The league leaders have faltered, but there have been indications all season long that the head coach of the Houston Rockets isn’t happy.
In an attempt to invigorate Celtic, Brendan Rodgers attempted to instill a siege mentality by asserting that the champions were the target of a negative narrative from detractors who, he claimed, were “ganging up” on the Parkhead side as a result of years of dominance. Following the Scottish Cup victory over St Mirren in Paisley, he launched an offensive, which persisted until the weekend’s match against Kilmarnock. If his intention was to invigorate his team following a sluggish league campaign, it was unsuccessful as the Ayrshiremen trampled a point from Glasgow’s east end with a late equaliser. As a result, Rangers’ victory at the top of the Scottish Premiership allowed them to pass their competitors.
There were indications on the opening day 4-2 victory against Ross County, Rodgers’ second appearance at Parkhead, that he might not have the same style as his first in his very first competitive game back in charge of Celtic. “It’s definitely hard to pinpoint the why, but it’s definitely felt different,” he said to himself late last year. For a team like Celtic, it’s really tough if anything isn’t quite right, whether it’s the manager, the board, or something else entirely. Everyone wants to see their team succeed on the pitch, and support will lead to that.
The messages that Aaron Rodgers has sent out suggest that something is wrong and that he is trying to get his team back to playing with passion. Some of these messages include losing the plot with his players, attacking the media, and bringing up the need for quality signings. Record Sport looks at five situations in which he has desperately tried to get a reaction.
Fine pleasure
Throughout the season, the head coach of the Hoops has consistently stressed the need for quality, which has led some to wonder if he was satisfied with the summer hiring class. Fans were hoping for some big names to take the position of players like Jota and Carl Starfelt, who were crucial members of the team that won the Treble last season, and with £70 million in the bank, the Irishman responded, saying, “The supporters have every right to demand the highest level.” Here, too, that is what we demand. We don’t need as many players as we do, but you need great players if you want to get better.”
Controlling your anger
Despite watching his team win 3-1 at McDiarmid Park, Rodgers was unable to control his wrath. The performance was too good for the score to ignore, and a late save by Joe Hart prevented a disastrous day in Perth. “Half-time was the angriest I’ve ever been as a manager,” he stated afterwards. To be honest, I’m still upset. Not at all what you would have expected from a Celtic player or team in the first half. We fell well short of the game’s intensity and ambition levels, as well as its speed. We were weak in every way, both with and without the ball, and we were harassed for the goal.
The New Boyz were defeated.
Despite spending an incredible £8 million in total transfer costs, Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke weren’t even included in the matchday squads, leaving many fans perplexed and with a sneaking suspicion that the manager wasn’t quite satisfied with his new additions. In an attempt to justify their omission, Rodgers stated, “It’s obvious that our squad is rather large and that there are guys ahead of them. Sadly for Gustaf and Maik, Scalesy joined the team and truly seized the chance. The one aspect of the team you don’t want to change too much is Nat Phillips; he’s been fantastic since he’s been here and has had a really positive influence.
“A player’s only option is to focus on their performance throughout training. You can’t be overly dissatisfied. I hope you continue to put in a lot of effort and that you will be given those chances. After Lagerbielke scored the game-winning goal against Feyenoord in the Champions League, it was revealed a few days later that the team was willing to trade him. A January transfer to Serie A appeared to be imminent until Cameron Carter-Vickers was injured.
Questioned mentality
Hearts’ victory at Parkhead ended the champions’ 52-game home unbeaten streak, and Rodgers was compelled to apologise to the supporters, which was a true low point for the team. Then, implying that many lacked the necessary mindset, he held up Captain Callum McGregor as an illustration of what was needed. After losing at Kilmarnock six days prior, it was their second straight league loss. However, in between, they triumphed over Feyenoord in a Champions League dead rubber, and Rodgers underlined the necessity of being able to handle those challenges.
“It’s mid-December, and there are about 60,000 fans here, and the level of desire and passion was just really, really low,” he remarked. It wasn’t the entire group; Callum McGregor and one or two other players did a fantastic job of motivating the team. It’s only a matter of mindset and consistency.
“We have played some really good football at times and we won a game midweek. We didn’t have the mindset from the beginning that you need to have consistently. It’s a way of thinking, a goal, an internal drive, and a spirit that never lets up. It comes from within, guys like McGregor, who had to play two or three positions to try and get the team moving in the game. They have this amazing mindset. We must turn that on.
negative story
The Head Coach of the Hoops sent this message immediately following the team’s victory against St Mirren in the Scottish Cup, and he reiterated it during his news conference prior to the match against Kilmarnock this weekend. Speaking to a panel that included Jim Goodwin, the manager of Dundee United, and former Celtic manager Neil Lennon after their 2-0 victory in Paisley, he remarked, “The narrative around our team is that we’re not together and we’re broken but you can’t come and win very comfortably like that if you’re not.” When your team has a winning mentality and is winning… It seems like they’re attempting to unite against us! It doesn’t take much to be successful, and this club has been successful for a long time.
Subsequently, prior to the Killie match, he clarified that statement by stating: “I comprehend and I sense that you need to produce that.” I am aware that the two teams in this city are not going to be successful. Everton and Liverpool might both be winning at the same time when I worked at Liverpool. This cannot lead to that. One must be made to bow down. Because we are at the top, it is all about us.
Even though the players have won eight of the nine games, that narrative has persisted throughout, notwithstanding our error in early December. The fact that Rodgers has recently resorted to finger-pointing, blaming external factors for overblowing and possibly even orchestrating Celtic’s precipitous decline, is in and of itself a sign that the manager is somewhat confused, according to Keith Jackson’s Record Sport column. It feels a bit like a last-ditch effort to instill a siege mindset.
