Celtic fans are at a loss to work out the messages coming from Brendan Rodgers.
His controversial exit in February 2019 hit them hard but he was largely welcomed back with fans reassured that things had changed behind the scenes, that a new approach was in place to allow the returning manager to push the club higher than first time around.
In recent weeks, despite a victory at Ibrox Rodgers has appeared far from happy, almost imprisoned under whatever strategy the club is working within.
An expectation of signings comparable to Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers was quickly killed off with ‘raids’ on Australia, Norway and South Korea for what is termed project signings. Others would describe them as hopeful punts.
As the transfer window developed it became increasingly clear that whatever the strategy is it wasn’t to improve on the squad that finished last season.
On transfer deadline day Rodgers told Sky Sports that he was hoping for deals to be confirmed, in the end he got Paulo Bernardo on loan from Benfica.
Three wingers arrived, as did three central midfielders that weren’t upgrades on last season’s players.
Maik Nawrocki could be a like for like replacement for Carl Starfelt, he might be an improvement but coming from Poland at the age of 23 he is neither quality or experience.
There hasn’t been any John McGinn style comments or mention of having a million wingers but only a fool would conclude that Rodgers is happy with the summer business or content in his job.
If Vakoun Bayo, Marian Shved, Oli Burke, Andrew Gutman and Manny Perez are signed in January the outcome won’t be as big a shock as it was in 2019.
I know he’s not actually said the words “not content” but anyone who thinks he is content with transfer business is kidding themselves.
What made Rodgers come back? He had better offers in Saudi & would’ve had EPL offers at some point this season, so what was the hook to return? https://t.co/3CUjtEO4HN
— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) September 21, 2023
If you turn a £40M+ profit, have nearly £73M in the bank & c£35M guaranteed to come, you better see the benefits to the team. Instead we’re back to Lawwell’s nickel & dime & expectation management. He’s razor sharp & will see it for what it is. PL pushing him out? @CQN
— CG44 (@Ticketustastic) September 21, 2023
Compare Ange v Brendan
Ange owned the transfer process
Got in his guys, wins the trebleBrendan is disowning the transfer process. The club provides me with players who I’ll train and prepare to the best of my ability.
He sounds disengaged. Which I think is dangerous for us.
— ??????? (@csargeant50) September 21, 2023
From this point it does look like he choose to come back to right the wrongs of how he left, not him leaving as I doubt he regrets that, but how he left, only problem with that logic is that Rodgers has never once seemed like that kind of emotional character, he’s career driven.
— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) September 21, 2023
He was staying in his house over in Majorca, the EPL offers would certainly be there in a few months.
— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) September 21, 2023
Sentimentality. He looked back and loved staying here. He probably thought of how good his first spell but now that he’s back he’s probably remembering the shite times with the board.
I’d imagine they said they’d back him so that’s why he’s frustrated— Jamie McDonald (@JMcD_11) September 21, 2023
It’s a cakewalk of a league and more silverware in the cabinet.
Celtic fans have come to accept mediocrity in Europe so long as domestic domination continues will anyone really care? Maybe now the treble is off I guess
— . (@Drewwwwww_) September 21, 2023
Celtic are being run to bring big dividends for Lawwell and Desmond and Co. No Celtic fan wants us spending what we can’t afford, the problem is we aren’t spending what we can afford.
Absolutely spot on.
Celtic board have never at anytime thought about it’s supporters,we get all these promises about how much the manager has to spend.Bullshit they know we will renew our ST and once that happens back to there normal.Nothing is going to change till we change the board,did it once can achieve that again
There is no strategy. The goons that run our club work on a season to season basis. The football club will never fulfill its potential until Desmond and Lawwell are gone. 10 Lawwell style punts signed, all on the payroll. All we needed was 3/4 quality players signed that would take the club to the next level in europe, then Lawwell came back…
Good luck with that.
Why did Brendan come back? If he was promised certain things to entice him back, you can see this is not happening, the likes of James Forrest and others banging on about them down the road, the goal kyogo scored against them was out of this world and that was the only difference between the two teams also that lot won their first game last night when it matters.
It should have been the happiest football marriage made in heaven Brendan coming back…
That it’s not even with the honeymoon period hardly over speaks volumes –
That Lawwell is back in the building like a bad smell speaks volumes…
Brendan has started to get ahead with his more than subtle hints in his last press conference –
Some big games coming up and some big results needed me thinks !
This is exactly what I was worried would happen when Lawell came back. He’s not here to make us a strong European team, he knows as long as we keep winning in Scotland the club will continue to post profits and in turn keep the rest of the board happy. It’s a disgrace having so much disposable cash and not bringing in proven quality to at least make us competitive in CL.
The only thing Rodgers was promised was a huge wage rise He has no say in any transfers otherwise we wouldn’t have signed all these pish poor rejects that mastermind law well did just to try and impress daddy Rodgers doesn’t care about the team nor the fans only how quick his contract runs down so he can Fuc* off to another club.
This summer always had the potential of being a very hard one to negotiate ourselves through and next summer won’t be any different either.
The main problem is always going to be the 8 Scottish homegrown rule that remains in play, and little chance of that changing anytime soon either.
3 Scottish teams on show in European football this week and yet only 7 Scottish players used between 3 team’s, with only 3 used for a full 90 minutes, and we provided 2 of them.
Only highlights how big of a problem that exists without any sight in store for the problems been put right.
Even turnbull can hold the club to ransom somewhat, in his last season, yet no contact talk, needed to take a place in a European squad, yet deemed not good enough for a place?
A few others in the same position also.
An upgrade upon Taylor was expected at LB, never happened, but what if it did and Taylor copped the hump and wanted to move on, due to the lack of playing time, and another player down for Europe and if an injury becomes an issue.
So yes we are hampered constantly with how we tackle any transfer window with the problems that exist.
Still have to be prepared for any bids that can come in for our more talented players, which remains another constant issue to deal with.
If a decision has been taken to already having ready made replacements for dealing with such an issue should it come along with the younger player having time to adjust to the demands of the club instead of us leaving ourselves in a situation of panic buying?
Already seen enough to suggest that Rodgers is totally going to change the set up of the team along with it’s playing style.
To many of our more renowned players seem to be struggling with the adjustments, which in turn is bringing about to many inconsistencies in performance, and hardly helped with the injury list at present either.
Only 7 games into a season and already wanting to make excuses about a signing policy without even giving players a chance to see what they actually will bring to the club yet?
Was always potentially going to be a transliteration period early season, and a bit to much moaning going on without any patience been shown on our behalf at the moment.
No more than Rodgers at present, so rather he just shut his mouth and got on with the job he’s getting paid to do, as of yet he is hardly doing such a great job currently but already looking for the ready made excuses me thinks.