BERGAMO, ITALY - OCTOBER 23: Celtic FC start team 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)
The disappointment of losing to St Johnstone was felt deeply by Celtic fans.
With Hibs winning at Ibrox on Saturday the stage was set to clinch the SPFL title on Saturday against Kilmarnock but defeat in Perth wiped that prospect off the agenda.
It reopened some old wounds with no truly able to deny that watching Celtic has become boring.
Winning trophies will never be boring but it is undeniable that the excitement of autumn is becoming a fading memory. Beating unbeaten Aberdeen 6-0 at Hampden followed three days later by beating RB Leipzig in the Champions League are the clear high points of the season.
The fixture slog from mid November to mid February hasn’t helped, Rodgers has a trusted squad of about 15 with Michael Nicholson deciding against strengthening the first team squad during the January transfer window.
Rodgers tried to be diplomatic but was disappointed, team-mates saw Kyogo sold before facing Aston Villa and realised that Celtic had reached their glass ceiling.
Terrible result and performance but worse than that.
This Celtic team are boring now.
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) April 6, 2025
Since mid-January the SPFL title has been virtually tied up, clearly that is the limit of ambition of the Celtic board.
Rodgers has been unable to freshen things up, the substitute bench in the recent Glasgow Derby exposed the limitations of the squad.
Inside football complacency is acknowledge as a virus that must be battled against at every turn, it can quickly transform a promising situation into something very different.
Had it not been for Daizen Maeda hitting an incredible stream of form things might be a good deal tighter.
Rodgers has to deliver two more trophies against a backdrop of uncertainty about his own future, he realises that attitudes and ambitions haven’t moved on since his February 2019 departure to Leicester City.
He won’t repeat that but there is uncertainty closing this season out, what should have finished as a season of celebration, anticipating a treble alongside real progress in Europe looks like being replaced by questions about what direction the club is going.
Preparations for a Champions League Play Off at the end of August will determine whether Celtic are on the front foot and ambitious or happy in their domestic bubble, keeping just ahead of their city rivals rather than benchmarking Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven and other ambitious European clubs from outside the five richest leagues.
Boring and, by the looks of it, ‘bored’. And for a @CelticFC team that is absolutely shameful
— Mostly Here For The Football (@OrielCelt) April 6, 2025
Alarmingly unable to do anything against a packed defence. The low tempo passing round the back four was especially comical. We are remarkably lucky we aren’t up against much because this squad is miles off it.
— J-Mac ?? (@johnjmac63) April 6, 2025
We’ve been awful to watch since January
Rodgers never changes anything, it’s always the same slow, possession based tactics.
The subs are always like for like, never changing the formation or altering the way we play
— mmabhoy (@mmabhoy1888) April 6, 2025
Been boring for a while. Managers and players have a shelf life up here before things get boring for them and us.
Summer is time for a squad refresh and if that means manager refresh I wouldn’t lose much sleep over that— Paul Smith (@celticviews67) April 6, 2025
Harsh. We were poor today, but the fact is there has been no real jeopardy for Celtic since the Bayern game. In the same way the atmosphere at home has understandably dropped, so has the players edge. We’re essentially playing friendlies and I blame the whole affair on Clement.…
— methves (@methvesoutlook1) April 6, 2025
So. Unbelievably. Boring.
— Aidan (@AidanCeitic_) April 6, 2025
No flair no adventure
Like watching Arsenal 599 passes across the 18 yard box trying to walk the ball into the net— Richie W (@Richard18719415) April 6, 2025
Very boring, going through the motions at this stage, happens with us more often than not when the league is wrapped up early, but worryingly it’s also very common to see Rodgers teams start to fall off at around this point of his tenure, hopefully he’s not getting itchy feet.
— MonTheHoopleheads (@hoopleheads_) April 6, 2025
This also happened last time BR was our manager middle to end of s2 -pedantic and readable -teams know how to play is and we can’t change it up
— N (@tigernat7) April 6, 2025
Well, well, well, where have all the forecasters gone? Another forcibly delayed celebration; why? Because of a sheer lack of know-how! Sunday’s game against bottom of the table St Johnstone was forecast as a three-point advantage over our nearest rivals, to 16, and then all peaches and cream after three more points against Kilmarnock next saturday. Job done with five to go!
I watched the game until five minutes before the break and switched channels; I had had enough. Balodis outclassed our tallest back-four line twice in four minutes and secured victory for his side. Our aerial defence from set pieces is blatantly non-existent. Our lack of basic skills is also somewhere else. Control of the ball, accuracy of passes and lack of coordination between wing and central linkage for strikers was also absent.
We used to display a fighting spirit with a clear will to win. Where was it? Where has it gone? I cannot continue to watch these painful displays – if only for health reasons. Blood pressure readings go through the roof! Nobody has ever analysed Brendan Rodgers’ profile accurately because he is a misnomer in description for his tactical awareness. It’s an unsolvable, cryptic puzzle in his summary of his players’ performances.
Don’t go counting your chickens hence next season and winning the league again beating sevco to the title.
The Covid title proved that the huns are capable of pulling something out the bag,so dismiss them all you want for next season,but should they get their act together by being more consistent with their form we will have a challenge on our hands,hence our own club being a bit shy transfer wise.
Should sevco be in a stalemate situation as predicted with no FAKEOVER,our very own club will stand still,sevco ain’t spending so why should we if we keep winning everything.
And we have the cheek on here to laugh at sevco treating the klan fans like mugs,I reckon both clubs are 2 cheeks of the sane arse,only my opinion,don’t shoot the messenger.
That’s 3 defeats in last few weeks again teams with managers nowhere near the so called quality of Ted,that’s just not good enough.
We can pick on sevco all we want,but they are now managed by a guy whose claim to fame is Clyde and Alloa on his CV.
David Gray is step above as is the St Johnstone manager,so right Ted’s credentials should be getting called knto question.
When wee Benny out thinks you on the pitch that’s a bad day,and I don’t see any improvements running the season down,don’t be surprised to see sevco beat us again and St Johnstone in the semi -final as wellthat will be both 2 double dunters Ted can’tcome back from.,
We should always be grateful for another Double or Treble,
but, it is so frustrating watching this team just go through the motions, [or not.]
It’s for BR and the coaches to mix things up, to keep it fresh and players tuned-in?
Maybe some younger players could have had more game time?
Maybe tactics / positions / formation could have been tweaked – just to try out before next season?
We have had the big enough lead in the SPL to experiment without too much risk?
At least it would be interesting to watch some of the younger players get a chance?
Some of us really need to develop a sense of perspective. What I wouldn’t have given to have had a season like this one, in any year of the 1990s. This is a golden age bhoys and ghirls. Enjoy the moment, and treasure ever honour won…and spare a thought for the poor Huns. They will never know such success.
Hail Hail.
Well said Magua were turning into entitled csc.
We have to keep building in what we have with the manager there seems to be some player with their eye on holidays or a transfer so let them move on or simply too old or not up to the level they should be.
Due to our penny pinching we have a decent squad of about 13 or 14. If we have even a couple of players out injured our bench is shockingly bad.
I go back to Bayern away and the Huns game the other week big games need big better players in the squad we’ve near enough played the same 13/14 all season
When he first came to Celtic someone said BR gets one year before they suss him out and it looks that way.
Surely you would think he would change even just for survival sake but the fact that he didn’t at Leicester means he can’t or won’t.
His post match talk was the exact same as Ferguson’s. Unacceptable and changes will happen etc. That’s got to be bad.
It’s exactly what happened last time BR was here and his time in England has taught him nothing – no wonder he keeps getting sacked down there.