Setting aside Brendan Rodgers’ achievements at Celtic, where he won all seven domestic trophies on offer at his time here, his best season in football south of the border was 2020-21, at Leicester City. That season he won the FA Cup, the first time Leicester lifted that trophy, and finished fifth in the league. Dropping five points in their final two games of that season saw them slip from third. A late collapse against Tottenham on the final 14 minutes of the season saw them lose out on a Champions League spot.
As he watched Casper Schmeichel lift the FA Cup a week later, Brendan was at the peak of his powers. Two years after taking control at the midlands club, silverware was back in the trophy room, and they had qualified for the Europa League. Until the closing weeks of the season, only the two Manchester clubs were above them, neither of whom were in contention when Leicester’s miracle league win happened in 2016. Without Claudio Ranieri’s achievement, Brendan’s would have received even greater praise.
There was no shame in the fact that Leicester did not kick on in the following season. They slipped to an eighth place finish that year later, as Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham all moved above them. European competition seemed to tax his side, where they ended third in their Europa group, before a run to the semi-finals of the new Conference League.
The wheels came off spectacularly last season. A home draw against Brentford and win over Nottingham Forest was all they had to show after nine league games, a run which saw Arsenal hit four, Brighton five and Tottenham six against them.
New signings were made last season, the joint-most expensive of whom was the £17m capture of Aberdeen-born Australia international, Harry Souttar (24). Harry was part of the Australia side that won admirers during December’s World Cup. Brendan moved for the player a month later.
Dundee United and Ross County fans pondered what happened to their former player to cause such a dramatic improvement in form, while some of us wondered if Brendan had made a classic tournament-scouting mistake. In other news, Jack Hendry made seven league starts at Brugge last season, he was surely available for a lot less than £17.
Brendan can motivate and man manage with the very best of them. Alongside Chris Davies, who yesterday joined Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, he was able to coach and organise. For me, his Achilles Heel is player trading. Fix that, and you have a more complete package.
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lovin the ‘whatever happened to’ series paul67 ‘n mods. Never leave the Celtic!
LYNOTT67
Bet was 12/1 Paddy Power before kick-off.
Fantastic result for Scotland, and with a home game against Georgia next week, a real chance to put some daylight between ourselves and Spain, who got caught up in the Euro Nations finals. Impressed too with Coach John Carver who brought a positive message to Norway* and to the players. Great choice by SC
*RememberLargsYaBams
Tried to stick a bet on earlier, Norway at evens, thot that it was an easy 50 euros, should have been, scotland were garbage for most of the game, Bet365 needs an authenticater and for some reason it wouldn’t work, thank eff, saved masel 50 euros, just a reminder to masel that never ever bet on internationals or cup games, I normally NEVER do, but the lack of football is getting to me surprisingly, never felt this way before, maybes the upheaval has got something to do with it, who knows.
JACKIEMAC on 17TH JUNE 2023 8:22 PM · EDIT
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lovin the ‘whatever happened to’ series paul67 ‘n mods. Never leave the Celtic!
=========
am here xxx
The “you know whats” mustn’t know what’s hit them – they win the 13th May league; Cantwell is installed as the future of football; ange legs it but then the meeja are telling them BR is returning with big bucks.
The last time Brendan was here we were pumping the hun who were made up of championship journeymen, kinda what it happening again, it’s the cheats with the whistles and tv’s we need to worry about, Oh how I wish some other club would say something cos our club won’t, maybes it would start something, I can but dream.
Remember Levine, he spoke out and they gave his the Scotland managers job, that’s the level of corruption and cheating we are up against, and trust me, all of football knows it.
But when we manage to beat them, blazers n all, it really makes it all the sweeter so it does.
It was only a few short weeks back that Matt O’Riley said they still can’t beat us, the players sure know what is going down.
Tom M ,
apologies , I thought your post said placed bet placed 5 minutes to go .
Good win all the same
I heard recently that AJ was saying
Ange told the players a month ago he was leaving I was told by a third party.
