Gordon Strachan doesn’t believe that Brendan Rodgers’ move to Leicester City came out of the blue.
Three weeks ago the Irishman was announced as the new manager of Leicester City just 24 hours after taking Celtic for training and apparently preparing his squad to face Hearts.
Rodgers left Lennoxtown after training on February 25, never to return and unable to say good-bye to players that he described as ‘friends for life’ in his exit statement.
Quitting Celtic as the ‘business end’ of the season gets underway struck a nerve with hoops fans with the forward planning and preparations for his move also questioning the commitment of the former Celtic boss.
“I don’t think whatever happened happened in 12 hours,” Strachan told the Daily Record. “It happens everywhere in football. I don’t think anyone knocked on Brendan’s door at 10am and by 8pm he thought ‘that would be a good idea’.
“I don’t think Brendan is someone who rushes into any decision quickly or lightly. He is analytical in everything he has done. That’s why he has been so successful. So I don’t think this came out of the blue. He has had time to think about this.
“Does he stay and win the treble with Celtic? Does he move to Leicester, and give himself a few months to look at the squad and what needs to be done in the summer?
“I think he is probably looking at it and thinking if he went to Leicester in the summer it would only give him five weeks to work with the players before the new season starts. This way he gives him four or five months to look at what he has got, where he wants to go, what needs to be done.”
Rodgers left Celtic with Chris Davies, Kolo Toure and Glen Driscoll also apparently making the snap decision to move from Glasgow to Leicester.
Compensation of £9m will be welcomed in the Celtic accounts but the details of his departure will forever cast a shadow over Rodgers’ trophy winning achievements at Celtic.
Good to have this guy on our sidehttps://t.co/HqkaOF9xFD
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) March 20, 2019