CEO and Chairman might be replaced.

     

    Maybe DD has decided it wasn’t just Brendan’s fault?

  20. The fans collective statement is spot on. Very professional. Short, simple, to the point and undeniable.

     

     

    Far removed from that rant posted on our website last night.

  21. “Stung” was the word Martin used to describe how the board felt. Rodgers wasn’t happy that his team was trending down like it always does with his teams (board didn’t help but why would they trust him if not signing new contract)

     

     

    Kennedy leaving is telling!! Either he’s oissed at the lack of support from board OR Rodgers has asked him to stay with him in next role – interesting to see how quickly that happens.

     

     

    We need a boost and a fresh approach to football. O’Neil unfortunately not getting us any bounce (too many jokes and quips and he genuinely looks shocked).

     

     

    I personally think our season is screwed , rangers will get a lift etc …….hope I’m wrong like usual.

  22. The Battered Bunnet on

    Re coaching exits

     

     

    Adam Sadler and Glen Driscoll are long-time BT acolytes, been part of his team for donks.

     

     

    John Kennedy going though deserves some explanation and recognition.

     

     

    Thought MON and Shaun rather winged that presser, wasn’t exactly a prepared script to read from.

  23. In saying that, it can’t be easy trying to juggle things just to keep ahead of your supposed rivals, they will eff up now and again given that football is not an exact science.

  24. EKBHOY on 28TH OCTOBER 2025 3:59 PM

     

     

    Multiple sign offs for £200K spend ?

     

     

    Is it any wonder our deadline day deals fall apart ?

  25. CHAIRBHOY on 28TH OCTOBER 2025 4:13 PM

     

    EKBhoy @ 4:11 pm,

     

     

     

    Ah right, so they were sacked…

     

     

     

    Interesting…

     

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    …….

     

     

    Perhaps from a football perspective they saw the handwriting on the wall and resigned. The guys found themselves in the wrong movie , it happens , pointless activity carrying a torch for Brendan and his staff.

     

     

    Last thing we need is another set of conspiracy theories from Brendan acolytes, Brendan was great over 2 spells but suffered from the Jose Murinho 3year syndrome when all the positive aspects of the ego Manager build up resentments and frustrations…. Only my opinion but not unreasonable given what we know from public statements

     

     

    HH

  26. MON said he was contacted yesterday

     

     

    Said DD said Brendan had resigned asked him to take over

     

     

    Not to say there wasnt a plan to sack Brendan but it does look like his resignation was a surprise