Don’t know about anyone else but I’m in no doubt Ange would have been gone in January if the Spurs job was offered to him back then
LYNOTT67
He would have been gone at some point mate
He didnt jump ship mid season
Can’t ask more than that
Actually, did he leave us in a better place than he got us???
Massively important for the continuation of our team
Hopefully Brendan builds on what we have abd Ange don’t force the break up of our team
xx
Mod
I get that , however for me he is no different to Brendan .
Just fortunate for us his big offer came at the end of the season and not halfway through it .
Or he would have been gone without a backwards glance.
Scotland national team, hard to watch but great to see!!!
Ange was a very good manager for us, did not see him leaving but shite happens. Enjoyed the football and general disdain he treated the scottish media with.
I certainly did not see brendon rodgers. If there was ever any doubt about Rodgers being a celtic supporter his impending return puts that to bed. An elite level manager who is willing to come to the spfl speaks volumes.
HH
LYNOTT67
We will never know, although thre were offers
Had spurs came in
and looking at their manager situation and how it dragged out – they may have
And got assurances till the end of the season???
either way, we are where we are
And all the ifs and buts matter not a jot matey
If and when Brendan gets the job he will have my support
Wavering it may be in february lol
we can’t look back
We are small fish in a big waterpool of the epl sea
I would rather we change managers every 2 years as long as we wipe the floor with the huns
Howevah (copyright kojo) we need to dip our toe in that sea…….
Player trading improvement needed by Rodgers
This is an interesting headline on a CQN lead
For years and years and years CQN has been telling us that player recruitment at Celtic is complex, with a multifaceted approach incorporating input from managment, staff and professionals.
There was a “document” discovered in a waste bin at Lennoxtown that showed just how convoluted this process can be.
Since the Willo Flood window (and to an extent before), Celtic’s player recruitment has come under criticism.
John Park was Head of scouting when BR arrived at the Club, it seems the football management team and coaching staff weren’t too happy by JP’s potential recruits.
He later stated in an interview that the managment team wanted John to search for players that fitted the Celtic criteria for around 6mn, John thought this the wrong approach and he could find the equivalents on bosmans or very much cheaper.
While there is no doubt that John Park highlighted half a dozen players recruited on the cheap as moneyball prospects and went for over, sometimes significantly over, the 6mn pound mark, for everyone of those players we had ten players that failed to make the grade at Celtic.
Lee Congerton of course replaced John Park but many of the players he wanted to bring to Celtic Park Celtic failed to secure during the negotiation phase i.e. Thomas Castagne to John McGinn
Brendan himself made it clear he wasn’t getting the players he wanted to sign, instead many players from left field were foisted on him.
We had a random winger collector within our recruitment committee
Of course the set up was totally revamped a couple of years ago when Ange came in and worked with the executive to secure his targets.
Although we still had some under par recruits and some misses, the vast majority of player signings were good to excellent quality and our squad building enterprise was very much improved.
It is expected this new regime will continue under the new manager – so I think it really goes without saying that there will be an improvement in player trading if Brendan Rodgers is our next manager.
Hail Hail
Rodgers left celtic with a winning machine and an 8 point lead in the league ffs, we were not on our knees.
Rodgers identified quality players and got projects
To be fair , Brendan is taking bit of a risk too.
If it doesn’t go well there will be plenty of our supporters on his back , if this blog is anything to go by .
Just a thought
What if its not Brendan
Who got in our back pocket???????
*we
LYNOTT67 on 17TH JUNE 2023 9:36 PM
LYNOTT, fair point, but this Tim, an avowed glass-half-full bhoy, is slowly feeling an unease as a Brendan Howe/Eddie Rodgers situation seems to be slowly unfolding.
Initially I was not too receptive of BR returning then I read the various viewpoints on this still excellent blog and after consideration of those various viewpoints slowly came round to the point of view that , yes, as an elite manager/coach he would bring an upgrade to the Celts. Now I desperately want that to happen, but don’t want the Club to hang about much longer.
