BERGAMO, ITALY - OCTOBER 23: Brendan Rodgers Head Coach of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between Atalanta BC and Celtic FC at Stadio di Bergamo on October 23, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that he never returned to Celtic with a promise to progress in the Champions League.
First time around the Irishman won seven out of seven domestic trophies but European football was a very different challenge.
After the failures against Maribor and Malmo Rodgers steered Celtic through two qualifying campaigns but in 12 group stage matches there was just one, victory, away to Anderlecht in 2017.
When Celtic lost a Third Round qualifier to AEK Athens in August 2018 it seemed like the beginning of the end for Rodgers, a week after losing out home and away to Valencia in the Europa League he was being introduced as the new Leicester City manager.
Last season was another sore one for Celtic and Rodgers in the Champions League, beating Feyenoord in a Matchday 6 dead-rubber ended a 10 year wait for a home win in the competition but offered little else.
The change of format has been to Celtic’s liking, nine points from six matches is steady progress but it only sets them up for the remaining two matches, the game against YB Bern means little to the Swiss champions but it has a cup-tie feel for Celtic.
Rodgers knows that his European record is nothing special, no-one across the continent is going to get excited over beating the side in 36th place in the Champions League but three more home points would transform the entire feeling that surrounds Celtic and UEFA’s elite competition.
You talk about the culture and the history of this club and this competition. What would it mean to you to lead Celtic into the knockout stages?
It would clearly be very special and it’s something that I haven’t done.
I mentioned when I came back that we would like to make genuine progress at this level. I never promised anything, I just promised we would do our very best to see if we could progress because it’s been such a long time.
There have been some good performances without results. The managers before me have done great jobs here and obviously what we wanted to do was to be able to make that next step and I feel we’re in a good position to do that.
A win over YB would almost certainly book Celtic into the Round of 16 Play Off stage, a draw could be enough but that wouldn’t be confirmed until after the final fixtures on January 29.
Neil Lennon took Celtic into the last 16 in season 2012/13 under the group format with Rodgers aiming to emulate achievement that by taking Celtic into the February Play Offs.
Celtic are a big club so shouldn’t they have a manager who is of the same quality. one who would see Europe as an exciting and welcome challenge? Is it the board’s fault in that all this time they have not used their financial superiority, Nimmo not withstanding, to build something grand?
Are the board small men or would it be impossible to attract an elite manager to Scotland. I believe Eddie Howe would have come but for the reluctance of his background staff.
I don’t rate Rodgers as top class simply because he relegated Leicester, insists on playing Hatate, substitutes the strugglers too late, record in Europe, most times no plan ‘B’ and worst of all got skelped by Sevco 3 nil. No. winning the league doesn’t change things given the opposition. e.g. Aberdeen this years great white hope.
Playing in Europe and the EPL is probably of a similar standard and both Ange and Brendan have been found out in both these arenas so far, so shouldn’t Celtic be looking for better as they could afford it.
If you think about it Celtic cannot rise above the football abilities of Strachan and Kennedy year in year out and I always thought that the exciting part of a new manager was a new team and approach.
I suppose Wednesday may make non-sense of this. Hopefully.
Editor: Eddie Howe was never coming to Celtic, he was taking a year out after relegation with Bournemouth.
Good quality managers expect a certain level of infrastructure at a club with at least one person at Executive level that has a grounding in the game, understands how it works on the park and in negotiations. Celtic have lawyers and accountants forming their executive.
All right, sir. Will bow to your superior knowledge.
You also get the feeling that because they are accountants they are rooting for Sevco as they mistakenly believe we need the “blue pound” rather than have the understandable and righteous desire to screw them into the ground.
We all want to see the club do well in Europe, but that’s mainly qualification and then performing well once there.
Anyone who thinks Celtic will ever again reach the later stages of the CL is not thinking straight, we just cannot compete financially, and never will.
Some players now earn in 18 months what our clubs entire bank balance is.
There is no way I want to see the board risk the entire infrastructure to chase a pipe dream.
Represent the club and the league with distinction, keep mopping up at home.
No need to break the bank.
Just for example, Eddie Howe’s (i Know) salary is reportedly £4million/ year. That is £1 million less than Vasilis Barkas cost.
It is also less than half the cost Of Idah, a player I believe in, by the way.
You pays your money and…
Oh Fuck Charlie – Barkas – What trauma and nightmares you have rekindled there buddy !!!