By the time Brendan Rodgers squares up against Rangers manager Steven Gerrard for the first time in a managerial capacity on September 1, Celtic’s long-term prospects of keeping the Northern Irishman will be a good deal more obvious.
It was little more than a week ago that he threatened to walk away from the club if they failed to meet his ambitions. “Terminado,” was the word that he used.
Rodgers’ eye-opening press conference was just one of a sequence of events that have seen the Bhoys descend into a spiral of negativity.
His anger was prompted by the board’s failure to sign John McGinn from Hibs – frustration no doubt increased having seen the Scotland international’s superb Aston Villa debut – and came on the eve of a Champions League qualifying clash at home against AEK Athens in which they were held to a 1-1 draw.
Subsequently, Rodgers’ men lost 1-0 at Hearts and limped out of Europe, beaten 2-1 in Greece in a match in which their defensive shortcomings were plainly exposed. The absence of Dedryck Boyata, who was effectively on strike having failed to secure a summer move, was a critical blow.
While the unprofessional behaviour of the Belgian international cannot be excused, neither can that of a board who recklessly allowed the club to go into their most important sequence of games of the season so ill prepared.
Qualifying for the Champions League is now a harder task than ever for all but Europe’s elite, yet Celtic’s place in the competition was wilfully gambled upon for a fraction of the value they would have gained by reaching the group stages.
To the fans, economics are only of secondary importance. Like Rodgers, they are striving to see their team succeed at the highest level possible, so to have had the prospect of Champions League football whipped away from them just a week into the domestic season is little short of a catastrophe.
It is of no consolation to them that a more exciting domestic season is in prospect with Gerrard’s Rangers hinting at a meaningful title challenge.
- Gerrard: 10
- Guardiola: 3
- Klopp: 3
- Mourinho: 1
- Rodgers: 0
Bossing It
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Rodgers, meanwhile, is a figure in relentless pursuit of improvement. It is not the failure that will irk him; it is the manner in which it came about. Celtic were not as prepared as they should have been for such vital games, and he may now accept that his outburst in the build up to that first AEK encounter was an error.
Mistakes have been made and are in the past. Both the board and the manager must accept that. What is vital for Celtic now is that they respond to the adversity.
The terrier-like manager will have no problems, but there are very real worries that his transfer activities in the next two weeks will be curtailed by the board.
Now is the time for Celtic to show that their ambition matches with that of their manager. That means seeing off bids for the likes of Olivier Ntcham and Moussa Dembele, who have interested clubs back in France, and just as pertinently it means making positive strides in terms of bringing the manager’s targets to the club.
Under Rodgers, Celtic have hit unprecedented heights with their double-treble, but if they are to maintain the tight grip of dominance they had upon the Scottish game even a month ago, they have work to do.
Gerrard and Rangers are coming. By the time the first Old Firm game of the season arrives, we will know just how serious the threat is – and much of it depends on Celtic.
