In the space of less than a week the image and perception of Brendan Rodgers has been utterly destroyed with the Leicester boss taken aback by the reaction to his overnight flit from Celtic.
For almost three years Celtic fans hung on his every word even if a few seemed a little far fetched like last week’s yarn about hiding in a petrol station as an Orange Walk went along Maryhill Road.
Football dressing rooms are connected, there will be some players at Leicester that know someone that knows someone at Celtic. They’ll have heard on the grapevine about Rodgers’ vanity and other tales about his prize winning nashers.
One aspect of his departure from Celtic that the former Liverpool boss is desperate to protect is the idea that it was a now or never opportunity to move to Leicester, that they wouldn’t wait until the summer.
On Wednesday The Times blew that theory apart. In a non dramatic manner they gave the mechanics of the transfer, that Leicester were relaxed about him coming in the summer but that their new manager forced the move through.
In his general media conference Rodgers was unconvincing in his explanations, he used ‘I think’ and ‘I believe’ a lot as he recalled recent events.
Afterwards speaking it newspapers he was asked about waiting till the summer but told the Evening Times: “It was never the case. I had a frank and amicable talk here. It just wasn’t something that they wanted to do. That will be verified by Peter (Celtic chief executive Lawwell) who spoke to Leicester. Speak to Peter. Peter will tell you categorically Leicester said that was their position.
“It is unfortunate there will be rumours, but the actual reality is when they came in Peter rang me and said: ‘Listen, Leicester have said you’re their man, they don’t want to wait until the summer’.
“He asked them as well. So that’s when I went to speak to them. Peter will confirm that as well. That was the conversation because he relayed that to me.
Over the last six months Rodgers barely mentioned the name Peter, it tended to be the club when he was unhappy.
The hierarchy at Leicester know the truth, they will know the course of events, whether they forced Rodgers to ditch Celtic with less than 48 hours notice.
If they have doubts about the integrity of their new manager they might be interested in checking out the Danny McGrain story and also the one about the Clyde Tunnel.
A highly unexpected suggestion!https://t.co/LO5sj9h2LY
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) March 2, 2019