By Monday surely it is sorted and announced or the announcement is that we are moving on to other targets (Knutsen, yes please).
Ave Ave
EMERALDBEE \O/ A DOUBLE NINER!!
Shoorly someone here has desmonds jet tagged……
Georgia get a win in Cyprus. That said if Scotland beat them during the week, we will be eight points clear, at our half way stage. Then again Georgia have given us (Alex Mcleish?) problems in the past. Good position now, would be great to go again in September with four wins under the belt.
The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. The conflict formed part of the Norwegian expedition against Scotland in 1263, in which Haakon Haakonsson, King of Norway
Short & Sweet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZh2pjUNpPA
Blame my Bot.
Siggesting such.
AI….
The AntiChrist is building his Failed, Oh my Goodness Gracius, He (Fallen Angel that he is) is Touching down Jam & Spoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czRM10kWeDM
Awe naw
Some very damp beds about.Don’t get me started on soaked panties.
81 pages on Brendan on FF.
Some still wittering away about BR and Ange.Get over it.One left,one took his place,both left for reasons anyone on here would have left for.A massive rise in wages.Brendan back now and should be welcomed by all.Or are your feelings more important than the team.
Remember Bolingoli. What has happened to him.?
Sacrificed on the alter of political correctness . By politicians who have since proven to be complete charlatans
THE RETURNOF WEERON on 17TH JUNE 2023 7:27 PM
AURORABOREALIS79 on 17TH JUNE 2023 3:57 PM
I agree with you. The players knew. It showed in our performances.
In fact, I suggested that Ange may be for the off on this blog after the Hibs game. No-one responded. It wasn’t on most people’s radar.
Criticism of the performances Ibrox onwards, was met with a wall of ‘THESE GAMES ARE MEANINGLESS’.
Us playing at Ibrox is never meaningless. People were so caught up with the Ange Aura, that they couldn’t see what was in front of them.
So, I think that there is a bit of revisionism happening, with people saying now that they saw it coming.
As I said previously, ‘the Ange Coach of Celtic’ would never have accepted these performances. ‘The Ange about to go and coach elsewhere’ wasn’t bothered.
Time to turn the page and kick on, as they say.
Ronnie
I certainly didn’t see it coming but the starting 11 at ibrox certainly had me questioning his commitment. Reflection makes wonder was he trying to turn the fans against himself to justify his leaving.
GREENPINATA on 17TH JUNE 2023 11:37 PM
Remember Bolingoli. What has happened to him.?
Sacrificed on the alter of political correctness . By politicians who have since proven to be complete charlatans
I thought then, & still do to this day believe that the treatment of bolingoli was disgraceful. Another fine achievement of Peters
What would motivate Brendan to come back as coach?
Can’t be money.
Professional ambition? Been here, done it. SPL is not a top league. CL and/or EL – maybe?
In other news, I see Kjetil Knutsen did not get the Ajax job.
Nick.
pity that.gòod manager.
Bolingoli knew the rules…Like everybody else.
The overwhelming majority observed those rules because they believed it was in the best interests of us all.
People couldn’t go to see their loved ones,couldn’t even attend funerals and they and we observed these rules as an act of social solidarity.Selfish charlatans like Bolingoli and Boris deserve their fate..
No smoke
Without fire.
GREENPINATA @ 11:37,
Bolingoli was a result of the incompetent way Celtic was run during the pandemic.
Despite being told we were the best run football club in Britain and stacked money away to ensure we could deal with crisis, mitigate major risk and were prepared for business continuity planning.
When a real crisis hit we saw amateur hour at Celtic and the club with the greatest resources in Scotland go from the Bolingoli farce to the Dubai party.
A shameful part of our history whose events were brushed under the carpet.
Although there should have been an open and transparent “lessons learned” type investigation by our executive, this never happened but hopefully the equivalent of an internal root cause analysis took place.
Hail Hail
I watched the first half of the Scotland game. They here bowfin’.
Fortunately I fell asleep and missed the second half.
Deo Gratias
Good morning all from sunny Govanhill 🌞