Whatever you may think of Brendan Rodgers—and his detractors have seized the opportunity this season to refine their points—he is familiar with an Old Firm fixture. The Celtic manager obviously hasn’t missed that criticism, and he showed no signs of missing them during his post-Rangers debrief. In 17 games against the Ibrox club, he had only one loss.
When Rodgers has won games against Rangers at Celtic Park, he has taken the opportunity to remind everyone that, during his time in Glasgow, he has always been the best player in the city. He refuted the claim made by pundit and former Celtic striker Chris Sutton on Saturday that he has been “going through the motions” this season, having already noted in December that he had seen all five of the Rangers coaches he has faced off-site.
Despite the fact that his club has struggled at times this season, he hasn’t let that stop him in his post-match comments. However, their performance on Saturday served as a reminder that they are a formidable team when their main players are healthy and performing well. Even if his Celtic team hasn’t quite lived up to the past “Brodgeball” experiences that the supporters had during his first stint in leadership, they have excelled at a crucial juncture. Given the current form that Rodgers’ squad appears to be on, one could even argue that the season will end at a bad time.
The question now is whether they can carry over the momentum they have gained into the upcoming season, thereby avoiding the teething issues they experienced following Rodgers’ return in the summer. They will only be able to accomplish it if they support their manager throughout the upcoming transfer window. There will undoubtedly be a large Matt O’Riley-sized void in Celtics’ middle, though supporters of the team won’t want to think about it.
The level of club returning for the Danish international in the summer will be such that a certain level of cash can be commanded, which will provide Celtic and its followers some reassurance, considering that Atletico Madrid was sniffing about him in January. However, only if a sizable portion of it is used to make sure that a suitable replacement is found and hired. This season, Aaron Rodgers has often emphasized that for his club to advance, he wants quality players—not just more project signings. With South American scout Mark Cooper returning to the team and Mark Lawwell leaving, the recruitment department is already undergoing a transformation.
In fact, Rodgers has stated that it is his responsibility to get the Celtic board to relax its financial restrictions. They shouldn’t require persuasion. If they give Rodgers the tools, the way he brought this club together when they needed it most should be sufficient proof that they have the proper guy in place to lead them to the next level. Naturally, with Joe Hart retiring, there will also be a vacancy in the goalkeeping position. Although Liam Scales has outperformed everyone to establish himself as the team’s center defender, there is still room for improvement in this position because neither Maik Nawrocki nor Gustaf Lagerbielke appear to be staying with the team long-term.
There may also be consideration for the left back position. There are moments when Greg Taylor is unfairly vilified, and Rodgers is a big fan of the former Kilmarnock player. He’s grown to be a vital part of the squad and the locker room, but at the very least, competition is necessary. Reinforcements will also be needed above. Recently, Kyogo Furuhashi has appeared more like the player he used to be, thus Celtic’s budget might have to extend too far to bring in a striker of higher caliber than the Japanese to lead the line.
However, a choice will need to be made over Adam Idah, who is scheduled to return to Norwich City following the conclusion of his loan agreement. When Rodgers wants to give Kyogo a break or wants to have a physical presence at the top, he is a step up over Oh Hyeon-gyu since he has displayed some genuine quality in flashes. It is debatable if he possesses the necessary skills to strengthen the primary striking stance. It’s also unclear if he would want to sign a long-term contract to fulfill that backup role and if Celtic would be willing to pay £5 million to do so.
The important thing to remember is that Rodgers should have little opposition from above if he wants to move through with that transaction. That also applies to pretty much anybody else he wishes to invite. Rodgers is not gullible. He is aware of the budgetary constraints he is operating with.
However, Celtic needs to utilize some of the money they will get for playing in the Champions League to give their manager a realistic chance if they are to advance and do better in that competition, for example.
Over the weekend, Rodgers made it clear that he doesn’t appreciate being treated like an amateur. However, he will not tolerate being treated like a fool by his own board.
Despite their shortcomings and errors during the last three transfer windows, Celtic has almost won the league this year. Rodgers has demonstrated that he can fight back and win. As a result, he has won over a lot of the supporters’ cynics who didn’t want him returning to the team.
Additionally, he need to have dispelled any lingering skepticism among the group regarding his potential level of expertise. And that’s why he deserves support.
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