Brendan Rodgers would have every right to ask Celtic supporters what it is they want of him. Who, exactly, do they want him to be?
When he returned to Celtic four years after he quit for Leicester City in the middle of a season, there were bridges to build.
Accused of betrayal, every word to supporters last season was measured and considered. There was nothing at all to be gained from raking over old coals.
He was so measured at times that some speculated that something was missing. He didn’t seem quite the same confident, self-assured figure of first time around.
The team were toiling, he looked and sounded less comfortable than he used to and some asked where the invincible figure of old had gone? Some even asked why he’d come back in the first place.
Four trophies later, the semi-skimmed Brendan has been supplanted, once more, by the old full fat version with cream on top.
Rodgers has doubled down on his attack on the expectations of some impatient Celtic fans
The Celtic boss says the crowd were too quick to get on the team’s back against St Mirren
Rodgers insists he’s earned the right to speak his mind, regardless if it upsets some supporters
Emboldened by Celtic’s progress in the last 18 months, he felt confident enough to query the negativity of supporters during the early stages of Saturday’s 3-0 win over St Mirren.
He followed that by accusing those chanting Kieran Tierney’s name, in hope of the Arsenal defender’s imminent return, of ‘disrespect’ towards current left-back Greg Taylor.
Supporters still smarting from a 3-0 loss to Rangers expressed bewilderment, others anger. Some pointed out that they chant the name of club legend Henrik Larsson and the Lisbon Lions in a show of respect for the club’s history and heritage. Not a show of disrespect for those who wear the jersey now.
Celtic play Dundee United at Parkhead tonight and the reaction of fans will be studied almost as carefully as the field of play.
It took time, effort and trophies for Rodgers to wash away the bad blood of his departure in 2019. While he defends his right to speak out, he claims to be oblivious to the kerfuffle his comments at the weekend created.
‘I have to be totally honest, I have not seen anything,’ said Rodgers. ‘We played the game, we recover, we train and then our focus is primarily on the next game.
‘This is obviously in your guys’ world. It is not in my world.
‘Everything’s open to debate now, win, lose or draw, whatever you say. It is not something I get attracted to really. My focus is on the team and the next game.’
It was a case of all’s well that ends well as Celtic ultimately saw off St Mirren 3-0 last weekend
An elite coach with a proven track record, criticism is a part of the job. Yet no one, he believes, should begrudge him the right to an opinion of his own in response.
When he watched his words last season and turned around a tricky campaign, supporters showed a willingness to forgive, if not forget.
By opening fire on the frustration and impatience of home fans, he risked the ire of those who called for the ‘real’ Brendan Rodgers to stop forward last season. And, now that he’s here, wish he’d keep his views to himself.
Admitting that he can’t win at times, Rodgers shrugged. ‘Well, you can’t because then you’ve got an ego or something like that. But listen, it’s the modern world so it’s okay.’
The atmosphere inside a football ground can be a chicken and egg scenario. Where managers and players want fans to get behind them from the off, Celtic are expected to beat St Mirren at home 100 times out of 100.
And to get supporters up for the occasion and off their seat, the team need to be at it from the start.
Celtic next face Dundee United, who held the champions to a 0-0 draw at Tannadice last month
While Rodgers accepts that, he also makes the point that players are human beings toiling to manage a gruelling run of games until March. Facing well organised, dogged teams like St Mirren and Dundee United they can’t be three goals up inside half an hour in every single game.
‘There are two teams,’ added the Celtic boss. ‘We kind of forget that.
‘We are not playing against mannequins, where it is 11 v 0 and you play through them and you score loads of goals. There is another team there who are normally set up very well and are very well organised, with good coaching staff and managers. That’s the first challenge.
‘The challenge is to then break through that and if you can break through in the first 20 minutes, then great. But you won’t always do that. If you don’t, you have to keep the penetration and the speed of the game until you can break the resistance. And very few times we have not been able to do that.
‘But in the main, if we don’t break through early, my message is there is no need to fret, there is no need to panic. It is the game, it is the opponent who are making it really difficult or you are missing chances or whatever.
‘But yes, it is a little bit of both. There are a number of things determining it. Normally, it is the opposition making it really difficult for you or maybe sitting deeper so there is no space and you spend more time with the ball trying to make connections to break through.’
Rodgers has also spoken to Taylor, the left-back supporters are impatient to see replaced by Tierney as soon as possible.
Rodgers says he has spoken to Greg Taylor and is determined to hold onto the full-back
Out of contract this summer, Taylor is 27, a senior player and a Scotland international, and wants a significant pay hike. When Celtic are bringing back Tierney on a hefty sum at the same time, he seems more likely to go than stay.
Upset by those who chanted Tierney’s name within Taylor’s earshot in the closing stages of the St Mirren game, Rodgers added: ‘I had a good chat with Greg on a number of things. Yeah, he is good to go (in the next match).
‘Greg is clear on where he is at. For me, he is a dedicated Celt. He has been someone who has been here for nearly six years. If he plays tomorrow that is 200 games as a Celtic player which is a lot of games.
‘He is a brilliant servant and I hope he can continue to be that throughout my time here and beyond.’
